Leftist Illiterate Wordsmithing
One of the things that has long fascinated me in watching the left is their penchant for contantly re-writing their own labels. Not content with a label that would accurately portray their beliefs, they always seem to come up with a contrary word to use. It’s as if they’re always trying to hide their real thoughts behind a word that means the opposite of what they are.
Liberal is the first word that comes to mind. Liberal is a term that once applied to those who believed in a personal application of rights, and opposition to infringement of those rights by government. Liberals believed in minimal taxation, freedom to speak one’s beliefs, freedom to associate with the groups you wished, freedom to believe in the faith of your choice, and the right to own weapons as a last resort against a government that might choose to infringe upon those, and other, rights. Today, though, liberalism is not appeased unless taxes are raised to oppressive levels. Liberalism attacks those who choose to belive non-liberal ideas, or worship in certain ways. Above all, liberalism opposes any ownership of weapons except in the hands of a government, especially to prevent anyone from opposing that government.
Later came the term “progressive.” Personally, as a former liberal, I have progressed beyond such backward beliefs. My own progression involved understanding the “liberal” belief system I was expected to espouse. I progressed beyond the religious beliefs in government as the savior, and government as the provider. I progressed beyond the idea that higher taxes can, in any way, help anyone except those who get their paychecks out of those taxes. I progressed beyond a wish to become a government employee leech on our society. I progressed to a belief that God, through his son Jesus Christ, was my source of power, rather than the political whims of a majority in Congress. I progressed to a point where the lies of the left no longer gave me pride, but instead caused me to pity those who had not yet progressed.
The latest term for the left is the most humorous of them all. In the last few years, the term “reality-based” has come into popular use among the left. This “reality” proposes that the right is the source of racism, and the left is the cure. I’ve posted recently on how this isn’t “reality” at all. The same “reality” says that Bush stole the 2000 election when many studies have shown the opposite. This “reality” claims that Bush put forth a pre-emptive effort in Ohio, to steal another election, knowing that this would be the one state that this effort was needed in. On and on, the “reality” of the left ignores truth. Richard Armitage leaked Valerie Plame’s name to the media, but the “reality-based” left still thinks Dick Cheney should be put in prison for it. Evidence of weapons of mass-destruction in Iraq was found before and after we invaded, but the “reality-based” left says no evidence exists.
As one term for the left becomes unpopular, not because the term is a bad one, but because the beliefs of the left are so horrible, they throw that term away and grab onto another one. More terms will come, just as other terms have gone that I haven’t even mentioned.
Every day, though, another leftist progresses beyond the non-real religious belief system and toward a true liberalism that is better in every way. Some, but far from all, on the right come close to this perfect liberalism that we should be fighting for. If, one day, the Republican Party begins to espouse this classical liberalism that our country was founded on, I might be one. Until then, I associate freely with the Libertarian Party, an imperfect example itself of what should be.
No matter how many times I’ve said I’m not a Republican in the past, though, there will always be those regressive, non-reality-based hatemongers on the left who will call me one. It’s not their fault. Functional illiteracy keeps the left alive.
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Good stuff, Lockjaw. I’ve been saying similar things about Republicans. The name hasn’t changed but everything it once stood for is now seen as dangerous, anti-American, silly or impractical.
For crying out loud, the FBI officially considers folks who publicly support the US Constitution to be “suspicious” in their terrorist criteria.
Those former Republican characteristics include:
1. Fiscally Conservative
2. Anti Tax
3. Anti War
4. Anti big government
Now, the two primary hallmarks of the Republican party are
1. Religiously/morally conservative attempts to outlaw less conservative behavior (in public policy, not necessarily in private actions) They are turning into a bunch of do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do hypocrites. Most of the rest of the former Republican characteristics have been sacrificed on the alter of empire as evidenced by the early front-runners for the GOP candidacy being big government, Nanny State supporters, pro-choice and pro-gun control.
2. Preserve the empire. This is a task primarily left to radio talk show hosts and Ann Coulter. Any attempts by libertarians to discuss the orphaned values formerly held by Republicans are summarily shut down and ridiculed by these knights for the preservation of the empire.
My favorite conversation starter now emblazons my wife’s favorite T-Shirt, it says
“Bush is a Democrat”
When people question that, we usually begin by talking about the prescription drug bill. Then, we remark how every major war since WWI was entered into by a Democratic Party president…until the Bush family. It is also sometimes useful to note that until GWB, the wars that Democrats led us into were ALWAYS ended by the next Republican to be elected.
Funny how Democrats seem to think they are the party of peace. My theory is that they must believe that history started the moment they had their first political thought. If they had bothered to read anything about their party’s history they couldn’t still hold such a misguided belief.
Now that the US is an empire, the party affiliation of the emperor doesn’t matter. The emperor must carry on war in far off places, promise ever more expensive bread and circuses to loyal supporters in the homeland and use the media to ensure fear never rests in its division of the masses into two nearly equal factions so a third party cannot dislodge enough supporters from either party to disrupt the process of empire.
Woe is us. But yet, hope glimmers on the horizon. For the first time in 4 elections, I’ve registered as a Republican so I can vote for Ron Paul in the primary. If he miraculously wins the candidacy, I’ll, gulp, vote Republican in 2008.
Jahfre the libertarian