Though the cliché is that the Democrats need some big ideas, that they “need to stand for something”, this is actually false. The Democratic Party clearly does stand for something: they stand for the meek notion that psychotherapy and social psychology ought to be the engines behind all public policies. Arthur Brooks even appeals to psychologists to diagnose Republicans as once humorless whiny children.
In a word, the Democratic Party has become the party of therapeutic intervention, whereas the Republican Party has become the party of moral and political philosophy. And in light of the Democratic Party’s recent history of political failure, if they genuinely want to change the course of American politics and maybe even win a few elections, they probably ought to reject the false gods of psychology, psychotherapy, and all other permutations of such un-testable ultra-soft sciences. Freud, after all, is dead, and DSM diagnoses by committee are absurd by any measure.
Certainly liberal democracies, in the Jeffersonian and Lockean sense, tend to be skeptical of fundamentalist religious doctrines, but liberal democracies nevertheless run contrary to the Democrats’ psychological and sociological notions of accidental sin. To sin, in a true liberal democracy, requires the intent to sin. Republicans sin, plenty. Democrats never do. To sin requires a lapse of reason and a sense of individual honor diminished. Not so for the Democratic Party. For Democrats sin is impossible, there is only mental illness and social despair.
America, however, is a liberal democracy, and Americans like to be honored for their freely chosen actions. We relish our ability to sin or not to sin, on purpose. We cherish our individual ability to change, even to revolt, if need be. We hold dear that our personal development of character is our individual responsibility and, more importantly, we take pride in our character so developed. We like the notion that we each must make ourselves into the people we will become. Americans, members of a liberal democracy as described by Francis Fukuyama in The End of History and the Last Man, thrive on their pursuit of Platonic thumos.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Dave Nalle
I'm not sure that psychoanalyzing the democrats to prove that they want to psychoanalyze the rest of the world makes a great deal of sense in anything but the world of pure irony, but it was interesting nonetheless. And I guess it's better than just dismissing them as increasingly irrelevant as one is inclined to do.
Dave
2 - mschannon
For someone clearly as well-educated as you, your simplistic analysis of the Democrats is surprising and distressing.
Painting with such a broad brush with only the Clarence Thomas hearings as an example (and are you proud you're now a Republican with Thomas on the bench? The man's a disaster)leaves little room for criticism beyond the fact the article's a mass of hyperbole and exaggeration.
With no sarcasm intended, you should put your intelligence and analytical skills to better use.
In Decaf Veritas
3 - zingzing
ahh, dave... "increasingly irrelevant?" thanks, buddy... if i could say the same thing about the fucking republicans, this would be a great nation. unfortunatly, those fuckin idiots are up there fuckin up the whole fuckin world, so we can't really very well ignore them. not that they don't ignore everyone but themselves (and gawd).
thing is dave, not one of us matter for shit to republicans. we are nothing. all they want out of us is a tick mark every couple of years. every now and then, they want us to fight their wars.
and to the author, "one must resign themselves to be discontent within civilization?" do you not see that not everyone is on the same level as you are "within civilization?" that there are people with less? people with not enough to live? that's the problem with republicans. they are greedy and they are arrogant. they see problems, but they ignore them. if it isn't the republicans' problem, it doesn't really exist.
look at every issue that comes up time and again. the real struggle isn't ethics or morality... those things are debatable. the real struggle is the republicans pushing an agenda they do not understand on those that really do understand it. gay rights? abortion? welfare? what do you know of these things? nothing! absolute zero. you want to take away something you will never use. sure, there will always be abuse--of anything, by anybody--but...
you know what? fuck it. you obviously have no clue why democrats think the way they do. that's why you're a republican. i have no idea why you think the way you do either. it boggles the mind. where do you get the right? if you want to puff yourself up ("oh, we're so logical"--fuck off, your logic is flawed) at the expense of someone else (who you REALLY, REALLY don't understand), then go ahead--IT'S THE REPUBLICAN WAY.
fuckin' assholes.
4 - Dave Nalle
thing is dave, not one of us matter for shit to republicans.
Yeah, ain't it beautiful. They just do what's good for the economy and leave us the fuck alone - with a few regrettable exceptions. If you think you want government to 'care' about you then you're hideously naive and up for a very rude awakening. When they do take notice of you it's going to be to totally wreck your life, so enjoy the freedoms you have left while you can.
Believe me, benign indifference is way better than well meaning paternalism.
As for having a clue how Democrats think, I was raised among them - in fact, I'm vacationing with them right now. I've got a damned good idea how they think and while they may have some very laudable motives, their grip on reality leaves something to be desired.
dave
5 - zingzing
1st paragraph--you misunderstand my point. i don't need any taking care of. i'm okay. but there are people who do need help, more like protection, and that means protection from lots of different things, one of them being the government itself. like trying to deny rights to minority citizens. see? republicans want to do it... why? because it doesn't matter to them. so they don't care. and you wouldn't know it, but the very idea of a safety net is of great comfort to someone who genuinely needs one.
3rd paragraph--that wasn't to you, it was to the republican psychoanalyzing democrats. signified by "to the author" in my paragraph three.
6 - ASDF
Believe me, you do NOT want the government to care about you, nor do you want them to know you exist.
The more those people try to fix things, the more they mess them up, no matter what party they're in.
7 - DazeyMai
Dr. Carmine: Your ostentatious vocabulary tells
me you desire to be honored by being addressed as Dr. Good for you! I am impressed with your thumos.
I do thank you for these priceless bits of knowledge. "For the Democrat there is no just pursuit of honor"... "...so long as Republicans remain true to...ideas of political and ethical philosophy..." I presume you mean the Bush Adminstration has been true to ideas of ethical philosophy. Ethical is not an adjective which can possibly be applied to this bunch of thugs.
Now, really, Dr. Carmine, do you think Anita Hill was so naive that she went through that hellish mess with Judge Thomas just to be a whipping girl for the Democrats? Secretary Rice might be that devoted....but, Anita? No
8 - Dave Nalle
but there are people who do need help,
And Republicans believe in creating an environment where they will be able to help themselves.
more like protection, and that means protection from lots of different things, one of them being the government itself. like trying to deny rights to minority citizens. see? republicans want to do it... why?
What the hell are you talking about? No Republican wants to deny any minority group its rights. Republicans believe in equality first and foremost.
because it doesn't matter to them. so they don't care. and you wouldn't know it, but the very idea of a safety net is of great comfort to someone who genuinely needs one.
When the 'safety net' is used primarily as a means to establish equality by dragging those who strive to succeed down to the level of the lowest common denominator then it's doing no one any good.
Dave
9 - Baronius
Dazey, the certainty with which you diagnose Hill and Rice really fortifies the author's point.
Dave, this article doesn't so much analyse the party's psyche as its philosophy.
James, it sounds like you're writing a book. If you aren't, you should think about it. Also, if you can figure out a way to reduce this article to a bumper sticker, I'd order one. Great job.
10 - Bliffle
"On the other hand, so long as Republicans refrain from descending into the social science quagmire and remain true to the big ideas of political and ethical philosophy - the perennial big ideas of the West - Republicans will, over time, continue to defeat the psychological ideologies of the Democrats."
Ha ha ha ha! Do you REALLY think this is what the Cheneys, Bushes, Rumsfelds and other usurpers of the republican party are doing?
These modern impostors are even more devoted to psychosis than the dems, obsessed as they are with Terry Schiavo , homosexuals, etc.
11 - Arch Conservative
Well whatever they're doing they keep beating the Dems Bliffle.
12 - Justin Berry
As any fool can plainly see the strength of the GOP as well as my vote comes with NRA membership. The Dems will just never learn.
13 - gonzo marx
the Original Poster sez..
*Republicans sin, plenty. Democrats never do.*
an dwith this blanket statement shows the falsity of each and every one of his baseline Postulates..
making the entire content of this drivel niothing more than circuolar logic inspired sophistry and solipsism...
NOTHING in it is anythuing but unsubstantiated opinion...a complete, and well written non-sequitor
try using your "powers" for good..as in solving problems...rather than evil...attacking a sub-group of your Nation for the mere hubris involved in political one upsmanship
but i will say, Goebbels would be proud of you screed
Excelsior?
14 - Clavos
zing 5:
there are people who do need help, more like protection, and that means protection from lots of different things, one of them being the government itself.
Interesting...You want the government to protect the people from the government??
15 - carmine
I don't remember where I read this first, but from first hand experience I know it is true:
"The most dangerous words in the English Language are: 'This is the Government we are here to help you.'"
16 - Clavos
carmine,
I first heard that as one of the three biggest lies, the other two being:
"Your check is in the mail"
and
"I'll still respect you in the morning."
17 - gonzo marx
yeah, just ask the folks in New Orleans, or Baghdad, or Kabul...
you do realize you are advocating for the single Party that has controlled our government for years, went from surplus to deficit, expanded the government to it's largest size and is spending our Blood and Treasure on neocon Ideals that have so far, failed miserably in it's stated intent?
BTW...where's Osama?
and who is the group with the "mental illness"?
those who see problems and want them addressed, or those who refuse to acknowledge the problems and want to "stay the course"?
just a Thought from an Independant
so rather than toss out the AM radio bullshit like #15, why not try and honestly look at and address the Issues raised...including what type of mentality can seriously paint a good portion of the american public as having a "mental illness" rather than examine the legitimate differences in viewpoint and approach?
too much like real work, i guess
Excelsior?
18 - Andy Marsh
Well there Dr. Carmine, you sure got the BC crowd fired up here...personally, I couldn't get through the whole thing...but sometimes, I'm just like that. It's a little wordy for me.
I think the whole fucking planet is crazy in one way or another and a lot of it ain't treatable!
Have a nice day...and a great Independance Day...fly a flag or something...or is that to patriotic?
19 - gonzo marx
me..i'm wrapping a psychiatrist in a flag and firing it up to light the charcoals on my b-b-q to celebrate a gay marriage
that's normal...right?
Excelsior?
20 - Bliffle
One can only laugh at the notion that Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, etc., are motivated by the writings of Plato, et al, and spend their leisure time discussing such things. Apparently, what they do is contrive plans for accumulating more power and therefrom bestowing big financial rewards on the sycophants who surround and flatter them. But those are just personal character flaws. That they are republicans is not partly incidental, an accident of birth and experience. But how many people arrive at their political position by carefully considering and contemplating the literature?
21 - Dave Nalle
Bliffle, if they actually read Plato they might come to understand that by his terms they are inherently disqualified from being leaders just because they want to job in the first place.
Dave
22 - gonzo marx
#21 sez...
*if they actually read Plato they might come to understand that by his terms they are inherently disqualified from being leaders just because they want to job in the first place.*
Quoted for Truth
Excelsior?
23 - DazeyMai
Baronius...Which of Dr. Carmine's points do I fortify with my "diagnosis" of Rice and Hill? Actually, I'm not sure there was A point. But, this I know....Ms. Rice is Bush's most loyal sycophant.
24 - Baronius
Odd...I thought that Bush was an idiot who was controlled by Rice and the neocons. I guess Condi is both puppet and master.
I don’t think it’s necessary or especially beneficial for me to list the article's points. I mean, the article's right there. But certainly James argues that the Democrats are using a paradigm of psychology, not philosophy. You responded by analysing Hill and Rice in psycholocigal terms, not philosophical.
It's not surprising that Hill is the better person in your analysis. But you don't support the assertion. And, ultimately, it doesn't matter. It shows a contentedness to play a two-dimensional game of conditioned responses rather than entering the 3-D world of ideas.
25 - gonzo marx
horrible Images in my skull of Condi in full on leather dominatrix gear, with W and Cheney tied up in the gimp suits begging to be paddled with hot waffle irons in exchange for them ordering an invasion anywhere the Mistress wants...
oh yeah...THAT one is gonna be with me fer a while...
thanks folks...blargh!
Excelsior?