Friday, November 29, 2013

Progress would be So Easy if it weren't for F*cking History!

If progressives are on the right side of history, why then must they always lie, cheat, and steal in order to get there? This has been going on since Marx, and yet, they still get away with it.

For once I'd like to see a progressive just get out of the fucking way of history, and let it take its course. But no. They always have to force their future on a recalcitrant present by any means necessary -- for example, most recently by ending the filibuster.

This is because, for the progressive, truth is not a value. Rather, "progress" is both the goal and the measure, so history, rather than truth, provides the verdict.

Thus, if you can ram your ideas into history, you win. That's why Obama will never concede that ObamaCare is a failure, because to do so is to bow to the verdict of history. Conversely, if ObamaCare somehow survives, progressives are proved right. Simple as.

After all, no collectivist bowed to the world-historical verdict of 1989. Instead, they just mutated into new forms of cultural Marxism, e.g., climate change, multiculturalism, the redefinition of marriage -- anything to undermine history's clear winner, that is, American style classical liberal conservatism.

The Era of Big Government wasn't over, because that can't happen. That was just to lull you into letting your guard down. They pretended it was over for the same reason a terrorist with a bomb strapped to his chest pretends to surrender. Surprise!

Not only does progressivism fail to bring progress, it backfires, every time. In short, it is King Midas in reverse: the left transforms "virtually everything it touches into rubble. Sometimes it happens quickly; sometimes it takes generations. But it is inevitable.... whatever the left transforms in its direction is damaged, and often destroyed."

With education the left has succeeded in stunting, warping, and misinforming millions of souls. But they want the body too, hence, the ineradicable dream of state run healthcare.

It's one thing for clueless well-to-do liberals to sing the praises of public education while shielding their own children from its malign influence by sending them to elite private schools. It's another thing entirely to force socialized medicine upon us, because should they succeed, then the entire system goes down with it.

It's not as if there will be safe enclaves -- the equivalent of private schools -- untouched by the disaster. Rather, there will be less innovation, fewer doctors, fewer miraculous new drugs, waiting lists, death panels. It's like dumping poison into the far end of a lake while imagining it won't effect your expensive lakefront property.

Frankly, despite the leftist takeover of education, a motivated soul can still find and assimilate truth. Indeed, in spite of it all, it is easier today to access truth than ever before. But a sick man who is motivated to get well can't just track down a book or go online. It's great to be an autodidact. But autosurgery is another thing entirely.

If there are fixed rules, then the left cannot win. And for them, the most irritating rules of all -- perhaps tied with the laws of human nature -- are embodied in the Constitution, so it has always been Job One for them to find a way around it, starting with Woodrow Wilson.

In a piece called An Outbreak of Lawlessness, Krauthammer writes that "If a bare majority can change the fundamental rules that govern an institution, then there are no rules. Senate rules today are whatever the majority decides they are that morning."

It's like allowing the home crowd -- since they are the majority -- to change the rules of the game if their team is behind. Likewise, "If we could make constitutional changes by majority vote, there would be no Constitution." (Next up: the twenty-second amendment; note how the author implies it was forced upon us by Republicans, when only two states voted to reject it.)

Recall what was said above about progressives always having to lie and cheat in order to force "progress" upon us. In the case of ObamaCare, it became the Law of the Land thanks to outrageous lies, bribes, secrecy, mob rule, and procedural trickery. Okay, good enough. New rules. We'll find a way to deal with them.

But for the left, the rules are only the rules if they are favorable to the left. Otherwise, there are no rules. Thus, Obama's "violation of the proper limits of executive power has become breathtaking." In "urging both insurers and the states to reinstate millions" of canceled plans, "he is asking them to break the law. His own law" (ibid.).

Interestingly, Obama becomes indignant at the idea that congress should so much as think of changing or defunding the law legally: "Remember how for months Democrats denounced Republicans for daring to vote to defund or postpone Obamacare? Saboteurs! Terrorists! How dare you alter 'the law of the land'" (ibid.).

So, the rule of law is treacherous, while the rule of liberals is intrinsically virtuous.

Must be nice to have history on your side.

21 comments:

julie said...

Next up: the twenty-second amendment...

Even a recently, I always rolled my eyes at any suggestion that a third term would be seized; after all, people were making the same claims about Bush. But at this point, considering that he still lives mostly in campaign mode, I don't think it's so far-fetched. And should that come to pass, will anyone be surprised if he wins by a landslide?

Van Harvey said...

"It's great to be an autodidact. But autosurgery is another thing entirely."

Yeah, Blogodidact was at least plausible. Blogosurgeon?

I'm hoping for no.

Gagdad Bob said...

I notice on amazon that they have special deal through December 1: 30% off any new book. Just type in BOOKDEAL in the gift card/promotional code box at checkout. I ordered the new edition of Schuon's From the Divine to the Human, which might be my favorite of his.

Joan of Argghh! said...

An interesting little discussion that Mr. Vanderleun posted a link to is here:
http://unqualified-reservations.blogspot.com/2013/11/mr-jones-is-rather-concerned.html

I like your more succinct variation on the theme.

Rick said...

Off Topic:

Bob, any "The Peddlers" in the collection?

Heard one of their tunes in a TV show and reminded of Scott Walker-ish..

Gagdad Bob said...

Now, that is obscure! I'd never heard of them. I hear a combination of Tom Jones, David Clayton Thomas, Billy Crystal channeling Sammy Davis, and a wigged out Bobby Darin, with Jimmy Smith on the Hammond. I can understand the Scott Walker comparison, but they lack that delightfully suffocating existential Euro-gloom.

Rick said...

I hear ya.
Yeah I thought at first Tom Jones but then, that's not quite right. So maybe Engelbert? Or Lovin' Spoonful...

Anyway, my fav cut is "On a clear day..."

ge said...

when i discovered those guys my take was: hopeless squares going for a 'hipster' thing

ge said...

Bob you did you say today is last day for amazon 30% thing, or was it yesterday?

-Any Kindle fans here?
there's 1 book i'd like that is near $50 paper, $10 kindle! [harumphhh!]

Gagdad Bob said...

Should still apply today -- like I said, just type BOOKDEAL in the promo box at checkout. I double-dipped & used the wife's account to purchase the new Beatles bio for only $15 ($40 list).

Gagdad Bob said...

Actually, $14.... plus free shipping with the amazon prime offer.

Gagdad Bob said...

It's little things like that that can never be taken into consideration in any quantitative assessment of "quality of life" compared to the Old Days of the 20th century...

Gagdad Bob said...

Delightfully suffocating existential Euro-gloom.

ge said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ge said...

wanna 'Get UP!'? play
this rouser

Gagdad Bob said...

This book on Inventing Freedom is pretty interesting. Hannan argues that we've been having one long war within the Anglosphere between Whigs and Tories, encompassing the English Civil War, the Glorious Revolution, the American war for independence, and our own Civil War -- to which I would add the struggle for black civil rights and the battle against Obamaism -- in each case, we Whigs have been fighting against the same impulse toward centralization of power and the erosion of our ancient freedoms.

ted said...

Delightfully suffocating existential Euro-gloom - Part 2

Scott Walker may have been an original crooner, but Moz took it up a notch.

ge said...

Painting of a Holy Bowly
found by
Wellesley Tudor Pole
Just heard about him today, some may be interested-- clairvoyant UK Xtian/Bahai mystic approx. contemporary of Tomberg

ge said...

The Gordon [Scorpio] Lightfoot image at right reminded me of this Suuuuper great one he penned done by Gene [Scorpio] Clark!

Tony said...

Ukraine is getting interesting ...

bought Wealth and Poverty (Gilder) the other day, superb so far

the boys may be getting a little library of Sowell & Co., plus work boots and gloves in the stockings

it might be nice to send the WH a nice big chunk of coal -- without a return address, of course, since I'd then be punitively audited by the IRS

history is one long litany of oppression, you plebes! just shut up! we got this!

/the Management

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

That's a good analogy of OBcare. Poisoning the water indeed.
I bet, to make up for the inevitable shortfall (cuz even most young liberals ain't stupid enough to sign up for this crap) Obama will steal more from medicare and the military/VA.
So besides the
ack of innovations, new drugs, etc., I have no doubt it will get worse for veterans as well.

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