1968: The Collapse of Liberalism

The Collapse of Liberalism : This article, written in 1968, is just as valid today as it was then. Unfortunately, even though the editorial gives all the right reasons why liberalism (which is really just Americanized socio-fascism) should have collapsed, it obviously did not collapse. Over-optimistic conservatives of our day should take note: the current quasi-rejection of left-wing politics is no more a signal of the permanent demise of those politics than it was 35 years ago.

For one example, in the editorial: “Very few citizens any longer believe the current batch of national problems can be solved by domestic policies emphasizing big spending, Federal bureaucracy and liberal emotions.” Nevertheless, since the article was written, Federal spending and bureaucracy have bloated grotesquely and continue to surpass elephantine proportions. The government is still regarded by more and more as a trough, and politicians of all points on the spectrum continue to pander to those who want to feed at the trough by buying their votes with taxpayer-funded programs and entitlements. Prescription drug program, anyone?

I hate to be the “glass is half-empty” guy, but there it is!

Congress: Spam is bad, unless it comes from us.

Congress likes free speech, except when they are running for re-election. That much was made clear when they passed the McCain-Feingold bill, otherwise known as the Incumbent Protection Act, that limits political speech during the late stages of an election. Now Congress is saying they hate spam. Except, of course, if that spam comes from them. [Article] What’s interesting about this is that it isn’t just another example of congressional hypocrisy, it shows how abusive Congress is of the power of incumbency, and how willing they are to make law making it harder for someone to challenge their positions of power.

Clark: Let’s get permission from Europeans to defend ourselves

Democrat presidential hopeful Wesley Clark thinks that the USA should subject its national security concerns to the whims of Europe. He said: “And I would say to the Europeans, I pledge to you as the American president that we’ll consult with you first. You get the right of first refusal on the security concerns that we have. We’ll bring you in.” [Article] It’s almost too ridiculous a statement to even comment on.