According to juliewolf on Daily Kos, the Republican Party can be described according to 6 factions which are beginning a civil war. I actually agree with her completely. The suggestion is that each prominent Republican right now only represents part of the coalition, that seems close to losing libertarians and have already lost a great deal of religious and "values" voters.
But a question does remain, even after a resounding Democratic victory a couple of weeks ago: where is the Republican Think Tank crowd, the ones that have been spinning and re-spinning Barry Goldwaterisms for decades on this? These six groups represent the character, perhaps the various persona of the Republican Party, but where is its soul?
If Reagan is its patron saint, and his undergirding philosophy is wedded to the Goldwaterian bedrock, then what does the Think Tank Republican (TTR) think of the future of the Republican Party? I can't help but think that their answer would be "yes."
You read that correctly: What is the future of the Republican Party? Their answer would be "yes."
Confusing as a yes or no answer is to an essay question, I would suggest it is actually fitting. The anti-government wrecking crew that are the TTR have been actively seeking the end of government for decades. The purpose has been to both cripple the government so that it can't do anything and demoralize the public persona of government so that it cannot be relied upon.
I'm not really sure what the true purpose of this goal could be, as TTRs don't seem that interested in anarchy, and obsess enough about tax policy and unregulated profiteering to lead us to believe that they are most interested in a future in which the government goes bankrupt and corporations pick up the slack.
Also strange in this group of elite intelligensia is an inconsistent relationship with the place of and value of the United States. There appears to be an obsession with American superiority, while championing a system that erodes nationalism. In fact, "market fundamentalism" encourages us to worship a deity called "the market"--not only implying, but also flatly admitting that the market is more important than the nation. Evangelism begins the shift away from national boundaries toward incorporating diverse elements that are newly converted. But just as 19th Century missionaries (and even 21st C versions), the implication is that the newly converted are lesser and must continue to follow the lead of the originators. This creates a ruling class ideology that undergirds the authority of the United States.
This model seems to therefore reinforce its most blatantly absurd elements by relying on conflicting concepts: Western superiority and international equality. Throw in the dead government and you have world run by US-based multi-national corporations (who no longer need to have their offices in the Cayman Islands). But where does the authority come from in this model if companies are adversaries and the government is worthless? The pundits and Think Tankers, of course!
I know this may come off as ridiculous to most, but I can't help but wonder what is really going on in Grover Norquist's mind--and why he continues to get invited to Republican strategy sessions.
But a question does remain, even after a resounding Democratic victory a couple of weeks ago: where is the Republican Think Tank crowd, the ones that have been spinning and re-spinning Barry Goldwaterisms for decades on this? These six groups represent the character, perhaps the various persona of the Republican Party, but where is its soul?
If Reagan is its patron saint, and his undergirding philosophy is wedded to the Goldwaterian bedrock, then what does the Think Tank Republican (TTR) think of the future of the Republican Party? I can't help but think that their answer would be "yes."
You read that correctly: What is the future of the Republican Party? Their answer would be "yes."
Confusing as a yes or no answer is to an essay question, I would suggest it is actually fitting. The anti-government wrecking crew that are the TTR have been actively seeking the end of government for decades. The purpose has been to both cripple the government so that it can't do anything and demoralize the public persona of government so that it cannot be relied upon.
I'm not really sure what the true purpose of this goal could be, as TTRs don't seem that interested in anarchy, and obsess enough about tax policy and unregulated profiteering to lead us to believe that they are most interested in a future in which the government goes bankrupt and corporations pick up the slack.
Also strange in this group of elite intelligensia is an inconsistent relationship with the place of and value of the United States. There appears to be an obsession with American superiority, while championing a system that erodes nationalism. In fact, "market fundamentalism" encourages us to worship a deity called "the market"--not only implying, but also flatly admitting that the market is more important than the nation. Evangelism begins the shift away from national boundaries toward incorporating diverse elements that are newly converted. But just as 19th Century missionaries (and even 21st C versions), the implication is that the newly converted are lesser and must continue to follow the lead of the originators. This creates a ruling class ideology that undergirds the authority of the United States.
This model seems to therefore reinforce its most blatantly absurd elements by relying on conflicting concepts: Western superiority and international equality. Throw in the dead government and you have world run by US-based multi-national corporations (who no longer need to have their offices in the Cayman Islands). But where does the authority come from in this model if companies are adversaries and the government is worthless? The pundits and Think Tankers, of course!
I know this may come off as ridiculous to most, but I can't help but wonder what is really going on in Grover Norquist's mind--and why he continues to get invited to Republican strategy sessions.
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