The Long Road Down

Many who call themselves conservatives think that liberal-progressivism is a fairly recent development.  It is commonly thought that this movement sprang full grown from the womb of 1960’s radicals.  It is true that many prominent writers on the left do come from that era.  Yet that was not the era in which most of their ideas were born.  In fact the root of these problems lies far deeper in the past than many would now admit or even see.

Some recent writings and several others from the twentieth century pointed out the roots of progressivism quite well.  John Lukacs, Jonah Goldberg and other current writers have noted the roots of the movement.  Great writers of the recent past like Russell Kirk and Paul Elmer More did masterful jobs as well.  Yet perhaps none saw the roots of what would be progressivism more clearly than Edmund Burke.  Yes we are talking 18th century.

Those roots, in the works of Rousseau predominantly, have also given birth to Marxism, Socialism, Fascism, and National Socialism.  All are predicated on Rousseau’s mistaken belief that man is the all in all.  The belief that man can be perfected in this world; and that this world is the measure of all things.  The rejection of Original Sin and the replacement of God with humanity is at the origin of two centuries of war, murder and suffering.

Sadly also wrapped up in this past are many things that Americans would not readily associate with those odious ideas above.  Thomas Jefferson, in writing the Declaration of Independence, channeled much of Rousseau into the preamble of that document.  In declaring all men to be created equal Jefferson was definately touching on Rousseau and Locke before him.  The problem is that the definition was too broad.  Men are inheriently unequal by most standards.  Much of the two centuries since that statement have been hobbled by the effort to make that fantasy a reality.

Then Jefferson compounded the problem by inserting the phrase “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  Life and liberty are more or less easily defined.  The pursuit of happiness though is less so.  Many scholars have debated the meaning, in Jefferson’s mind, of that phrase.  What is known however is that another phrase “pursuit (or protection) of property” was widely used at the time as well.  Jefferson and Franklin, both enamoured of the Enlightenment ideals of Rousseau, rejected that ideal.  Since then we have struggled with the concept of happiness to no satisfactory conclusion.

All in all the road across the centuries to today’s progressivism and radicalism has been bumpy but consistent.  Once Rousseau’s ideas began to circulate and demagogues realized the power they could tap into by exploiting the ideas, the path forward was logical and relentless.  The French Revolution, not the American, was the first great expression of these goals.  The American Revolution was primarily conservative in that the colonists sought to regain rights and privileges that as Englishmen, custom and law had awarded their fore-bearers.

From the French Revolution to the gulag a straight line can be drawn.  Parallel to this political devolution has been a cultural one.  Centuries of mistakes by the church created a fertile ground for those who sought to destroy the concept of God and morality.  This fed the political machine that has sought to make the state or party supreme in the hearts and heads of its people.

The sad fact is that when the true conservative or reactionary examines the history of the West, and even of the United States, he sees this sad truth.  That the Enlightenment, and Rousseau in particular, has been one of the most destructive forces unleashed by man.  Few recognize this, fewer still admit it.

140 Years Later

Today, January 18, 2011 is the 140th anniversary of the Unification of the German states into the German Empire or Second Reich.  Under the leadership of  King Wilhelm I and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck the north German state of Prussia in an alliance with smaller states crushed the French army and captured the Emperor of France, Napoleon III.  It was the result of a long social and political process.  The culmination of Prussian victory realized the dream of many of a unified Germany.  We still live in a world shaped by that Franco-Prussian War.

From 1871 until 1945 Germany would be the pivot on which all European questions turned.  The economy of the continent was tied to that country and it became a world power.  The defeat of Nazi Germany seemed to end that trend but not for long.  NATO itself was said to be formed to keep the Russians out, the Americans in and the Germans down in Europe.  The Cold War and the division of the country made it a focal point of a possible Third World War.

Then finally Germans gave the world the lasting image of the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 which presaged the end the Soviet Union.  All these things have focused on the centralized state in the middle of Europe.  Communism, Socialism, Nazism, democracy, monarchy, all have been a facet of daily life in Germany during the last 140 years.  They are a microcosm of what can happen to a civilized industrial state.  They are particularly an example of the dangers of a mixture of  economic collapse and socialist demagoguery.

Americans are likely associate Germany with World War II, Hitler, castles, cars and militant Green parties.  Yet so much of our world has been shaped by this country which as a unified state is younger than the US.  So much political theory has been brought into action in Germany in the last 100 years that it would take volumes to catalog.

Human nature being virtually a constant and Germany being part of the Western tradition (albeit not as directly connected to us as England) there is much to learn there.  Germany has seen every sort of economic turmoil imaginable and in this time of uncertainty there are lessons to be learned there.  The political stability and experience of the Germans may also hold much wisdom.

In this time of uncertainty in America we are often accosted by pundits who claim to hold all answers and great wisdom.  They never hold the former and rarely any of the latter.  A serious study of the social, political and economic history of our industrialized and post-industrial society must include Germany.  Anyone who seeks greater understanding of the world we live in would do well to seek where we have been.  Too little understanding and too much verbage have become our bane.  It can be redressed only one at a time.

The Discourse of the Lowest Common Denominator

The tragedy of the Tuscon, Arizona killings is evident without further eulogizing on my part.  Any such event is a heinous crime.  This sadness  is further compounded by the fact that an additional travesty has been visited on America.  This is the vain and malicious talk that has flooded radio, television, and the internet following the murders.

Both left and right, whatever their distinctions, are guilty of hyperbole and hypocrisy.  A massive tome would be required to catalog their ways.  Yet this particular crime brings home pettiness and vanity of the talking heads in all their glory.  The Chris Matthews’ of the world automatically start to name radio talk show hosts and blame them for their constant anger.  Yet he and others somehow fail to recall the recent words of the left they are so endeared to.  During the late Bush administration the left spouted near homicidal levels of vitriol constantly.  This apparently slipped Mr. Matthews mind.

At any rate this is not about the failures, left and right, to hold to standards of decency.  Rather it is about the dire need to find voices of reason, intelligence and humility in American political discussion.  This seems a sound and simple idea but the reality is far from it.

The reality is that American public discourse has fallen to such a low standard that we may not now even remember what a civil public discussion is.  Privately Americans do still speak with reason and calmness on great issues.  I myself have taken part in these talks.  They are I admit, rare.  That scarceness must cease if we have any hope of seeing civility return. In most ways this has nothing to do with the Arizona shootings. That event likely had little to do with politics in any rational way.  Yet the tragedy may be able to trigger in some a desire to find this civility.

I suspect there are many reasons for the failure of a higher level of language, grace and humility in our public places.  Most of those must wait for other writings but right now one comes to mind.  That is the fact that most Americans have ceased to be able to think for themselves.  We are a nation in which almost everyone is schooled and almost no one is educated.  This is of course part of a larger discussion.   We have as a country abrogated our duty to intellectual political discussion.

The story of America’s historical amnesia is well documented.  What is less explored is the fact that American conservatism, which should be the pinnacle of political thought and discussion, is a desert.  The few great writers of conservative thought left in academia are either ignored at large or soon fall prey to populist instincts to write for the masses.  Just when character and greatness of mind are needed to give heft to the current trend for a return to strict constitutional government, they are little to be found.

This has been long coming and is shown most readily by radio, television, and internet media outlets and their personalities.  To find an original or deeply intelligent discussion from these sources is to search in vain.  Part of it is the restraint of time and the 24 hour news cycle.  These make impossible a real discussion.  Part of it may also be laziness on the part of the public.  Why do the hard work of learning politics, history, literature, theology and philosophy when we can have talking points instead?  That seems to be the prevailing attitude and it is one which gives many of us pause.  In a republic it is a duty of those who are able and gifted enough to comprehend these things to learn and take part.  Succeeding generations of Americans though have shirked the duty, opting for the pleasure and easy lives provided by their for-bearers.

For the Republic to remain strong and for conservative thought to prevail we must have the best minds step forward and lead.  Whats more, the large numbers of people who make up the Tea Party inspired movements must recognize and give place to those who are able to lead.  Without that I fear the greatness of the current movement will sink back into the lowest forms of politics as usual and thus surrender all they have gained.  We pray not.

A New Leaf?

The New Year is supposed to be a time of new beginnings.  Aside from the cliche’ about resolutions broken it is at least a time to reflect on the idea of a new start to things.  Our marking of another trip around the sun is arbitrary as is much of modern life.  Yet we may see some glimmer of hope in our unbroken chain of broken promises (both personal and public).

The swearing in of a new majority in the House of Representatives fills one with the hope that if they cannot do things right, there is the joyous prospect that they will do nothing at all.  Each time I see the members of the House gathered, from whatever party, I cannot help but pity our country.  Never has mediocrity striven to such heights.  If evolution is  progressive improvement then the movement from the 1st to the 112th Congress is enough to undo Darwin.

Yet perhaps they may stumble into some good actions.  The unfunding, if not the repeal of a great deal of bad legislation would be a nice start.  Another would be the passage of rules for both the House and Senate to reduce the expenditure of the Legislative branch.  The money saved would be a pittance of the budget but perhaps good habits can be developed by practice.

At any rate we will now see how the populist Tea Party members will do.  More importantly we shall see if they can maintain their integrity in the cesspool that is Washington.  If they can do that alone they will show themselves to be vastly superior to the socialists that have just lost power.

All in all though I do not know how much faith I have in an improvement this side of a national economic or governmental collapse.  We may “take back” our nation at some point, though it only be wreckage.

C.L. Ingram