10/13/2012
We have now seen two "debates" of the season. Obama did poorly, as
many viewers believed. But few named the problem: an image of a leader,
a politician largely created by media hype, was on display as
embarrassingly empty of substance. But that was not new to reasonably
objective citizens to in the least. Having heard Obama many times, I
have seen the overwhelming preference for poetic-sounding phrases, and
very little substance. But in his debate with Romney, Obama displayed
not only his characteristic arrogance, but disdainful contempt for his
political opponent. It was literally painful to see what the political
character of “We the people” is becoming: the “ugly American,”
indeed.
But last night was for me considerably more revealing of the descent of American political leaders into an abyss of shrunken, self-indulgent, irrational psycho-drama. It was deeply disturbing to me, as a citizen, to see how defective a character is the Vice President of the United States. I expected more decency from Joe Biden. He has been described as a kind man, whom Brit Hume has said "would give you his shirt." He may be likable, personable, friendly to his friends or to non-threatening politicians. But as the Obama team has been on a downward slide in the polls, and the reality of losing the election has perhaps appeared possible to Obama-Biden for the first time (truth dawns very slowly on men living in a world of illusion), Biden displayed ugly and even sick characteristics. One of his long-term supporters from Delaware, hedge fund manager Gary Kaminsky, said on CNBC today that he has supported Biden with money over the years, attended Biden's speeches to hedge fund managers, and seen that "most of Biden's funding" came from Wall Street. Then Kaminsky heard Biden criticize Wall Street, but even more, display such a contemptuous character towards Ryan that Kaminsky said, "I would have slugged him in the face and walked off the stage." Well, Ryan kept his cool quite well, and endured an estimated 82 interruptions, plus sneers, smirks, laughing, hyena smiles.
Morally and spiritually speaking, the Vice-President self-destructed on national TV last night. Here is a prediction: 20 years from now, or even 10, when Joe Biden has long been in private life or deceased, whatever good deeds he did in politics will not be remembered nearly as much as the night he "lost it" in full view of the watching nation. Of all the scenes in Presidential and Vice-Presidential debates so far, Biden's performance will stand out as the most vicious, most contemptuous, most bizarre. As for the content of what he said, who could concentrate on either man's words, when a man close to 70 was carrying on as if he were an immature teen-ager?
One person wrote that "Joe Biden was just being Joe." And he wrote the same line when Biden made the most openly racist statement I have heard from a leading politician in my life: "They gonna put y'all back in chains." "Joe was just being Joe." I am convinced that if Romney had said that same line, he would have been attacked in an unprecedented media assault on his private character, on his "racism," and on his "Mormon faith" for being "anti-Black." Romney would have been publicly shamed as we have never seen. But "old Joe is just old Joe." In other words: If someone is on “our team,” he can say and do anything--no matter how foolish, how bad, how destructive of the common good--and that is okay--as long as “we win.” That is a highly short-sighted and unwise stance.
Well, Joe Biden may have done some good things in politics, but he has surely done some foolish things. But neither good deeds nor good character were on display last night. Rather, we Americans had a glimpse of the ugly depths to which we are descending as a people in history. When our highest elected officials act in this way, what example is being set before our youth, or even our adult citizens? Were we shown how to act civilly and respectfully in the public forum? As President Clinton made sexual immorality acceptable for many Americans, Vice-President Biden went a long way to make an open display of contempt and disrespect for one’s opponents publicly acceptable. Obama displayed rank contempt for Romney, but his performance was vastly outdone by his lieutenant.
Three more points. First, at the end of his disturbingly rude performance, Biden made the claim that he accepts the Catholic teaching that human life begins at the moment of conception. Then he said that he would not want to enforce his belief, but, in effect, allow each person to make her own decision about whether to bear the child or to abort it. The structure of this argument is no different from this: "I think that Jews are human beings, but I would not impose my morality on those who think that Jews can be exterminated." If Biden had said, "The fetus is not human," the "pro-choice" stance would be more consistent, albeit deeply wrong. Or he could have given Obama's sophistical answer to the question: Asked about whether or not the fetus is human life, Obama smartly quipped, “That is above my pay-grade." But Biden’s argument is: “It is a human life in the womb, but you are free to take its life if you wish." That was the essence of his argument. Here we see not only stupidity, but a callous disregard for the weakest among us.
Second, the arguments one way or another do not matter when one's performance is so badly vitiated by his behavior. If anyone needs to be shown that analyzing a person’s words alone is not sufficient, that the context and the actions displayed must be taken into account, Joe Biden's performance last night gives the textbook example. Biden shows everyone this: It is not just what you say, but how you say it that matters. Do not say, "I care for people," "I want to help the poor," “I believe in the middle class,” and then treat the human being next to you with proud contempt, disdain, rudeness. Biden has given politricks a new word. To "Biden" someone means to treat your opponent with sheer disrespect and mocking scorn. Ryan got Bidened, and acted gentlemanly in the process.
Third, as I think about this disgusting episode in American politics, I realize the obvious: totalitarianism is the end-form of progressive politics. I may have read that before in political philosophy, but now I understand and grasp it. To remove freedoms from citizens in the name of "caring for them;" to build up enormous governmental power in order to "be more fair, to give everybody an equal shot;" to seek political power as one's highest good; to use one's enormous power and prestige of office to destroy or belittle one's opponent:These and much more we are witnessing as our country continues its slide into totalitarianism. We cannot say, "I did not see it coming." When politicians use the cloak of "equality and a fair shot" to magnify their power, we are seeing tyranny in the making; but when they greatly magnify governmental power, and ride rough shod over local and state communities, over political opponents (especially "the other Party"), we are watching how Progressivism from T Roosevelt through Obama is bringing into being an American form of totalitarian regime that crushes whatever would resist or question its power. In the Vice-President's performance last night, we had a glimpse of blossoming totalitarian politics in America. Consider what you are seeing, my fellow citizens, for this is the country we are becoming. It has been by our choices and our passivity, and the work of highly ambitious and power-seeking human beings.
What is one to do? Leaving our country physically does not seem prudent. But one must make some kind of exodus from this decadent culture and “progressive” regime, and withdrawal into a more wholesome life. And yet, one has a duty to expose the evil of our political culture, and to resist it to the extent possible. I will not be cynical and repeat the claim that in a democracy the people get the leaders they deserve. For we are a highly manipulated so-called “democracy,” in which mass media, intellectualistic elites, party machinery, and groups that benefit from the tyrannical State are drowning out the public philosophy and common sense, and forcing leaders on us who rule by power and manipulation, by lies and deceit, by providing “goodies” to people greedy for gain or “entitlements.”
What have we Americans done to ourselves? Whither are we heading? Do we really want to be partners in a totalitarian State? Or, can we resist so much evil in ourselves and in our political culture, and begin to rebuild the Republic? Then again, is it perhaps too late for this regime, this people in history? I do not know; but I think that our fate is indeed in the balance.
But last night was for me considerably more revealing of the descent of American political leaders into an abyss of shrunken, self-indulgent, irrational psycho-drama. It was deeply disturbing to me, as a citizen, to see how defective a character is the Vice President of the United States. I expected more decency from Joe Biden. He has been described as a kind man, whom Brit Hume has said "would give you his shirt." He may be likable, personable, friendly to his friends or to non-threatening politicians. But as the Obama team has been on a downward slide in the polls, and the reality of losing the election has perhaps appeared possible to Obama-Biden for the first time (truth dawns very slowly on men living in a world of illusion), Biden displayed ugly and even sick characteristics. One of his long-term supporters from Delaware, hedge fund manager Gary Kaminsky, said on CNBC today that he has supported Biden with money over the years, attended Biden's speeches to hedge fund managers, and seen that "most of Biden's funding" came from Wall Street. Then Kaminsky heard Biden criticize Wall Street, but even more, display such a contemptuous character towards Ryan that Kaminsky said, "I would have slugged him in the face and walked off the stage." Well, Ryan kept his cool quite well, and endured an estimated 82 interruptions, plus sneers, smirks, laughing, hyena smiles.
Morally and spiritually speaking, the Vice-President self-destructed on national TV last night. Here is a prediction: 20 years from now, or even 10, when Joe Biden has long been in private life or deceased, whatever good deeds he did in politics will not be remembered nearly as much as the night he "lost it" in full view of the watching nation. Of all the scenes in Presidential and Vice-Presidential debates so far, Biden's performance will stand out as the most vicious, most contemptuous, most bizarre. As for the content of what he said, who could concentrate on either man's words, when a man close to 70 was carrying on as if he were an immature teen-ager?
One person wrote that "Joe Biden was just being Joe." And he wrote the same line when Biden made the most openly racist statement I have heard from a leading politician in my life: "They gonna put y'all back in chains." "Joe was just being Joe." I am convinced that if Romney had said that same line, he would have been attacked in an unprecedented media assault on his private character, on his "racism," and on his "Mormon faith" for being "anti-Black." Romney would have been publicly shamed as we have never seen. But "old Joe is just old Joe." In other words: If someone is on “our team,” he can say and do anything--no matter how foolish, how bad, how destructive of the common good--and that is okay--as long as “we win.” That is a highly short-sighted and unwise stance.
Well, Joe Biden may have done some good things in politics, but he has surely done some foolish things. But neither good deeds nor good character were on display last night. Rather, we Americans had a glimpse of the ugly depths to which we are descending as a people in history. When our highest elected officials act in this way, what example is being set before our youth, or even our adult citizens? Were we shown how to act civilly and respectfully in the public forum? As President Clinton made sexual immorality acceptable for many Americans, Vice-President Biden went a long way to make an open display of contempt and disrespect for one’s opponents publicly acceptable. Obama displayed rank contempt for Romney, but his performance was vastly outdone by his lieutenant.
Three more points. First, at the end of his disturbingly rude performance, Biden made the claim that he accepts the Catholic teaching that human life begins at the moment of conception. Then he said that he would not want to enforce his belief, but, in effect, allow each person to make her own decision about whether to bear the child or to abort it. The structure of this argument is no different from this: "I think that Jews are human beings, but I would not impose my morality on those who think that Jews can be exterminated." If Biden had said, "The fetus is not human," the "pro-choice" stance would be more consistent, albeit deeply wrong. Or he could have given Obama's sophistical answer to the question: Asked about whether or not the fetus is human life, Obama smartly quipped, “That is above my pay-grade." But Biden’s argument is: “It is a human life in the womb, but you are free to take its life if you wish." That was the essence of his argument. Here we see not only stupidity, but a callous disregard for the weakest among us.
Second, the arguments one way or another do not matter when one's performance is so badly vitiated by his behavior. If anyone needs to be shown that analyzing a person’s words alone is not sufficient, that the context and the actions displayed must be taken into account, Joe Biden's performance last night gives the textbook example. Biden shows everyone this: It is not just what you say, but how you say it that matters. Do not say, "I care for people," "I want to help the poor," “I believe in the middle class,” and then treat the human being next to you with proud contempt, disdain, rudeness. Biden has given politricks a new word. To "Biden" someone means to treat your opponent with sheer disrespect and mocking scorn. Ryan got Bidened, and acted gentlemanly in the process.
Third, as I think about this disgusting episode in American politics, I realize the obvious: totalitarianism is the end-form of progressive politics. I may have read that before in political philosophy, but now I understand and grasp it. To remove freedoms from citizens in the name of "caring for them;" to build up enormous governmental power in order to "be more fair, to give everybody an equal shot;" to seek political power as one's highest good; to use one's enormous power and prestige of office to destroy or belittle one's opponent:These and much more we are witnessing as our country continues its slide into totalitarianism. We cannot say, "I did not see it coming." When politicians use the cloak of "equality and a fair shot" to magnify their power, we are seeing tyranny in the making; but when they greatly magnify governmental power, and ride rough shod over local and state communities, over political opponents (especially "the other Party"), we are watching how Progressivism from T Roosevelt through Obama is bringing into being an American form of totalitarian regime that crushes whatever would resist or question its power. In the Vice-President's performance last night, we had a glimpse of blossoming totalitarian politics in America. Consider what you are seeing, my fellow citizens, for this is the country we are becoming. It has been by our choices and our passivity, and the work of highly ambitious and power-seeking human beings.
What is one to do? Leaving our country physically does not seem prudent. But one must make some kind of exodus from this decadent culture and “progressive” regime, and withdrawal into a more wholesome life. And yet, one has a duty to expose the evil of our political culture, and to resist it to the extent possible. I will not be cynical and repeat the claim that in a democracy the people get the leaders they deserve. For we are a highly manipulated so-called “democracy,” in which mass media, intellectualistic elites, party machinery, and groups that benefit from the tyrannical State are drowning out the public philosophy and common sense, and forcing leaders on us who rule by power and manipulation, by lies and deceit, by providing “goodies” to people greedy for gain or “entitlements.”
What have we Americans done to ourselves? Whither are we heading? Do we really want to be partners in a totalitarian State? Or, can we resist so much evil in ourselves and in our political culture, and begin to rebuild the Republic? Then again, is it perhaps too late for this regime, this people in history? I do not know; but I think that our fate is indeed in the balance.
