Conservatives Are Hitting Rock Bottom
In mythology, the phoenix is a beautiful bird that bursts into flames at the end of its life as it dies. From the ashes of the old, a new phoenix emerges. This cycle of birth, fiery death and rebirth, makes the phoenix a symbol of hope and renewal.
Today, American conservatism has degenerated into an intellectually and morally bankrupt ideology. It offers nothing more than bumper-sticker slogans that pander to the prejudices and ignorance of the lowest common denominator in order to enrich and empower an oligarchic elite. Angry, cruel and sneering, it is exemplified by the carnival barkers on talk radio and Fox News. High in volume, but devoid of substance, it has no long-term future because it lacks credible solutions to the range of very real problems American society is facing.
Indeed, what passes for "conservatism" today is actually nothing of the sort. Modern American conservatism has forgotten its rich legacy and betrayed its best traditions. It has become infected with a virulent strain of extreme libertarianism heavily influenced by the thinking of Ayn Rand.
Rand's disciples claim to champion liberty and freedom, but really care only about license - the notion that actions have no consequences and individuals have no broader responsibilities to anything or anyone but themselves. As George Monbiot has correctly noted, this brand of libertarianism, although often "dressed up as freedom," is in reality:
"a formula for oppression and bondage. It does nothing to address inequality, hardship or social exclusion. A transparently self-serving vision, it seeks to justify the greedy and selfish behaviour of those with wealth and power."
http://www.alternet.org/teaparty/155356/conservatives_are_hitting_rock_bottom_?page=entire
ladjf
(17,320 posts)current depths. But, I have no clear ideas as to what they are.
Cal33
(7,018 posts)Greedy Old Parasites might take many innocent victims along with them.
DavidDvorkin
(19,477 posts)zeemike
(18,998 posts)They have to hit bottom before they will change.
But what is their bottom?...I suspect that they will take us all down before they do hit bottom....or at leas that is what they want.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)lunatica
(53,410 posts)because the author is talking about the real conservative ideology. These aren't they. They will be as happy as any despot who is filthy rich while the peasants starve and they will ordain that's it's God's will.
zeemike
(18,998 posts)Most of those that have drank the Kool Aid are no more wealthy than the rest of us....when they finally realize that they have been played it will be to late...and just learn to accept the new feudalism that they live under...they will have no choice...they will stop worrying and learn to love the new slavery...or admit that they were wrong. And some people can never admit to being wrong.
lunatica
(53,410 posts)As the trusted servants.
n2doc
(47,953 posts)Hardly rock bottom. When they are completely out of power down to the dog catcher level (i.e. the same as the Libertarians, American Nazi Party and other fringe groups), then that is rock bottom.
ck4829
(35,076 posts)stubtoe
(1,862 posts)There seems to be the beginning of a groundswell of reason occurring in the land. Civil rights are once again in the forefront.
This is a Good Thing!
DLine
(397 posts)The irony being that this selfish and greedy libertarian-conservative ideology is strongly aligned with many Christian communities.
tex-wyo-dem
(3,190 posts)"Conservative" movement embraces and thrives on unbelievable and ridiculous irony. From the obvious fake christian ideals they espouse to the fake conservative ideals, they are empty of any real principles. The best way I can describe it is mass narcissism since their "ideals" are rooted in an extreme form of self-centerness.