|

|
|
Archived News
|
Thursday September 2nd, 2010
|
|
The Persistence of Red-State Fascism
posted 09/02/2010, 3:01 PM (Anthony Gregory) [Category: Commentary] It is natural for libertarians to identify more with the side out of power. In a democratic system, those not wielding government force are, categorically, less guilty of crimes against individual liberty. Their rhetoric tends to be much better. An appeal to constitutionalism, founding principles or balanced budgets is much more often heard from those not at the reins of the state. It is music to libertarians’ ears, even when we know the song was ripped off and is being lip-synced.
The pattern has been this way for a long time. Under Clinton, the right condemned federal welfare, police abuses, internationalism in foreign policy, and almost all erosions of the constitutional limits on the central state. The 1990s right flirted with revisionist history and a radical rethinking of the post-New Deal government, helping libertarians to find at least some common ground. The Kosovo War, in particular, demonstrated that the leftist attachment to peace was an illusion and that perhaps as much headway could be made on war issues in conservative circles as could be made anywhere.
Then we had the Bush years. The conservative movement became almost completely enthralled with the very worst of what government is capable of: mass murder. The American right began to take on the character of a truly totalitarian movement. Calls for deporting dissenters, shutting down the press, nuking tens of millions of people, banning Islam and other such despotic proposals were heard all over talk radio. At the height of Bush’s power and prestige, it almost looked like liberty was doomed in America, thanks primarily to the same crowd that gave us Reagan, the Contract with America and the defeat of Al Gore. ... (more) |
A Distinction Without A Difference
posted 09/02/2010, 3:01 PM (David D'Amato) [Category: Commentary] With the standard dramatization that accompanies all non-stories reported by the sycophants in mainstream journalism, much has been made of the exodus of combat troops from Iraq. Advanced as a pivotal moment in the development of the U.S. "mission," and supposedly foretokening Iraq's coming political independence, the withdrawal is actually notable for what it does not represent — a substantive departure from the policies of savage imperialism.
Arriving in Baghdad on Monday to fur... (more) |
|
|
|