Reflections From a Murky Pond

So many Liberals and their Minority “tenants” scream, rant, and whine about entitlements. In their hearts and minds they believe that people – at least certain favored types, races, and classes of people – have the right to succeed irrespective of the amount and efficacy of the effort they spent to achieve that success.

Sadly for them – and for Americans now that they rule over us – this pernicious and un-American philosophy of egalitarian entitlement  flies in the face of truth and wisdom.

The U. S. Constitution doesn’t guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself.

— Attributed to Benjamin Franklin
(No providence for attribution)

An American succeeds or fails – indeed, lives or dies – by the fruits of his or her own effort and the, often figurative these these days, sweat of their own brow. They do not succeed because they are entitled to.

It is such a shame that the Liberals do not, and apparently cannot understand this. Their attitudes are an insult and disservice to everyone they claim to support.

~*~

With a grateful H/T to Hsoi, who reminded me of these all-too-true and all-too-often, hated and despised words  of wisdom.

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?

Since Judge Sotomayor a “wise Latina” we can’t fairly say that she is tap dancing before the Senate; that would be showing a streak of racial insensitivity. No, Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama’s nominee to the SCOTUS,  is “treating” the Senate to a show of Salsa dancing. 😉

With the Democrats’ majority assuring her confirmation, it’ a stint of theatrics, if little else.

Sotomayor, of course, started her dance with a Quick Back Step Movement – A New York Mambo classic – covering her earlier misstep involving the relative merits of the genders and races.

Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences, a possibility I abhor less or discount less than my colleague Judge Cedarbaum, our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging. Justice O’Connor has often been cited as saying that a wise old man and wise old woman will reach the same conclusion in deciding cases. I am not so sure Justice O’Connor is the author of that line since Professor Resnik attributes that line to Supreme Court Justice Coyle. I am also not so sure that I agree with the statement. First, as Professor Martha Minnow has noted, there can never be a universal definition of wise. Second, I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.

— Judge Sotomayor
2001 Speech, UC Berkeley, School of Law

With a flick of her hip and that Mambo back-step, Judge Sotomayor responds to this with,

I was trying to inspire (students) to believe their experiences would enrich the legal system. I was also trying to inspire them to believe they could become anything they wanted to become, just as I have.

I want to state upfront, unequivocally and without doubt: I do not believe that any ethnic, racial or gender group has an advantage in sound judging. I do believe every person has an equal opportunity to be a good and wise judge, regardless of their background or life experience.

The words I chose, taking the rhetorical flourish, it was a bad idea I do understand that there are some who have read this differently, and I understand why they might have concern.

— Sotomayor Explains “Wise Latina” Comment

…And Cha Cha Cha. 😉

So, Sotomayor didn’t really mean what she said. It was just rhetoric – a poor choice of words that she regrets because some people might have taken them the wrong way. Yeah. Right. Sure.

There’s sadly a whole plethora of White Men who have over the course of time tried that same Quick Back Step Movement when called on a variety of statements quite similar to Sotomayor’s. We call them Racists and we revile them. In fact, we normally revile them even more when they try such smooth moves to deflect such accusations of racism. I’m sure though that Judge Sotomayor will, once again, get the benefits of Affirmative Action and not be held to the same standard as those White Men.

And Sotomayor’s dance before the Senate, alternatively partnered by Democrats and Republicans, continued unabated and consistently graceful in its empty measures and well turned steps.

Obama’s nominee, obviously carefully coached by Obama’s administration and by the Democrats in the Senate, carefully sidestepped and/or spun around any direct questions about her judicial history. She also, being a “Wise Latina,” carefully failed to provide any substantive answers on her views on the law and the role of the SCOTUS.

All in all it has been, to date, a beautiful dance by Sonia Sotomayor.

~*~

Yes, a beautiful dance and great theater – but lacking in substance and meaning insofar as the Judicial branch of the US government is concerned. The Democrats rule the US Senate with a filibuster-proof majority; Sotomayor’s confirmation as a SCOTUS Justice is assured, a foregone conclusion.

Sotomayor’s confirmation hearing isn’t about the Judicial; it’s about the Legislative and, to some extent, the Executive and their respective elections in 2010 and 2012. It’s about the minority, especially the Hispanic, vote in those upcoming elections.

The Democrats need to paint the Republicans as racists and sexists. The Republicans also need to paint the Democrats and President Obama as racist, just ones who favor a different set of Races. They also need to show that President Obama prefers judicial activism and racial activism over skill, ability and experience in SCOTUS Justices.

Sotomayor’s sole job during these hearings is to give the Democrats what they want while not saying anything that could be used by the Republicans to get what they want. Whether or not she can accomplish those limited, but still difficult, goals will not be evident until we’re closer to the elections in question.

Until then dance, dance, dance while Death’s clock ticks towards Doom and the nation burns…

Tragedy struck the White House Monday, July 13, 2009. Midway through his speech on urban and metropolitan policy in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the Teleprompter, correctly referred to as TOTUS, came crashing down and shattered into hundreds of fragments.

The Teleprompter-in-Chief Crashes

Fortunately the Vice-TOTUS, standing to Obama’s right was able to smoothly get Obama’s attention and finish the speech.

Authorities have not, as of this posting, released the status of the TOTUS. We must just hope and pray that the White Technical Staff can save him.

Our thoughts and prayers should go out to the TOTUS. Leadership aside, who will read bedtimes stories to Sasha and Malia in his absence?

Questions remain as to whether this tragedy was caused by stress and overwork or if it was an assassinate attempt. If the latter, I’d humbling suggest investigating Vice-President Joe Biden; he has a longstanding hatred of the Teleprompter.

It could also have been – if it was an assassination attempt as opposed to a stress-related breakdown – instigated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She is likely still bitter of the 2008 Demcratic Primary race and people who have aggrivated or embarrassed her have had the odd habit of dying suddenly…

Alright…There’s a bit of outrage circulating the world’s media and blogosphere at the moment over an image of President Obama “checking out” the admitting very, very fine bottom of a young woman during G8 Summit.

Would you look at that girl’s fine booty?

Many Conservative are – not unjustly given the evidence presented – quite upset of the 47 year-old, married father of two young daughters and President of the United States, Barack Obama ogling the butt of the 16 or 17 year-old Brazilian Junior G8 Delegate, Mayora Taveras.

The only problem is that President Obama wasn’t ogling Ms. Taveras’ butt. He was being a gentleman and helping another young woman navigate down the steps through the crowd.

Is being a gentleman so rare that nobody recognizes it anymore?

I loath President Obama and his agenda at least as much as the next real American, but let’s keep it real. There’s enough legitimate causes for outrage at Obama and his cabal of Liberals without jumping on everything little thing that pops up – especially when the media expects this sort knee-jerk behavior and will capitalize upon it as they just did with the photo shown above.