The 10 Premises of Modern American Political Discourse
Posted on December 17, 2010 | Filed Under The Latest NewsWhat are the basic premises for political discourse in America today?
1. Profits are immoral. The profit motive is considered only a peccadillo until it becomes a mortal sin if you are really good at it. Behind the smokescreen of rhetorical praises to market economics and freedom many implicitly see the profit motive as the great problem of our time.
2. Greed is the mortal sin that the pursuit of profit creates. Greed must be consistently attacked as destructive to the moral fabric of the nation. It imbues the economic realm, especially in corporations where profit is “the sacrament.” “Rich” people are greedy, not us!
3. Government is us. “We cannot afford” tax cuts for the rich” is a slogan that encapsulates a sociology that collapses the idea of community into the affairs and institutions of the state. This is a residualist approach where the activity of basic communities in civil society is understood as a remnant not controlled directly by the state but pertaining to it in principle. The state is society and the individual must surrender more of his freedom for the good of the whole.
4. Government growth is inevitable. In a sophisticated and highly developed technological and post-industrial society, the state must increase its intervention in the affairs of the nation. We ought not to fight such reality as it is necessary to attend the complicated and ever-changing mechanisms of a culture in transition. The state is the only entity with the capacity to attend such changes and to limit its power under the postulates of outdated constitutionalism is foolish and “unenlightened.” We should not fear such interventions as they are mostly indirect and necessary, allowing space for free civic interaction.
5. The status quo is statist. It is time for us to look up to Europe! We must finally accept that a form of leftist analysis is the mainstream. The status quo is a combination of libertarianism in matters of personal morality and corporatism in economics. All other modern democracies have accepted a form of state capitalism and it works wonderfully, we are behind! Government’s increased spending is not a problem and tax increases are aligned with the Gospel of compassion. The Federal Government must be seen as one of general jurisdiction.
6. Public service is morally superior. As the state has the task of embodying our corporate risk and responsibility, to engage in non-profit and/or government service is enlightened and moral. To insist engage mostly in private affairs for sinful profit is uncaring and a sign of a lack of empathy. Therefore, those heavily invested in the market must:
a. Accept continuous interventions on their affairs by the state
b. Accept an incessant lecturing in morality
c. “Give back to the community” (from which apparently, they took something away)
d. Be controlled and re-educated.
e. Accept that those working in government will received privileged status and treatment.
7. Religion is private. Religious people must keep their “public-square mouths” shut and join the social consensus based on secular morality. Such morality is based on the great sacraments of self-serving tolerance and non-judgementalism. Therefore, respect for the dignity of persons in the public realm prevents us from “imposing” any morality on others. Public morality is tolerant of once-shunned behaviors and avoids discussion on the truth of its premises. Any vestige of Christian language or presence in our institutional life must disappear. There is no overarching realm of values placing demands of us because we do not discover values, we create our own hierarchies.
8. Skin-deep diversity is an absolute. Although there are no moral absolutes, there are practical ones, secularist practical absolutes. Racial, ethnic and sexual “diversity” must be accepted as a form of civic enlightenment. Public flagellation for past sins is a rite of passage for those belonging to groups who have historic privilege. The government will ensure that victimized groups receive their share of wealth and recognition as inherent inequalities are cosmically unjust.
Intellectual diversity challenging our racial enlightenment is bad, a vestige of Western civilization’s arrogance.
9. America is not exceptional. American exceptionalism is a myth. There is nothing special about us. We are simply another empire in descent, dreaming of past glories accumulated by raping the world. We must recognize and accept that reality and take our rightful place as equals among the nations of the world (although Western civilization is not equal but lesser). If such “courageous” stand requires us to appease, atone, bow, and reduce our present strength, we must do so. Such actions will reveal the true moral strength of the nation, which, in turn, will conquer our enemies: meaning that they will conquer us. Understanding their pain, which we helped to inflict, will help us all to get along.
10. The Constitution is dead. Yes, it is dead because it is alive! As an enlightened society moves in history, we must accept the superior wisdom of its intellectual vanguard (judges, professors, philosophers, scientist) and allow them to reshape the faded pages of an outdated document. It is so outdated that it pretends us to conform to rules of amendment placing needed change in the hands of our inferiors. No, judges must apply enlightened reason to change our Constitution and bring it into alignment with the wisdom of the present.
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6 Responses to “The 10 Premises of Modern American Political Discourse”
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Of all of your statements, I only agree with 5 and 7. Yes, it is time that we stop regulating behaviors we do not like, and yes, we should not be shoving Christianity down people’s throats. However, your earlier comments show that you do not know how government spending works. Most of our tax dollars do not help the poor; they go to the administrative bureaucrats. Also, how could you not think that people will not help others voluntarily? Do you really think people are that heartless? If our taxes were lowered, then people would surely be more benevolent with their profits. Not to mention, a greater percentage of donations would go to those in need with private charities. Furthermore, I do believe in diversity, but I think it should develop spontaneously, and not through forced integration. We should outlaw discrimination in all establishments, but affirmative action is just another form of discrimination. As long as everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed, there is no reason why people of different races, religions, gender, and sexual orientation cannot coexist peacefully.
I’m sorry, I forgot to say that I also agree with 9. America is a good place, but we should not be spreading our goodness through military force; we should be setting a good example in order to inspire other countries to seek freedom.
I am not sure you understood my post as I am not for increased spending on poverty programs nor for affirmative action. I am with you on these…
Thanks
Well, when you say that “profit is immoral” and that “the government is us”, it sounds like you are saying that the state knows what is best and that they should take from the rich and give to the poor. If you oppose this, then how should the government reduce poverty?
The entry is about the 10 premises of modern liberalism. I do not say that I am a liberal but that our present situation in our country has been affected by such premises. Nowhere there I say I believe in the truth of those premises! I am a conservative not a modern liberal.
That makes sense. Therefore, I apologize for my first comment that said that you did not understand how poverty programs work. I enjoyed our little online conversation. Thank you for clearing things up.