Modern Liberalism is dead -- the first step

And it's about time. For way too long modern liberals have perverted the liberal label and philosophy. About 20% of Americans identify themselves as liberal, and a good many of them are confused regarding what "liberal" really means in 2012.

Libertarians were robbed of the liberal label by statists who were influenced by socialistic ideas swamping the American intelligentsia in the early 20th century. Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson set the stage for FDR and, later, LBJ, until, now, modern liberalism withers as it devolved from Clinton to Obama. It has taken almost a century for modern liberalism to reach its limits. Modern liberalism (the entire nation, actually) is now forced to face the consequences of its non-ideological ideology. For all the talk about pragmatism, modern liberalism put forth a set of failed ideas which has brought America to the brink of financial collapse, although modern liberals will tell you debt is not a problem and that now is the time to borrow money and stimulate the economy. It's too fantastic to be maddening anymore -- it's pathetically funny, but still dangerous. The only reason modern liberalism is dangerous is because underneath is an ideology which has changed names and faces for centuries and survives through obscurantism.

The only reason I believe in the true death of the underlying ideology is because of the Information Age -- more and more people are becoming educated on the destruction caused by the few reigning over the many -- coercive power in the hands of a few faux-elite. They are not authenic "elite" because they don't earn the status through excellence, achievement, reason and wisdom -- they manufacture their status through deceit, control and punishment for resistance.

The only way they can maintain control is through the consent of the populace who still believe in false narratives. Democrats, and, thus, modern liberalism, won in 2008, after 8 years of Big Government Republicanism, on the outside chance that Barack Obama was a new kind of President who could change the way business is done in the DC. Now, the American people are totally disillusioned with government, resulting in the Tea Party pushing for limits, frugality and economic freedom, and OWS pushing for a system which punishes capitalism and redistributes wealth according the demands of social justice. Big Government Republicanism cannot be distinguished from modern liberalism -- it's been a partner in the statist march to stagnation, crushing debt and reckless interventionism overseas.

It would be tragic if the death of modern liberalism leads to a truly anti-free market statism. a progressivism which punishes wealth creation and rewards egalitarian mediocrity and decline. Our best hope is that applying classical liberal principles to our 21st century challenges will win the day and the State will be transcended in a new burst of creativity, innovation and widespread prosperity, protected by a limited government which has clearly defined duties and nothing more. Economic freedom and non-intervention in the affairs of other countries constitute the best course out of the modern liberal bog in which we're currently sinking.

Liberal as an adjective will surely survive, as it should. Social liberalism is not to be feared but rather embraced as we once again use the free marketplace of ideas to debate our moral/spiritual quandaries. Free, grown individuals either have the freedom to live their lives or they're destined once more to live under the arbitrary rules of the few. We've advanced far enough, although the skills of liberty have been blunted, to live our lives as we see fit as long as basic rights to life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness are protected. This is where a limited government comes in, to protect individual rights from violation and settle disputes in courts of law -- plus, to defend the nation from attack. This has all been discussed a billion or so times throughout the history of America, but we've never put the principles into practice. Now, though, we have to do something, because we're on the brink of quick decline. Modern liberal, statist policies have been implemented over the course of a century until, now, like the USSR, we face an existential threat and must act boldly and decisively.

We have to end the games we've played between liberals and conservatives over control of a statist system and look at what major systemic changes are required to stop the slide into loss of liberty and financial collapse. As I wrote above, the current intellectual decay among modern liberals has rendered their flailing and reactionary zeal ludicrous, but they are practiced at deception, so Americans have to resist quick, simple solutions or the false image of hope and change, such as Obama's announcment today he's streamlining the executive branch -- this is illusion and deception, cynical piddling around the cusp in an election year.

Ron Paul has the only serious plan for systemic change and it's only a bare beginning. It will take a decade to turn statism around and move in a limited government/free market direction. The resistance will be incredible, but it can be done. The first step is admission of the problem -- in this case, it's the admission that modern liberalism is dead, and the time is right for the revival of authentic liberalism, the liberalism that contained actual liberty before statists perverted the philosophy.

Morning Joe 7/22/2011 -- Boehner/Obama compromise

Morning Joe is getting harder to watch, and by the expressions on the faces of some guests, like Joe Conason and Sam Stein, it's getting harder for the guests to participate. Joe Scarborough missed his calling as a professional clown -- he uses verbal horns, whistles and twirling ties to keep attention on himself. In between Joe's clown act, they did manage to discuss the possibility that Boehner and Obama have crafted a compromise to raise the debt ceiling. I'm through with the day to day analysis, because whatever is crafted will be insufficient. In reality America is headed for financial collapse, and our statist system is set on automatic -- at this point, the spending can't be truly cut -- we can only delay the day of reckoning.

Reality will force us all to sacrifice at some point, but it won't be until outside forces inject economic sanity and discipline into the political fantasy world in Washington DC. There's a form of insanity which drives the current political battle in DC, and this insanity has consequences. Reality always wins, even if in the political realm image pays off in the short run. The positive result of financial collapse will be that the nation understands statism's fatal flaws -- whether we do anything to change the statist system is another matter, but everyone will understand. It might get to the point that no amount of system tweaking will work -- then perhaps we can reset. Or as Joe would say -- Bonk Bonk, whistle, Har Har, Wheeeee, Look at Me, Look at Me!

The Greek Tragedy

Greece can not cut it's way to prosperity -- it has to grow its economy. This is true of the US as well. It was also true of the companies at which I worked in a management capacity -- when the economy turned sour, the CEOs would begin a massive cutting campaign but they completely ignored moves that would increase business. I fought for competitive action in a down market, but they chose to cut and cover up.

Greece should create a free market haven and attract investment from around the world. The old days of cushy government positions, inflated wages, long vacations and consuming resources without replenishing through highly productive activity are over.

Many in the US have been enamored with the European cool disdain of consumerism and capitalist ambition and competition, and they've longed for the easy life of culture and leisure. Reality always wins, but it's not that they were right and reality is a bitch -- reality has to be adjusted to, and people have to find meaning and purpose in productive activity -- one attitude leads toward weakness, laziness and collapse -- the other leads to creativity, productivity and innvoative solutions to the good life.

Real financial-collapse analysis,

rather than political spin from the culprits. There are consequences to government intervention. Follow the link to the Cato story -- also read Thomas E. Woods.

Obama's budget speech -- incredible

Underneath Obama's attack on Paul Ryan's budget plan, vague promises of spending cuts, and the proposal to cut defense spending and reform the tax code, are two main progressive drivers which cancel out his phony posture as fiscally responsible - one is Obamacare, and the other is his confirmation that he will "invest" in education, job training, infrastructure and clean energy production.

This patronizing speech was a hatchet job on Republicans, and it was a progressive promise to continue the statist path on which we've been for decades. The speech was a reaffirmation of the statist embrace of a powerful State which uses social engineering and central planning to control economic growth and wealth creation, and to maintain schemes of redistribution of wealth. Statism has failed by becoming a government-corporate corrupt enmeshment which rewards fealty with power. The programs intended to help the needy and provide security for everyone have created a system which is falling apart at the seams, leaving behind the ruins of dependence and a national debt that hovers over the country like a giant bomb.

Obamacare and "investment" schemes will add dangerously to the debt, dependence and the cronyistic power grabs, and, intentionally or unintentionally, the country will face the greatest financial crisis of its existence -- then we'll be faced with the answers of total statism, or we'll regain our sanity and insist that government get out of the way. Obama is right - there are two philosophies, and as bad as I hate it, the statist philosophy has had more sway, and it has failed, but this doesn't mean statists will admit defeat or that enough of the public will realize the defeat. We'll be offered more government solutions when the Big Crisis comes, and I have every reason to believe that a majority will accept the solutions out of fear and insecurity. There is another way, though -- just pay attention and know that Obama's budget plan is the wrong way.