Posted on 06/18/2009 3:38:48 AM PDT by Man50D
A failed presidency for Barack Obama could turn into liberalism's worst nightmare. Barely six months into his term, the 44th president has succeeded in generating the most widespread and serious discussion of secession since the Civil War. Despite what Newsweek's Evan Thomas may claim, Obama is not the "God" who will bring us together but the autocratic sponsor of an overbearing, oppressive leviathan from which a growing number of Americans are seeking refuge.
That refuge, according to author Paul Starobin, will come in the form of several regional republics that reflect the diverse character of Americans no longer bound in any meaningful way by our unrecognizable Federal government. In a riveting exploration of America 's coming breakup, Starobin writes in a recent Wall Street Journal article:
"Picture an America that is run not, as now, by a top-heavy Washington autocracy but, in freewheeling style, by an assemblage of largely autonomous regional republics reflecting the eclectic economic and cultural character of the society."
Starobin chronicles in fascinating detail the historical basis for America 's future balkanization. He provides a snapshot of today's most viable and vocal secessionist organizations. Starobin goes on to argue that the overbearing and stifling "Obama planners and their ilk" will probably be doomed to fail in a land replete with the Jeffersonian impulse of radical self-determination. Obama's extreme power grab, in other words, will cause a correspondingly extreme backlash:
"All of this adds up to a federal power grab that might make even FDR's New Dealers blush. But that's just the point: Not surprisingly, a lot of folks in the land of Jefferson are taking a stand against an approach that stands to make an indebted citizenry yet more dependent on an already immense federal power. The backlash, already under way, is a prime stimulus for a neo-secessionist movement, the most extreme manifestation of a broader push for some form of devolution."
By focusing most of his attention on how big unwieldy entities devolve into creative little ones, Starobin's analysis misses however the more direct personal role Barack Obama himself has played in fracturing America.
Back in March of last year for example New York Times columnist Roger Cohen told his audience he could "understand the rage" of Obama's former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Without missing a beat Cohen then concluded in his essay that the "clamoring now in the United States for a presidency that uplifts rather than demeans is a reflection of the intellectual desert of the Bush years."
Has Barack Obama's been an "uplifting" presidency? Mr. Obama knew full well that his Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, dismissed the test results of white firefighters in New Haven, Connecticut, entitled to promotion but denied because they were of the wrong race. Surely her decision is demeaning to both white males and to those who study diligently for exams. Did the black firefighters feel uplifted or demeaned when Sotomayor ruled in their favor? Was the New Haven firehouse more unified or more divided after Sotomayor's ruling? Was Obama's Sotomayor choice uplifting or demeaning?
Indeed, from the Sotomayor pick and anti-business rhetoric to the endless lecturing about America 's sins, Mr. Obama is starting to sound a lot like his former pastor. To be sure Obama is not as grating and shrill as Mr. Wright but closer to something more like Jeremiah-lite. In other words, Mr. Obama's strategy seems to be to convince Americans to drink his socialist tonic out of sheer guilt. I'm not sure what is so inspiring about all of this.
Maybe this is why Starobin claims to be witnessing a lot of neo-secessionist activity. Wouldn't a new American devolution however be a liberal's worst nightmare? Beyond the psychosis most liberals would have to endure at the thought of losing any kind of control, the prospect of vibrant, happy, and successful conservative republics in places like Texas, South Carolina or Utah would be an inescapable spotlight forever exposing the failure of liberal ideology in a Republic of California.
But this brings up another problem. When the framers of the American Constitution favored a multi-state solution to the problem of centralized tyranny they argued that an additional benefit would be that each state could become a unique laboratory displaying the policy successes and failures to its neighbors. If the Republic of Texas chooses a classics curriculum for its youngsters, celebrates the family and tradition in its media, encourages personal responsibility in lieu of a nanny state, rewards citizens on the basis of merit, is tough on criminals, sends its politicians home after brief excursions to the capitol, is business friendly and generally leaves its citizens alone, how are those controlling the politically liberal Republics like California going to react?
What most liberals fail to understand is that their leisurely dabbling in progressive politics and moral equivalency is made possible by the existence of accumulated conservative moral capital. Remove the conservative anchor and progressive societies become dangerously seasick. I guess the lesson here is that liberals need conservatives more than conservatives need liberals (although society needs them on occasion). There is much in progressive ideology that simply seeks to undermine -- a strange method of establishing an identity.
While reading "A Little History of the World" to my kids the other day I came across an interesting observation by the author, E.H. Gombrich:
"Because the Egyptians were so wise and so powerful their empire lasted for a very long time. Longer than any empire the world has ever known: nearly three thousand years. And they took just as much care of their corpses, when they preserved them from rotting away, in preserving all their ancient traditions over the centuries. Their priests made quite sure that no son did anything his father had not done before him. To them, everything old was sacred."
When Obama fails it will be because he's convinced enough Americans to tire, as he has, of what used to be known as "America." Imagine what would have happened in Egypt had their priests adopted "liberation theology" rather than the standard of their fathers. A mere footnote in the pages of history.
Sounded to me like the poster wanted to discount the divine/miraculous intervention.
Seriously, someone just “getting tired of persecuting” wouldn’t have gone through what Paul did without “getting tired of” their newly chosen profession.
Something like a blinding light, speaking directly to Jesus, and having your sight restored would tend to make you more committed to your new cause than simply “getting tired of” your former course of action.
After the failed TOTUS ping.
ping
Offering anecdotes as a rebuttal to polling is not a legitimate answer. Every FRer knows some young conservatives, but that doesn’t overcome the fact that young people voted for Obama in droves. Nor does it dispute the trend that Americans wan’t more government services in their lives. I’ll go even further in my generalization: it’s driven by women across the board.
This has become a soft country, with a lot of rot throughout. This is not some old codger bemoaning technological progress, it’s the observance of someone who has seen a better America in the past. What’s different now is that the educational system is completely dominated by liberal cant, so that the expectations for a lot of future young Reaganites is quite a stretch.
This country needs a revolt, not a Reagan Revolution. Problem is, most of the revolters are likely to be young people demanding a handout instead of government shrinkage.
I hope so. We are losing our more of our freedoms on a daily basis.
bump for later
I vote to turn the major blue metropolitan areas into city states, like in ancient Greece. Then the rest of the state can be their own separate political unit or join with another state. I vote the former due to the voting system that would need to be adapted. Let Detroit take care of Detroit. Let New York take care of New York.
Let Minneapolis become a little utopia among the heathen, if they can.
You, my FRiend are absolutely right.
I have five nieces and nephews. All in their 30’s. (a bit older than you but they are paving the way). Out of the five, only one is a lib.
The other four are conservatives. They have wacko lib mothers too.
It’s the baby boomers that are the problem and I’m one of them. I can’t stand the hippies and now even more since they are hitting the senior years.
FR is composed of older people raised in different times . - qwertypie
Yep, definitely don't like what's happening to my country... - csense
Liberation Theology = Communism in a religious wrapper - Texas Fossil
You mean, the one the founders intended? - naturalized
America’s best days are ahead of it. - Aquabird
The South Shall Rise Again! - Wahoo82
The United States. It will have [been] divided and conquered. - RoadTest
You’re right, qwertypie - a lot of us are older - and maybe in some cases, a bit wiser, but not necessarily so. Real wisdom doesn’t come with age, it comes with understanding. This nation has been under harsh attack from the left for over 100 years, and that attack has been highly successful - worked initially through ‘progressive’ Republicans - believe it or not. (And there are a whole bunch of them still around - known as RINO’s - BTW, the gal that coined that term is a friend of mine that lives not far away.)
I’m ‘older’ - in Aug, I’ll be 68 - one of those war-babies - so qwertypie, just wanted to say, you’re right, smaller government is a ‘foreign concept’ to far too many of the young today. But, unfortunately, we’re stuck with big government - probably until the end-time.
And, csense certainly isn’t alone - all of the old-timers here that have seen a better America are sick at the sight of what has happened to our country. We’ve seen hundreds of thousands of great American-made products disappear out of stores a couple of blocks from where we live - and the stores close, all stores replaced by ‘big-box’ warehouses full of cheap Chinese substitutes, much further away from where we live - and carrying only a very few of the products once available to us. The young ones here don’t miss what they’ve never known.
Texas Fossil (I’m one too - born there) nails down the root of this nation’s downfall - pollution of this nation’s religious institutions. There isn’t a single ‘mainstream’ church that has not debauched itself in the eyes of devout bible-following Americans. So, what is God doing about that? He most assuredly isn’t blessing them, nor will these ‘religious institutions’ any longer contribute to America’s greatness. Non-denominational churches that really follow the Word are at the top now... and will remain there, most likely. But they are few, and far between.
Sticking to the ‘bottom line’ here, naturalized points to the Founders intention - states being the guiding light, versus an all-powerful Federal Gov. - each with the power to contribute to reigning in an over-reaching bunch of idiot criminals in DC - like we see today. But unfortunately Aquabird is probably wrong. This nation’s best day’s are long behind it, and getting further away every day - for one big reason, you can not abandon God with impunity. You walk away from Him - He walks away from you.
The enemies of this nation have been working to DIVIDE it - they WANT to break it up - in as many as FOUR or FIVE smaller ‘nations’ (as one commie college prof on TV years ago thought to be the best goal) - and BELIEVE ME, they (hard-core leftists) have not given up on that idea in any way whatsoever. It is their main goal, part and parcel of subsuming this nation into the coming North American Union (NAU) which the Trilateralists have been working on for years. (Note that pappy Bush, and Clinton are Trilateralist members, and ‘W’ followed daddy’s orders, getting the papers signed, going around Congress and the American people. And, mark my words, Obama will quite likely sign the final paper creating the NAU, and eliminating the Dollar as our currency.)
That signature will be the end of the USA, and then Wahoo82 will see his words vindicated - but the South will only be one of several new ‘states’ within the NAU.
Really, I hope I’m wrong... but, I see this government beginning to abandon Israel, and that is end-time significant. The Book says that ‘all nations’ turn against Israel, and one has to ask the question, ‘What happened to America?’ Well, the easy answer is - it no longer exists at that time, and the NAU would make that so - and then as RoadTest alludes, we will have been ‘divided and conquered.’
But - not really. There’s that one big last war - that doesn’t last too long, and the good guys win in the end. Is that close? Is perhaps the guy in the 0val 0ffice a player foretold? He looks like he could be - he loves being a dictator, and he’s dumb enough to flack for Satan. We’ll all see, soon enough.
Thank you for sharing your insights, dear Ron C.!
LOL - neither can most of us 'boomers.' One thing about that though, we out-number them. Other things, we're quite a bit wiser, more 'successful' and, raised better children.
An aside... that word 'wise.' Where does wisdom come from? That supreme court nominee is obviously not 'wise,' because her actions and words expose extreme lack of wisdom.
Love you, dear lady...
"Mainstream" implies large. The issue is individual. I am very comfortable with the members of my local Baptist Church, but the convention has a history of going off on rediculous stuff. This is generally an ego thing, where ego gets in the way of what should happen. The "I know what is better for everyone else" syndrone.
I'm 'non-denominational' now though. The greatest non-demominational 'minister' I've ever met though is a guy in NM that preaches in two churches miles apart every Sunday - he showed up with a pickup truck full of lumber. and without a word, started rebuilding my brothers home that was damaged by fire. He has fixed peoples cars, cared for the sick and infirm... and I am certain about one thing - he will be among the greatest in heaven.
1/8th over. That's encouraging. If conservatives can gain more control of Congress in 2010, this may be the worst of it. Please let it not be 1/16th!!!!
Love you, too, dear Ron C.! Sleep well.
We have to stop paying pensions for ANY time spent in elective office. I would prefer to stop paying salaries as well.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
I supplied you with polling data.
LLS
It's been more than 100 years. I would point to the 19th century “collectivists” and progressives who lobbied for compulsory government K-12 schooling.
Government schools are ( and have been from the beginning) a socialist scheme. They can't be reformed because it is impossible to reform socialism.
It's taken a few generations but they have succeeded into turning Americans into collectivists.
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