Free Republic
Browse · Search
Smoky Backroom
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Defeating the Ultra-Right: Know Your Enemy (Revealing!)
Political Affairs: Marxist Thought Online ^ | June 2, 2010 | Frank T. DeAngelis

Posted on 06/02/2010 1:58:17 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

It was decided at the Communist Party, USA's recent national convention that the Party will continue to mobilize primarily in order to combat the efforts of the ultra-right. This article is meant to illustrate the basic reasoning behind two ideologies most exhibited by the modern right-wing. It is not meant to address specific issues with which one differs from the right, but to assist in responding to such issues by summarizing the right's ideological foundations.

The ideologies of the right may seem non-sensical to those who do not count themselves among the conservative camp, but their ideological systems are actually quite coherent. We on the left may disagree with the premises of conservative ideology, as they are not quite material, but it is rather hard to disagree with the philosophical conclusions they reach based on said idealistic premises. Even more disturbing is the unity the right's theories produce – the broad left is only just adopting such a coherent ideological set with which to work together in solidarity.

Working together on the right are the fundamentalist-rooted Bush-Era Conservatism and the newly popular Libertarian Conservatism. As they are very similar, most conservatives will mix the two based on whatever works best for them in a given situation.

Let’s examine them…

Bush-Era Conservativism

Most conservative ideology is rooted in a narrow interpretation of Christianity (the premise). All major right-wing figures, from Mike Huckabee to Glenn Beck, believe that the democracy of the United States is rooted in God. The right believes that the Constitution of the United States, especially the Bill of Rights, mirrors God's will, and that the "founding fathers" creation of our nation's highest law was guided by a strong belief in Him.

The founders of our democracy were simply dutiful vessels through which God's wisdom was able to be transcribed into law.

This does not mean that they believe the Constitution was written perfectly. They would argue that, if it was, it would not have included any provision to amend it. It is asserted that any part of the Constitution that has been recognized as wrong, and changed by later amendments, is the fault of the constitution's human scribes, not God.

The conservative idea of God-given rights is important. However, it only goes so far. God would not want us amending the Constitution in a way that rewards the individual things they have not earned. This is where the modern conservative movement really clashes with the left. God-given rights are only meant to protect individuals from the state or collectivism.

This emphasis on the individual is also rooted in Christianity. As conservative commentator Sean Hannity often explains, individuals must live righteously (in a manner consistent with God's will) if they want to succeed. "Sinners" must be allowed to fail.

This belief provides a justification for capitalism. The right believes a strict Christian life is recognized by others as both morally right and highly productive, an idea that has, in turn, perverted Christian theology in a way some educated as Pentacostals might attest to. According to this theory, Christians naturally succeed in capitalism. If they do not, it is either due to some fault of their own, or efforts by liberals to reward the lazy. The social safety net liberals, and progressives, desire only serves to aid bad behavior (sin) by not letting those who have strayed "experience the consequences" of their bad behavior. Progressives, consciously or unconsciously, exist outside of "God's will."

This mode of thought provides us the reason why the right believes the death penalty is justified, while abortion is not. Those on death row have sinned to the greatest degree, so it is justified to execute them according to this theory. The fetus, on the other hand, is 1) human (with a soul), according to the Bible, and 2) must be given the chance to prove itself worthy of life.

Pure capitalism's justice also provides the right with the means to oppose affirmative action. They attempt to avoid being exposed as racist by stating that they are color-blind, "just like capitalism," and that it is actually the liberals race-conscious efforts to promote racial equality via social programs that results in African Americans being disproportionately represented among the poor. To many conservatives, African Americans are disproportionately poor because liberal programs have led their culture to "stray far from positive (European Christian) values" by not "demanding hard work from the individual." "The liberal's idea that African Americans need assistance to succeed in capitalism is racist, in that it does not give African Americans credit for being able to change themselves," conservatives like Ward Connerly spout.

This notion is not only idealistic, in that it does not recognize the material barriers that continue to limit what an oppressed group can achieve, but it is also racist, actually assuming European Christian values are, inherently, the best version of values, and that they ought to be adopted by anyone who wants to become increasing self-determining. It blames the victims for not being more like their oppressors.

The conquering "Christian soldier" of the past has been re-incarnated as today's Culture Warrior.

Nearly any social issue you can think of can be examined using this cohesive theory of God-based rights and the duty of the individual to act in accordance with "God's desires." That is why it is such a powerful theory for the right. Repeated non-stop on conservative talk-radio, expect it will spread unless we on the left affectively address it.

Libertarian Conservatism

Libertarians make up a sizable portion of the post-Bush conservative movement, and are a large part of those represented in Tea Party associations. While they are conservative, particular philosophical emphasis make them worth distinguishing from other mainstream conservatives. While the primary focus of conservatives is the individual's relation to God, the primary focus of libertarians is the individual, alone. While this may lead to minor disagreement between libertarians and other conservatives when the issue of moral legislation is debated, the two camps tend to be held close by a common desire to promote "free" trade.

Libertarianism owes much of its popularity to the writer Ayn Rand. Rand's stories focus on the individual and the ego. They have a philosophical basis in Aristotle's ethics, but merge Aristotle's idea of self-development with philosophical egoism. For Rand, collective action always falls short of action taken by individuals because of her assumption that collective action requires that those with the best skills compromise with less qualified individuals. Responding to this idea, and her declaration of selfishness as a virtue, Rand believed that competition would lead to the most beneficial organization of society, and proposed laissez-faire capitalism as the way to achieve that society.

Economist Milton Friedman further contributed to libertarian views when he promoted the idea that economists should concern themselves primarily with mathematical problems in economics, instead of any social considerations, the general assumption being that a healthy capitalism resolves social problems itself, and that any attempt to resolve such concerns actually harms the market's ability to solve such problems.

These views grew all the more popular with time.

Alan Greenspan, ex-Chair of the Federal Reserve, recently illuminated us to the fact that his actions as creator of the recent market boom and bust were based on beliefs sympathetic to Rand and Friedman.

At the basis of most libertarian theory is the idea that human beings have an exceptional consciousness, and that this consciousness can be developed into something greater. This much is shared my Marxism, as it and libertarianism are both modern philosophies focused on human development. However, libertarianism believes that what limits individuals' ability to realize themselves is any commitment to give, or accept, assistance. To libertarians, self-realization is necessarily a result of a person's total, independent control over their pursuit of individual self-realization.

This leads libertarians to promote the idea of society as being in a state of total competition, represented by an idealized laissez-faire capitalism.

In economics, the state of society libertarians desire is known as exhibiting perfect competition. While most capitalist economists recognize perfect competition as theoretical and in constant flux, libertarians largely believe that perfect competition is attainable. In this state of society, individuals are perfectly able to work wherever they chose, and there are no forces inhibiting the ability of anyone from starting their own business. Further, prices are kept low by the total absence of any collusion between industries, and growth is determined solely by a product's ability to meet the needs of consumers.

Some libertarians even go so far as to state the all forms of chauvinism disappear in laissez-faire capitalism, because the market is more interested in the skills of a person rather than their race, gender, class, or any other arbitrary distinction.

This notion is what has lead Tea Party backed Republican candidate Rand Paul to state that he would repeal the portion of the Civil Rights Act that prohibits acts of discrimination from being committed by private business.

According to libertarians, any governmental or purposeful social actions that influence the market only maintain old chauvinisms and prevent perfect competition from being realized.

Libertarianism is, essentially, capitalist utopianism.

It totally overlooks the individual capitalist's ability to use the power they have accumulated to their own ends.

Conclusion

If we are to neutralize the power of the conservative movement, we must dismantle their theoretical assumptions. Debating surface level issues is like removing the head of a Hydra, only to find that it will sprout two heads in its place.

In response to the mainstream conservative movement, we must expose their statements about what God desires to others by linking their own, material desires to their statements. We should utilize research performed on so-called religious political movements that illustrate their perspective is not devoid of material influence, but is self-serving (at best) and chauvinistic (at worst). Our greatest ally in this effort are the multitude of religious groups who are open to membership from all types of people, realize themselves as progressive as such, and are willing to take action that is not self-serving.

In response to the libertarian movement, we must expose them as another utopian trend. History is flush with evidence that, as regulation is removed from the market, the economy tends towards control by fewer and fewer individuals.

George Orwell was quite right when he observed, in a response to Austrian economist F.A. Hayek, that "the problem with competitions is that someone eventually wins them."

Further, we can easily illustrate that these corporate individuals' represent a worldview tied to the specific race, sex, gender, and sexual preference of those who have come before them, and do not care to enact real change.

While it may surprise a Libertarian, a Communist is certainly not surprised that the government, charged with representing the wishes of the people, was the entity that made it illegal for businesses to discriminate based on race, by passing the Civil Rights Act; or disability, by the passing of the ADA; and in numerous other instances.

While the major conservative beliefs are largely idealistic, our theory is based on materialism. The issues addressed by Marxism are bound to adapt when it encounters new material, the method with which to address them remains true. The same cannot be said for our political adversaries, for whom world experience is already removing bits of their idealistic theories' foundations. If we engage in well-informed and serious debate, I am confident in our ability to reach vindication in the long-term.


TOPICS: Heated Discussion
KEYWORDS: 10thamendment; anticapitalist; antichristian; anticonstitution; atheistsupremacist; aynrand; celebrateperversity; communism; communismkills; communists; conservatism; cpusa; culturewar; economy; gaypride; hatespeech; homosexualagenda; lavendermafia; lping; marxism; nakedcommunists; obama; playbook; sedition; teaparty; truthfile
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-48 last
To: 2ndDivisionVet

“George Orwell was quite right when he observed, in a response to Austrian economist F.A. Hayek, that “the problem with competitions is that someone eventually wins them.”

Did Georgie-boy ever say whyyyyy that was a bad thing or is he another dummy who believes that there mere act of winning in a competition is bad?


41 posted on 06/02/2010 5:44:39 PM PDT by RWB Patriot ("My ability is a value that must be purchased, and I don't recognize anyone's need as a claim on me")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

The constitution is the constitution and to “change” it in the way the communists wish to do, they have to amend the constitution. It is a legal thing; not a religious thing. Otherwise, they are law breakers which they are.

Marxists do not respect the rule of law nor equality beyond race before the law. To them the constitution is a “religious” document rather than a legal document.

When we say the bill of rights rights are guarenteed by God, not government, we mean the government has no power to remove those rights from the citizens. This means if the government ends free speech, for example, we will not accept it’s authority to do that.

The commies, being ignorant slobs who disrespect constitutional freedom, are mixing apples and oranges. They want to end free speech and racial equality before the law so they can squash their opposition through hate speech law harassment and oppression.

The constitution gets in their way of acting like the Klan and White Citizens groups they replaced in the post segregation era to discriminate by race in opportunity and install inequality under the law. Installing preferences for some races and oppression to others, gives the communists the voting power base they want and need. To gain the total control they want, they have to divide and conquer the nation by race and class.


42 posted on 06/02/2010 6:27:40 PM PDT by SaraJohnson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

George Orwell was quite right when he observed, in a response to Austrian economist F.A. Hayek, that “the problem with competitions is that someone eventually wins them.”

......

So, then it’s a bad thing that in rental car companies’
#1 is Hertz
#2 is Avis
#3 is Alamo

Funny, I never thought of that as a problem. I wonder why the author does?

Now if he said that the problem with socialism is eventually you run out of other peoples money, he’d be on to some thing, eh?


43 posted on 06/02/2010 6:50:07 PM PDT by bodfish (In all the world, you are unique, just like everbody else.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
I think he's a flaming queer, by his own admission:

And the money shot quote near the end:

"At Marxism's root is the desire to make real the consciousness of the individual. Human beings are recognized as beings with a consciousness that surpasses other animals, and to have such an exceptional consciousness is what makes us human. Marx states this when he asserts, in his early work "The Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844" that conscious activity is our species-activity. Only when human beings are emancipated, and able to unite their will with action, do they feel satisfied.

It was also in that work that he first examined alienation in detail, defining alienation as the process by which a person's will is subverted by engaging in activity which does not match the person's desires.

Heteronormativity, therefor, is a form of alienation. It enforces this alienation among all competent persons, restricting them from the possibility of queer identity and love. Heteronormativity is antithetical to emancipation and the freedom of adults to chose their life-activity.

Regardless of any individual view of gender or sexuality, queer people's experience is real. As a person's being queer does not limit other people's ability to express themselves, the claim that queer activity is unnatural and should be repressed should not be responded to in a way that invalidates the experience of any queer person. As people are queer, and have constructed loving queer relationships that satisfy them, anti-queer organizations cannot justify their position with any sort of appeal to science, but must present a real, pertinent reason queer love is to be forbidden.

If the debate is framed this way, anti-queer organizations must admit their objections are rooted in personal beliefs, such as their interpretation of religion, and the debate becomes more honest. It becomes a debate over freedom, which is what it has really been about all along, and conservative, anti-queer proponents are framed as nothing more than people who chose to be supporters of oppression.

Further, heteronormativity is another form of alienation. It is both exhibited by what institutions do to restrict love, and what people who remain neutral fail to do to include queer people in our social environment. Racism, sexism and classism have continued to exist as forms of alienation in similar ways, and all people who have experienced such oppression share a common struggle with queer people.

The struggle for queer rights is also our struggle.

Tolerance is not enough. Marxism insists society represent all forms of love.

Have a Happy Valentine's Day!

"

(Meanwhile, we Christians will breed and you Communists will abort and bugger yourselves out of existence: but the Islamists will finish you off before we Christians win everything.)

Cheers!

44 posted on 06/02/2010 10:12:10 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: grey_whiskers
"At Marxism's root is the desire to make real the consciousness of the individual."

There is no individuality in socialism. Socialists lie. Always.

45 posted on 06/03/2010 9:55:05 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Throw the bums out in 2010.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: grey_whiskers; wagglebee
If the debate is framed this way, anti-queer organizations must admit their objections are rooted in personal beliefs, such as their interpretation of religion, and the debate becomes more honest. It becomes a debate over freedom, which is what it has really been about all along, and conservative, anti-queer proponents are framed as nothing more than people who chose to be supporters of oppression.

Socialists have long pushed the sex positive agenda. No moral judgements over ANY sexual pairings regardless of sex, age, relation, marital status, number, or species of partner(s).

Reich, Kinsey, and Feminists stand shoulder to shoulder in this regard.

A pseudodocumentary film from the early 1970s on Williem Reich played up Communist ideology and the release of "orgone" energy.

46 posted on 06/03/2010 9:59:35 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Throw the bums out in 2010.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
Blah blah blah.

The left works on emotions, hand outs through buying elections and dependence on monopolies that should be illegal among government connected unions and employees.

The right likes to balance the check book, but after a while many start to become Democrat-lite because there is so much giving away of the treasury that it is hard to compete telling people they need to be independent and responsible for their own actions.

Then there is the infiltration of the teachers and press with extreme leftists who's views get pretty much brainwashed into all our kids through at least college.

What needs to be done to counter the blah blah blah of this article?
Develop strong conservative leaders from the grass roots.
We need to take back the press by having conservatives go into journalism.
Take back the children by having conservatives become teachers in great numbers.

47 posted on 06/03/2010 10:07:04 AM PDT by A CA Guy ( God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
Funny stuff!
48 posted on 06/04/2010 8:34:27 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Host The Beer Summit-->Win The Nobel Peace Prize!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-48 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Smoky Backroom
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson