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IS CONSERVATISM DEAD?

This morning, Rush Limbaugh said, “…this country was founded on conservatism….” “Huh,” I said, “You’ve got to me out of your mind!” The Founders of this country were the best organized and most successful bunch of left-wing radicals in the history of the world. They had the temerity to publish—for all the world to see—charges against the monarch of one of the most powerful nations on earth. They declared themselves free from the ties that bound them to that monarchy, and in the name of all the people (only those who were considered “people” at the time). They announced their determination to establish a brand new, independent republic. In addition to this heresy and treason, they then mounted a rebel army to oppose the armed forces of the king, with the intention of ejecting them from land that had been (mis)appropriated under his royal aegis. Could there have been anything more radically liberal? It certainly was not conservatism. The Tories--the enemies of those blatant rebels—they were the conservatives!

Is conservatism dead? As a political force in these United States, it appears so. They made their big mistake when they set up an unholy alliance with the radical, right-wing, so-called “Christian” conservatives. When it became evident that that hate-filled element was utilizing the term “Christian” as a blunt instrument to bash the rest of the country over the head with their unending inanities, idiosyncrasies, antipathies and prejudices, it was the beginning of the end. Ultimately, the country was to become inundated with their self-righteousness and glaring hypocrisy.

It is evident that folks are, indeed, fed up with the destructive tone emanating from the far right. The self-fulfilling dénouement was set in motion with their embrace of George W. Bush. They could not have picked a more apt (used with careful distinction) candidate to steer their ship upon the shoals. Dubya is the antithesis of a conservative. He not only drove this country into the never-before-breached desert of preventive warfare, in so doing he wasted and maimed the flower of American youth, as well as to deplete the treasury in the process. This he did with apparent disinterest in the loss of both human life and national financial solvency. This was “conservatism” gone bonkers. Although it appears that he still doesn’t give a damn, he was forced to divest himself of all of the toadies who supported him and his excesses. Next, his political supporters either resigned, were unelected or jailed—as well as a goodly part of his corporate peeps. In order to cover up the most blatant tactical and strategic military failure of all time, he decided to exacerbate his crime by submitting more souls and treasury to the hell he had created.

Astonishingly and ironically, the most salient supporter of that “surge” is the guy who probably will be heading the Republican ticket, hoping to replace him. The problem with that choice, of course, is that John McCain ardently is hated by the right wing of the Republican Party. At this moment, they are doing everything they can to derail him, by supporting another candidate who, two minutes ago, they disdained for his “liberalism,” as well as for his (in their minds) “pseudo” religion.

So, there we are: Conservatism is stuck with two “Rinos” (Republican in Name Only)—one with a more detestable horn than the other. To further complicate this, Mitt Romney’s greatest nemesis is Mike Huckabee, a man from Arkansas, who in this 21st century, is less inclined to accept scientific fact than Christopher Columbus.

The Founders, conservatives?—I think not. The other day, I wrote that the Republican Party is in “disarray.” I erred; it is “hopelessly” in disarray. Is conservatism dead? In its present form, probably so.