National Security is to the Left what Economics is to the Right
ILLUSTRATED: There is a role for a quarterback, and a role for the cheerleaders.
In a follow up to the last post about the death of ideology, I am moved to write about a story that just broke. The Obama Administration decided that it will take the legal position that prisoners captured inside a theater of war, cannot have access to American civilian courts.
The headlines are trying to sensationalize it as "Obama keeps the same policy as Bush." Well I cannot think of any president of any ideology who would not have that policy.
Activists have to realize that when you are in the crucible, you have to get things done. Period. There is a value to having voices cheering for one methodology or another, but as we all must respect activists, they must have empathy and respect for politicians.
Going back to last fall when the Bush Administration had to go against all of their ideological precepts to keep the economy on life support, their right wing supporters were aghast, but largely silent. Now it is clear that economic policy is to right wing activists is what national security policy is to much of the Left*. Their leaders can't ever life up to the purists. It's just reality.
*As an aside, since the Vietnam War, the Left has been associated with pacifism. Liberalism is no more fundamentally pacifist than conservatism, but liberals have had a different policy agenda, and generally were not as hostile to communism.
In a follow up to the last post about the death of ideology, I am moved to write about a story that just broke. The Obama Administration decided that it will take the legal position that prisoners captured inside a theater of war, cannot have access to American civilian courts.
The headlines are trying to sensationalize it as "Obama keeps the same policy as Bush." Well I cannot think of any president of any ideology who would not have that policy.
Activists have to realize that when you are in the crucible, you have to get things done. Period. There is a value to having voices cheering for one methodology or another, but as we all must respect activists, they must have empathy and respect for politicians.
Going back to last fall when the Bush Administration had to go against all of their ideological precepts to keep the economy on life support, their right wing supporters were aghast, but largely silent. Now it is clear that economic policy is to right wing activists is what national security policy is to much of the Left*. Their leaders can't ever life up to the purists. It's just reality.
*As an aside, since the Vietnam War, the Left has been associated with pacifism. Liberalism is no more fundamentally pacifist than conservatism, but liberals have had a different policy agenda, and generally were not as hostile to communism.
posted by Teka Thomas at 2:33 AM
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