How ’southernism’ has affected American politics
From an interesting op/ed in Newsweek on how the conservative south has changed the face of American politics: “How the South won this Civil War” by Michael Hirsh.
Based on these trends, I’d say it’s not been a healthy direction for America. Hirsh cites the founding fathers, the Jefferson-Adams letters:
When Jefferson, in his letter of May 5, 1817, condemned the “den of the priesthood” and “protestant popedom” represented by Massachusetts’ state-supported church, he was speaking for both of them–the North and South poles of the revolution. Yet John McCain, even with the GOP nomination in hand, would never dare repeat his brave but politically foolhardy condemnation of the religious right in 2000 as “agents of intolerance.” Why? Because we have become an intolerant nation, and that’s what gets you elected.
And as a result you have this kind of shit in politics as Hirsh points out:
We must endure “lapel-pin politics” that elevates the shallowest sort of faux jingoism over who’s got a better plan for Iraq and Afghanistan. We have re-imported creationism into our political dialogue (in the form of “intelligent design”). Hillary Clinton panders shamelessly to Roman Catholics, who have allied with Southern Protestant evangelicals on questions of morality, with anti-abortionism serving as the main bridge.
Hirsh explains the irrational southern conservative hero worship of GW Bush:
In Bush there seems little trace left of the Eastern WASP sensibility into which he was born and educated, and which explains so much of his father’s far more moderate presidency. The younger Bush went to Andover, Yale and Harvard, but he rebelled against the ethos he learned there. The transformation is complete, right down to the Texas accent that no one else in his family seems to have.
And you can see where we are now as a result: seriously lacking leadership possessing sensibility, intelligence, prudence and the competence that moderate, balanced and diverse influences bring. Some might say it’s a culture war where a lack of knowledge coupled with religious fundamentalism, authoritarianism, isolationism, and bigotry have indelibly changed American politics. Hence the emergence of intolerance, the ‘white Christian party’ and the neo-cons. I shudder to think where we’d be right now if the Bush presidency had been successful in any measure. Fortunately, the jury is in on that.
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Karl has a much better post up this morning on the Hirsh screed….
“I do not know whether Michael Hirsh should be blamed for that Newsweek sub-headline, as he cites evidence that the North is seceding from the North:
“That is the ironic underpinning to Hirsh’s target-rich screed about the “nativism and yahooism” that has ruined his country. He claims the Southern-frontier warrior culture and Wilsonian messianism have taken over our national dialogue, and the Easterners are running for the hills… but ultimately admits:
“So what really makes Hirsh so angry? According to Hirsh, “we have become an intolerant nation, and that’s what gets you elected.” He wants to return to the days when Jesus Christ Superstar was celebrated as great art (or high craft) despite its “blasphemous dimension.” We were so much more tolerant then.”
But, from William, you get just the same old, tired BDS and hate. Not only do we recoil at his day-after-day unchangeyness, we’ve pretty much given up any hopeyness for any real back-and-forth.
Malignancy, thy name is Villiam.
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Dear readers,
Please note that Republicans like #9 that post here do not agree with my posts - ie. they support the Republican view that our soldiers have not earned the right to read the types of magazines they want to while risking their lives in Iraq.
Dear Readers,
Most of what William writes is highly inaccurate. I am a Constitutional Conservative. I belong to neither major political party nor do I contribute to either party.
Consider the source.
Like myself, most of you will never reply to one of William’s rants. I only do so when it is necessary to clarify major deceptions, inaccuracies, or just plain lies.
#9, I knew it… it was that Texas accent that made you fall in love with GW Bush.
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