James has penned an eloquent essay on his son this morning. I am moved again to remind us all of a central truth. And that truth is that abortion remains the spritiual symbol and actual bloody policy that embodies and perpetuates all of the degradations in our society (from meritocracy to the new slavery to environmental destruction to the loss of community to economic ruin) that we at FPR call attention to (see the links in my comment to James’s essay). As such, though there are many strong reasons for castigating the Republican party, the trend towards political support of pro-abortion politicians in other parties (or in the GOP) is self-defeating.
I am reminded of the phillipic written prior to the 2004 presidential election by myself and my co-editor Dan Knauss in The New Pantagruel, which I shall quote:
[T]he pathological death-wish of our current social and political order can hardly be understated. Our society—its businesses, schools, governments, families, communities, and even churches—has staked its economic and spiritual stability on the shifting sand of grand consumption and its exemplars: a young, single adulthood to and beyond the age of 30; childless or near-childless, “dual income,” “professional” couples; the managerial home in which children are shuttled from one structured consumption to the next, until they are finally released to “freedom” in an institution of higher learning; and retired or pining-to-be-retired “empty-nesters.” Our economy, media, and pop-culture worship these “lifestyle” demographics and encourage and reward their aimlessly selfish carousing. This means the propagation of a culture that at every level is oriented toward the most nihilistic individualism possible; the fetishization of self and one’s “personal freedom” that led Sartre to define hell as “other people”—i.e., people who coerce and constrain us with needs and desires that can be legally circumvented.
Abortion is the jewel of this culture, and is the “single issue” in which all other issues are subsumed. It remains the worst manifestation and keystone of our gospel of self-service; a gospel which is preached and propounded by exploiters across the political spectrum, everywhere from leftist campuses to comfortably “conservative” suburbia. The metaphor is apt: the false, exploitative freedom of the self-serve soda machine in fast food restaurants is the mechanism of choice in our poisonous soup of late liberalism and consumptive capitalism. The libido seeking freedom and pleasure “chooses,” pays for, and feeds itself at a trough filled with waste and ruin.
I think I saw somewhere, maybe some truck stop stall..oh , wait a minute, I think it was on the R.R. overpass at Wall and 22nd , it said “Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You”. I thought this a rather interesting and timeless bit of graffiti and wondered what really modern and trendy person might have thought of it. Seemed like it pretty well summed it all up and boy, it sure is a good thing somebody had finally come up with such a good bit of advice.
What will they think of next?
That said, keep my libido out of this, it behaves and rather enjoys itself dammit.
“Libido” above should be construed broadly as the ever-present “I want.”
Caleb,
I’m just curious: who did you write your post for? If for those who already agree with you, it’s a waste of time. They already agree with you.
And a jeremediad like this isn’t going to change the mind of someone who doesn’t agree with you. Not even those like myself, who grew up in the anti-abortion camp before switching sides.
I can tell you this: principles have little place in politics. In ethics, sure, but not in politics. At least if you want to win. An attitude like yours will do to the GOP nationally, what it did to the party in California. The GOP can’t survive without social conservatives like you. But it may not be able to win with them either.
“Principles have little place in politics. In ethics sure but not in politics”
No, don’t tell me, politics aint ethical nor principled? Here I thought it was just because of the money involved but now I know there is a little glass encased box in the Federal Edifice of our esteemed Beltway …standing meekly next to the fire axe and inside are little scrolls with “Principles ” and “Ethics” printed on them with a sign on the glass box admonishing us to “Break Only In an Emergency”.
Get elected and one gets a Get-Out-Of-Principles-and-Ethics-Free card.
And here I thought they were all just a bunch of crooks and liars but now I know its lawful. I’m so relieved.
And furthermore, inasmuch as comments are summarily closed on the testy Mr. Stegall’s post on “Blog Flu”,
I wish to say:
Damn Ye Stegall.
Quoting Abbey:
“Love,
Emily Post”
SeanF-
You are a pathetic coward……..
To thy own self be true….if winning at the cost of your souls is what your after, I am sure you will reach your goal……
I would rather be a member of a political party, consisting of one member (myself) than to sell my soul and “play ball” with the folks who want to keep principles out of politics because they want to win……
People like you probably put McCain on the ballot…..you are neither hot nor cold and I spew you out of my mouth……..
People like you vote for the lesser of two evils, not the right…..only a coward does not stand up for what is right, when he knows what is right.
Better to die a thousands deaths on earth than be king of hell.
Caleb,
I, for one, would be pleased if you’d pursue the question of abortion expanded into an essay herein blogged.
Also, ignore D.W., he’s being petulant.
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