“...I often quote the 15th of Screwtape’s letters to Wormwood. In it, Screwtape tells Wormwood to do his best to keep man living in the past or the future, but never the present. If men dwell in the past, they become angry with the present and shut down, unwilling to cope. They get mad at God. If men live in the future, they don’t prepare for the future because they expect it to get better. When the future comes and it is not better, just like with living in the past, men get angry with God….”
Those surprising words of wisdom come from Erick Erickson at Red State.
For a political ideology that puts the Bible front and center, conservatives are coming rather close to breaking one of the Top Ten: In fact, it is Numero Uno on the Top Ten List: Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me. No exceptions, not even for Ronald Reagan.
Let the poor, great man rest in peace.
Ronald Reagan died nearly 5 years ago. He ceased being President of the United States of American on January 20, 1989. Yet, conservatives like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, etc. wallow in the past, while Limbaugh is now basically cursing the day the Bush family was created. The Anchoress has a great commentary about the situation.
There is one problem here and that is the fact that people who want hang on to the Fliegender Regander are living in the past. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Michelle Malkin, and their ilk live in the past. They make their money off the past. They have no real touch with the reality of every day life while the rest of us live in the present.
I have yet to hear someone in the everyday “real” world stop and wax poetic about the fact that the GOP is the Party of Reagan, and the role Ronald Reagan is playing in their lives. They can’t. He’s dead. Average, real people live in a real world where all you can do is keep up with the living, let alone the dead.
People like Rush Limbaugh and those who try to ape him have built careers on the worship of Ronald Reagan. That’s nice, and it’s making millions for them. Great job if you can get it. The problem is they are so completely out of touch it is strangely pathetic and sometimes laughable.
The more Limbaugh and his bunch push the worship of Reagan, the worse the results for the GOP. Frankly, I’m beginning to wonder if Rush Limbaugh even wants the GOP to win once again. If they do, the rate he’s going, he will no longer be considered the “majority maker” but the great obstructionist.
I don’t know about you, but as a Christian, I am finding this worship of Reagan getting to be just a little too uncomfortable and more like bowing down to the Golden Calf.
Trackposted to Nuke’s, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, Rosemary’s Thoughts, third world county, Woman Honor Thyself, and The World According to Carl, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
May 5th, 2009 on 12:05 am
Actually, I think it’s their ideology itself, and not Reagan, per se, that the right is making its idol.
May 5th, 2009 on 3:44 pm
Some long for the ideals and indefatigable optimism in man and country Reagan had. They are not trying to reanimate him or make him God. Should no attention be paid to the past? You take what is good and workable, reacquaint yourselves with your core and figure out what you want to be going forward. You assess. You plan. You act.
Personally, I think the whole lot – Republicans and Democrats are a pile of steaming turds. I guess I am one of those teabaggers as the media loves to lovingly describe them.
May 5th, 2009 on 8:40 pm
Thank you for the great music.
It’s not worship of the past to listen to this fine classical piece. It appreciation of what went into making the piece.
So too with Reagan. Not worship; appreciation.
I am a conservative; I want govt to do less and let me do more with my life. This after 32 years of military service where the govt officially controlled all aspects of my life both public and private. However, I entered that contract voluntarily. This administration’s actions don’t have my sanction nor those of other conservatives.
We appreciate the Reagan years, having lived through them, as a time of re-awaking of reliance on self. Neither of the presidents Bush actually understood conservatism, hence the term NEO-CON as in “New” conservatism. Using a musical analogy it would be like trading Beethoven for the Beatles. Some would say this is a great trade other would say there is a linage that can be followed; still others would say “what the….!”
The “Individual choice” (of conservatism) is a lot like “free will”—it comes with many perils and seems not to be for everyone but that view is from a human (or humanistic) frame work–and totally wrong.
Thanks again for the great music.