Funhouse Musing #105 Wingnut

*discussions about Ed Morrissey/wingnut

Ed and all the other wingnuts, at least the ones not currently clawing out each others eyes, have slipped into full reactionary mode. This is the GOP in the 50’ and 60’s before they gathered the feuding clans together for the Conservative Movement"—based on limited government, restrained foreign involvements (ie nation building), and deregulation. Reagan tightened up the unholy alliance, and at least paid homage to the core tenets of conservatism movement style. Though in realty, he did raise taxes and grow government, and meddle in foreign countries( Central and South America mostly). But the press and public was to engrossed in his cheerful Americana persona and let those things pass.

Comes along dufus George with his delusions of grandeur and Churchill/Ghandi/and dualing FDR/Hoover lovechild (no regulation with big spending on Med. prescription for big Pharma) fantasies and flushes the Conservative Movement down the shitter. They have nothing left to but spout discredited Burkean bullshit and now hypocritical Buckley high dugeon conservative principle. And of course, watching Obama for anything to criticize, down to his lack of proper dress for the oval office. I expect the new Obama family dog will be vetted accordingly.

Funhouse Musing #104 Dem/Repub

*from conversations with Comrade Stuck

I would agree that ideology of the left and right and the electorate are in a significant flux right now. He forgets the politics of the 60’ and 70’ was a stormy amalgam of an unpopular war with a high draftee death count and a society trying to wrestle free from Victorian age social constraints.

The republican party has mostly been about a disparate group of factions with some similarities but dominated by hatred of the lefts beliefs and equal hatred for being out of power. They still hate the left, now even more, but the need to come together for winning elections is over for now. Overpowered by countervailing interests that have always been there. And now with southern ideology firmly in control.

I don’t think the left is all that much different than it has always been. It has new causes and new tensions between it’s factions, but mild in comparison to the GOP. We remain, imo, a party with factions that fundamentally agrees with one another, save for different emphasis on importance of one issue over another, and the details for dealing with it. Of, course now that the GOP is insane and irrelevant, that fighting dem spirit too often gets turned in on itself and we argue about a 19 month IRaq withdrawal versus 16, or when Obama does a Crazy Ivan left or right, and what that means.

Funhouse Musing #103 Democrats

*from conversations with Comrade Stuck

I agree, and that the shift is primarily back to the long time zone for traditional democratic belief. which boiled down, is a fair shake for the average citizen. That’s why it makes me chuckle with glee when wingnuts screach and run around cawing Porkulus, and socialist and Obama’s numbers keep going up. The country has just awoken from a 30 year wingnut failed experiment and get it. Common sense, a sense of fair play, and someone who so far is looking out for their interests is on the job once again. A democrat like Truman, Kennedy, FDR, and a sometimes Clinton. And BTW, trying to save industry and reform it at the same time is in everyone’s interest.

Hannnutty in Full Battle Regalia

Further Musings on Libertarianism

Libertarianism, like Conservatism should be confined to impolite discussions at Dinner Parties and Blogs. Like doctrinaire Conservatism, It also lacks a "program repair function" grounded in pragmatism. And often taken to it’s natural progression in actual situations of governance, starts to resemble anarchy. In comparison, the political concept of true progressivism, the over riding idea is for finding what works and doing it. Until it doesn’t work, then fixing it or trying something new. And I don’t necessarily equate Liberal of Left wing dogma as automatically "progressive". It can be without the dogma part and a "program repair" function based in the pragmatic. And, once upon a time there were creatures that were progressive conservatives. They have long since become extinct and may be buried alongside TR.

Musings on the Conservative Movement and Today's GOP

I look at conservatism more as a personal blueprint for livings ones day to day life. I wonder if the problems of the republican party emanates ultimately from the notion that this personal choice can be institutionalized in a political party for the purpose of being implemented on a national scale for governance. Attempting to do such a thing fly’s in the face of practicality in a country whose founding document was formed toward creating a liberal democracy. That doesn’t mean that rugged individualism, personal responsibility and the other tenants of the so called conservative movement should not be suggested as noble goals for every American, but to force fealty to this by public policy has proven to be a disaster, IE Katrina, Fema and other failed bush management of agencies designed to do things people cannot do for themselves. It is ironic to me, the fact that in many ways as a person who lives their life conservatively on a personal level, approaching minimalism in some respects, is a pretty liberal politicital person on issues of national policy, especially socially and economically.

IMHO> When the GOP realizes this and conservatives begin to accept a role of competent government that can service the country in a positive way, then they can become a party that may be capable of governing this liberal democracy. What that means is developing ideas that may be a kind of conservative philosophy that is frugal in it’s approach but meets the threshold of supporting a government that does stuff people can’t do for themselves. Call it liberal conservatism, though Malkin would not doubt be not impressed with such RIONism heresy. To me it is the only thing that might work to restore the viability of the GOP. I doubt it will happen any time soon though.