publius wrote:The lunacy of Ron Paul makes sense in the modern context of stagnant rhetoric. He is a whiff of populist white libertarianism with it's old fashioned ideology of "Don't Tread On Me." His appeal is romantic. People are hungry for a leader, a messiah, a daddy. From a distance without looking closely he sounds good. Then as you move closer and see who he is -the John Birch fellow traveller, friend of the KKK, friend of corporate subsidies, nativist, rhetorician-he is an atavistic throwback to the "good old days" of small town USA before World War I.
However, given that his opponents are equally evil, his anti-Federalist attitude gains traction in the electorates mind. Paul Craig Roberts supports him, influential monetary websites like Zero Hedge do also. He perhaps is seen as the less evil robber baron.
It is of great interest that there is no populist on the Left-no Upton Sinclair say-that is willing to be as forceful about ideas. Nor, interestingly, do the existing Left organizations wish to do more than promote Obama. The great vacuity of ideas in these United Sates creates the space for populist right rhtetoric.
That is such an excellent summation. Thank you, publius. The Ron Paul phenomenon is really a lot less about him than it is his followers, in my opinion. But I disagree that Paul Craig Roberts, Zero Hedge, and the multitudes of Paulbots out there see him as a less evil robber baron -- he really is the savior in their eyes, the one last hope for America. I find it terrifying that anyone would trust one word out of any politician's mouth in this day and age -- especially one with the dark associations Ron Paul has had for years, and continues to attract -- and especially a politician who sounds too good to be true (from a distance, as you said).
And how does Paul Craig Roberts square Ron Paul's vehement denials regarding 9/11 truth, for example -- something Paul Craig Roberts himself has embraced in a major way in many of his essays. I think people are hearing what they want to hear. Paul's playing them -- he's very shrewd. Think the cartoon Droopy.
Why doesn't this sound familiar? We do have a sitting president who rode in as the savior, or have we forgotten? Is this insanity of repeating the same thing over and over and expecting different results simply trumped by this supposed new flavor of politician: a libertarian underdog? It'll be different this time, you'll see! You know, much as people of true conscience like hearing about the wars ending and all the foreign U.S. military bases closing, I don't believe a word of it coming out of Ron Paul's mouth. He's yet another in a long line of con men with an ulterior motive. Fool me twice (more than that, actually), shame on me.Regarding the lack of left leadership, I think the problem is that the left followership has disintegrated because it's been consumed by the corporatist state. In short, they sold out. Chris Hedges and others talk about this in depth. Here's a description of Hedges' Death of the Liberal Class on amazon:
- For decades the liberal class was a defense against the worst excesses of power. But the pillars of the liberal class— the press, universities, the labor movement, the Democratic Party, and liberal religious institutions—have collapsed. In its absence, the poor, the working class, and even the middle class no longer have a champion.
In this searing polemic Chris Hedges indicts liberal institutions, including his former employer, the New York Times, who have distorted their basic beliefs in order to support unfettered capitalism, the national security state, globalization, and staggering income inequalities. Hedges argues that the death of the liberal class created a profound vacuum at the heart of American political life. And now speculators, war profiteers, and demagogues— from militias to the Tea Party—are filling the void.
