Obama-Nation

To Mr. Laughlin: So basically you’re saying that the sensation over Obama has happened before during the time of Kennedy?

I would urge everyone to read Ed Cline’s superb post at Rule of Reason:

http://ruleofreason.blogspot.com/2009/01/inauguration-of-tyranny.htm

His call to personal responsibility is just words, unless he backs it up by shrinking government, which I think everyone, even those on the Left, will agree is NOT his intention.

I would love to see Obama prove me wrong. But I’m not holding onto the “audacity of hope” for it.

The Left repudiates racism qua doctrine of genetic determinism– but then proceeds to swap out the determining factor from genetics to culture (or commonly “experience”) and then happily proceeds to promulgate the altered doctrine as though it were something completely different.

Or, to put it another way: they swap in “nurture” for “nature”, and change nothing else. Big deal.

This charade won’t be going on for much longer, as racism is one of the oldest siblings from the misbegotten family of collectivism, and logic dictates that the prodigal son will return home.

I can’t remember where I read it, but someone said something to the effect of “Some people just want to be led”.

*Shrug*

“Also, I don’t see racism as dying either. To me the black population is the most racist demographic in America.”

It’s tolerated–by the left anyway. Perhaps it’s seen as some sort of reparation, I don’t know. Look at the actions of some public figures during the Duke Lacrosse situation. Remember the Jena 6?

Oh well…the whole thing is just so nauseating; honestly, I don’t even get upset anymore.

While we may very well be, right now, at the point of no return, I’d still rather go down fighting than sit passively on the sideline of hopelessness.

I think Yaron Brook and Onkar Ghate are on the right track when they suggest the goal should be to turn the culture around, that is, alter the direction enough to offer breathing room intellectually and economically. The goal then is to do something like what the “free-market” people did in the 1980s and early 1990s: loosen up controls a little. They failed to succeed further because they had no bottom, that is, no foundation for their politics. Or worse, their foundation was antithetical to their free-market recommendations. Ours isn’t.

Working for a better future has already improved my life. I now have a network of friends–in the spiritually prosperous Seattle-Portland Objectivist Network.

http://www.aristotleadventure.com/pao/

Many individuals in it are active disseminators in one form or another. By working with them, I am already living in a better “world,” even if I haven’t immediately changed the politics or other aspects of the culture through my other activities ( http://www.aristotleadventure.blogspot.com ).

This will be unpopular but I don’t think cultural activism will accomplish anything for people living today. The conclusion I am drawing is that cultural inertia is too strong in the direction of collectivism. Ayn Rand is the philosopher of tomorrow not today. We may have already passed the point of no return.

But, yeah, I know. We can never just passively accept that.

This period is reminiscent of the coronation of John Kennedy. The period shortly after that was likened to Camelot. However, Kennedy began the disastrous Second War of Altruism (after Korea) and launched the movement that grew into the “Great Society” of President Johnson.

There was recovery, of a sort, from all that in the eighties and early nineties, enough to buy time. (Listen to Yaron Brook’s and Onkar Ghate’s lectures, “Cultural Movements: Creating Change.”)

For the first time in my nearly 65 years, I am hopeful, based on fact. The growth and, more importantly, the development of the Objectivist movement is the key: individuals acting alone, acquiring skills and specialized knowledge; as well individuals forming organizations, and speaking out.

We have no intellectual opposition. It will be an exciting time for those who focus their efforts and become productive in their activism rather than only bewail.

I understand how Madmax feels; it’s horrible. I hate how when I hear my associates around me speak about how wonderful Barack is despite not being able to provide any reasoning whatsoever, and still they cop a superiority attitude about it.

But let us remember that there are more Objectivists than there ever have been and are still growing. The toughest battles in the world were fought as a single man v. the entire world. We at least don’t have to worry about a titanic battle on THAT scale.

That, and perhaps people won’t be so cheery once reality surfaces. If a second depression were to occur I doubt much “hope” could be aroused.

Race is a major red herring in all this. Its true that America has overcome one form of collectivism, namely racial collectivism. But it is sprinting at break neck speed to embrace myriad other forms of collectivism, most importantly socialism. Also, I don’t see racism as dying either. To me the black population is the most racist demographic in America. And the multiculturalism of the Left is pure racism. To a Leftist, race is everything. Obama’s election was not a victory of individualism.

This has been one of the most depressing days of my life. I feel as disgusted as Billy Beck who has been posting sentiments which I agree with 100%. I’m looking at the liberals around me and they just don’t seem fully human. They are all pod people. Its tough to keep a benevolent universe premise in all this. It really is.