We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.

Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]
«  
  »

The Rand Paul filibuster

· North American affairs

There is an interesting piece by The Independent Institute on the Rand Paul filibuster:

March 9th, 2013 |

8 comments to The Rand Paul filibuster

  • Midwesterner
    March 9, 2013 at 9:59 pm

    I turned it on about five or six hours in, mostly out of curiosity. It was riveting. I couldn’t stop watching until it was over. Senator Paul used the talk time that is generally thought to be spent reading phone books instead talking about liberty and government power. I thought his weak speaking skills might be a problem but if anything they were a strength. His is clearly a non-partisan passion. I was glad to see so many on the left who believe in social if not financial liberty side with him. I never thought I would see Code Pink, the ACLU and the Tea Party types all join in alliance against the establishment.

    This filibuster marks the beginning of a complete reorientation of politics in the US. The Tea Party groups have started a ‘red’ civil war for control of the Republican party. Recently signs of very deep divides, a ‘blue’ civil war, have begun roiling the surface of the Democratic party. A great many Democrats believe their party has been captured by big money (it has).

    This filibuster caused two factions to blink. One, the Obama administration blinked. It actually responded to a demand for a response in a timely faction. But the really important blink, the one that made it worth it, was when Senate Minority Leader McConnell picked sides and chose the liberty/5th amendment (Tea Party) side. McCain and his mini-me were entertainingly histrionic at their demotion. Their tantrum alone is makes the filibuster worth it.

    I have no idea if McConnell’s choice was political or a personal preference he exercised when he saw an opportunity. I don’t care. He made his choice and it was the right one.

    There are going to be a lot of behind the scenes realignments and newly formed alliance as a result of this. To seize this opportunity, conservatives (and others) in the Tea Party movement need to shave their theories of government regularly with Occam’s razor.

  • Julie near Chicago
    March 9, 2013 at 11:24 pm

    Mid, I surely hope the rift you perceive amongst the Dims is real, because if they become truly divided, perhaps we (Tea Party Types of Various Stripes) might conquer.

    But I have my doubts. The Hard Left has ALWAYS leaned on the Constitution when it suited them, but never out of a sense of admiring its principles nor the country whose foundational rule-book it’s supposed to be.

    History teaches us to be very suspicious about the Lefties of the Code Pink variety. They’re almost surely using the drone issue as another way of bashing Official American Policy. And their general disenchantment with the Sith has to do with his perceived failure to move toward their goals–after all, they thought (silly fools) that they could count on him.

    Now he’s showing that Marxist (maybe better, Neo-Marxist) Mugabe-wannabes with a hate on for the West can still display a fascist side, as if the Big Communist countries of the 20th century didn’t engage in corrupt politics involving their own pet “monied interests.” And as if they don’t subsist on the largesse of the likes of Soros, Gates, the Ford Foundation, Theresa Ketchup and the Tides Foundation, etc., etc.

    Also, they might be feeling a little more immediate fear than the average American Joe–they ARE, after all, subversives. And the U.S. is generally a VERY safe place in which to be subversive. Naturally they don’t want that to change.

    But I still think the main thing is to jump up and down and scream themselves red-in-the-face over any issue that looks as if it could conceivably be used to destroy the worth of America in the eyes of the world.

    I think those things are the root of the rift. (Bow to Kipling, there. 🙂 )

    Only if the rank-and-file Dims refuse to vote any farther left than they already have will there be a meaningful (i.e. useful, from our POV) split. And remember, the real issue between the Tea Party Types and everybody else, Dim and Republican alike, is over both the expense and the scope of Federal power–and a return to the Constitution as written, as the foundational limit to both of those.

  • Midwesterner
    March 9, 2013 at 11:51 pm

    Julie, more of them wake up as time goes on. Even the most dedicated advocates for the poor and other ‘victim’ groups are becoming aware of the complete and utter failure of socialized government to achieve their goals. Something similar happened in The Stupid Party. It coalesced into the Tea Party movement. I don’t think that process has ended. Eventually I expect cynical and distrustful opponents of authority to form one political contingent and pigs at the trough to form the opposing contingent.

    If we can get Paliorepublicans to abandon things like the war on sin, and the disillusioned Democrats to abandon things like their war on personal property, we stand a chance that both groups can better achieve both of their goals by not trying beat on each other with the hammer of government.

    I recommend caution with ad hominems against the soft left. Look at the kind of genius the Stupid Party routinely bestows on us. The problem isn’t one party or the other. It is both parties. McCain seriously arguing that the President needs the power to order hits on US citizens on US soil not committing violence. How “Dim” is that! If you haven’t worked it out yet, I have absolutely nothing good to say about the party of “W”.

  • Julie near Chicago
    March 10, 2013 at 1:52 am

    Mid, I don’t seem to see any ad hominems against the “soft left” (nor anyone else, for that matter) in what I wrote. I certainly do consider the likes of Code Pink as Hard Left.

    Pardon my using my pet name of “Dim” for the Democrats. I suppose I should stop referring to the Thing in the White House as “the Sith,” as well. Likewise, I would advise you not to lump all the “Dims” together under the rather opprobrius epithet of “soft left,” as some of them really don’t deserve that, however wrongheaded I think some of their ideas might be; perhaps I should implore you not to issue ad hominems against Democrats as a general description. For instance, Pat Caddell and Orson Scott Card I think don’t quite meet the standard to be included as “soft left.”

    It is true, however, that the Democratic vote has been leftish overall, which was the substance of my comment — if the rank-and-file were voting libertarianish we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

    I’d very much appreciate your not beating me about the chops with the likes of McCain and Lindsey, yecch, Graham. One of the most revolting photos I’ve ever seen is of the two of them yucking it up with the disgusting Ted Kennedy. Perhaps you’ll notice I lumped the Republicans and the Democrats together as opposed to those in the Tea Party movement (which of course contains some folks who consider themselves Democrats, along with the many who think they’re Republicans).

    As to the rest, I can only hope you’re correct. :>)

  • Peter A. Taylor
    March 10, 2013 at 6:29 am

    Yes, Julie, please refrain from describing Obama as “the Sith”. It causes confusion when reading Mencius Moldbug.

  • Julie near Chicago
    March 10, 2013 at 7:06 am

    Seems to me Moldbug has his red and blue pills mixed up in that paragraph. Tsk.

    But thanks for the chuckle. We certainly wouldn’t want anyone confused or confusing perusing Unqualified. :>)!

  • Tedd
    March 10, 2013 at 5:22 pm

    Midwesterner:

    If we can get Paliorepublicans to abandon things like the war on sin, and the disillusioned Democrats to abandon things like their war on personal property, we stand a chance that both groups can better achieve both of their goals by not trying beat on each other with the hammer of government.

    That may be the best single-sentence summary of American politics I’ve ever seen. Well done.

«  
  »