POLITICS FOR GROWN-UPS--It's been so long since the terms "liberal" and "conservative" were considered decent and honorable that probably most readers don't even know that they once were perfectly fine labels to bear with pride and respect. Ditto with respect to "Democrat" or "Republican".
Yet after not one but two presidential eras where the opposition was not only disrespected but demonized, perhaps we can now support more true diversity.
And an end to the Era of the Snark. Educated and reasonable adults have no time for teenage nonsense.
Liberal cultural critic Camille Paglia isn't the only individual from her end of the political spectrum who is decrying the current state of where the Left has taken American political and cultural discourse, but her recent interview in Salon is as great a place to start as any.
President George H.W. Bush's demonization of the term "liberal" was and is as troubling as the Left's demonization of the term "conservative"--it may cause one political party's short-term rise, but the blowback is fierce.
The about-face belittling of the "Moral Majority" was as real at the hands of "the Vital Center" (a term coined by moderate-liberal President Bill Clinton) will be as devastating as will be the about-face belittling of the "Politically Correct" by that same "Vital Center".
No one likes to be told or preached to about what is "Moral" or "Correct". And although Karl Rove (who's among the most despised figures within his own party, and among conservatives in general) might win a few elections for George W. Bush, his "divide and conquer" in large part cost Mitt Romney his own election. And the same might very well hold true in the next election for those sick of the sneering, snarky operating mentality of the Left.
Ms. Paglia, who is hardly a "right winger", is very hard-hitting (LINK: ) against the smug, snarky, superior tone of the outgoing Jon Stewart who--as with the style of entertainer David Letterman before him--once commanded general respect and approval but ultimately retained the interest only of those immature enough to not see through the ruse and irrelevance of his tired and inaccurate portrayal of the news:
1) That Jon Stewart actually had a large number of individuals who believed him as a credible news source is as disturbing and revealing a revelation of the self-inflicted wounding of a dumbed-down America as was the phenomenon of those who got their news from the filtered and biased commentary of Rush Limbaugh..
The revelation that Jon Stewart was NOT a political outsider but rather had close ties to the Obama White House makes it difficult to conclude that Stewart wasn't a Democratic version of Rush Limbaugh. To be fair, Limbaugh savages GOP chicanery, corruption and cowardice as much as anyone--a more accurate description is that Limbaugh is a right-wing hack and Stewart is a left-wing hack (but also an Obama tool).
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Yet hacks they both are, and Paglia recommends listening, learning and/or reading of both the obviously Left-leaning majority of the media outlets as the right-leaning Fox News or Breitbart News to achieve an accurate and independent position. Arguably, we should all stop demonizing any left- or right-leaning "Lamestream Media" or "Faux News"...just accept them for what they are, and read them with an open but balanced mind.
And when Rush Limbaugh starts speaking to left-leaning crowds, or Jon Stewart starts speaking to those outside of his echo chamber of fawning, clapping seals, then and only then will they merit any credit for being courageous and worthy of being called "helpful to American discourse and debate".
2) The argument that Paglia made about the controversial Planned Parenthood videos is representative of what many other honest, self-respecting, credibility-adhering liberals are proclaiming: "Wait a minute! Why is the majority of media outlets either ignoring or belittling those videos?"
Even presidential spokesman Josh Earnest belittled not those in the videos, but had some snarkiness of his own for those who made the videos...and it's not hard to conclude that President Obama is guilty of snarkiness of his own for either this or any other issue against Americans who (gasp!) feel they are as smart as he is, and (double gasp!) disagree with him.
Pro-choice Americans didn't ask for tax-supported Planned Parenthood to start selling organs of aborted fetuses--where did that come from? And the issue is NOT those decrying the attitudes and operating approaches described in those videos (which are very real, by the way, and very shocking), but rather those caught on tape saying appalling things that everyone should agree deserves reform and corrective action.
No, Planned Parenthood shouldn't go away--but if it doesn't fire those quoted in the videos, reform itself and get out of its defensive posture, then either this Congress or the next Congress will certainly end any tax subsidies. As a physician, and as someone who is respectful of all arguments surrounding the abortion debate, I'm horrified by those videos, and have no reason to defend my being horrified and up in arms about them.
After all, the nation is NOT divided into "pro-choice" and "pro-life" Americans, for the most part. There are those who, for religious reasons, oppose all abortions and even the "Plan B" ("morning after pill"), and those who deny babies any rights before they are born. However, most of us know the difference between a first-trimester and a third-trimester abortion, the consideration of deformed babies, rape, or incest, and when the pregnant woman's rights are to be upheld but also when the "mass of cells" is truly a person with the right to live.
No snarkiness of sneering opposition to the rights of a baby (if he/she is in perfect health) after 20 weeks gestation, who can now live safely in an incubator for the overwhelming majority of cases is appropriate, even if the pregnancy must be terminated either through premature labor or Caesarian section--every doctor, including myself knows this, and routinely supports fighting for the lives of otherwise-healthy "premies" as well as for the lives of all pregnant women.
3) Finally, there's the Iran deal. That wonderful deal which very few of us know so little about, but which President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry apparently wanted so bad that they gave Iran multiple opportunities and deadline extensions to get them on board, and for which it appears we got (and our Arab, European and Israeli neighbors got) very little in return.
To which Iran's "wonderful and friendly leaders" have offered lots of derisive anti-American and anti-Israel tweets and commentary, such as a book to outwit the U.S. and destroy Israel.
To which Democratic Party leaders are now in agony between pursuing peace through a "trust us" from the Obama Administration or adhering to the peace through strength that everyone from JFK to Reagan knew had to be maintained to avoid another World War.
But not to worry: President Obama has recruited the profanity-spewing, snarky, sneering, sophomoric Hollywood intellectual gang of Jack Black, Morgan Freeman and Natasha Lyonne to defend this deal, because Iran must love their children as much as we do (even though they sent their children to detonate Iraqi landmines with their own bodies during the Iran-Iraq War).
Really? Having to rely on teenage-oriented, profanity-laced propaganda to make the case for the President's uncertain and alarming Iran deal? Demonizing those opposing the deal as "pro-war" when in fact this very deal might likely force the local powers into a nuclear arms race and/or a war?
What...Jon Stewart's retirement meant that he couldn't defend the Obama Administration anymore?
But not to worry--there's a better future ahead:
In her commentary, Paglia (like so many of us throughout the political spectrum) both appreciate the sincerity of Bernie Sanders and the comic humor and caustic truth-to-power gibes of Donald Trump. I personally doubt Trump belongs on the presidential stage, and question whether Sanders can win over an American electoral majority...but their right to "say it loud and proud" is something that's truly American.
And without the snarks and sneers that have gone on for too long as a form of communication that can win or even elections. Let "liberal" go back to being "open-minded". Let "conservative" go back to being "common sense".
So let's do what mature, thinking adults do when their teenage children and neighbors start pushing their buttons with one-liners, snarks and sneers: ignore them, and try to speak to those willing to listen to adult arguments.
Grow up, America--time for some serious, mature political discourse against the economic, political and cultural ills that are killing this nation's cohesiveness at a time when we need to be united in an exciting new 21st Century.
(Ken Alpern is a Westside Village Zone Director and Board member of the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC), previously co-chaired its Planning and Outreach Committees, and currently is Co-Chair of its MVCC Transportation/Infrastructure Committee. He is co-chair of the CD11Transportation Advisory Committee and chairs the nonprofit Transit Coalition, and can be reached at [email protected] He also does regular commentary on the Mark Isler Radio Show on AM 870, and co-chairs the grassroots Friends of the Green Line at www.fogl.us. The views expressed in this article are solely those of Mr. Alpern.
-cw
CityWatch
CW 13 Issue 63
Pub: Aug 4, 2015
