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Hitch-hiker
I hopped in the car last Saturday to drive to Ashland for the Strawberry Faire and found I had an unexpected hitch-hiker. It was Hillary Clinton, who when I switched on the radio, explained to me in her not-quite-concession speech, why she was suspending her campaign and throwing her support, for now, to Barack Obama. It was really quite a good speech, well delivered, and I could see how one, if they were a little vague on U.S. history and weak on how the economic system works, could be taken in by it. It was easy to see how one might be enthused by the appeal of a unified Democratic party, a party that seems ready to tack on that single word that defines the European political parties it most closely resembles. For that is what the modern American Democratic party appears ready to become, a party that for all practical purposes might just as well call itself the Social Democratic Party, like its European counterparts and Britain’s Labour Party. A party that purports to believe in democracy in politics, but not in economics. A party that will intrude itself, should Obama sit in the White House with a Democratic Congress to do his bidding, more and more into the lives of Americans. Raising taxes, establishing costly new programs, surrendering in the Middle East, eviscerating the Second Amendment, just to name a few items on the agenda, what a swell prospect! Some disillusioned conservatives have even mentioned it might be a good thing for the left to take power, so a Republican party with a renewed belief in limited government might retake the Congress in 2010 and the White House in 2012, after the voters become frightened by an avalanche of “progressivism.” Seems kind of risky to me, since the current Republican party seems to have abandoned the limited government idea. Some on the left regularly bandy about the word fascism when describing the current administration. I on the other hand, have been searching for years for the right label to describe modern, so-called progressive politics. The best I can come up with is “benevolent fascism,” although I have toyed with the phrase “fascism with a friendly face,” (I’m a great fan of alliteration) from time to time. It would, of course, be about requiring us all to do what’s good for ourselves, as determined by the federal government. (0) Comments • Email This Article |
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