A good article by “The Liberal Patriot”, Ruy Teixeira: “The Progressive Moment is Over”. The four main points he addresses to his fellow Democrats are:
1. Loosening restrictions on illegal immigration was a terrible idea and voters hate it.
2. Promoting lax law enforcement and tolerance of social disorder was a terrible idea and voters hate it.
3. Insisting that everyone should look at all issues through the lens of identity politics was a terrible idea and voters hate it.
4. Telling people fossil fuels are evil and they must stop using them was a terrible idea and voters hate it.
Twenty-two years ago, alongside John B. Judis, Mr Teixeira was one of the co-authors of a book called “The Emerging Democratic Majority”, which itself was inspired by a book written in 1969 by Kevin Phillips called “The Emerging Republican Majority”. Judging by the popular vote in US elections over the last two decades, Mr Teixeira wasn’t wrong, but all such theses have an expiry date. I would not care to place a bet on who will win the coming US election in eight days’ time, nor on the next one, but I would place a bet on the winners of the 2028 election not being progressives.
Why does it matter what voters hate when every available political party is doing the hated thing? In any case, many voters have completely drunk the cool aid and don’t hate those things at all.
I’m not sure if I agree totally with the article, but when Kamala Harris proposed government paid sex change operations for illegal immigrants who are incarcerated criminals, and it wasn’t a Babylon Bee parody but a serious policy demand, you have to think that peak woke has been reached.
‘Tis the voice of the Thermidorian,
I heard him declare:
“Your future’s out-dated;
It’s hip to be square!”
If Harris et al win in a few weeks, they are going to push through enough new changes that involve the mechanics of voting such that following elections are going to skew heavily to the left.
IOW, If Harris wins 2024, I think the 2028 election is going to have hugely “progressive” results.
“The four main points” pretty much cover it.
Still, Teixeira misses the point if he considers those as merely “terrible ideas”. The reality is that they are, first and foremost, narratives designed to legitimize the American regime. In other words, Teixeira is not Marxist enough in his analysis.
It must also be emphasized that only a nation consuming brain-damaging food could take those ideas seriously. Hopefully, RFK Jr can solve that problem.
Camille Paglia reminds us that Western culture is fast disappearing in the rearview mirror. She couldn’t teach Negro Spirituals because students didn’t know Biblical figures, like Moses. She says Gen Z has only a superficial awareness of WWII, Hitler….
OTOH, the Harris campaign has clung to woke ideals, despite the apparent lack of traction. Scott Adams (Dilbert cartoonist) wonders if Kamala’s campaign staff hates her guts. If she wins, I don’t think it will be thanks to “Wokeness”.
I agree & amplify what bobby wrote while i was writing my own comment.
Sorry, I omitted a sentence in my above comment re:Wokeness.
Is Kamala a uniquely bad candidate, could a more charismatic and coherent messenger of the “Woke” ideology won handily?
I’d say yes.
American voters – American people – think shallowly. They want to vote for “nice.” Republicans always face an uphill battle, because a party opposing huge social welfare spending is always “not nice.”
Kami is, fortunately, too bad of a candidate for people to simply vote on “nice.” Now they have to factor in “stupid.”
And, given Trump’s huge negatives, Kami may well win, but it will be closer than one might think.
No. She is better than the vast majority of the Woke.
Yes. Barack Obama did. Although, he did not face Trump.
Actually, i doubt that Obama could win after 4 years of “Biden”. Not without massive fraud.
How did “The Blob” get saddled with Kamala? I have no idea who The Blob works for, if anyone, or if they have an ideology, or if they are a confluence of parasites looking out for themselves, using ideology as a lever. Certainly they’re sleazy and unprincipled, but until now it’s been hard to imagine them as stupid. They had to have seen this coming. They must have something up their sleeve.
Exasperated: I have not got to know you well enough from your previous comments, so i am not sure what to say, but i’ll try.
A plausible theory is that Biden decided that, if he was not going to be the candidate, then the Democratic Party was going down with him, so he rushed to endorse Kamala.
It is not a matter of stupidity (low IQ) but of insanity. Specifically, “the Blob” has lost contact with reality. Their ideology is impervious to falsification, to such an extent that Wokeness can be described as a suicide cult; even though the suicidalism is not intentional.
The question is whether the rest of us are going down with them.
@bobby b
If Harris et al win in a few weeks, they are going to push through enough new changes that involve the mechanics of voting such that following elections are going to skew heavily to the left.
In a rare Pollyanna moment from me I’m not sure you are right. Although the presidental election seems to be a coin toss there seems little doubt that the senate will flip. If that is the case her basic agenda here: eliminate filibuster, pack the USSC, add PR and DC as states is not doable. Maybe a mass naturalization of illegal immigrants, though I think that would be very, very hard. Possibly after the mid terms in 2026, but then there probably isn’t time since there are a definite sequence of events that take place.
Of course perhaps I am being too optimistic, but I think with an R senate what you suggest will be really quite difficult to achieve.
@Exasperated
How did “The Blob” get saddled with Kamala?
It is really a story of hoist on their own petard. Biden was chosen in 2020 because he wasn’t Bernie Sanders, then Kamala was chosen as a DEI hire. (FWIW, I have always wondered why they didn’t chose Susan Rice, who is black and female also, but vastly more adept and savvy than Harris, even though her politics are horrible.)
So their own evil intents landed then with these two ridiculous characters. In Biden’s case not because of his abilities but because of who he wasn’t, and in Kamala’s case not because of her abilities but because of her immutable characteristics. (Which is ironic since they claim they actually were mutable.)
Then when, even with the utter mendacity of the press, Biden’s disastrous mental state leaked out they couldn’t get shot of her. Partly because the Dems most reliable voting block is black women, so passing over her was impossible with their pre-existing narrative, and partly because all the other potential candidates saw the whole thing as radioactive so figured they’d hop on the merry-go-round on the next spin.
So like I say, hoist on their own petard. Their own internal vanities, dishonestly and stupidity came back to bite them in the ass. Which isn’t to say they won’t still win. And Harris has three fabulous qualities — she is stupid, lazy and has virtually no actual principles or policy goals, and so she is very easy for the blob to control.
The left doesn’t give a flying rat-fuck what voters think.
They intend to torture then kill anyone who even thinks of voting against them. Likewise for anyone actually counting votes. Or voting.
All four policies outlined in the post are indeed hated by voters – but will the voters decide the election or will there be vast numbers of fake Democrat votes as their were in 2020?
Still whoever is elected it is not just these four “Progressive” policies that have done terrible harm – it is the basic “New Freedom” of Woodrow Wilson and “New Liberalism” of Franklin Roosevelt that has terrible harm, and will crash and burn in 2025.
One can not be a “Liberal Patriot” in the sense of the ever Bigger Government “New Liberalism” – which was not invented in the United States, as it was being pushed by “Radical Joe” Chamberlain in Birmingham as far back as 1865, and by Lord John Russell (who never seems to have encountered an idea for a government scheme he did not like) as far back as the 1830s – and by the “Philosophical Radicals” (the Westminster Review crowd) those followers of Jeremy Bentham and his proposed 13 Departments of State, covering just about everything, years before the 1830s. One can not be a “Liberal Patriot” in the sense of ever bigger government “New Liberalism” (the actual term not being fashionable till the 1890s, Chancellor Sir William, “we are all socialists now”, Harcourt – but the idea going back ling before) because such policies harm the nation – a patriot should not harm the nation.
Still it is true that, due to economic growth, government in the United Kingdom actually shrank till the 1870s – and only started growing from the 1870s onwards.
To return to America…..
Woodrow Wilson established the principle of institutionalised Credit Money – the Federal Reserve, and that is going to crash and burn in 2025. Political money, dished out to the connected (so that industry and LAND gets concentrated under Corporate control – very WEF, Cantillon Effect, Henri Saint Simon would be delighted), rather than a commodity such as gold or silver – this political money system is going to fall apart.
And Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson established the principle that people should depend on the government for services and benefits – and that system is going to bankrupt, de facto bankrupt (economically and culturally).
Some people may say that I am mistaken – that the collapse of this “New Liberalism” of fiat money and government services and benefits will not come in 2025 – that the system will stagger on for a few more years, hence Natalie talking about the 2028 election.
But the system will collapse – the New Liberalism of fiat money and endless government services and benefits violates basic economic law (and basic cultural, societal, principles) it will collapse.
The collapse will be terrible – there will be terrible suffering of people who have been made (made) dependent on this system (with traditional families long undermined – and voluntary fraternal mutual aid societies largely destroyed). Creating it was certainly not a “patriotic” thing to do.
The British left traces their origins back to Thomas Cromwell (chief minister of Henry VIII) – hence the popularity of such books as “The Master of Wolf Hall” (made into a television series) – and they are correct to do so.
However Thomas Cromwell ideas for the state to undertake lots of different services for the people were still born – the property stolen from the church, and the various taxes as well, went to fund the (unsuccessful) wars of Henry VIII instead. Henry also debased the coinage – not out of ideological principle, as the modern left do (with their support for fiat money and Credit Bubble banking, rather than the lending out of Real Savings, the actual sacrifice of consumption – thrift and personal responsibility being deeply hated by the left, for obvious reasons) – but rather to fund his unsuccessful wars.
It was not till the 19th century that the government established a Civil Service and took over such things as education.
From the 1830s the British establishment seems to have become increasingly bewitched by ideas for government, both national and local, to do more – although, due to economic growth, the overall size of government shrank till the 1870s (at least in England – it was already growing in Scotland and Ireland – for example a state education system and a Poor Law tax was forced on Ireland in the 1830s, and a Poor Law Tax was established in Scotland in 1845 – most of Scotland did not have a Poor Law Tax before this),
As for the future of the United Kingdom – it is a very overpopulated place, especially England (and with an ethnically divided population, like the United States, but without the geographical space of the United States for people to move away from ethnic conflict), with inadequate farming and industry for the size of its population, and with a governing establishment that is fanatically committed to Collectivism.
It is best not to think too much about the future of the United Kingdom.
The academic establishment, American or British – or whatever, learn nothing from history – or rather they reverse it.
They declare that “laissez faire” was followed in Ireland in the late 1840s – when, in reality, a policy of crushing Poor Law Taxation was followed.
They celebrate the “reforms” of Woodrow Wilson – such as the Income Tax and the creation of the Federal Reserve, and declare that both Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” and Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” were a great success – when they both caused terrible harm – and that harm is increasing all the time.
They even celebrate the policies of the Emperor Diocletian (yes they really do) – almost every text book says that Diocletian “ended the crises of the third century” (in reality the Roman Empire was reunited by Aurelian and Probus – years before Diocletian) with his wonderful “reforms”.
What were these “reforms”?
Crushing taxation. State factories. Tying the peasants to the soil as de facto serfs. The setting up of a Secret Police force (yes a modern FBI or NKVD style thing). Price Controls. And on and on – all despotic collectivist insanity.
And almost every education system in the Western World holds this to be a Good Thing (TM).
That is Progressivism – the worship of the state.
Is Diocletian an example of a “Liberal Patriot”? After all, the college textbooks applaud him.
If so this “liberalism” means a fanatical hatred of liberty and a fanatical love of tyranny.
The contrast between Diocletian and the Emperor Probus (only a couple of years before) is stark.
Probus writing respectful letters to the Senate – presenting himself as just a military commander rather than a ruler (yes a matter of form – but sometimes even the illusion of a Res Publica is of value, it keeps the memory of liberty alive) – whereas Diocletian insisted on wearing elaborate robes and having complex rituals, and having all visitors crawl on the ground (prostrate themselves) before him – as if he was Oriental Despot (indeed he took all this from Persia – he copied it).
Probus repealing the laws that forbad the commercial growing of wine in Gaul and Roman Germany – whereas Diocletian passed edicts controlling every economic undertaking (both in the rural areas and the towns).
Probus with the traditional legions (which Augustus would have recognised – although the soldiers could now marry, which since the Emperor Severus had placed a great strain on the Empire’s finances) – Diocletian with a new vast army made up of small units (which could deal with raids – but not, on their own, with invasions) dependent on distant state factories.
And on-and-on.
Yes – the Roman Empire even under Probus was a disguised military dictatorship – but that is like saying that the United States under Ronald Reagan was not really capitalist (and, yes, it was not – it had fiat money, not real money, and it had crushing levels of government spending) – there was still a spirit of capitalism (an “as if” capitalism) under President Reagan – the economy was not controlled by BlackRock, State Street and Vanguard and the Credit Bubble banks – all pushing a leftist political and cultural agenda of DEI (and so on).
America under Ronald Reagan and Rome under Probus had many horrible faults – but they were still societies worth defending.
Rome under tyrants like Diocletian, or America under the forces that control people such as Harris/Walz is a very different matter.
I have a new favorite Roman Emperor!
Appreciate the comments. I do understand that The Blob painted themselves into a corner and how. What I don’t understand is why they didn’t see it coming and react. Myopia, tunnel vision, hubris, did Trump break their brains? Some do seem to be pathologically vindictive, unhinged and enraged by their rejection. We know that they are not restrained by any boundaries and they would cheerfully, gleefully turn over the scales, if needs be. Look how they recklessly demolished the legal system’s protections from selective prosecution, lawyer/client privilege, ex post facto prosecution, just to get Trump. Did they not see that the tried and true methods of insults, hoaxes, crying wolf, deceptive editing, hyperbolic false accusations weren’t gaining traction in the real world? The Blob isn’t populated by pillars of integrity and ethics, but they aren’t imbeciles, for the most part. They pride themselves on their cynical gamesmanship, their sneakiness, their underhanded dirty tricks. My impression, maybe I’m wrong is they are supremely confident that they can get away with anything. Unless…. they actually prefer Trump, or they know that they’ve already won and that they’ve done too much damage to reverse it, or they will be able to justify even more draconian measures against little old ladies taking selfies in the capital?
@Exasperated
The Blob isn’t populated by pillars of integrity and ethics, but they aren’t imbeciles, for the most part.
I wouldn’t overestimate how smart they are. They aren’t stupid by any means, but the primary attribute to succeed in the blob is ruthlessness. I think the biggest problem they have though is that they are isolated from the rest of America in their little DC enclaves. I think that many of the people who populate that cesspool of corruption that we call DC really, really don’t understand how anybody could vote Trump, or not vote them more power. And if you don’t understand your enemy you are at a considerable disadvantage. You have to resort to nuclear level attacks since your lack of understanding means you can’t finesse it.
Quite so Snorri – quite so!