"Rome Wasn't Burned In A Day": Replacing Liberal Timidity With Leftist Passion

[marmar]

Published on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 by CommonDreams.org
"Rome Wasn't Burned In A Day": Replacing Liberal Timidity With Leftist Passion

by Phil Rockstroh


Why is it that self-termed progressives are in full retreat (and have been for decades) from the witless army of angry clowns and hack illusionists of the U.S. rightwing?

One contributing factor involves the sterile cultivation of the persona of the "reasonable liberal," a type favored and rewarded by the status quo-protective power brokers of the Democratic Party and by corporate media organizations that find useful his trait of rendering himself feckless (e.g., the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue) by the passion-annihilating (but self-serving) device of his preening amiability?

But in so doing, the self-gelded liberal has sacrificed libido and discarded sacred vehemence for careerist privilege. Worse, the rest of us are advised to follow suit…that, in order to gain credibility, one must slouch towards center-hugging irrelevance.

We are counseled that in order to navigate this age of corporate dominance that one's irascible apprehensions and unruly aspirations must be suppressed, for such passions are deemed too radical for mainstream sensibilities, and are therefore regarded as impractical as they are untoward by the crackpot realists of the corporate bottom line whose dictates dominate the political discourse and economic arrangements of our time. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/09/21

[xchrom]

1. spot on...

'But in so doing, the self-gelded liberal has sacrificed libido and discarded sacred vehemence for careerist privilege.'

[OHdem10]

2. And we have permitted Liberalism to be smeared and have been

shown to have NO NORTH STAR in Conscience Compass.
Just as accept things as they happen. We are to feckless
and helpless to do anything about it.

What respect has it bought us??? Totally ignored.

[Doctor_J]

3. Because the right fringe completely controls the mass media?

:duh:

[Chemical Bill]

7. +1

[Fuddnik]

4. Chris Hedges covered this so well in "Death of the Liberal Class".

They traded spine and principles for position and careers. And if one of them veers from the program, they get attacked by their peers. The treatment of Ralph Nader is a good example.

[midnight]

5. I think the warning bell was rung lastly by Mr. Wellstone....

[Blue_Tires]

6. kick