Elie Mystal, who writes the almost equally absurd and pathetic blog "Above the Law," also is skating right out at the edge, in a cri de coeur that's located almost entirely in self-loathing and -mockery territory, without quite achieving self-awareness:
When Duncan Lloyd vandalizes your city, it’s part of his larger campaign of finding a way to crawl out from under his covers in the morning. . . . He just wants to be able to look his cats in the eye without feeling ineffectual and ashamed. “I made a statement today, Odysseus and Penelope. I’m not going to let this be normalized.”I know, you think I lifted that from an alt-right site engaging in a scathing satire. I really didn't.
I have to assume that Progressive America has more effective minions than this, perhaps flying under the radar for now, but sometimes you truly have to wonder.
18 comments:
I have to assume that Progressive America has more effective minions than this, perhaps flying under the radar for now....
No, when Progressive America has only the likes of Herb Croly, Woodrow Wilson, Barack Obama, and...Hillary Clinton, there are no effective minions, more or less effective than this.
What you see is what you have.
Eric Hines
They do, however, have business relationships with more effective groups -- the Chicago machine has its criminal connections, and so does the New York machine.
Those connections are based on mutually beneficial relationships, though, which can be called into question given a loss of power to a certain degree. A motivated new Federal Attorney General could make it much less beneficial for the professional criminals to work with the professional politicians from the other side.
"We’re not going to burn an American flag, because we don’t own an American flag, because what kind of jingoistic prick can find space for a freaking flag in a one-bedroom apartment?"
Would you believe Ferris Bueller?
Those connections are based on mutually beneficial relationships, though, which can be called into question given a loss of power to a certain degree.
That's why I worry less about the power of lobbyists, could I just get my quasi-term limits constitutional amendment passed. That also would sorely limit the power of city-Federal corruption connections, too.
'Course, the bureaucracy still would need a random 50% culling, and then periodic decimation without replacement. Or, like a new regulation rule that someone suggested a bit ago, no hiring a civil servant until two others have been relieved and returned to the private sector.
Eric Hines
I'm for several constitutional amendments, but term-limits never seemed worthwhile to me. We already have them; they're called "elections."
But, I'm interested. How would yours reduce corruption?
I thought these three paragraphs together were interesting:
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney says Lloyd can keep his job he hasn’t made a final decision about Lloyd’s job. Unquestionably, that’s a double-standard. If a Trump supporter had written “Go Trump” on the side of a synagogue, or a library, or really anything of intellectual value, he’d be out on his ass.
But that’s because these Trump people are actually frightening. They ran on a campaign of white supremacy. When they vandalize your city, the action is but part of a larger campaign of hate crimes and intimidation.
When Duncan Lloyd vandalizes your city, it’s part of his larger campaign of finding a way to crawl out from under his covers in the morning. Look at him. LOOK AT HIM. He’s not out here trying to send the children of Trump supporters back to Mexico. He’s not trying to destroy the climate so Jesus can Rapture him to Graceland. He just wants to be able to look his cats in the eye without feeling ineffectual and ashamed. “I made a statement today, Odysseus and Penelope. I’m not going to let this be normalized.”
NB: The first sentence should be: Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney says he hasn’t made a final decision about Lloyd’s job.
I don't even know what to say about that. How do you fight the rhetoric of "We're so terrified of you that we commit crimes as a cry for self-respect!"
A few individuals would be laughable, or pitiable, but as far as I can tell this represents tens of millions of Americans. It's psychotic.
Can we just give them California and back away slowly?
But, I'm interested. How would yours reduce corruption?
By limiting the number of times a Rep or Sen can serve out of a larger number of sessions (three of six in the Articles, an adjusted two of four in my Amendment), a Congressman can't stay bought long enough to pay back the buyer for his investment.
How do you fight the rhetoric of "We're so terrified of you that we commit crimes as a cry for self-respect!"
I don't bother. I just lock him up for the crimes he commits. Or solve the problem without need of involving the government's men if he commits his crimes on my property or against members of my family.
Eric Hines
Can we just give them California and back away slowly?
Not a chance. They're already free to leave the union; there's no Berlin Wall holding them in. I'd even consider helping pay for a bullet train to the Canadian and/or Mexican borders for the purpose; although I'm hesitant to insult Canada or Mexico in that way. The geography of California has too much of value to the Union; they can't take any of that with them.
Eric Hines
On the term-limits, maybe. I think corruption is pretty adaptable, though, and those who can profit from it will find a way. I'd rather drastically reduce the power of the federal government so politicians really can't do much worth bribing them for. That and serious transparency, reducing immunity to good faith, things like that.
On the psychosis, do you know why Nazi Germany tried to annihilate the Jews? Because the Nazis were terrified of the Jews, whom they believed to be part of a massive conspiracy to control Germany.
Right now the left doesn't have anywhere near the power, not at all, but their rhetoric is approaching the alarming stage. It would be a perfect post-modern left-wing irony if they became real Nazis out of fear of imaginary Nazis.
On California, you wouldn't really have to worry about losing the state. They'd be back once the money ran out, asking to live in our basement and serve lattes.
The problem the left is having, is that an increasing number of people don't give a damn anymore about being called an "ist", regardless of what the particular "ism" is about. They have worn it out. Their most feared epithets are just wolf- wolf -wolf anymore.
How do you fight the rhetoric of "We're so terrified of you that we commit crimes as a cry for self-respect!"
"Don't be an idiot, I'm not going to hurt you"?
I think corruption is pretty adaptable, though, and those who can profit from it will find a way. I'd rather drastically reduce the power of the federal government so politicians really can't do much worth bribing them for.
The first, of course. It's an arms race; we're men, not angels. The second, we already have a thing that drastically reduces the power of the Federal government: our Constitution. But government is populated by...men...who are every bit as venal as the rest of us. We can alter our Constitution as often as we want and as extensively as we want. But when men won't enforce it, what value does it have? We need to toss the men every so often. Elections on the calendar served for a good long time, and they can again. Just as soon as we have a good housecleaning and can start anew with a new crop of (venal) men.
How do you fight the rhetoric of "We're so terrified of you that we commit crimes as a cry for self-respect!"
"Don't be an idiot, I'm not going to hurt you"?
No. Talking to them, reassuring them, is a waste of bandwidth--see that part about "so terrified." They can't listen, even did they want to; they can't believe our assurances, even did they....
I'm happy with my solution.
Eric Hines
Oh yeah: On California, you wouldn't really have to worry about losing the state. They'd be back once the money ran out, asking to live in our basement and serve lattes.
They'd be back? Who'd let them back in? Not me. They've shown their value to the union by their leaving. They can't have room in my basement, and I'll get my lattes from honest men.
Eric Hines
Duncan Lloyd is a graduate of Germantown Friends School, just as elite as Sidwell Friends in DC, and the University or Pennsylvania. Lloyd was thus was entirely in character wearing the blue blazer and the glass of wine. Trump is also a Penn graduate. Guess it takes a Penn graduate to know a Penn graduate. Self knowledge?
Even though my satirical brain jumped right to the possibility that Lloyd was wearing a self-consciously ironic costume, upon further reflection I got the distinct impression that he was dressing and acting as he normally would, only more petulant.
All this talk about fear: I don't want to discount it completely, but it smells a bit like the fear of rising seas and obliterated coastline, when trumpeted by people who are still building and buying lovely coastal getaways. Or, for that matter, people who constantly predict market crashes but don't pull out of the market. It's human nature to exaggerate omens of doom, especially as a way of giving dramatic expression to intolerable feelings of rage and impotence.
After the elections in 2008 and 2012, I noticed a very strong similar tendency in my own rhetoric. I was always trying to tell myself to shut up and simply do what made sense to do if the dire predictions were literally plausible. Usually that meant nothing more complicated than to keep an eye on our spending and savings level. Did I fear confiscation of savings? Certainly, to a degree, though less so when the voters executed a backlash in 2010, and never enough to make me pull our life savings out of the market and hide them in a can in the backyard. We spent more time mulling over how to make our place our here a tiny bit more self-sufficient, but realistically we have never been anywhere close to that. I made some arrangements for more reliable healthcare on the assumption I would lose my insurance.
I didn't go out and spraypaint any buildings with "F**K OBAMA," though I absolutely understand the impulse. Maybe I'm less impulsive than many?
Or maybe you have this strange respect for private property and an understanding that you aren't the center of the universe and therefore your feelings don't take priority over the rights or even necessarily the feelings of others.
Yeah, I've had enough of the whining selfish crybabies around here (L.A.) in the wake of the election.
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