From Nihilism to Progressivism

Maxine Waters: "Go To Hell"

SO MUCH FOR DIALING BACK THE RHETORIC, RIGHT?

On Saturday in Inglewood, Calif., Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters had some harsh words for the tea party.

“I’m not afraid of anybody,” the California congresswoman told constituents in footage that appeared on ABC affiliate KABC in Los Angeles, not backing down from comments made about President Obama earlier in the week. “This is a tough game. You can’t be intimidated. You can’t be frightened. And as far as I’m concerned — the tea party can go straight to hell.”

http://dailycaller.com/2011/08/21/maxine-waters-the-tea-party-can-go-straight-to-hell/#ixzz1VlEFKJMm

Two things here: First, this kind of a statement will work well for her if her ethics trial ever happens and if it comes in not in her favor (a built in excuse—they only found me guilty because I speak out). And second, I’m sure if any of the TEA Party people go “straight to hell,” Maxine will be there to welcome them.


Another Republican Superstar

UNLESS THERE IS ANOTHER SUPERSTAR RUNNING, JOSH MANDEL, WHO IS SEEKING TO REPLACE SEN. SHERROD BROWN (D-OHIO), MAY BE THE MARCO RUBIO OF THE 2012 SENATE CAMPAIGN SEASON. “Mandel looks maybe half of his 33 years, but he’s already accomplished more in his decade-long career in public service than many politicians have in a lifetime. He’s a MARINE CORPS VETERAN who served two tours in Iraq. A former city councilman in Lyndhurst, a suburb of Cleveland, he led the fight for the first property tax rollback in the county’s history. AS A STATE LEGISLATOR, HE WON LANDSLIDE VICTORIES IN A HEAVILY LIBERAL DISTRICT. WHEN HE RAN FOR STATE TREASURER, HE GOT MORE VOTES THAN GOV. JOHN KASICH. . . . Mandel estimates he’s knocked on more than 25,000 doors in various elections and worn out multiple pairs of shoes doing it. He plans to knock on another 100,000 doors over the course of his Senate campaign.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/morning-bits/2011/03/29/gIQAjnh5UJ_blog.html#pagebreak

Look around at the two parties and see who has the up-and-coming legislatures. The Democrats seem tired and old and their few young “stars” have disappointed (Obama) or self destructed (Weiner).



The Inevitable Descent From Progressivism to Nihilism

MERRIAM-WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY DEFINES "NIHILISM" THUSLY: A) A VIEWPOINT THAT TRADITIONAL VALUES AND BELIEFS ARE UNFOUNDED AND THAT EXISTENCE IS SENSELESS AND USELESS; B) A DOCTRINE THAT DENIES ANY OBJECTIVE GROUND OF TRUTH AND ESPECIALLY OF MORAL TRUTH.

Perhaps it is indelicate of me to notice, but it would seem THE DEFINITION OF NIHILISM IS INTERCHANGEABLE WITH THE DEFINITION OF PROGRESSIVISM. One may quibble with the notion that progressives do not consider existence senseless and useless (as long as one ignores the wholesale abandonment of religion by large portions of the secular left), yet witnessing the British riots of last week, and the ongoing flash mob attacks perpetrated here in America, it becomes impossible to ignore the fact that the abandonment of traditional values and beliefs, coupled with the denial of any objective truth, could lead to the conclusion that existence itself is senseless.

This is not to say that the thugs tearing up their own societies are dystopian philosophers. Far from it. If there is one over-riding element that links this type of mass mayhem together it is the sheer thoughtlessness of the participants. THEY REVEL IN MAYHEM, BUT NOT OUT OF A COMMITMENT TO A WORLDVIEW, OR A "GREATER CAUSE." From the most egregious examples of murder, muggings, burning police cars and grand larceny, to the stealing of candy and soda from a 7-11, THE COMMON THEME IS IMMEDIATE SELF-GRATIFICATION.
Nothing more, nothing less….

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0811/ahlert.php3

Back in the 19th Century, Friedrich Nietzsche declared that "God was dead."   It wasn’t a announcement of truth so much as a warning. He looked at the state of affairs in the 19th Century and lamented what the future would be in the 20th Century with the decline of religion and the morality it afforded society. And the 20th Century certainly provided us with a huge lesson with Godless ideologies being responsible for over 100 million deaths. We are now getting a look at what the future with leftism in charge looks like and it isn’t pretty.


Obama and his Anti-Business Agenda

....In fact, the OBAMA ADMINISTRATION’S ANTI-BUSINESS, HYPER-REGULATORY, PRO-TAX AGENDA has fueled economic uncertainty and sent the message from the administration that “we want to make it harder to create jobs.” There is no other conclusion for policies such as THE NEW ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGULATIONS, INCLUDING THE “TRANSPORT RULE,” WHICH COULD ELIMINATE THOUSANDS OF JOBS, OR THE OZONE REGULATION THAT WOULD COST UPWARD OF $1 TRILLION AND MILLIONS OF JOBS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY OVER THE NEXT DECADE.

The administration’s new maximum achievable control technology standards for cement are expected to affect nearly 100 cement plants, setting over-the-top requirements resulting in increased costs and possibly thousands of jobs being offshored. There is the president’s silence as the NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD SEEKS TO PREVENT BOEING FROM OPENING A PLANT IN SOUTH CAROLINA THAT WOULD CREATE THOUSANDS OF JOBS. Such behavior, coupled with the president’s insistence on raising the top tax rate paid by individuals and small businesses, has resulted in a lag in growth that has added to the debt crisis, contributing to our nation’s credit downgrade.

The debt crisis threatens our long-term future: the ability of our children and their children to have the same opportunities to succeed that this and previous generations enjoyed. Republicans passed a budget this spring, written by Rep. Paul Ryan, that would address our challenges head-on by putting in place common-sense reforms to manage our debt over the short and long term....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/removing-the-obstacles-to-economic-growth/2011/08/18/gIQAYa26UJ_story.html

If you are wondering why Obama doesn’t seem to be able to help with jobs, we know despite his rhetoric, his thumb is on the scale and it’s costing us jobs.


Newspeak on the Left

…The great Danish philosopher, SØREN KIERKEGAARD, ONCE POINTED OUT THAT, IN THE WAY WORDS ARE USED IN THE MODERN ERA, ALL ASSERTIONS TEND TO SUGGEST THEIR OPPOSITE. This has certainly been the case with Democrats. When Bill Clinton asserted that he had never had sex with "that woman," it meant that he most certainly had, and just about everyone in America understood it -- eventually, at least.

Since then, liberals have crossed the line into full-blown duplicity, if not delusion. WASTEFUL SPENDING IS ROUTINELY CALLED "INVESTMENT," CRUSHING REGULATIONS ARE MERE "OVERSIGHT," WHILE VAST NEW TAXES ARE "NECESSARY REVENUE ENHANCEMENTS." If Obama ever starts shipping Americans who disagree with him off to the gulag, he'll probably call it a "destination club."

As for now, in the wake of the debt ceiling debate, DEMOCRATS ARE INSISTING ON THEIR WILLINGNESS TO COMPROMISE. It is the Republicans, held hostage by the Tea Party, who refuse to do so, or so they say. DEMOCRATS WANT A REASONABLE, BALANCED APPROACH -- one that "works for the American people." They want to compromise on spending, on taxes, on health care, on regulation, and on every other issue of the day. They are just about the nicest folks in the country, while Republicans are rigid ideologues, unwilling to bend an inch.
That may not sound like bipartisan talk, but Democrats have an answer for that one, too. It's conservatives in the GOP who are "holding them hostage." CONSERVATIVES ARE TRYING TO "WRECK THINGS" BY INSISTING ON A BALANCED BUDGET. IF THEY WOULD JUST GET BACK TO BUSINESS AS USUAL, DEMOCRATS WOULD NOT HAVE TO CALL THEM OUT….

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/08/liberal_compromise.html

Using Kierkegaard’s definition we know that the TEA Party is actually made up of patriots. We also know that the general populace is not buying the language used by the Democrats unless you want to buy what they are selling. Most Americans don’t.