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Most honest observers would rate the Progressive movement’s impact on public affairs as “insignificant”. Such judgments shouldn’t come as a shock. After all, what is a “progressive”? I’d imagine the dozens of answers to that question would be as diverse as the multitude of factions that call themselves “progressive.” In fact, I’d say that Progressivism is not a movement at all. Rather, it is a plurality of special interests and radical politics that needed a word to replace “liberal”. Adele Stevenson once remarked that a Liberal was “one who had both feet firmly planted in the air.”
The various sects of Progressivism — which include New Deal Liberalism, Socialism, environmentalism, pacifism and anarchism — tend to keep their goals self-centered, static, and uncompromising. This is a shame; if these sects could cooperate and support each other, they might be able to revolutionize our government.
Most of the ideas forged by the progressive mind are forever exiled to highbrow books, academia, and the local coffee shop debating society. Meanwhile, Conservatives find total unity in their never ending quest for the dollar.
Conservative philosopher Russell Kirk once wrote that Conservatism is “the negation of ideology”. Indeed, what appears as conservative ideology to a progressive is actually the conservative’s “populist” bait for the voters. The conservative is not concerned with abortion or gay marriage, rather the conservative is interested in using those issues to gain votes. Indeed, as a general rule, stupid people are the easiest to control and reward. Thus, the backward message of pro-Life, anti-gay, “pro-bombing the browns” gets Republicans elected. Like moths to a porchlight, it draws the troves of racist weak-minded dolts to vote polls. Meanwhile, the progressives are still debating the finer points of enviromental reform at Joe’s Java.
Once the conservatives are elected, than they usually proceed with their planned orgy-like festivals of tax breaks and corporate handouts. Since they are good businessmen, they are also sure to throw some table scraps to their base in the form of a judicial nominations or proposed amendments. It keeps the dogs coming back.
It’s a bleak reality for progressives. Our entire movement depends upon people being intelligent and good hearted — and look where its gotten us: A Democratic canidate who is tanking, the prospect of the supreme court being controlled by rightwing ideologies, a Republican congress, and a “war president”. So, I’ve dropped the dream of “waking people up”. I’ve decided to cross over to the dark side.
Unless we Progressives can learn the “dark arts of Rove”, we don’t stand a chance. Its time that we learn to pluck the strings of greed, vanity, and stupidity in the electorate. But don’t fret, we just have to change our message, not our ideals — and god forbid one of us gets elected, we could exercise our power in the way we always knew we would have: to advance that which is true, just, and beautiful.
“In our age there is no such thing as ‘keeping out of politics.’ All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia.”-George Orwell

Posted by: Uncle $cam | Sep 24 2004 8:24 utc | 1