Sowell Dreams Of Military Coup

[DVaut1]

If you recall from this thread, we're told by this forum's right-wing denizens that it's the left who poses the greatest threat to freedom and liberty; apparently the enactment of speech codes on college campuses, coupled with some state legislator in Florida proposing that state documents prohibit the use of term "illegal alien", are proof positive of the grave threat that the American liberal poses to us.

Meanwhile, according to this narrative, it's the right who can save us from this liberal scourge. It's the right who can restore freedom and liberty from the claws of the decadence and moral depravity of the left.

Don't believe me? Just ask their intellectual godfathers.

We've already revisited Bork's suggeston by "legislatively restraining" popular culture, we can actually enhance liberty. What about fellow right-wing bellwether Thomas Sowell? Well, to his credit, he doesn't even want to bother with legislatures, the rule of law, or anything like that. Obviously we're past the point of no return there. No, Sowell essentially says "democracy ftw lol suckorz" and goes straight to outright lusting for a military coup to save us from 'degeneracy':

"When I see the worsening degeneracy in our politicians, our media, our educators, and our intelligentsia, I can’t help wondering if the day may yet come when the only thing that can save this country is a military coup." - Thomas Sowell

Keep in mind, I'm not even talking about fringe whackos like David Duke here. The right foists the likes of Bork and Sowell as paragons of contemporary right-wing intellectualism. So let's not attempt to suggest this is some attempt on my behalf to prop up fringe nutjobs as exemples of prevailing right-wing sentiment. The Bork's and Sowell's of the world are reputable and highly respected voices on the right.

So, on the one side, we have campus speech codes and euphemisms in state-documents. And on the other, we have legislative restraints on culture and military coups to save us from perceived moral degeneracy. Again, I wonder: where exactly is the threat to freedom coming from?

[Myrtle]

[ QUOTE ]
If you recall from this thread, we're told by this forum's right-wing denizens that it's the left who poses the greatest threat to freedom and liberty; apparently the enactment of speech codes on college campuses, coupled with some state legislator in Florida proposing that state documents prohibit the use of term "illegal alien", are proof positive of the grave threat that the American liberal poses to us.

Meanwhile, according to this narrative, it's the right who can save us from this liberal scourge. It's the right who can restore freedom and liberty from the claws of the decadence and moral depravity of the left.

Don't believe me? Just ask their intellectual godfathers.

We've already revisited Bork's suggeston by "legislatively restraining" popular culture, we can actually enhance liberty. What about fellow right-wing bellwether Thomas Sowell? Well, to his credit, he doesn't even want to bother with legislatures, the rule of law, or anything like that. Obviously we're past the point of no return there. No, Sowell essentially says "democracy ftw lol suckorz" and goes straight to outright lusting for a military coup to save us from 'degeneracy':

"When I see the worsening degeneracy in our politicians, our media, our educators, and our intelligentsia, I can’t help wondering if the day may yet come when the only thing that can save this country is a military coup." - Thomas Sowell

Keep in mind, I'm not even talking about fringe whackos like David Duke here. The right foists the likes of Bork and Sowell as paragons of contemporary right-wing intellectualism. So let's not attempt to suggest this is some attempt on my behalf to prop up fringe nutjobs as exemples of prevailing right-wing sentiment. The Bork's and Sowell's of the world are reputable and highly respected voices on the right.

So, on the one side, we have campus speech codes and euphemisms in state-documents. And on the other, we have legislative restraints on culture and military coups to save us from perceived moral degeneracy. Again, I wonder: where exactly is the threat to freedom coming from?

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Perhaps it is threats (plural) and not threat (singular)?

Perhaps you've just pointed out different threats from opposing ideologies?

[Borodog]

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Again, I wonder: where exactly is the threat to freedom coming from?

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Both of them.

What do I win?

[NCAces]

I read the Sowell article ... it is one of his "grab-bag" articles where he simply throws out some random thoughts that are one-liners or at most a short paragraph. He does this every so often ... probably ideas he wrote down in a journal and never got around to using them for a full blown article.

To summarize the one liner as "outright lusting for a military coup to save us from 'degeneracy'" is quite a stretch. There is no way a sensible, reasonable person can make the leap unless they are pre-disposed against Sowell and/or his idealology.

NCAces

[kickabuck]

As a big fan of Sowell's and one who has read a couple of his books many years ago(his thorough examination of the tragedy of the underclass in America was first-rate), I do not read his columns 'cause they usually stink. They are all over the place, just like this one, going from point to point with little elaboration. Short columns do not lend themselves to Sowell's strength, thorough and exhaustive examination of a subject matter. As to this statement you are highlighting, he is obviously lamenting the direction of a culture that is coarsening and believing that such coarsening may one day be worthy of revolt by those no longer inclined to live in filth. You may find this statement shocking, but definitely gives some insight as to the degree to which socially conservative people feel under assault in today's culture and the direction they feel it is heading.

[adanthar]

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As to this statement you are highlighting, he is obviously lamenting the direction of a culture that is coarsening and believing that such coarsening may one day be worthy of revolt by those no longer inclined to live in filth. You may find this statement shocking, but definitely gives some insight as to the degree to which socially conservative people feel under assault in today's culture and the direction they feel it is heading.

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I fail to see how that counters the OP's point.

[JackWhite]

DVAUT, I know you hate restrictions on freedoms, including freedom of speech. So when McCain-Feingold was passed, I am sure you marched in the streets to protest this limitation on speech?

I didn't notice a whole lot of liberals lamenting this law which restricts my ability to criticize politicians using the media before an election. Liberals are just as bad as conservatives. Many on each side want to restrict activities they don't like. You are kidding yourself if you think liberals are immune from anti-freedom beliefs.

Nobody who supported McCain-Feingold can lecture others on respect for freedom of speech.

[Brainwalter]

I think you're either misreading or intentionally misrepresenting this statement (or both). "If I leave this ice cream out all night I might have to throw it away" is not the same as "outright lusting to throw away ice cream".

[John Kilduff]

[ QUOTE ]
If you recall from this thread, we're told by this forum's right-wing denizens that it's the left who poses the greatest threat to freedom and liberty; apparently the enactment of speech codes on college campuses, coupled with some state legislator in Florida proposing that state documents prohibit the use of term "illegal alien", are proof positive of the grave threat that the American liberal poses to us.

Meanwhile, according to this narrative, it's the right who can save us from this liberal scourge. It's the right who can restore freedom and liberty from the claws of the decadence and moral depravity of the left.

Don't believe me? Just ask their intellectual godfathers.

We've already revisited Bork's suggeston by "legislatively restraining" popular culture, we can actually enhance liberty. What about fellow right-wing bellwether Thomas Sowell? Well, to his credit, he doesn't even want to bother with legislatures, the rule of law, or anything like that. Obviously we're past the point of no return there. No, Sowell essentially says "democracy ftw lol suckorz" and goes straight to outright lusting for a military coup to save us from 'degeneracy':

"When I see the worsening degeneracy in our politicians, our media, our educators, and our intelligentsia, I can’t help wondering if the day may yet come when the only thing that can save this country is a military coup." - Thomas Sowell

Keep in mind, I'm not even talking about fringe whackos like David Duke here. The right foists the likes of Bork and Sowell as paragons of contemporary right-wing intellectualism. So let's not attempt to suggest this is some attempt on my behalf to prop up fringe nutjobs as exemples of prevailing right-wing sentiment. The Bork's and Sowell's of the world are reputable and highly respected voices on the right.

So, on the one side, we have campus speech codes and euphemisms in state-documents. And on the other, we have legislative restraints on culture and military coups to save us from perceived moral degeneracy. Again, I wonder: where exactly is the threat to freedom coming from?

[/ QUOTE ]

I genuinely fear both the Right and the Left on issues of personal freedoms and civil rights. Come to think of it, there are precious few groups of any type that do not instill such fears in me to some extent.

Bork's abysmal, absurd suggestion was discussed at length on this forum, but I forget the OP title under which we discussed it. (Just in case you missed it, you would probably find it interesting).

The quote by Sowell is rather perplexing, at the very least. I wonder what else he might have to say were he to elaborate. I can't envision any scenario in which his words would prove true, in which a military coup would save this country from our leaders' degeneracy (and in the event of a coup, who would save us from the military leaders' degeneracies, I wonder? Bizarre.)

If we must try to compare the relative threats to freedom from Left versus Right, I would estimate that since the Bush administration took charge, the relative threat from the Right has increased significantly. (That is, if you consider Neo-Cons to actually be on the Right; more than a few don't, and many traditional conservatives are sick to death of them, considering them to be false conservatives who have sold out the country, involved America in a trumped-up and futile war, and spent the country into grave jeopardy).

In sum, I fear both the organized Right and the organized Left, and regard them both as threats to our essential liberties; but lately the Republicans have earned the greatest part of my distrust.

Thanks for reading, and for the interesting post to muse on.

[kickabuck]

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[ QUOTE ]
As to this statement you are highlighting, he is obviously lamenting the direction of a culture that is coarsening and believing that such coarsening may one day be worthy of revolt by those no longer inclined to live in filth. You may find this statement shocking, but definitely gives some insight as to the degree to which socially conservative people feel under assault in today's culture and the direction they feel it is heading.

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I fail to see how that counters the OP's point.

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Countering his point wasn't the intention of my post. Though it is true that Dvaut finds egregious certain declarations by conservatives regarding the culture wars, he finds no such urgency in actual restrictions of speech and other conservative concerns on college campuses, or in PC wording of legislation. Words mean things to Dvaut only if they are an assault on liberal sensibilities, not conservative ones.