Comments on: The Right Lost the Culture War

By: Russell

Russell — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:34:18 +0000

Yes, social conservatives are losing the culture wars. Because social conservatism, here in the US, is nothing more than what it has been everywhere: an irrational defense of tradition. It will not stand against a secular and global culture connected by the internet, informed by science, and unwilling to bow down to any one authoritative source. (That also is why fundamentalist forms of Islam do not have nearly the advantage that our social conservatives fear. They share common weaknesses.)

The question for other kinds of conservatives is how long and to what extent they will stay yoked to that sinking ship. The last gasp of the social conservative is that socialism and Marxism are riding in on the back of gay marriage and abortion. That's nonsense, of course. Yes, Gramsci pointed out that cultural change is a prerequisite for political change. That doesn't mean cultural change will bring the political change he desired. The only thing that connects defense of capitalism to fighting gay marriage is when fiscal conservatives keep themselves tied to the social conservative. Cut the damn rope, already. You have nothing to lose but embarrassment at being connected in any form or fashion to those silly arguments.

By: Conservatives Admit Defeat In Culture War - Liberal Values - Defending Liberty and Enlightened Thought

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 23:30:02 +0000

[...] Joyner also writes that The Right Lost The Culture War in response to this article in the Washington Examiner. Political editor Chris Stirewalt asked, [...]

By: DL

DL — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 11:32:07 +0000

The real culture world was over when they crucified Christ and He rose again. The victory over sin and death has been completed. It just remains for those to choose(that free will thingy) to join in the side of that victory, or choose death.
We have watched this geographic destruction of God's Church before: Henry the Eighth's England went, St. Paul's Turkey also, and Augustine's North Africa, only to see it return from the remnants elsewhere. It shall prevail where it counts -in the end.
In America (where only 29 of some 365 bishops see fit to chastise and admonish Notre Dame)one can hear the lions roaring in the modern secular coliseum as Obama (the first infanticide president)seeks to destroy the Catholic Church through FOCA and the congress tries to put into the stimulus bill a clause that disallows church service attendence for bailout recipients.
To those that have chosen correctly and chose God - there is great joy.
In the end there will be two lines:goats and sheep. It is then that the "culture wars" will be over.

By: anjin-san

anjin-san — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 06:39:37 +0000

But it is the liberals within the Democrat party

There is no such thing as "The Democrat Party".

Pull Rush's cigar out of your ass, and start thinking for yourself...

By: Moonage

Moonage — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 01:52:34 +0000

Sorry bout that Sam. I got what you meant and meant the same as well.

By: Moonage

Moonage — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 01:49:42 +0000

Sorry about the summary judgment about liberals and gun control. But it is the liberals within the Democrat party that are pushing it right now. There are no conservatives pushing gun control.

By: An Interested Party

An Interested Party — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 01:44:59 +0000

Ahh I see the silly "socialist" tag is being bandied about yet again...I guess if enough people say it over and over it must be true...as for the whole argument over state's rights vs. the federal government, I thought the Civil War had settled that issue, but I guess not in some people's minds...

By: anjin-san

anjin-san — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 01:11:37 +0000

That is the second post in a row that strikes me as being completely clueless. Liberals want gun control, not conservatives

Who is being clueless here? Most of the GOP posters here seem to think of me as somewhere between a "liberal" and a "leftist" (whatever that means).

I like guns. I own several & am a pretty good shot. I will not give them up without a fight.

Trying to ascribe fixed positions onto large blocks of people is a fools errand most of the time. People tend to be fairly complex.

By: sam

sam — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:34:10 +0000

Just a linguistic point, Moonage. I didn't say you were shoveling shit, I said you were "shoveling shit against the tide." Look it up.

By: Moonage

Moonage — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 23:50:17 +0000

Tom, where did that largesse come from?

By: Moonage

Moonage — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 23:48:23 +0000

I'm not shoveling shit, I am trying to explain that there is a constant struggle over the AMOUNT of socialism we accept. Total conservatism is not possible since no modern conservative even wants it. So the point of this thread becomes what level of socialism do we accept? Simply saying the war is over because of one issue while many other issues have been ceded just doesn't jive with me. Some conservatives such as me don't care if gays get married nearly as much as I oppose the federal government defining what marriage is. Before too long the concept of states rights will be completely moot.

By: sam

sam — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 22:16:22 +0000

I'm sorry, coming up on my 7th decade, the memory is not what it used to be. The correct pledge I learned was:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

But, as I said, I've never forgotten nor stopped believing that we are one nation indivisible (that has stumbled, but moved ever forward in making liberty and justice for all a reality).

By: sam

sam — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 22:08:45 +0000

Or, as I learned to say as a young child:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. One nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

I've believed in that since the first day I recited it. One nation indivisible.

By: sam

sam — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 22:04:28 +0000

@moonage

I'm not advocating anarchy, I'm advocating the US as the Constitution intended.

I'm afraid you're shoveling shit against the tide. The Second Industrial Revolution, the rise of the modern corporation, and, most importantly, the Civil War destroyed the pure federalist ideal. As Ken Burns pointed out in The Civil War, before the war people said, "The United States are," after the war they said (and continue to say), "The United States is."

By: tom p

tom p — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:47:54 +0000

When they started collecting federal income taxes, the consevatives started fighting an uphill battle.

That's not when it happened, moonage. The battle became uphill when the feds started distributing some of that largesse to the states... kinda like the first hit of crack. Once the states tried it, they were hooked.

Instant junkies.