{"id":23247,"date":"2010-12-01T14:25:27","date_gmt":"2010-12-01T21:25:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/proteinwisdom.com\/?p=23247"},"modified":"2010-12-01T14:25:27","modified_gmt":"2010-12-01T21:25:27","slug":"cum-hoc-ergo-propter-hoc-sdferr-guest-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/proteinwisdom.com\/?p=23247","title":{"rendered":"Cum Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc [Sdferr guest post]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jeff has dealt with the “economic sabotage” attacks of Democrat mouthpieces like Steve Benen or Paul Krugman earlier<\/a>. Today we find a novel codification (pdf<\/a>) of that particular Democrat ‘strategic’ sally, with an hyperbolic advance in its argument, declaimed in the headline “Beyond ‘Sabotage’ — The central issue about the growing political extremism of the Republican Party is that it’s undermining fundamental American standards of ethical political conduct and behavior. It’s time for Americans to say ‘That’s enough’. ”<\/p>\n

*IT’S WAR! the Republicans shout,* these Democrat strategists shout. (Ah well, “strategy” does originate in the Greek for “generalship”<\/a> in warfighting, so it’ll be tough to escape in any event.)<\/p>\n

Indeed, Messers Kilgore, Vega and Green, that’s quite enough.<\/p>\n

Enough — basta! I say — from you<\/em> fellows as well, if not for our sakes as peaceful political intentionalists, but for your own sakes as hopeful proponents of your professed ideological stance! After all, even supposing you were capable of “defeating” your political opposition by means of this strategic attack on these pitiable strawmen — carrying the voters with you only that far — you’ll then find you are in need of a positive program upon which to build the interests of the nation you propose to lead. Stirring up anti-“politics-as-warfare”-fighters alone won’t get you there, will it? Or do I unfairly suspect you of seeking diversion from your current electoral misery? That’s not undermining to be sure, but covering the body with scavenged brush for concealment, hoping no-one will notice the battered corpse. <\/p>\n

What, in other words, do you propose to do about the opposition of the American people to your plans to nationalize all health care? What to do about the opposition of the American people to your plans to impose a cap and trade system designed to tax energy consumption, and with it, diminish the health of the American economy? What to do about the frightful waste of taxpayers’ dollars in Keyensian recovery schemes that don’t promote recovery? And on what fundamental grounds will you make your new proposals?<\/p>\n

Speak to us instead, I beseech you, of the ‘fundamental’ America standards of ethical political conduct, drawing your ties to those fundamental America politico-theoretical ideas, ideas embodied in documents such as the Declaration of Independence, Madison’s Notes in Constitutional Convention, the Federalist and anti-Federalist papers and the Constitution. Speak to us of these fundamental standards in the works of the political philosophers who informed the founders of our nation, say, such men as Locke, Montesquieu, Hobbes, et al.<\/p>\n

Or else, explain to us how it is that yet other political philosophers’ thoughts, say the ideas of Hegel, Marx, Marcuse and Fanon — just to pick a handful from the blue blue sky — are fundamentally American, and hence tell us where you want to go and why we should follow. Or choose other sources as you see fit, but do get down to the brassest of brass tacks, and say: What is this fundament of politics you cite? Say too, why you have the better understanding of that fundament of politics — once having identified it — than do your opponents. Tell us plainly your aims, your objects, your ends.<\/p>\n

Persuade us openly, hiding nothing. At least, for a change, make the attempt. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jeff has dealt with the “economic sabotage” attacks of Democrat mouthpieces like Steve Benen or Paul Krugman earlier. Today we find a novel codification (pdf) of that particular Democrat ‘strategic’ sally, with an hyperbolic advance in its argument, declaimed in the headline “Beyond ‘Sabotage’ — The central issue about the growing political extremism of the Republican Party is that it’s undermining fundamental American standards of ethical political conduct and behavior.<\/p>\n

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