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The ennui of political weariness — 41 Comments

1. Over the weekend, one of my pards reported seeing a “Nobody for President 2016” bumper sticker, which pretty much summed up our feelings about the situation.

2. That’s interesting the traffic is down and I would imagine this may be the case with many political blogs. It is discouraging and actually, a bit terrifying – the choices we have and so sometimes, when all else fails –take a nap! Heh — Maybe many are just turning away and closing their eyes. That might not be a bad idea.

3. I am discouraged and don’t see an appealing path for my activism. But I think this is the most perilous time, for our country in my lifetime. I was too young to be concerned about the Cuban missile crisis. I am more concerned now than I was after Sept 11, 2001. That is because naive pacifists have greater dominance on governments in Western Civilization. So, I am fascinated. And I need Neo’s blog more than ever because it reflects my concerns.

4. It’s a matter of audience. This blog appeals to a national audience – I’m sure that some English-speaking non-Americans participate, but it’s mostly going to draw from an American audience. If this campaign cycle sees more activism focused on state or local races, then the rhythm of nationally-focused blogs is going to be affected. Just speculation on my part, though.

5. I feel a sense of resignation that this country is undergoing a change–a fundamental transformation, you might say–that is for the worse and that I’m powerless to stop. I don’t say it *can’t* be stopped, but I don’t think I personally can do much about it. And I’ve noticed in myself a sort of psychological packing up my stuff and getting ready to check out. That

   The change is in essence the end of the republic. The forms will continue to exist, at least for a generation or two, but are being hollowed out. And the most basic reason is that a majority of the people no longer understand or care about the idea of a constitutional republic. The left has clearly for a long time cared about that idea only to the extent that it serves their broader progressive agenda. Now we see that much of the right is basically of the same mind.

6. You hit the nail on the head! I have quit reading at a lot of blogs. (I had not read yours in two weeks or more). The reading on all of them only depresses: and who wants to be depressed? Better off not watching or reading about it.

7. The donald will continue spout off outrageously, reverse positions daily, and the msm will cover him 24/7. Hrc with remain a poor excuse of a candidate, blame Sanders conspiring with the vast right wing conspiracy for the lack of enthusiasm with her campaign, and the msm will do everything possible to make her appealing. Although their personalities differ, they really are 2 sides of the same coin.

   Both conventions will be interesting in differing ways. I will not be surprised if both conventions provide big surprises. The California primary nears and then the we shall see what we shall see.

   After the conventions it will be the time to join the ground game to assist the gop candidates running down ticket. I will stay invovled with that effort.

8. I suggest you spend more time … on Carly!
   https://www.facebook.com/CarlyFiorina/?fref=nf

   “The mission for conservatives in 2016 is as simple as it’s ever been: we must take our country back. And, if we’re going to fight for lasting conservative change, we must do so on every level of government.”

   Trump + Reps in Congress — especially if they are conservative Reps.

9. Mac: ditto.
   Neo: yep. read your blog everyday, even if I don’t feel like commenting. Feel like I’ve spent eight years watching a slow speed train wreck and now all that is left is a smoldering heap of Donald v Hillary. It’s just hard to care much. Young people will be duped into thinking that liberty equals smoking pot wherever they want and that the mommy state will take of their needs by taxing rich people.

10. Here’s how much Hillary Clinton was paid for her 2013-2015 speeches:

    4/18/2013, Morgan Stanley, Washington, DC: $225,000
    4/24/2013, Deutsche Bank, Washington, DC: $225,000
    4/24/2013, National Multi Housing Council, Dallas, Texas: $225,000
    4/30/2013, Fidelity Investments, Naples, Fla.: $225,000
    5/8/2013, Gap Inc., San Francisco, Calif.: $225,000
    5/14/2013, Apollo Management Holdings LP, New York, NY: $225,000
    5/16/2013, Itau BBA USA Securities, New York, NY: $225,000
    5/21/2013, Vexizon Communications Inc., Washington, DC: $225,000
    5/29/2013, Sanford C. Bernstein and Co. LLC, New York, NY: $225,000
    6/4/2013, The Goldman Sachs Group, Palmetto Bluffs, SC: $225,000
    6/6/2013, Spencer Stuart, New York, NY: $225,000
    6/16/2013, Society for Human Resource Management, Chicago, Ill.: $285,000
    6/17/2013, Economic Club of Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids, Mich.: [edited for length by n-n]

11. neoneocon says I’m trying to write less about Trump/Hillary for now.

    I can stop smoking any day now. I’m laying off the ice cream. I’m puttin’ down the crack pipe.

    …and so forth.

12. groundhog:

    Hey, I didn’t write about them today, did I? I wrote about NOT writing about them.

    One day at a time, one day at a time…

13. It’s not just the awful choices we will have in November. It’s also the transgender bathrooms, the safe spaces and microagressions on campuses, the rape epidemics and mattress girls, BLM, tuition-free colleges full of studies majors, drug usage and violence in the lower classes, anti-GMOs,etc, etc. It is all so exhausting, and so many people seem to have given in to it all.

    At least here, one can find a bit of sanity in a world gone mad. Thanks, Neo.

14. Neo:
    “a lot of people on the right have had it with politics, at least for now. After many years of struggling to explain the details of the Iraq War and why it was waged rather than why people think it was waged”

    Law and policy, fact basis – the why – of OIF explained here.

    The principal reason they’ve struggled is that most people on the Right were duped to misconceive the grounds of the Iraq intervention so that although they believed they were supporting the mission in the public discourse, they were actually playing the foil for the Left’s narrative framing.

    The prevailing while demonstrably false narrative of OIF is a cornerstone linchpin premise for the Left’s political strategy at home and abroad, also adapted by the alt-Right (insofar as alt-Right activists are distinct from Left activists). Given the cornerstone strategic value of the false narrative of OIF, Left and alt-Right activists would zealously maintain its predominance in the public discourse, so countering it would be difficult regardless.

    Yet on the law and the facts, the decision for OIF was correct – demonstrably correct.

    If people on the Right were to collectively adopt the necessary activist mindset and adapt the necessary activist skillset to compete for real, setting the record straight on the why of OIF at the premise level of the public discourse would be a winnable match in the Narrative contest for the zeitgeist with an essential premise for re-laying the foundation of the public discourse.

15. Oops. Fix:
    The prevailing while demonstrably false narrative of OIF is a cornerstone linchpin premise for the Left’s political strategy at home and abroad, also adapted by the alt-Right (insofar as alt-Right activists are distinct from Left activists). Given the cornerstone strategic value of the false narrative of OIF, Left and alt-Right activists would zealously maintain its predominance in the public discourse, so countering it would be difficult regardless.

    Yet on the law and the facts, the decision for OIF was correct — demonstrably correct.

16. Depressed about politics, maybe (although remembering that there’s a lot of ruin in a nation). Tired of neo, never!

17. Maybe most Americans no longer understand all that’s involved in a constitutional republic, but I think they’d still prefer one to other types of government. The real problem of our age is a deep-in-the-bone cynicism, which, among other things, doesn’t make for thoughtful voters.

18. Neo:
    “Now a lot people are turning away.”

    They’re merely being consistent with the activism deficiency on the Right, the critical vulnerability that has been exploited by the Democrat-front Left and, following through the same inviting open door, the market inefficiency exploited by the Left-mimicking Trump-front alt-Right.

    When the nominal opponent refuses to play the activist game – the only social cultural/political game there is – it’s easy even for a ‘jayvee’ team of activists to run up the score and seize critical social ground.

    Now, the same folks who’ve refused to compete for real all along are “turning away”.

    The activist adjustment to the situation is obvious: a zealous 3rd party run that aims both to win in the proximate electoral contest and to establish a permanent social activist movement that will compete for real across the spectrum of participatory politics, not limited to electoral politics.

    Short of that, if anyone on the Right is now talking about “activism” or being “activist” but limits that talk to the context of electoral politics, that’s necessary but it’s not sufficient activism to compete for real.

19. Neo, even while out of the country I have checked in with your blog and all the comments here go along well with the conversations we’ve had with our son (finishing his service as an MSG with the State Department these last 3 years). It’s discouraging for our sons, because of what Mac expressed so well , “And the most basic reason is that a majority of the people no longer understand or care about the idea of a constitutional republic.” Depressing indeed, but as Churchill declared, “Never give in…”

20. Ann:
    “The real problem of our age is a deep-in-the-bone cynicism”

    The real problem of our age is the passive posture that views social political conditions as mysterious environmental phenomena rather than methodically constructed from the ground up by activists, who are merely ordinary people applying a method that’s accessible to anyone for any cause. Whether Founding Father or modern Gramscian-marching leftist.

    The creative destruction and construction of the social condition is always within reach, but it’s competition.

21. Oops. Fix:
    The creative destruction and reconstruction of the social condition is always within reach, but it’s competition.

22. Sharon W:

    The entire Churchill quote here.

23. Neo,
    I still love you, but I am one who’s battle worn and weary. I think one of the things that disheartens me the most is that people I respect, and admire, my parents, and close friends, are going on about how great they think Trump is. People who I met working on truly conservative political campaigns are saying things like

    “I’m liking Donald, and glad that someone is finally listening to the voters who have long had their voices ignored by the establishment.”

    I’m shocked, and deeply disappointed in them.

    *walking away shaking my head in stunned silence*

24. Ann: one could argue that it is the thoughtful voter that has turned cynical regarding politics.

25. Neo:
    “most Democrats and just about all the people I know–are demoralized and confused”

    For a viable 3rd party run, rallying those Democrats to the campaign is key.

    Assuming they’re mainstream liberals (ie, not leftists), there should be enough shared core American principles to form an expedient coalition.

    In the arena, liberals characteristically are more open and ready to adapt activism in their political endeavor than mainstream conservatives, which is critical for a 3rd party run to have a real competitive chance.

    As they are now, if dissident conservatives try to go it alone for a 3rd party run, they’ll trip over their own feet trying to run onto the field for the activist game.

    That being said, it’s a qualified recommendation because among Democrats, mainstream liberals have been defeated and displaced by leftists. The defeat of mainstream liberals at the hands of Left activists set the model precedent for the Trump-front alt-Right insurgency versus conservatives (“cuckservatives”) of the Right in the GOP context.

    Still, losing is a normal part of the competitive learning curve in the activist game. The Democratic liberals who’ve tussled with leftists will be better experienced and adaptable for the 2016 general election activist game versus the Democrat-front Left and Trump-front alt-Right.

    Dissident conservatives in the 3rd party run would just need to get over their own hang-ups about activism and try to keep up with their liberal comrades while learning to compete for real as activists.

    The learning experience partnering with liberal activists should be invaluable for conservatives who would build upon the 2016 general election to establish a permanent insurgent social activist movement, Gramscian long march that competes for real.

26. “Its always darkest before the dawn.” “If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.” If you give up what do you have? Yes, djt or hrc is a choice of cancer or polio. Remember, the Republic has survived the War of 1812, the Civil War and will survive Cival War 2.0 if necessary, survived Wilson, FDR, LBJ, and shall survive bho, and djt or hrc. There may be rivers of blood, there may be chaos and destruction ahead. Human history is no stranger to blood, chaos, destruction, madness, and darkness.

    Never give up for your children and grandchildren are counting on you. If not for yourself, then for them.

27. It’s a new experience for me, not having a side to root for in the national election. During my adult life, I’ve been disappointed by elections roughly half the time. I know that the good guys (and the country) don’t always win. There is 0% chance of a good, average, or even reasonably below-average candidate winning this election.

    I always try to persuade people to vote the way I do. But I don’t want either candidate to win. What do I try to persuade people of? I mean, I’m rooting for Neo to not vote Trump, but does that even make sense? I don’t want either of them to win, but that’s not going to happen. I have a sense that Hillary would be a better president, but I can’t imagine bringing myself to vote for her. So what am I supposed to say?

28. Eric — I certainly agree with you that we have to get into the Activist business. But, as Mac says, “a majority of the people no longer understand or care about the idea of a constitutional republic.” To overcome that will take thousands of high-school age conservative deciding to be Education majors and go into the public school system, and thousands of conservative college students going into the social sciences and the humanities, then deciding to become professors (and having to hide their ideas until they get tenure). Can you give us a strategy for that to happen, because for the life of me, I don’t see it.

29. Richard Saunders …

    At my scale, and with my limited resources, I’ve focused on de-programming young adults.

    Since the Progressives operate in a fantasy space — whereas young adults are facing economic reality for the first time in their lives — the effect is often profound — and quick to occur.

    Progressivism is both cynical and to a large degree nihilist. (Critical theory, …)

    So it’s EASY to turn cynical young adults against the indoctrination of their former ‘masters.’

    The latest ‘gift’ that abets deprogramming: 0-care.

    Then slap on a dose of Federally induced student loans — that can’t be discharged in bankruptcy — while drawing psychopathic ‘harvesters’ from far and wide.

    Like dung beetles, psychopathic harvesters gravitate to money skims and frauds like they are the Pole Star.

    If you’re a parasite, it’s what you do.

    %%%%

    Once these onerous debts stack up against an overstuffed labor market — penury soon follows.

    Hence the staggering number of young adults living back at home. For them, family formation must be put off for a generation — if not forever.

    Their cash flow is being harvested by Barry & Co to feed illegal alien invaders — each endowed with LOTTO winnings the second they invade.

    Yes, every invader gets a $1,500,000 pay day… it’s taken as an annuity, you see.

30. This might be where I get lost in Eric’s calls for activism. We can and should be leaders in our own ways, and we don’t need tenure to do it. (I realize that Richard was the one using professorship as an example, and he was the one who capitalized Activism, but it seems implied in Eric’s comments as well.) Does activism mean anything more than citizenship?

31. (Sorry – I mean citizenship in the oldest sense.)

32. “Political ideas that have dominated the public mind for decades cannot be refuted through rational arguments. They must run their course in life and cannot collapse otherwise than in great catastrophe…” Ludwig von Mises

    The man saw clearly, what most cannot bear to accept.

    A conservatist activist movement whose focus is the prevention of the republic’s collapse is doomed to failure. It is doomed to failure because it cannot acquire the needed political leverage, proven by the Presidential elections of 2008, 2012 and now with the ‘choice’ of either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. And further confirmed by Obama’s current 53% approval rating. These are today’s handwriting on the wall.

    Any conservative activist movement that seeks prevention will fail because it’s activism rests upon rational arguments to gain adherents and the political ideas that have long dominated the public’s mind reject rationality in favor of ‘magical thinking’.

    Whereas, a conservatist activist movement that seeks to build a consensus, as preparation to enable its members to survive the coming collapse and, positions itself to use its organization, as political leverage, so as to dominate the society that emerges from that collapse, may have a chance of succeeding.

    Once the dust clears, we may be able to build a new republic but we cannot save what the majority of American’s have abandoned.

33. I predict record low turnout for both sides.

34. On our flight from Los Angeles to Paris we sat with a 34 year old unmarried man. A died-in- wool progressive (has an uncle still working in the State Department who was one of Hillary’s advisors). We engaged in extensive conversation and he listened to everything we said, conceding points he was hearing essentially for the first time. It was full engagement and I’m pretty sure it was his first encounter with conservatives that challenged the strawman that the left has erected to represent us. He is a writer and I had asked him to send me some of his material. I hope to continue the dialogue. Our youngest (27) is a people-person with a gift of expressing things succinctly and lucidly. He has been able to engage people his age and break through the non-sequiturs and false narratives upon which their beliefs rests. There is hope because truth and reality are a formidable weapon.

35. Regarding blog reading, I’ve dropped pretty much all reading of political blogs except this one. The others I read either went full Trump or the blogger started doing Trump Trolling (writing provocative headlines and posts about Trump to bring out the Trumpins, mainly for clicks as far as I can tell). Weary

36. Know the feeling, Neo – I feel like I have said everything I can regarding politics, and now it’s time to just hold tight and wait for the stuff to stop falling.

    I do like the suggestions of other commenters, like Sharon W. amd Blert to carry on with personal activism and deprogramming. That is something we can do on a micro level. And I am trying to carry on in my way, by focusing on my writing … my current and most recent books (The Chronicles of Luna City – which isn’t space opera but a small South Texas town) might be seen as light diversions, but I do slip in (subtly, I hope!)certain messages about responsibility, community, and family. Small seeds, mighty oaks, et cetera.

37. Eric’s premise is flawed in that the majority of left activists are totally committed to politics. At least in academia. Most conservatives I know have priorities that begin with family. The activist leftists even give up family for their politics. With that sort of single mindedness how can one compete when one has a life outside of politics? It’s the reason of the left’s dominance; there’s a lot of baby boomers who devoted their lives to radical change. If one has other priorities in their life, then political fatigue can set in easily.

38. I’ve been trying since yesterday to post a comment on this thread, something that would elaborate on the kinds of things that Mac and Richard Saunders said. But I find I’m too weary and disheartened and discouraged even to put together the words. Just one (long!) sentence: it seems to me that after the past eight years and what’s clearly coming next – the election, either way, of an impossible disaster to the presidency and then the necessary consequences, whatever they may be – some central assumption or understanding is already irretrievably gone, some shared idea that was once organically part of who we are but, once lost, can never be artificially recreated.

    But I keep coming here. I’ve got children and grandchildren and have to try to understand what’s happening even if I despair of changing it. There are other sane people here. And blessed Neo keeps giving us posts about ballet and music and poetry and jello (though not in a while – what’s up with that, Neo?) to comfort us with the reminder that politics is not and never will be all there is that matters.

39. Time to take the pledge!

    1. We admitted we were powerless over Trump–that our blogging had become unmanageable.

    2. Came to believe that a Trump greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

    3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of Trump as we understood Him.

    4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of our archives on Trump.

    5. Admitted to Trump, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our crimethink.

    6. Were entirely ready to have Trump remove all these defective blogging posts.

    7. Humbly asked Trump to remove our bloggings about Trump, aka evil Satan, proto-Hitler, serial-liar, blathering buffon, smasher of little old lady and little old man homesteads on the blasted heaths of Scotland and somewhere else in American (that rat bastard!) and all around Anti-Christ if we believed in Christ as the anti-Anti-Christ in the first place.

    8. Made a list of all Trumpers we had harmed and alienated, and became willing to restore their previously trolling and just plain wrong comments to the blog.

40. “Oh, the only decent thing I did when I worked as a postal clerk

    “Was to haul your picture down off the wall near the cage where I used to work

    “Was I a fool or not to try to protect your real identity?

    “You looked a little burned out, my friend, I thought it might be up to me”

    — Bob Dylan, Up to Me

41. Sharon W Says:
    May 24th, 2016 at 1:39 am
    …There is hope because truth and reality are a formidable weapon.
    ***
    My choice for Bumper Sticker of the Week.
    Second is this one:
    Brian Swisher Says:
    May 23rd, 2016 at 3:20 pm
    Over the weekend, one of my pards reported seeing a “Nobody for President 2016” bumper sticker, which pretty much summed up our feelings about the situation.

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