Dennis Prager has been saying for as long as Ive been listening: Movements dont close shop when theyve achieved their original aims; they radicalize.
Its certainly true of feminism, which went from winning the vote for women, to burning bras in the streets, to bitter hatred of men, to the NFL Halftime Porn Show empowering women to . . . pole dance for a national audience including children? I think Ill pass on the new empowerment if it requires pornographic sexual objectification or defines womanhood as being more like men. Like coaching an NFL team? Seriously 49ers?Turn in your man-cards.
The same could be said about the civil rights movement, which started with the abolitionists, went through MLK, and ended up with Black Lives Matter. What the heck?
Or, how about the environmental movement? Conservation was a good thing as was the goal of cleaning up the polluted air and water in our cities (I grew up playing near the infamous burning Cuyahoga River and remember seeing detergent suds floating down the feeder creeks). It worked. We improved air and water quality, so now what? Groups like ELF (Earth Liberation Front) and Earth First grew up and started bombing science labs, and elected representatives proposed commie takeovers of the entire energy sector (energy = life) and theyre taken seriously!
Andrew Klavan has been making similar observations in his podcasts over the past weeks. Progressives take no account of the progression of time. The 1619 Project is all about teaching our kids that America is as racist and oppressive to blacks as it ever was. Trump hatred has people believing nonsense like were living in Germany in 1939, or were going down the path of Venezuela because of Trump(!) and not the socialists in the Democrat party, according to Anne Applebaum (post).
R.R. Reno has a nice synthesis of whats happened in the introduction to his new book, Return of the Strong Gods: Nationalism, Populism, and the Future of the West:
A young friend in Australia sent me an essay that read like a flaming indictment of the status quo. It ended with the arresting sentence, I am twenty-seven years old and hope to live to see the end of the twentieth century.
He explains that the driving forces of a given era dont neatly line up with aughts and were still living in a continuation of the 20th century:
The violence that traumatized the West between 1914 and 1945 evoked a powerful, American-led response that was anti-fascist, anti-totalitarian, anti-colonialist, anti-imperialist, and anti-racist. These anti imperatives define the postwar era. Their aim is to dissolve the strong beliefs and powerful loyalties thought to have fueled the conflicts that convulsed the twentieth century.
But, as my young correspondent recognizes, the fall of the Soviet Union did not bring the postwar era to a close, for it marked not the end of the anti imperatives but rather their intensification [emphasis mine].
He continues:
The death grip of the anti imperatives on the West is plain to see. After Donald Trumps election, a number of mainstream journalists collapsed in hysterics: He was an authoritarian of one sort or another. The same goes for European populism. A specter is haunting Europe, countless journalists and opinion writers warn the specter of fascism. Tract after tract has likened our times to Germany during the 1930s. Indeed, it is a sign of nuance when a member of our chattering class compares Trump to the Spanish strongman Francisco Franco rather than Hitler. Todays intelligentsia compulsively return to the trying decades of the early twentieth century. It is as if they desperately want to keep the last century going, insisting that the fight against fascism remains our fight.
This is absurd. It is not 1939. Our societies are not gathering themselves into masses marching in lockstep. Central planners do not clog our economies. There is no longer an overbearing bourgeois culture bent on exclusion. Bull Connor isnt commissioner of public safety in Birmingham. Instead, our societies are dissolving. Economic globalization shreds the social contract. Identity politics disintegrates civic bonds. A uniquely Western anti-Western multiculturalism deprives people of their cultural inheritance. Mass migration reshapes the social landscape. Courtship, marriage, and family no longer form our moral imaginations. Borders are porous, even the one that separates men from women. Tens of thousands die of heroin overdoses. Hundred of thousands are aborted. Of course my young friend wants the twentieth century to end. So do I.
By denying the progress thats been made, progressives have become what they claim to hate: fascistic, totalitarian, culture colonizing, credentialed authoritarians, and, yes, even racist. Look at how they treat blacks who are not in lockstep with their agenda.
I agree with Reno and his young friend. #Endthe20th already.
See original here:
Quote of the Day: Progressives Deny Progress - Ricochet.com
- Progress Lighting - Home - December 22nd, 2016 [December 22nd, 2016]
- Home - Progress Lighting Outlet - Authorized Progress Dealer - January 13th, 2017 [January 13th, 2017]
- What does progress mean? - Definitions.net - January 13th, 2017 [January 13th, 2017]
- Progress Fire Company Harrisburg, PA - January 13th, 2017 [January 13th, 2017]
- Homepage Center for American Progress - January 13th, 2017 [January 13th, 2017]
- Progress being made on possible grocery store co-op in Winston-Salem - myfox8.com - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Nioh Review-in-Progress: FromSoftware's Formula Evolved - Shacknews - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Deutsche Bundesbank Cites Progress With Blockchain-Based Settlement - CryptoCoinsNews - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- IMF: Greece's debts are still unsustainable despite progress - The Seattle Times - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Think Progress Editor Mocks Audi for Equal Pay Super Bowl Ad - Breitbart News - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Progress apparent on defense - Pittsburgh Steelers - Steelers.com - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- IMF: Greece's Debts are Still Unsustainable, Despite Progress - Voice of America - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Can US disrupter-in-chief trigger some progress? - Jerusalem Post Israel News - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- The Cost of Progress - Slate Magazine - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Cavaliers' pitching rotation a work in progress | Cavalier Insider ... - The Daily Progress - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- High schoolers create 'zines for progress' with WolfsonianFIU - FIU News - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Cries of 'dictator' show Pope Francis is making progress - Crux: Covering all things Catholic - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Officials: City is making progress in effort to address opioid crisis - The Union Leader - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- IN OUR VIEW: Work Ready in Progress for Carter - The Independent - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- BP's Earnings Keep Showing Progress, Even if the Headline Results Don't Say So - Motley Fool - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Women's Progress in the Boardroom Took a Hit in 2016 - Inc.com - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Blight Elimination Progress, Uplifting - MyWabashValley - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Rauner 'heartened' by progress in Springfield - Bloomington Pantagraph - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- David Johnson showed off the insane progress he's making in rehab from his knee injury - USA TODAY - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Through the looking glass: Tower view showcases progress on Amazon's unique biospheres - GeekWire - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Britney Spears Says Niece Maddie Is 'Making Progress' After ATV Accident: 'Let's All Keep Praying' - PEOPLE.com - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Progress on vet's Mustang to be unveiled - Indianapolis Star - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Evgeni Malkin making 'progress,' could return Saturday in Arizona - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Forecasters See Slow Progress in Labor-Market Measures Favored by Trump Administration - Wall Street Journal - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- 'Paper boys' were the lifeblood of The Daily Progress - The Daily Progress - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Cliffs Natural Resources Is Showing a Lot of Progress on Its Return to Profitability - Motley Fool - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- ATA says states' telemedicine progress a mixed bag ... - FierceHealthcare - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Seltzer's Notebook | Colangelo Encouraged by Sixers' Progress - Sixers.com - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- The Trump administration can't entirely roll back progress on climate change here's why - Washington Post - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Colts position review: OL showed legit progress, but work remains - Indianapolis Star - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Egyptian Economy Making Slow, Tentative Progress - Voice of America - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- ATA: States show mixed progress with telemedicine | Healthcare Dive - Healthcare Dive - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Louisville City notes: McCabe making progress - The Courier-Journal - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Jeremy Lin: Progress but no timetable - NetsDaily - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Marginal progress for Turkish-backed forces in north Syria - LA Daily News - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Jimmy Cheek: UT chancellor appreciative of hard work, progress on journey - Knoxville News Sentinel - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Syria Regional Crisis 2016 Emergency Appeal - Progress Report - Reliefweb - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- CWLP officials: Bailout repayment would set back progress - The State Journal-Register - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Pistons' Johnson making halting but definite progress - The Detroit News - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Clairton works: Real progress is coming to the former steel town - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- The Democrats' Strategy: Hindering Progress For Partisan Politics - Daily Caller - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- The surprising progress stoppers on the Dallas Cowboys defensive line - Cowboys Wire - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Gender Progress in Ballet - Huffington Post - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Foyt pleased with progress, regrets lack of time - Motorsport.com, Edition: Global - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Progress Made, but Threat Lingers at California's Oroville Dam - Wall Street Journal - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Adele, Beyonc, and the Grammys' Fear of Progress - The Atlantic - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- North Korea Claims Progress on Long-Range Goal With Missile Test - New York Times - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- How Travel Bans Can Impede America's Progress - Forbes - Forbes - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Jeff Sessions' appointment threatens decades of civil rights progress - The Hill (blog) - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- Ionis Earns $75M Milestone from Bayer for Progress of Antisense Drug Program - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (press release) - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- Guilford Schools annual report shows mixed results on progress - Greensboro News & Record (blog) - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- Sniper Elite 4 review in progress - PC Gamer - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- For Honor Review In Progress - GameSpot - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- China's military progress challenges Western dominance, says IISS - Deutsche Welle - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- PFW in Progress Recap 2/14: Patriots Offseason Outlook | New ... - Patriots.com - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Daily Progress, chamber establish regional business Hall of Fame - The Daily Progress - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Huntsville-based Progress Bank to acquire Birmingham's First Partners Bank - Birmingham Business Journal - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- City, UF sign partnership for progress - Gainesville Sun - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- California officials lift evacuation order for 200000 threatened by damaged dam - CBS News - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- 5G progress at Ericsson could help enterprises work worldwide - Computerworld - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Officials making 'great progress' on California dam repairs, remind residents to stay vigilant - Fox News - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Halo Wars 2 Review in Progress - IGN - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- CUGNON: Forward progress - Yale Daily News (blog) - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- F-35 Program Makes Significant, Solid Progress, Official Says - Department of Defense - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Lenovo's data center ambitions remain work in progress following Q3 results - ZDNet - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- PFW in Progress Recap 2/16: Free Agency and Potential Patriots - Patriots.com - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- S&P 500: 'Blow-off' Phase in Progress - DailyFX - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Combine invites are another sign of progress at Michigan - Big Ten ... - ESPN (blog) - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Halo Wars 2 review in progress - PC Gamer - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- 'Hero' film produced just for Charlottesville featured the mayor, The Daily Progress - The Daily Progress - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- Republicans' health care overhaul still a work in progress - Press Herald - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- Trump Boasts Of 'Incredible Progress' In 4 Weeks Of Presidency - NPR - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- Donald Trump touts promise progress at press conference - PolitiFact - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- Mild winter helping crews make significant progress on East End Connector - WRAL.com - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- Committee updates Legislature on precinct consolidation progress - Chicago Tribune - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]