My, the last few years have been tiring, haven’t they? Sometimes I feel it’s been doubly tiring since I’m an American living in Europe. This means I keep an eye on a goodly portion of the world and her politics because much of it can affect me personally. Today, after watching us actually deny the tide of hate and filth that has been rising since Reagan, I feel tired. I feel reflective.
I need to take a moment.
We say a lot of things because they are wise and they also give us hope. Things like “We’re the good guys, if people just see what we want to do, for them, they’ll vote for us”. That’s the hope thing, but so often, we don’t believe it ourselves. Not deep down where Truth lives. The other side scares us.
It feels, so very often, that we are the perpetual underdogs because the other side- let me be clear here. the other side of us is rife with anger, hate, bias, greed and hypocrisy- because the other side is so deplorable, they will do anything, say anything, to win.
We always feel we’re losing, and the Gods know the other side, doing the ONE thing that they do best, always trumpet in brash, self assured and smug tones that WE are, indeed, losing. Just as they did before this last election.
How long has it been since you heard the phrase “America is a conservative country!”? It’s not been that long for me and every time I’ve heard it, it’s been said with such gusto and smug assurance that it’s true, why, you’d have to be a FOOL to not believe it. That’s the “Popular” view which means it’s the one you hear all over corporate media. Right beside it is the less shouted but widely held idea that this goes for the world too.
In Tarot, the Hanged Man is a depiction of a man who has hung himself upside down by the foot so that he might gain a different perspective on what he was seeing. A different view. Let us put a rope about our ankles and do the same, lets take a different vantage point and look at that idea a little closer.
Wow, look at that. Let your vision adjust, let your brain figure it out- then you can see it.
We may be tired, but we’re winning.
See. from here we can see the past, we can look right back to the first time that the word conservatism was used that way in our modern world.
The first established use of the term in a political context originated in 1818 with François-René de Chateaubriand[5] during the period of Bourbon Restoration that sought to roll back the policies of the French Revolution.
Wikipedia
Hmmm, roll back the changes brought about by the French Revolution. I’m not real up to snuff on that period of French history but something makes me think this had a lot to do with him getting power… back.
So, let us say that started the fight we are now in. Are they winning? Are they conserving? Can we take a look at where we are as compared to where we were when this dust up started?
Did the general populous have a say in their politics in 1818? How about in 1789, when another new and radical change was taken? That’s the year our current constitution came into force. On that year, I am fairly certain, slavery was still extant in America and the world. Growing less in the latter, still strong in the former.
Just like our former French friend, Francois- there were conservatives in newly founded America too. They were called loyalists. They supported the King and that whole power structure. We see that many moved rather than live in a changed America. But not all, many stayed and, eventually, they or their offspring became part of this new America.
Let’s check that track record.
After the French Revolution, people kind of got used to the idea of having a say in their own affairs and not being, of necessity, somebody’s vassal. I see that somewhere in the late 1800’s, the Italians took secular power away from the Church, prompting the Pope of the time, Pius the IX, to condemn liberalism in all it’s forms.
What was that about America being a Christian Nation and government was supposed to take it’s marching orders from God or It’s Priests? A thing only the priests would want, presumably. We heard that in this last election. But wait, how come it wasn’t MY Gods being put in that place?
Power, must keep power.
Is that a theme? We should also mention that, worldwide, the idea of slavery as a good thing was just- evaporating. People seemed to be taking another viewpoint and deciding that slavery as a practice was pretty damned shameful. Here’s to hoping that one never changes back!
In Germany, in June of 1883, they created their very first health insurance for workers. In 1910 in America- well…
An estimated 1.7 million children under the age of fifteen were employed in American industry by 1900.[36]
In 1910, over 2 million children in the same age group were employed in the United States.[37] This included children who rolled cigarettes,[38] engaged in factory work, worked as bobbin doffers in textile mills, worked in coal mines and were employed in canneries.
I am SO glad that they didn’t manage to conserve that one. I mean, I started working at the age of 8, for free, because my dad was a southern conservative and needed my and my brothers labor. Oh, and child mortality, has anyone noticed the change in that one since 1818? I’m calling that one for liberal policies,
Around about that time in Finland-
In 1906, the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland, which later became the Republic of Finland, was the first country in the world to give all women and all men both the right to vote and the right to run for office. Finland was also the first country in Europe to give women the right to vote.
Wikipedia
In 1920 American women joined them in their happy, equitable state. I am CERTAIN I heard a conservative candidate espouse the view this year that women should not vote! (I think they lost their primary)
In the meantime, at home in the United States, well, we were conserving with the best of them!
Child labor in the United States was a common phenomenon across the economy in the 19th century. Outside agriculture, it gradually declined in the early 20th century, except in the South which added children in textile and other industries. Child labor remained common in the agricultural sector until compulsory school laws were enacted by the states. In the North state laws prohibited work in mines and later in factories. A national law was passed in 1916 but it was overturned by the Supreme Court in 1918. A 1919 law was also overturned. In the 1920s an effort to pass a constitutional amendement failed, because of opposition from the South and from Catholics. Outside of farming child labor was steadily declining in the 20th century and the New Deal in 1938 finally ended child labor in factories and mines. Child labor has always been a factor in agriculture and that continues into the 21st century. Wikipedia
Twenty six years before I was born. Also 26 years after the New Deal that inspired the Conservatives to start trying to take back our country from we, the liberals. That was a close shave. Then and now.
Lets get back to that perspective thing.
There seems to be a desperation in our opponents that wasn’t there even twenty years ago. If there’s one thing this last decade has proven beyond the shadow of a doubt it is that the people who lie to you and I to further their agenda, they lie just as assiduously to themselves. They don’t want to believe they were wrong, they refuse to. Some would say this is the road to a general delusion.
Need anyone say more in this age of Qanon? Look at the results of the GOP 2013 post-mortem. It was ignored and they willingly set upon the road to rage and white supremacy. They took the easy road.
I did say, upon seeing the rise of Trump and the attendant Conservative SCREAMS of rage and testosterone laden POTENCY from the right, that this was a now or never moment for them and I told anyone who would listen that they realized it, deep in their bones. It’s one of those things they just don’t talk about because, well, it’s uncomfortable and they can’t admit to losses, not even deep down and personal, and still believe the hype they’re screaming into liberal faces. They do that because it makes them feel good and pushes down the truth. They’d rather scream that the alpha males are in the house and we should all despair for we are about to be PWNED! True or not, it makes them feel powerful.
So, they didn’t admit that women were voting independently of their husbands. There was no appetite for opening the club house to voters who were not white. They chose to become MORE white. They refused to admit that America and, indeed, the world, had become “Good with Gay”. They didn’t like it so no one really likes it, amirite? They turned away gay would be republicans at the door. Go vote for those evil liberals, they said. Well, maybe they did.
Women were only saying they wanted the right to an abortion so they wouldn’t piss off the liberals- they didn’t really believe that! In reality, they would all forget the Great White Wing Abortion Victory in a month or so because inflation and gas prices would grab their attention back from the loss of their rights. Someone said bet on it and… they did.
They were outraged at Obamacare and so was everyone they knew! Which is why it’s still here, despite the rage and promised vindictiveness. They floated doing away with same sex marriage and that flew about as well as a dead seagull. ALL of the things- hateful, nasty and cruel things that they let us see were truly their real goals turned a majority of Americans off.
The world isn’t much different in that regard. A few years ago, the far right party AfD in Gemany rode a wave of racist anger into parliament. Today, they can’t seem to keep seats. It seems people get tired of nothing but negativity, doom and gloom. In my Sunday paper, this morning, front page…
Weniger rechten Tendenzen!
“Less tendency toward the Right”.
The article says east Germans are still having a problem with the Muslim immigrants but even that is lessening, slowly.
Along the way, with the rise of technology and “I give a damn!” liberalism world wide, other good things were happening.
Education levels were rising worldwide. More people of all colors were getting pieces of the good pie. Africa decolonized- which caused massive upheaval yet seems to be traveling the road to a better day- much as in Asia and South America. Vaccines and worldwide outreach programs are easing the burden everywhere. No need to harp on which faction is suddenly anti vaccine/science.
The world is doing better, and it is spreading.
But that “We do it now or we’ll never get it done!” vibe from the right isn’t just in America. China made a massive move to take their people back to a time before they could sell their goods to a world that wanted them and be profitable- the results are still out on that one, but Russia damn sure decided they had better bring Ukraine down to their level before their own people caught on to the idea that western liberalism meant a better standard of living for the common man. It meant more education and laws that protected them from the vultures and sharks inherent in our race.
Looking at the migration of out and out criminals into the conservative political fold- gee, who would be against that, hmmm?
How is that perspective thing going? Can we take the blindfold off now and really LOOK?
This wasn’t the year it was supposed to be for them. Not in America and not worldwide. Brexit is causing Britain to go to Hades in a handbasket and in Europe the right wing policies aren’t doing well after the blatant “Worldwide Hate And Rage Show!” that has been on the marquee since Trump oozed down the escalator.
But these people, they truly thought that the manufactured rage would carry them into authoritarian power in America in 2020. They refused to see the signs, that whole, lying to themselves thing. They told themselves every true American believed as they did that putting children in cages, telling old folks to die for the sake of their profit and forcing women into the role of mindless, breeding mounts was a good thing. Even a blown and incompetent, absolutely unpopular insurrection won’t convince them.
And we, for our part, we spent way too much time believing them. Do we ever spend any time looking at our achievements? you know, the ones that make them foam at the mouth?
We should.
Greed and conservatism seem, in my mind, to always go hand in hand- money retention, power retention. yeah.
We have the United Nations, does anyone want to hazard a guess as to which group wants it gone? We’ve had a Black president, we now enjoy a black, female vice president. Do I need to remind anyone which of the opponents would make sure that never happens again? Health care is safe and will only grow from here and let’s see them take away social security with a three seat majority. Imagine, if you will, what we can do in the coming two years with a trifecta and that’s not ruled out, not yet!
Women are doctors and lawyers, teachers and CEO’s, abortion will be codified despite their hatred and vitriol- racism is alive and, sadly, well, but it’s being fought on all sides. The Right has now resorted to calling for forcibly educating us so that we must believe as they believe.
This from those people who refuse to tell themselves the truth, lest they feel bad. Hey y’all! Bad luck with that!
Did they not see the latest election? The one before it? How about the one in Brazil? Do they not understand that to force us to do anything, they’ll need more numbers and their children are breaking liberal. Yes, Italy and Israel voted Right- I say let’s see how long that lasts.
We can never, ever rest on our laurels, but we are winning. No one can stay outraged forever save a few people who thrive on that anger like Trump and the worst of the worst. It’s all they have so it’s become what they are. But that isn’t what most people are and most folks got sick and tired of the faux outrage and the lies. Who are they to lie to us and believe we’re stupid enough to swallow it?
They want to blame Trump when, really, they need to blame themselves but that isn’t something they’re good at.
And that is why we’re winning and will continue to do so.
Happy Sunday.
Kell