[Previous entry: "Pigs are Flying - We Agree with George Will!"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Moderates Being “Clubbed”"]

08/12/2003: "Why Are They Always So Worked Up?"

In an earlier blog we observed how energetic Big-C Conservatives are in defending their point of view. Today let’s consider where this energy comes from. I’m reminded of Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “the lady doth protest too much.” In other words, there is a point at which the level of energy expended in defending your position shows that there is more than meets the eye. I believe the underlying driver behind all this energy is shame. The thrill they seem to enjoy when defending extreme positions is, to my mind, indistinguishable from the illicit thrill that pornography provides. You know you shouldn’t be doing it, you know its bad for you, you know your mother (not to mention Jesus) wouldn’t approve, and the “forbidden fruit” shamefulness of the activity unleashes a rush of adolescent titillation and energy. To appreciate this for yourself you need only tune into a Rush Limbaugh broadcast and listen to the dittohead callers; they don’t actually giggle (well, not always), but you can hear the childish glee in their voice, as if they had peeked into the girl’s locker room and gotten away with it. What passes for “conservatism” today embraces ugly impulses that advance favored constituencies over all others, and especially over posterity, and hides the shamefulness of this enterprise by dressing up these policies as morality, preservation of society, and clear-headedness. This accounts for much of the success that right-wing demagogues have had with the media. If you have to talk about a subject as potentially boring as politics, your best shot at getting good share numbers is to take glaringly shameful positions and defend them with earnest conviction. If you can’t get real pornography over the airwaves, it’s the next best thing. (Wow, now I’m worked up! Time to get caught up on my running!) Repeat visitors – check out a new feature: our nomination for what should be the US National Bird: Deficit Hawk