Reflections From a Murky Pond

The Revolt of the Elites: And the Betrayal of Democracy by the late historian, moralist, and penetrating social critic Christopher Lasch is a sobering and shockingly blunt appraisal of democracy in the new American economy.

The Revolt of the Elites is, at best, a disturbing and difficult work to read. Irrespective of your political philosophies, you will likely be bothered and/or offended by some of Lasch’s assertions and conclusions that a presented in this book.

It’s an important work though and well worth the effort and pain it takes to read it.

In “the Revolt of the Elites” Christoper Lasch powerfully and persuasively contends that that the values and attitudes of professional and managerial elites and those of the working classes have dramatically diverged. Although the claim is controverted, many of us on the right (especially social conservatives) agree with the quasi-populist/communitarian notion that democracy works best when all members of society can participate in a world of upward mobility and of achievable status. In such a world, members of society will perceive themselves as belonging to the same team and care about ensuring that that team succeeds. But how can society achieve this sort of mutual interdependence if its members are not part of a community of shared values? As Christopher Lasch explains: “[T]he new elites, the professional classes in particular, regard the masses with mingled scorn and apprehension.” For too many of these elites, the values of “Middle America” – a/k/a “fly-over country” – are mindless patriotism, religious fundamentalism, racism, homophobia, and retrograde views of women. “Middle Americans, as they appear to the makers of educated opinion, are hopelessly shabby, unfashionable, and provincial, ill informed about changes in taste or intellectual trends, addicted to trashy novels of romance and adventure, and stupefied by prolonged exposure to television. They are at once absurd and vaguely menacing.” (28)

The tension between elite and non-elite attitudes is most pronounced with respect to religious belief. While our society admittedly is increasingly pluralistic, “the democratic reality, even, if you will, the raw demographic reality,” as Father Neuhaus has observed, “is that most Americans derive their values and visions from the biblical tradition.” Yet, Lasch points out, elite attitudes towards religion are increasingly hostile: “A skeptical, iconoclastic state of mind is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the knowledge classes. … The elites’ attitude to religion ranges from indifference to active hostility.” (215)

Lash claims that the divergence in elite and non-elite attitudes is troubling for the future of democracy. Its hard for me to gainsay him. Yet, while “The Revolt of the Elites” is sobering – even a tad depressing – it deserves to be read even more widely than it has been. Lasch is no partisan. Conservative proponents of unfettered capitalism get bashed about the head by Lasch just as much as liberal critics of capitalism. Populists will find themselves nodding in agreement with some sections, while communitarians will concur with other sections. About the only folks who will be offended by all of “The Revolt of the Elites” are hardened libertarians and extreme left-liberals.

– Stephen M. Bainbridge

Christopher Lasch’s final question in this work, which was the last of his to be published during his lifetime, was a very important and chilling one: can a society survive when a significant portion of its elite have forsaken its founding principles?

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I realize that the 111th Congress, especially the US House of Representatives, is not exactly a gathering of the more intelligent, properly educated, and upright members of American society. A gaggle of whores, thieves, junkies, and rapists would be probably be a kinder sampling of American intelligentsia, wisdom, and even ethics.

Still, this particular Congress definitely needs more remedial education in both representative democracy and their elected job duties.

Read Bills Before Voting On Them, Dunce!

Of course this sort of gross stupidity combined with selfishness and outright treason against the ideals of America is what one has to come to expect do to our failings. It is our – the American people’s – fault that Congress behaves as it does; we’ve let them get away with such things and to feel safe doing so.

We the People need to stand up for ourselves and make our displeasure and rage be known. We must do whatever is needful to convince the politicians to once more fear our wrath.

Use small words though. As I said, these are not the brightest people in America. Gods Above and Below! Do they have “Special Ed” programs for politicians?

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Today is July 4, 2009. In America it is Independence Day, the day when patriotic Americans celebrate our Founding Fathers’ courage in defying tyranny and creating a new nation, the United States of America, based upon Democracy, Freedom, Equality, and Enterprise.

Since the summer of 1777, Independence Day, aka the Fourth of July, has been a time of joyous celebration of America’s creation and of freedom from tyranny. Flags, parades, parties, picnics, family gatherings, and something resembling fireworks have graced this American holiday since its beginning.

Can this, the 232^nd American Independence Day be a joyous celebration though? Should it be, given what has been already and is being done to America by President Obama and his cabal of Liberals among the Democratic Party?

Shouldn’t this day be either a day of mourning for Americans or a day of angry defiance? Should we patriots not either reflect upon the fact that we ousted a tyrant in 1776 to birth a nation but allowed a worse despot to take the reins of power in 2009, or gather together to shout out our just rage and swear to end this villainy so that we can rebuild America once more?

While the Liberals hold their gloating fetes under Old Glory – to her shame, should not Americans either fly our flag at half-staff in mourning or, as is set forth in Title 36, U.S.C., Chapter 10, §176, upside down (union down) as a signal of our defiance and dire distress?

~*~

The great nation of the United States of America lasted for a while, probably longer than our Founding Fathers expected. For 233 years, from 1776 to 2008, she shone as a beacon of freedom, industry, and prosperity in a more and more benighted world. Now the Liberal maggots rejoice as they squirm in an orgy of destruction as they feast upon her corpse.

It behooves those of us who were raised to be Americans to accept the sad and horrid fact that our nation has run its course. A new thing, cancerous and vile, has arisen from its ravished remains and it is recognizable only in its mockery.

We Americans must now choose: we can go gently into that long night; we can strive to rebuild what has been lost, stolen, or raped from us; or we can accept our loss, but wreak such vengeance upon our enemies that the world learn the price of evil.

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