I've always liked Dave Nalle at Blogcritics.org. He schools his commenters and they never realize they've been zinged.
Are the Townhall meetings real, spontaneous, grass roots anger or are they orchestrated by big pharma and other lobbyists looking to protect their interests? The former would mean democractic impulses are alive (and I'm sure many of the people there are genuinely concerned and want to learn more), while the latter is conspiratorial in nature (I'm sure some vested interests are worried).
When is resistance genuine? Can we tell anymore?
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Recent American politics is grossly incongruent to the principles established by the Founding Fathers. To invoke their names during a speech does a disservice to the political legacy they left behind.
Everything in between, the nonsensical conspiratorial, unsubstantiated and selective bull shit that seems to get so much play, is pure obfuscation, which in turn, introduces obtuse contemporary political discourse.
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I don't know if Obama is a socialist but one thing is not up for debate: He is engineering a massive redistrubution of, well, everything. I know this is true because the biggest apologist of anything leftist (or at least Democratic) I've ever had the pleasure of watching, Eleonore Clift of Newsweek, agreed on the McLaughlin Group a few weeks back!
"A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government." Thomas Jefferson.
Match these words with Bush and Obama economic interventionism and try and tell me they fulfill these words.
As for, socialism itself, I will post about it later on.
Sometimes I am wondering whether your deep heart is Canadian or American.
ReplyDeleteAll the best
From the other side
Of the West
MoR, like too many Canadians our friend looks too often south of the border. I like, when our dollar is strong enough, visiting down there but I would not live there nor copy their political system.
ReplyDeleteThey had, around the revolution, wonderful orators, but their actions always belied their words.
An example: the Grand Electors of the Electoral College that was set up to "Correct popular error" in electing the president. They can overide the popular vote. Father knows best.
True story that will address both your comments (and do I detect some concerns?)
ReplyDeleteFirst, let me say, I think Paul you unfortunately under estimate, as Canadians are apt to do, what the founding fathers stood for, what they accomplished and their influences. They weren't just oratorical. They were men of action. They were brilliant in their assessment of mankind and brought to full fruition the hopes and values of the Englightenment - which is why French thinker and revolutionaries took to it. It's not just them. Many Europeans came to the cause as well as America grew.
American ideals DO transcend nationalities and speak to people on an individual level I believe.
In the process they forged a new identity and nation; the greatest in world history up to this point. As I Canadian, I have no qualms making this statement.
You pick but one aspect of their system, Paul. I can turn around and say, the Prime Minister has way too much power (to the point of being a quasi-dictator) while the President is far weaker. I like their theory on checks and balances.
Pros and cons to both system but at least they created theirs while we borrowed ours.
And by what process did I arrive to all this? When I was a kid, I consumed Canadian history voraciously - I was nicknamed Captain Canada (and yes, I was considered a cool kid. Don't worry).
By the time I was 16, my knowledge of my country was abnormal for a kid my age. So be clear, I'm not one of those Canadians who "looked south" in fact I wrote a personal thesis on this subject matter.
I was a patriot; not a nationalist. I hated nationalists with a passion. Still do. I was also, what can be termed as anti-American. I found them to be loud and obnoxious.
But I felt this way because I was ignorant; even envious of them. So I set to learn about them. By the time University rolled around, I was well-read in North American history. My grasp of it was solid enough and well-above the average person -even though the professors were so clearly anti-American.
My love of Canada was so great I tried to get people to see what I saw. I argued that our history was indeed adventurous and filled with great myths. I saw no problem in romanticizing them; Canada NEEDED to brand itself history-wise.
Alas, Canada doesn't do branding well and there remains a certain amount of apathy towards our history. Sure there have been moments where we did but...as a whole? Quebec is a different matter altogether.
I soon became disillusioned. Canadians went from being apathetic to outright childish nationalists with all sorts of "we're not American" slogans to prove their worth.
There was no room for people like me I felt.
American history and politics is high octane. It stares you down and challenges you. It forces mankind to see all our virtues and vices. They're not perfect but God knows they try and try.
Canada is a great place. A great experiment onto itself. I criticize it because I demand more of her and its people.
But it's not America.
That's why I write about her. I know this is all in the abstract. I know the Republic is not without its weaknesses and massive problems. Like you MOR, I do allow my romantic side to take over now and then. ;<)
As you know MOR, I think she's the preserver of Western civilization. If she sinks...
So lotsa posts about her...that and the fact it's the slow political season here!
Hope this clarifies things a little. Heck, this could have been a post!
Oh one other thing. I write a lot about America because it helps with my Google rankings. From the onset, Americans were the major readers of this blog. For some reason, Canadians keep away.
ReplyDeleteOK, it clarifies and explains a lot. I can share in that. However, I will claim my Canadianness anywhere and still prefer our quiet patriotism to the gung ho (and guns ho) flag waving American one.
ReplyDeleteGees, I have to clarify my positions?
ReplyDeleteHeh.
Well, I've observed an increase in flag waving here too. In fact, ever hear of the 'Ugly American?' There's a new breed called the 'Ugly Canadian.'
I've seen it all too often in Europe.
Actually, our "flag waving" comes in different ways. Take our commercials. Have you noticed how ridiculously nationalistic they are? - under the guise of humor of course.
Baton Rouge restaurant playing on Team 990 radio has an incoherent non-sequitor commercial that goes from advertising their over rated ribs to bashing New Yorkers with specious logic.
On French radio, Bâton-Rouge is very subdued. Seems to be na Anglo thing. Aping Americans perhaps?
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this discussion very much. Wanted to say something but I am officially on vacation.
ReplyDeleteOnly one thing. When you say:
"Are the Townhall meetings real, spontaneous, grass roots anger or are they orchestrated by big pharma and other lobbyists looking to protect their interests?"
I think both. Although, seen from here, people seem heavily manipulated. They believe in things like "Obama will kill all old people with euthanasia" and other similar crap.
And yes, I also like America, and I also believe many founding fathers had great inspiration. But what I dislike about America is money, seen as a God. All is done in the name of this God. Movies are now crap because they are only intended to make money etc. Any Italian (well, at least any of my generation) would be shocked when hearing sentences like "she has a 30,000 dollars smile." It is revolting to me. And now Italian young people are starting too here.
In this and other respects, Canada seems a lot better.
PS
ReplyDeletePaul, thanks for the explanation about the looking-south attitude of some Canadians.