Fleeing The Left: Ron Rosenbaum's Fascinating Article
Published April 03, 2004
So I went up to the antiwar demonstration in Central Park this weekend, hoping to hear some persuasive arguments. After a couple of hours there, listening to speeches, reading the hate-America literature, I still don't know what to think about Iraq - will an attack open a Pandora's box, or close one? - but I think I know what I feel about this antiwar movement, or at least many of the flock who showed up in the Sheep Meadow.
Thus begins one of the most fascinating and enlightening articles I've read in years. Ron Rosenbaum, a dedicated liberal thinker bids farewell to what he calls the "knee-jerk, neo-Marxist idiocy" of many on the left in his article, "Goodbye, All That: How Left Idiocies Drove Me to Flee."
With that said, neither does Mr. Rosenbaum claim any interest in conservatism. As a matter of fact, he still identifies himself as a "contrarian, libertarian, pessimist, secular-humanist, anti-materialist liberal Democrat who distrusts the worship of 'the wisdom of the market.'"
I wonder if perhaps Mr. Rosenbaum is looking for the liberal ideology of old; the kind embodied in people such as FDR, or even Zell Miller who recently published a book entitled A National Party No More, which, in part, also critisizes his party's embrace of leftist ideology poisoned with neo-Marxist influences.
As a conservative, I couldn't tell you much about what it means to be a liberal, but it seems increasingly apparent to me that there is a growing divide among Democrats on its meaning. Unfortunately for Zell Miller, Ron Rosenbaum, and others, it seems that their view of liberalism in general and the Democratic Party in particular is a shrinking minority viewpoint.
Or is it? Democrats across the nation have much the same view of the world as Republicans. They love their country, they support their troops, they are proud of their heritage. While these Democrats may not like George Bush or his politics, they like the politics of John Kerry even less. They vote Republican, or fail to vote altogether, because extremists have steered their party in a direction that they find disturbing.
So they remain loyal Democrats, liberals, and Americans, but feel increasingly isolated from their party leaders. It's just as Ronald Reagan once said, "I did not leave my party, my party left me."
What does all this mean for the Democratic Party? I think that is a point open for debate. The upcoming presidential election will be particularly telling.
Regardless of what you think of my points here, I urge you to read Mr. Rosenbaum's article. We all have some things to learn from this man.
David Flanagan
Viewpointjournal.com
- Fleeing The Left: Ron Rosenbaum's Fascinating Article
- Published: April 03, 2004
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- Section: Culture
- Writer: David Flanagan
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Someday, maybe we'll move beyond the Left-Right dichotomy. Both sides have valid viewpoints.
The Left tends to blame society/institutions, ie External causes for everything, whereas the Right tends to point to personal responsibility/morals/character etc, ie Internal causes. The left is 'Matriarchal'. The Right, Patriarchal. (heh)
They're both correct (in general) relative to what they address; it's what they fail to address that causes problems; and they both have inherent problems or weaknesses because of that.
The Left tends to be so relativistic and non-judgmental that they can't make a call, a decision, or take any action without every touchy-feely in the building expressing themselves with a group hug. (Sometimes, discrimination can mean "discriminating"! -- but don't say that to a radical liberal with blinders on.)
The Right tends to be so absolutist that they're often intolerant, unsympathetic, and non-compassionate. They're so ego- and ethnocentric that they tend to mow down the competition without regard for the long-term, overall consequences. (Sometimes, getting 'in touch' with one's feelings can be a transcendental, transformative act that gives one a healthy affinity for fellow passengers on spaceship Earth -- both don't tell that to a radical Conservative with blinders on.)
Anyway, I do feel Rosenbaum's ambivalence, and I would hope that those on the Right (with true intellectual integrity) might begin to admit the same and see if we can't meet in the middle, or better yet, on a higher plane.
Right now, I feel I'm on the correct path if I piss off as many 'liberals' as 'conservatives', but I'm hoping that path leads to something a tad bit more rewarding.
BTW: It strikes me that one can think of a number of prominent 'liberals' who have embraced this approach, or at least signaled a trend that moves away from blind 'liberal' dogma: Rosenbaum and Christopher Hitchens to name two.
David, do any Conservatives spring to mind as 'fleeing the right'?
Seriously, just curious.
Thanks
Shark
Shark-
David Brock would be one obvious conservative who was very vocal about his conversion to liberalism.
Misinformation claptrap!
Did you read the article Doc?
David
Right now, I feel I'm on the correct path if I piss off as many 'liberals' as 'conservatives', but I'm hoping that path leads to something a tad bit more rewarding.
Shark,
Excellent comments! I appreciate your thoughtful post. I'm a pretty loyal conservative but I know that the party I love has many problems. Exactly as you say, we fire off at the mouth sometimes far too quickly and, one huge weakness in my opinion, is the tendency to paint EVERYTHING as black and white. We have too many shades of gray to say things like, "we are a truly free society, therefore, we don't need affirmative action programs."
Anyway, thanks for your comments.
David
David, do any Conservatives spring to mind as 'fleeing the right'?
Good question and I'm not sure I can answer it right off the top of my head. Generally, I gravitate towards those who challenge my thinking. I'm not talking about the Mac Diva's of the world who just want to verbally pummel anyone with whom they disagree. Rather, I enjoy engaging with the Ron Rosenbaums of the world, whose view of the world is WAY different from mine but with whom I still have some points of agreement and other points that we can debate.
A quick note, on the subject of Mac Diva, regarding posts that I've made in the past to Free Republic. I used to post all my material there. But after I found Blogcritics I stopped for the most part.
Why? Not because I don't agree with opinions there, I agree with many, but because no one was challenging me on any of my posts. It's no fun without some level of debate and disagreement. Thats the Irish in me I guess.
If you are in a room with a group and they all talk and think exactly the way you do, go find a different room. Life is much more interesting if you live it among those with diverse points of view.
Thanks.
David
The Rosenbaum story ran in Oct 2002 and was very influential and important, but it a good reminder in an election year. I pick and choose my positions and end up somewhere in the middle, although I am STRONGLY pro-war on terror, a social liberal, and pro-environment, although not anti-business. I'm a freak.
Thanks David, so are you.
Yawn. Rosenbaum's tired old mouth-breathing is old, moldering 'news.' I would be surprised to see someone bringing him up if the someone was not David Flanagan. Apparently, there is not a reactionary talk radio wingnut in the country he isn't infatuated with. That's so-o-o Free Republic. On the bright side, at least Flanagan has not posted another entry about how happy the Iraqis are that the U.S. invaded,
Rosenbaum is merely an echo of better known neo-conservatives and paleo-conservatives. Like others of the sort, his allegedly liberal beliefs seem to have been more imagined than real. I believe most of these people, including the best known, David Horowitz, were conservatives all along. Over the years, the Jews among them have become more comfortable with the far Right, despite the anti-Semitism that is still a big part of that politics. So, they publicly embrace beliefs they were more tactful about previously.
Media Whores Online did Rosenbaum as one of the nominees for Whore of the Year in 2002. It is an interesting little read.
I believe Rosenbaum's appeal to Flanagan is that much of what he says is empty rhetoric. The two of them have that in common, though Flanagan is much bigger liar.
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/14351)
Misinformation claptrap!
"Conservatives" are most THE most ideologically lock-step group out there compared to us million-opinion liberals.
Maybe flip-flop Zell and Ronny are so theocratically inclined as old white heterosexual men they fall to the party of crumudgeons aka the GOP.
Meanwhile, the shift to the left continues far more than the other way.
But your view from the fringe on the right, perhaps you can't see that?