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Conservative Columnists: Self-Focused And Irrelevant (Losing Sight Of The Big Picture Alert)
Worldnetdaily.com ^ | 10/09/04 | Kyle Williams

Posted on 10/09/2004 12:03:14 AM PDT by goldstategop

Here I am, typing on the laptop, music humming in the ears, surveying the news. I'll be leaving soon for an Anatomy class, so I need to come up with a provocative topic. But what is there to write about?

I could write about the presidential race and the debate that, by the time you read this, will have already been over. The horse race between President Bush and Sen. Kerry has been boring to me since the beginning. I was at Barnes and Noble not too long ago and I saw the cover of the latest Reason magazine. The cover had a picture of George Bush and one of John Kerry, with the words below, "The good news is one of these guys will lose." That sums up my feelings.

I could write about how John Kerry is bad for the country. Unfortunately, such a column wouldn't be too interesting, more redundant than anything. I could write about how George Bush is bad for the country and that might upset some conservatives, but it, too, would be redundant.

I could bash on homosexuals. That seems to always be a fallback topic and generates some controversy. Yet, that's redundant as well, considering we conservatives have been bashing homosexuals for many years now.

I could write about our borders and how we need them to be secure so we can stop the Mexicans.

Another good topic is education. It's easy to bash on public schools and condemn them for their failures in educating, and I could point to their success at negatively affecting the morals of young people. I could also compare that with the successes of homeschoolers and get all prideful about it. But that's already been done by myself and countless others.

I could write about the moral degradation of our culture and bash on the entertainment industry for the trash they produce. I could claim that the media conglomerates are the corporational equivalent to the anti-Christ, but that would go a little overboard. I could alternatively blame this degradation on the American public and its physical lusts. I could talk about responsibility.

I could write about how we all need to be involved so we can save America. I could talk about being educated about history and the need to be involved at a local level. I could go into the impending fiscal disaster and contrast the current politicians with the kind of statesmen we need on Capitol Hill.

But I won't, because that would be terribly boring. It's all been hashed and re-hashed by the hundreds of columnists and cable news talking heads. In reality, the whole community of conservative columnists is really irrelevant. A lot of us just prostitute our ideas, hoping to be a rock star type for the newshounds so we can feel good about ourselves. Some columnists are incredibly successful, but when you enter the petty Beltway politics, it all becomes a waste of time. Sure, you can go on "The O'Reilly Factor" and talk about the disaster of public education, but all you're really trying to do is sell a book.

I first became interested in politics because of a search for what was purposeful in life, but afterwards, I realized that politics is of no purpose. We nonchalantly talk about the problems of the world that are affecting the hearts, souls, and minds of people. Real people. Yet, that very important reality is hidden deep within the vanity of politics. You're not going to go to Washington and change the world. A column of political analysis will never change anything. A book might, but it won't if it's filled with self-righteous condemnations.

So, that's what we come to every day within the world of newspapers, cable news and talk radio. It's not unlike the world of MTV that conservatives love to hate. Unlike MTV, the world that lies behind the veil of politics is of eternal relevance. Unfortunately, that veil is thick and it's difficult to travel through it.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2004election; bigpicture; conservatism; kylewilliams; publicopinion; whocaresyahwn
Yahwn! As Kyle Williams says, conservative columnists' preoccupation with everything under the sun has led them to lose sight of the Big Picture. There's more to life than politics. We rehash everything and hate the liberals. Do we really get anything changed? You gotta wonder since in another 10 years we'll still be complaining nothing's changed. Every day we wake up to more depravity and corruption. What's there to write about? My view is that like Kyle, some days I find myself agreeing with the author of Ecclesiastes: "There is nothing new under the sun." That sums up my feelings. After this campaign's over and the clowns have folded up the circus tent and the carny show's gone home, will anything be better? We're not going to change the world from Washington. The change begins with each and every one of us.
1 posted on 10/09/2004 12:03:15 AM PDT by goldstategop
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To: goldstategop

He could not write


2 posted on 10/09/2004 12:17:34 AM PDT by woofie
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To: goldstategop

Narcissistic rubbish.

This is the most important election happening. Now.
Much more important than dweebish columns asking 'whats important in life?'

"After this campaign's over and the clowns have folded up the circus tent and the carny show's gone home, will anything be better?"

Dumb question. Better question: Will there be anything worth saving if Kerry wins?

"We're not going to change the world from Washington."

Only liberals belive that cr*p. Conservatives know that
Washington will chase after your change.

" The change begins with each and every one of us."

First change: Be less self-analyzing here and more understanding that ACTION changes the world, not navel-gazing. Vote.
You'll have the rest of your life to contemplate whether it was important or not. but it would be tragic to realize it was important and you DIDNT DO WHAT YOU COULD.

Hasnt 9/11 entered your heart?


3 posted on 10/09/2004 12:22:41 AM PDT by WOSG (George W Bush / Dick Cheney - Right for our Times!)
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To: goldstategop

Wow. That was quite an accomplishment for the writer, managing to list all those topics and yet end up writing about absolutely nothing.

Was he a writer for Seinfeld?


4 posted on 10/09/2004 12:25:38 AM PDT by EternalVigilance (Defeatists Suck)
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To: WOSG

dumbest thing i ever did read


5 posted on 10/09/2004 12:33:02 AM PDT by PeterOmaha
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To: goldstategop
"There is nothing new under the sun."

I doubt that thought was expressed by the millions of victims of Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Amin, Saddam, et al in their final moments on this earth. Nor would it have been the view of those tasting freedom for the first time in East Germany. Nor today in Afghanistan, where elections are being held for the first time in history.

If you empathize with a child who has run out of things to say, then certainly you, too, need to have a few more of life's experiences under your belt.

This kid has no historical frame of reference to make his articles worth reading. What did you expect?

6 posted on 10/09/2004 12:36:18 AM PDT by a noble vision
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To: a noble vision

As a writer: for me, when the focus of a series of columns is intense, it should not last for an indefinite period of time. Otherwise, you end up with writer's block - you run out of things to say.

That's why my writing projects almost always have a closing date - one which will end the project while I still can write well about that particular idea.

Actually, I think that's what happened to this little fellow. Churning out a column a week - when it's based on his viewpoint about one subject in particular (conservatism) is just not healthy when it has no closure date.

If he'll just go on a vacation, see the world, get some experience - take a break. His brain will fill up with new ideas, and he'll be ready to write again.


7 posted on 10/09/2004 12:53:13 AM PDT by dandelion (http://johnkerryquestionfairy.blogspot.com/)
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To: dandelion
How can "Team America" be one of your favorite movies? It hasn't even come out yet. I mean, I think it looks funny and I expect to like it, but shouldn't you at least see it before you list it as you favorite? Or did you already get a sneak peak? I thought that was tomorrow only.
8 posted on 10/09/2004 1:22:24 AM PDT by a noble vision
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To: goldstategop

Aw, shoot. Kyle should go outside and play for awhile. He's got his whole life ahead of him!


9 posted on 10/09/2004 3:30:50 AM PDT by familyop (Essayons)
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To: goldstategop

This young man is already bored with the world because he thinks that he knows it all. This is one of the effects of getting all of your education from liberals. From age 16-23 I was really on fire, but after a while the liberal schtick runs thin and you're left with nothing. Many young liberals smarten up, grown up and re-engage the world through their own idea, others keep beating the liberal drum that their teachers drummed into them.


10 posted on 10/09/2004 3:33:51 AM PDT by Pio (There is no Salvation outside the Roman Catholic Church)
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To: woofie

Good point!


11 posted on 10/09/2004 3:59:45 AM PDT by AmericanVictory (Should we be more like them, or they like us?)
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To: Pio

If I'm not mistaken, isn't Kyle Williams home-schooled?


12 posted on 10/09/2004 4:39:24 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: dandelion
Don't worry, I haven't run out of inspiration.

This piece was of my own confession.
13 posted on 10/09/2004 8:41:19 PM PDT by Kwilliams
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To: Kwilliams

I know you are going to write some amazing things. It's just really hard sometimes to feel like we're making a difference.

You are making a difference - you know that, don't you? You are making a difference for a whole world of people you have never met; some who will never get to thank you for what you have said to make their minds mull over what is real and true. Most of them will never write you to tell you what you did right; but it doesn't change what you have done to make things better in this world.

You are going to be the reason the next great conservative rises to save this nation, at a time when they will be needed most. You will be remembered by name as the inspiration, the conduit for the call...


14 posted on 10/09/2004 9:19:15 PM PDT by dandelion (http://johnkerryquestionfairy.blogspot.com/)
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