Quoting Joshua Tucker (hat tip Patrick Appel and the Daily Dish):
So perhaps what is going on is that conservative Republicans have given up trying to win elections at all right now by conventional means (read: not behaving in a Downsian manner), and are relying instead on the assumption that eventually the Democratic Party will self-destruct. Or, put in somewhat milder language, eventually the voters will want change for change’s sake. In the meantime, therefore, there is no reason to stop trying to remake the Republican Party in an even more conservative image (read: “fire up the base!”), so that when it does return to power, conservatives will be in a prime position to enact their preferred policies. If this is indeed the case, it seems like a high risk/high reward type strategy for conservatives, but I wonder what it means for the rest of the Republican Party.Well what if both sides are wrong? After all, the conservatives have already been proven wrong - or hasn't anyone notices what's gone on for the last 8 or perhaps even 28 years (since Reagan or even before)? The disaster of today is a direct result of the ascendancy and total failure of Rightist Dogma. Not only that but the right wing repudiation of the success of FDR Liberalism has resulted in the destruction of most of the gains for the non super rich of the 20th century.
(I believe that going back to 19th century values has been a rightist goal. this return includes the role of women, minorities, workers and everything else that's been gained since the emergence of the progressive era. When you have great wealth you can afford patience.)
If Obama fails, (those of us with more absolutist left leanings are fearful that his wishi-washi approach will doom him to do so) thereby discrediting bourjois liberalism, what's left? Is there an approach to governence that will end global warming and enable the every human on the planet needs to be truly met?
Let's see:
- Marxist/Leninist Communism doesn't work
- Hitler/Mussolini Fascism doesn't work
- Randian/Greenspan/Reagan/Bush Free Market Capitalism doesn't work
- FDR Liberalism may no longer be applicable, though it worked 3/4 of a century ago
- European Democratice Socialism works, but is needs other more dynamic systems to survive
