An interesting look into the LEFT soul as depicted in the movie the Way We Were.
the rest can be accessed at www.frontpagemag.com (yes I know very conservative) but I still found it interesting and appropos.
Herewith an excerpt:
Even more astonishingly, after the movie returns from the 1930s flashback to the wartime present, scarcely ten words of dialogue are devoted to the monumental developments that should have made Katie cringe in guilty embarrassment over the self-righteous positions she took in college: the Communists’ betrayal of the Spanish Loyalists, the Hitler-Stalin Pact, and the now utterly evident folly of the disarmament talk of the previous decade. The United States is engaged in a world war against the darkest barbarism in history, yet no reference is made to the shameful oath Katie prompted her classmates to take a few years before. Instead she is as fresh and blooming as ever, and as self-regarding and impatient with the unenlightened mediocrities around her. She carries no baggage from her past, and evidences no sense of responsibility for the horrors caused by her former positions. She is now channeling her abundant energy into activities on the home front. She has also “ironed” her naturally curly hair, glamorized her make-up, and replaced the picture of Lenin with one of FDR.
In Katie’s effortless mainstreaming of herself, and the movie’s effortless mainstreaming of Katie, we begin to discern the profile of the contemporary Left–enamored of its superior virtue, always on the right side even when it turns out to be wrong, and (being the Left) never having to say it’s sorry. The title song proves apt, if inadvertently so: “What is too painful to remember, we simply choose to forget.” On second thought, inasmuch as that line bespeaks a flash of painful memory that occurs before being extinguished in convenient forgetfulness, the song is not so apt after all; Katie hasn’t even that much awareness.
But Katie’s self-righteousness cannot thrive in a vacuum; it needs compliant WASPs to serve as both its targets and enablers
I do think that there is a strong element in what passes for Leftists today to assume that if their intentions are honorable that they have done something “good.”
Then there is a certain labeling of the Right as careless and heartless and greedy. Yet, who really helps who? Those who provide jobs and careers and tax dollars or those who dole out money that encourages dependency? Who is the true hardhearted voter then?
There also seems to be as the frontpage mag article said a shocking lack of guilt or memory among the Left about failed policies.
Incidentally, I would also question how Fascism got labeled with the Rightist brush. Fascism is against everything the Right traditionally stands for individual rights as opposed to the Left with its interference and equalizing.
Also, many companies were nationalized under the Fascists. Hardly good Rightists surely?
i got one. I’m not a leftist, because I don’t want my tax dollars going to some schmuck’s medical bills because he/she decided never to take care of his/her own health, and basically drank/smoked himself to death. I’d rather save my money for when I’m sick. Those smoking people with lung cancer will probably die anyway, so why waste money.
and welfare checks, they’re a joke. I know people who use their welfare checks on buying their next high. If they’re going to be getting money, make them work for it. do a little community service cleanup.
and stop the fricking corporate welfare scams. Large water-using agro-conglomerates do not need rebates and tax incentives meant for small farmers.
you know what, this left or right thing is so stupid. i boycott left-right arguments unless we’re talking about left-handedness or making left-right turns.
To my mind, that’s a non-sequitur, as is “capitalism encourages greed.” It is seldom so black and white. What’s with this persistent left or right polarisation?
And the United States is moving in that direction too. Zero interest rates, narrowing margins, increasing intervention from the state, innovation becoming “routine”; increasing accountability to shareholders; public ownership of companies etc. etc.
Fred, don’t delude yourself:
Sorry to spoil the fun, but the United States is a lot more “left” than most people realize.
Ironic, but fact.
“When socialism arrives in the United States, it won’t be called socialism.”
Joseph Schumpeter
Dunc
Lesson 2 for soldiers in Iraq: Be polite or you might get your nuts blown off.
This is interesting. On the death of the Iranian-Canadian journalist who died of hemorraging from trauma to the brain while in custody,
Meanwhile at the hospital controlled by the Revolutionary Guards…
Doesn’t 1984 talk about lies so obvious, so outrageous that it was accepted as truth, because why would the government give such a bald-faced lie? Either that, or I’m never getting injections in Iran.
Mmm. US foreign policy eh? Crisis of the left, slag the French . . so on and so on . . . hohum . . . ad nauseum.
The way I see it Blueface is the only one of the “rightists” with anything interesting to say. “Rightists” What the fuck is that all about anyway? Ensuring support? “Oh look lads, I’m gonna do this poofter leftie out the back of the dunnies but I’m going to flag it in case I end up out of my depth and require added fire power” - sounds awfully like the yank way of fighting wars.
An aside. I was once in the Australian military and all the NCOs were Aus Viet vets. “Righto boys, I’ll tell ya the basic US rifle man’s position. You hold the rifle at full arms length above ya’ head, preferrably behind a high wall or tank (!), turn your assault rifle to full auto and spray in the general direction of all that you fear.” That was in 1980! I guess some things don’t change http://www.iraqwar.ru/iraq-read_article.php?articleId=13712&lang=en Pity us in the Oz army, we’re told to never put a rifle on auto and taught to fire automatic weapons one shot at a time, “how many of those bloody bullets you reckon you can lug with out hope of re-supply knowing fuil well that you might actualy need them for a week or more?”
US foreign policy step one: State some wild ambition to agressively exert influence to appease the miltary industrial complex . . . oh, and these days dad’s old cronies.
Step two: Call in all the homies. Oh fuck me, no need, they’re doing it themselves. Look at them lining up like judas sheep ready to lead the dirt poor schmucks like Pvte Lynch into doing their fantasy work. Cool. Whoa, guns, we like them, oh shoot em’ all, let god sort it out, they’r’e not like us in any case.
Step three: Slag the “left”: Hang on. What left are you actually talking about? The pale pink humbug? Democrats/liberals? For godsake they don’t even deserve Orwell’s disdain. Wankers.
Broaden your vistas “rightists”. The real left does have arguments against your radio jock inanity. Have a read. I’m presuming that you’all have something of a brain, sure you’ll find it if you could be boithered taking a real peek.
In the interim leave it well out of a forum on Taiwan.
From my own experience:
I was severly restricted in the areas I could study at university because of left-wing shit. For example “Oh the Maori - (all evidence to the contrary) - were not cannibals.” Just a myth invented by evil whites.
Some of my professors and lecturers would fly off to Central America to play “peasant revolutionary” - picking coffee beans or what have you - then come back to my university to spout their commie shit. All paid by honest tax payers like my poor mum and dad. One of my greatest pleasures in living inTaiwan is knowing that I am not funding that kind of shit.
[quote=“almas john”]From my own experience:
I was severly restricted in the areas I could study at university because of left-wing shit. . . . All paid by honest tax payers like my poor mum and dad. One of my greatest pleasures in living inTaiwan is knowing that I am not funding that kind of shit.
Better Dead than Red.[/quote]
I agree with you. The same sort of post-rational self destruction is going on in US society and I’m well glad to be rid of it.
What does this have to do with the topic ‘Iraq, Wherefor Art Thou’ though?
Not much. I was just having a go at theleft. My basic point is that most lefties don’t operate in the real world. How many have private businesses? F@@K all. The irony is that despite all the anti-establishment bullshit (compulsory Che Guevara poster) they are all on the government paycheck.
So American riflemen can’t shoot, is that it?? Why is the casualty toll running about 10-1 in the other direction? I guess the Iraqis shoot even worse.
This is why we have Predator drones, Kiowas, and artillery.
I was at a range preparing for a match a few months ago, and the kiddies a few benches down were doing some sort of ROTC training. They were all over the target, just terrible. It looked like they were usually staying within the five-ring at 100 yards. Sigh.
What I was referring to was the logistical support the US military enjoys (in contrast to virtually everybody else) which allows their soldiers to expend incredible amounts of ammunition and in the process maiming and killing too many innocent people.
[quote=“Huang Guang Chen”]Actually I ammended another post to clarify that.
What I was referring to was the logistical support the US military enjoys (in contrast to virtually everybody else) which allows their soldiers to expend incredible amounts of ammunition and in the process maiming and killing too many innocent people.
HG[/quote]
The assault weapon concept was developed in WWII by the Germans as a result of their experiences on the Eastern Front. When you’re outnumbered and outgunned 50-1, it helps to be able to lay down as much steel on the enemy as possible…if he’s keeping his head down he can’t shoot you. If Australia had fought a modern war (or had to plan for one) in the past 50 years, it’s theories might be different.
Regarding the “Left” and the media, take alook at the 50th Anniversary retrospective on the Cuban revolution by the BBC. How is it they can report on 50 years of Cuban history and never once mention the the words Communist or Communism?
[quote=“blueface666”]Regarding the “Left” and the media, take alook at the 50th Anniversary retrospective on the Cuban revolution by the BBC. How is it they can report on 50 years of Cuban history and never once mention the the words Communist or Communism?
[quote=“blueface666”]Regarding the “Left” and the media, take alook at the 50th Anniversary retrospective on the Cuban revolution by the BBC. How is it they can report on 50 years of Cuban history and never once mention the the words Communist or Communism?
[/quote]
Astounding.
That’s the nub. The Australian army trains for guerilla warfare.
As for Cuba and the BBC, perhaps they were inclined to use the more left friendly “state capitalism” to describe it. Much like earlier real commie critics of China and the Soviet Union. (didn’t have time to read it)
[quote=“Soddom”][quote=“blueface666”]Regarding the “Left” and the media, take alook at the 50th Anniversary retrospective on the Cuban revolution by the BBC. How is it they can report on 50 years of Cuban history and never once mention the the words Communist or Communism?
[quote=“Soddom”][quote=“blueface666”]Regarding the “Left” and the media, take alook at the 50th Anniversary retrospective on the Cuban revolution by the BBC. How is it they can report on 50 years of Cuban history and never once mention the the words Communist or Communism?
Cos it aint the creeping ass bug it is to you yanks![/quote]
I wonder what the British response would have been if in the 1980s, the IRA (with Soviet aid), had managed to take over Ireland and point a few SS20s across the Irish Sea at London.
[quote=“blueface666”]Regarding the “Left” and the media, take alook at the 50th Anniversary retrospective on the Cuban revolution by the BBC. How is it they can report on 50 years of Cuban history and never once mention the the words Communist or Communism?
news.BBC.co.UK/2/hi/americas/3101381.stm[/quote]
It’s not “a retrospective on the Cuban revolution by the BBC,” it’s a summary by the BBC of comments made by other agencies.
