Radicalism

I enjoy reading Mark Thoma on the Weekends, as he pursues ethereal Questions and their Solutions. This Post deals with the concept that the Goal orientation of social conservatives have changed over a decade of Turbulence. The Question must be asked if their convictions and beliefs changed? Failure of alteration of the basic Concepts on which Conservatives rest will engender no real change of Voting pattern. It is solely a matter of Priorities, and Conservatives have decided George W. Bush has led Us into a Scenario which resembles a Trap more every day. They are rightfully uneasy, especially at Bush usage of ‘Stay the Course’. Historians might be amused to note that Germans heard the same, when the Sixth Army was surrounded at Stalingrad.

The turn of 1900 was wild with Fears of Anarchism, the turn of 2000 again wild with Fear of Terrorism. By the way, the turn of 1800 was wild with Fears of Revolution, and the turn of 1700 was wild with Fear of Peasant Uprisings. Does Anyone notice a pattern? It was always Conservatives wild with Fear, and what they feared also was always fringe elements who were not respectful of Tradition. Another historical item of note was the threat of Peasant Uprisings had passed by 1720, the threat of Revolution has disappeared with the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, the threat of Anarchism disappeared with WWI to reappear briefly in the early 1930s before sinking into the abyss without notice. Study of History might provide some Insight into the pattern.

Radicalism draws life from the hearts of young men. They draw advocacy from young men, few Radicals assume the mantle of Social revolt before they reach their Twenties, and Radicalism find few Converts in Peoples past their Thirties. Few are Those Radicals who think to start to rebel when they are already in their Fifties. Another Note: While there are Radical Groupies among women, there are few Converts among Mothers and Wives. The last Note finds that children of Radicals generally have contempt for Radicalism; having heard the propaganda from Diapers, they realize Others live more comfortably and at peace with themselves, than do the stalwarts of the barricade. Terrorism will suffer a like fate, as children recognize the rhetoric of Radicals to be equivalent to the music of their Parents. lgl