Comments on: USA’s 40-Year-Old Cultural War: The End? http://themoderatevoice.com/20206/usas-40-year-old-cultural-war-the-end/ An Internet hub with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, indies, centrists, moderates, and right Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:18:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: JSpencer http://themoderatevoice.com/20206/usas-40-year-old-cultural-war-the-end/comment-page-1/#comment-147724 JSpencer Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:35:42 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/at-tmv/newsweek-blogitics/20206/usas-40-year-old-cultural-war-the-end/#comment-147724 DLS, based on some of your previous characterizations, I don't assume your personal definitions of racism and sexism to be very universal, much less your personal defnitions of left and right. I believe the main problem with respect to the "culture wars" has to do with an "us or them" mindset (division) and also a low expectations approach to the whole business. DLS, based on some of your previous characterizations, I don't assume your personal definitions of racism and sexism to be very universal, much less your personal defnitions of left and right. I believe the main problem with respect to the “culture wars” has to do with an “us or them” mindset (division) and also a low expectations approach to the whole business.

]]> By: DLS http://themoderatevoice.com/20206/usas-40-year-old-cultural-war-the-end/comment-page-1/#comment-147723 DLS Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:44:55 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/at-tmv/newsweek-blogitics/20206/usas-40-year-old-cultural-war-the-end/#comment-147723 Racism died as an issue among serious people decades ago in the USA. (A rough timeline is racism began to die rapidly by 1970 and was gone as anything that could be called "systemic" by 1970 and certainly by 1980; sexism died even before 1970 and was gone even earlier than racism as anything "systemic"; the claims of such systemic "oppression" are delusional and propagandisctic now.) The "cultural war" began in the later 1960s and consists of the constant political and cultural "war" conducted by the radical Left (which has permeated and badly tainted the rest of the Left) ever since. (This includes a retrograde, retarded, reactionary, revanchist trait that surfaces whenever the public repudiates not merely liberalism's modern failures but anything particularly radical or strident; the worst miscreants loathed Reagan and Reagan's election and they hated the 1994 normal response to the Clintons' leftism and arrogance and conceit, and they have hated Bush with even more derangement of their behavior and what is arguably called "thinking," as evidenced time after time in what they express.)<br><br>The cultural war isn't particularly "hot" right now but it's still there and we may see it made more hot during the rest of the election, because many may see in the public's disenchantment with Bush and the Republicans the wrong message, namely an opportunity and even a desire (which is not there) for regression to the 1960s and an acceptability of radicalism in addition to trying to resume "progress" of failed older liberalism, in this year's election.<br><br>If the idiots get too wacky as they back Obama, McCain will get more votes among the normal people by presenting himself by default(!) as the reasonable, rational person's choice. "McCain, Safe and Sane" will be a creation of leftist excess if it happens. Racism died as an issue among serious people decades ago in the USA. (A rough timeline is racism began to die rapidly by 1970 and was gone as anything that could be called “systemic” by 1970 and certainly by 1980; sexism died even before 1970 and was gone even earlier than racism as anything “systemic”; the claims of such systemic “oppression” are delusional and propagandisctic now.) The “cultural war” began in the later 1960s and consists of the constant political and cultural “war” conducted by the radical Left (which has permeated and badly tainted the rest of the Left) ever since. (This includes a retrograde, retarded, reactionary, revanchist trait that surfaces whenever the public repudiates not merely liberalism's modern failures but anything particularly radical or strident; the worst miscreants loathed Reagan and Reagan's election and they hated the 1994 normal response to the Clintons' leftism and arrogance and conceit, and they have hated Bush with even more derangement of their behavior and what is arguably called “thinking,” as evidenced time after time in what they express.)

The cultural war isn't particularly “hot” right now but it's still there and we may see it made more hot during the rest of the election, because many may see in the public's disenchantment with Bush and the Republicans the wrong message, namely an opportunity and even a desire (which is not there) for regression to the 1960s and an acceptability of radicalism in addition to trying to resume “progress” of failed older liberalism, in this year's election.

If the idiots get too wacky as they back Obama, McCain will get more votes among the normal people by presenting himself by default(!) as the reasonable, rational person's choice. “McCain, Safe and Sane” will be a creation of leftist excess if it happens.

]]> By: JSpencer http://themoderatevoice.com/20206/usas-40-year-old-cultural-war-the-end/comment-page-1/#comment-147722 JSpencer Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:16:10 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/at-tmv/newsweek-blogitics/20206/usas-40-year-old-cultural-war-the-end/#comment-147722 SD, I don't disagree with the points made by either Putnam or you, and the matter if income disparity becoming the greater motivator in class/culture wars is one the R's used to accuse the D's of using in an exploitive way, while the R's seemed to deny the whole thing even mattered. In any case, I still maintain that the problems we face can be surmounted IF there is sufficient knowledge and inspired enough leadership to avoid the pitfalls of embracing the status quo. Granted, the latter would be the easier course. SD, I don't disagree with the points made by either Putnam or you, and the matter if income disparity becoming the greater motivator in class/culture wars is one the R's used to accuse the D's of using in an exploitive way, while the R's seemed to deny the whole thing even mattered. In any case, I still maintain that the problems we face can be surmounted IF there is sufficient knowledge and inspired enough leadership to avoid the pitfalls of embracing the status quo. Granted, the latter would be the easier course.

]]> By: superdestroyer http://themoderatevoice.com/20206/usas-40-year-old-cultural-war-the-end/comment-page-1/#comment-147721 superdestroyer Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:00:33 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/at-tmv/newsweek-blogitics/20206/usas-40-year-old-cultural-war-the-end/#comment-147721 Jspencer, <br><br>If you think that that modern America can really work together, I suggest you begin reading Robert Putnam, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Putnam#Diversity_and_Trust_within_Communities">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Putnam#Dive...</a><br>as diversity increases, the culture wars will probably get worse. Jspencer,

If you think that that modern America can really work together, I suggest you begin reading Robert Putnam, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Putnam#Dive…
as diversity increases, the culture wars will probably get worse.

]]> By: JSpencer http://themoderatevoice.com/20206/usas-40-year-old-cultural-war-the-end/comment-page-1/#comment-147720 JSpencer Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:49:00 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/at-tmv/newsweek-blogitics/20206/usas-40-year-old-cultural-war-the-end/#comment-147720 It's a pity so many people allowed themselves to be bamboozled over the past few decades. Imagine if we'd had the good sense to work together during those times instead of buying all the divisive snake oil. What a waste. This may well be an opportunity to start getting back on the path - IF people chose to take it. I know some folks wax cynical (almost reflexively) when they hear about hope and change, but the fact is, any worthwhile endeavor is going to start with those messages. It's a pity so many people allowed themselves to be bamboozled over the past few decades. Imagine if we'd had the good sense to work together during those times instead of buying all the divisive snake oil. What a waste. This may well be an opportunity to start getting back on the path – IF people chose to take it. I know some folks wax cynical (almost reflexively) when they hear about hope and change, but the fact is, any worthwhile endeavor is going to start with those messages.

]]> By: superdestroyer http://themoderatevoice.com/20206/usas-40-year-old-cultural-war-the-end/comment-page-1/#comment-147719 superdestroyer Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:19:46 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/at-tmv/newsweek-blogitics/20206/usas-40-year-old-cultural-war-the-end/#comment-147719 Considering that less than 50% of the children in kindergarten are white, the culture wars will become much worse. It will be the rich and the poor against the middle class. The Rich will try to keep the middle class from moving up and the poor will want to pull the middle class down to their level. Look at the politics of South America if you want to see the future of the U.S. Considering that less than 50% of the children in kindergarten are white, the culture wars will become much worse. It will be the rich and the poor against the middle class. The Rich will try to keep the middle class from moving up and the poor will want to pull the middle class down to their level. Look at the politics of South America if you want to see the future of the U.S.

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