Both Sides Now ... |
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The Same. |
Superman. Clark Kent. Both trying to nail Lois in their own, constrained
genitalia kind of way. Both fighting a never-ending battle for truth …
justice ..… and The American Way (not to be, in any way, confused
or associated with the first two undertakings).
Clark Kent … clearly, the left-wing, socialist liberal – what,
writing for a major metropolitan newspaper, and all. And Superman, the
right-winged vigilante who used his own body as an unregistered handgun.
And yet … both, one in the same, playing overtures for the Lois Lane
Labia – or ‘LLL’ – as it’s referred to in socio-academic
circles …
And so it is with our political players: Democrats and Republicans, Liberals
and Conservatives, both sauntering through the very same space at Ladies
Night, and you – the American voter … that pussy.
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"There is no Republican Party; there is
no Democratic Party. There is just one party ... and you're
not invited."
- Joseph, 2004 - |
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A longtime friend of mine who had worked with the Republican party for years
would, more recently, retire from the field. Disillusioned with her own side
– as I had become with my own – she would now cite the Republicans
as … ‘Democrats, Version 2.0 – Enhanced Premium’. For
now there was little to distinguish between the opposing parties.
Indeed, somewhat similar sentiments would be voiced more recently by another
friend, veteran conservative talk host, Rick Seiderman …
“Our problem isn’t Obama”, said Rick. “Our problem …
is ourselves”.
And how right (no pun) Rick is. For, as of this day, true conservatism
may be romanticized in almost nostalgic-like terms – at least when
referenced to the Republican party ... you know – the former
standard-bearer of conservative ideology, now seemingly left to folklore
legend.
But Rick, perhaps, is more correct than even he realizes as the Republican
party – and the Nuevo-Conservative movement – make the very same
mistakes as liberals and the Democratic party have made in years past …
“Whoa, hold on, Joseph”, you pause to ponder. “What
is a ‘Nuevo-Conservative’, as you put it?” … Okay
… I can best describe it in terms of what a Nuevo-Conservative
isn’t: The ‘Nuevo’ variety is not Barry Goldwater
… or William Buckley, both of days gone by. For neither one of these
… gentlemen … would be drawn into ‘the bullshit’
that preoccupies the Nuevo-Conservative. Not even Ronald Reagan would have
been so suckered like this. Read on …
Barack Obama stands as the best thing that has happened to the Democratic
party since … well … Bill Clinton. But not for the reasons
that most of you think, whether you be liberal or conservative ...
For the Nuevo-Conservative – and The Republican Party – Obama,
himself, has become the distraction – that which ranks among the most
potent of all political weapons. Nuevo-Conservatives, not merely
driven by hatred – but consumed by it, are not just taking
their eye off the ball … it’s been dropped to the floor,
progressively bouncing it’s way down the stairs to the basement ...
and seemingly without notice. The only ones who do notice are the
true conservatives, more recently overshadowed – and perhaps doomed
– by the Nuevo-Conservative.
Consider Rick Seiderman’s words once again … “Obama isn’t
our problem. Our problem … is ourselves.” This, as a variant of
“we have met the enemy, and the enemy is us”. But here’s the
thing … The enemy isn’t among the conservatives, true and
actual. Rather, the enemies are among those who have seized and hijacked
conservative ideology, twisting and deforming it, making it an arena that
plays host to a group of angry and embittered malcontents, much like Frankenstein
villagers with torches and pitchforks. Kind of like what would become of
… liberalism.
www.seiderman.com |
Rick now streams video commentary from home ...
"Obama is not a dishonorable human being.
He's a liberal – period. End of
story."
"Our problem is ourselves. And if we want
to get our act together, we better learn how to be good
conservatives."
– Former conservative talk host, Rick Seiderman – |
Superman. Clark Kent. One in the same.
Elsewhere on the Internet, I would write the following as it related to the
‘Tea Party’ phenomena – sans an actual phenomenon:
“To me, the Tea Parties weren't entirely different from a variety of
liberal protests, past and present ... a silly-hat, party-like atmosphere,
popularized by fashionable trend – and to little ultimate effect.
Don’t delude yourselves into believing that such efforts represent actual
accomplishment. They don’t. Grass Root efforts are far more frequently
romanticized than they are, recognized – no matter what the media coverage.
Most any political consultant would tell you the same thing, if they were
to be honest with you – breaking your little, enthusiastic hearts. Change,
itself, has become increasingly intricate and complex over the past few decades.
And the roots of the grass generally lack the sophistication required to
transform. Indeed, if the change desired was to emerge, it wouldn’t
be by their hand – or seed.
In short, you can dump all of the tea you want … but you’re
still dropping the acid. It’s not that these street-level, maniacal
menageries are entirely meaningless. Merely silly. Pointless. Fruitless.
Most change is beyond the scope of their influence. It’s not
the tea leaves. It’s who you have in your Rolodex. And most of you
don’t even have one. And even if you did, the people in
it would likely be confined to ineffectual fellow malcontents, such as
yourselves. Again … unavailing. You might as well just pick up the cold
cut assortment at the supermarket and throw a bash in your own backyard,
for all the good it does you.” |
I could have just as easily written the same thing about my liberal
contemporaries. Superman. Clark Kent. One in the same.
Indeed, on both sides, most political protests and issue-based
‘rallies’ are to the benefit – and glory – of key organizers,
wholly independent of shared sentiment or ‘mission’. Play the fool,
as you please. I choose not to.
Hell, even conservative Rick used to attend some of the late 60s protests
just as a vehicle to pick up some bleeding-heart pussy. Ironically, he was
probably more successful in his endeavor than that of the rally, itself.
In fact, I know he was …
In truth, the litany of Vietnam protests of the 1960s did absolutely nothing
to abbreviate America’s involvement. In fact, many conservatives argue
that they prolonged it. While I, myself, haven’t been able to find any
absolute cause and effect relationships in that premise, the protest movement
certainly wasn’t successful in expediting America’s withdrawal
and non-victorious victory.
From anti-abortion protesters to gays on militant parade, as it relates to
effecting actual change … Silly, silly people. One in the same.
Just say you want to have a fucking party, make a little noise, and
call it a day. But at some point during your political bacchanal, have a
look around you and take note of the ones in absence – those
of any real and tangible influence. And forget the ‘Media
People’, you idiots. You’re just their inventory.
But no … those from the Left – and the Right – will continue
to believe that they can change the world with a Magic Marker and a few pieces
of poster board. Hell, throw them a tube of glue, along with a package of
glitter, and they’ll think they’ve died and have gone to Protest
Heaven. But neither side will ever realize – or even want to know –
that change can’t be crafted … out of a Craft store.
It’s not the Civil Rights 60s anymore, children. Again,
‘change’ has become far more intricate, nuanced – and
closed-circuit – in the decades since. As to the actual
‘change agents’ in the Beltway, you don’t even know who they
are by name. They never campaigned. You never voted for them. They
lurk in the halls. As such, you have no email addresses or telephone numbers
to bombard.
Superman. Clark Kent. Both from planet Krypton …
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"I used to say, 'conservatives are full of shit,
and liberals are full of bullshit'. The difference? Those who are full of
bullshit are the ones who know they're full of shit, but proceed anyway.
Conservatives were merely full of shit, wholly unaware. But now I think they're
both dealing in bullshit."
- Joseph, 2009 - |
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In these more recent days, I’ve grown increasingly disappointed in the
conservatives – or Nuevo-Conservatives, rather, making the same mistakes
that I’ve scorned my fellow liberals for …
Intellect is trumped by emotion. And a near-pathological hatred has overtaken
reason. In fact, as of this writing, conservative Rick has stopped
listening to both Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh – while also
naming our mutual friend and conservative-newbie, Joyce Kaufman, as being
a member of the ilk by way of his video commentary. Rick and I may have
originally come from two different places, but we often end up on a similar
square …
 Indeed,
as I peruse the FaceBook page of my longtime and dear friend, Joyce, I see
a disturbing trend ... Yes, no talk host has complete control – perhaps
any control, in an absolute sense – of their fan base …
their ‘followers’. But one still has to ponder who they
attract, what they attract – and why ...
Frankly, I see a group of some very angry people …
sometimes going to some very dark places on
Joyce’s FaceBook. Often ignorant. Frequently inarticulate. People who
seem to find their comfort-zone ‘Snuggie’ somewhere between a straight
jacket and a rubber room. Think Ted Nugent with a brain-targeted, steroid
injection. In this new Obama world, the daily battering is beyond what even
Bill Clinton ever endured …
For the liberal – or the Democrat – this may be regarded as a
good thing, odd though it may seem. For these manic Nuevo-Conservatives
are the ones who have taken their eye off the ball, lacking
focus, doing absolutely nothing to push true conservatism forward.
Just as I had cautioned my own liberal brethren, you can’t move forward,
solely preoccupied with putting out fires, consumed by your own hatred.
Those who have long known me may well wonder why I should even care
that conservatism, at the twisted hand of the Nuevo-Conservative, is fucking
up. That I should celebrate such a trend. But ... I just can't. I derive
no satisfaction or joy from it. For I know that when either side –
liberal or conservative – becomes so immersed in bullshit, it
isn't good for this country – no matter who you are, or from
where you may hail ... Give me old-school, Bill Buckley or Barry Goldwater
any day ...
But, instead – on this day, as of this writing, the
‘Republican Brand’ (as it’s now being described) – often
identified with conservatism, whether remaining valid or not –
has fallen to a 25% approval rating ... the lowest in history (by one
poll – NBC/Wall Street Journal). And, in a series of other polls,
while 40% of the American people cite themselves as ‘conservatives’,
an equal 40% prefer not to be “identified” … at all.
This, combined with the remaining 20% freely identifying themselves as
‘liberal’. For the conservative who takes the moment to consider
these trends, it can’t be good. There should be no comfort for
those citing themselves as conservatives out-numbering ‘liberals’
by a ratio of 2:1 … You’re looking at the wrong numbers, and not
fully coming to grasp with the ramifications associated with the 'unidentified'.
I was originally going to write a piece cautioning liberals
on this day … That, despite recent successes, they weren’t
entering the dawn of a new and enlightened, liberal age. Instead, with the
very day following Election Day, they were crossing a threshold where
they could end up … losing it all – and fast.
But if Nuevo-Conservatism remains on its course, liberalism –
and the Democratic party can, indeed, keep the champagne flowing … And
I do believe that true conservatives know this. Sense it, at
the least.
For while the Nuevo-Conservatives are so entirely preoccupied with looking
at the birds and the planes … Clark Kent may, indeed, end up with more
powers … than Superman.
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