Comments on: They’re On The Huckabandwagon…I Am Not http://larison.org/2008/01/11/theyre-on-the-huckabandwagoni-am-not/ n. the principle of good order "Observe the strange inversion of all order and sense! Dignity debased; how vilely is the function of a consul prostituted!" ~The Craftsman Sun, 21 Mar 2010 01:38:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Daniel Larison http://larison.org/2008/01/11/theyre-on-the-huckabandwagoni-am-not/#comment-8514 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 07:45:02 +0000 http://larison.org/2008/01/11/theyre-on-the-huckabandwagoni-am-not/#comment-8514 The real absurdity is that interventionist wars have killed more people and stoked more ethnic and sectarian hatred than even actual institutional racism in American history, but to be fully behind the former makes you a hero and to be associated, however falsely, with some echo of the latter makes you a villain. Those opposed to stoking ethnic and racial hatreds should want nothing to do with people who propose mass expulsions, er, "relocations" of entire peoples, wars of aggression and the propagandistic vilification of entire nations, but the leading candidates of *both* parties have to one degree or another embraced one or all of these things in the past. What I find really pathetic about all of this is the ease with which many fair-weather boosters of Paul have run away from him now that it is no longer cost-free and trendy to keep backing him. The real absurdity is that interventionist wars have killed more people and stoked more ethnic and sectarian hatred than even actual institutional racism in American history, but to be fully behind the former makes you a hero and to be associated, however falsely, with some echo of the latter makes you a villain. Those opposed to stoking ethnic and racial hatreds should want nothing to do with people who propose mass expulsions, er, “relocations” of entire peoples, wars of aggression and the propagandistic vilification of entire nations, but the leading candidates of *both* parties have to one degree or another embraced one or all of these things in the past.

What I find really pathetic about all of this is the ease with which many fair-weather boosters of Paul have run away from him now that it is no longer cost-free and trendy to keep backing him.

]]> by: Zarathustra http://larison.org/2008/01/11/theyre-on-the-huckabandwagoni-am-not/#comment-8513 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 06:58:50 +0000 http://larison.org/2008/01/11/theyre-on-the-huckabandwagoni-am-not/#comment-8513 That's a shame. Dreher is the second person whom I once believed to be fairly sensible, Joshua T. being the first, who for some reason now supports the candidate who is most likely to continue the brand of "conservatism" that has (ostensibly) irritated them for at least the last couple of years. It's also serves as yet another reminder that Americans are absolutely irrational about the subject of race. Huckabee and the other four "mainstream" GOP candidates full-throatily endorse an ideology, today, that has resulted in the deaths of 4000 Americans (and 10000+ coalition, including the Iraqi National Army, personnel) over the last five years, and this is completely unremarkable. Paul twenty years ago allows a ghostwriter to write some un-PC remarks in a zine, and he's automatically a non-person, despite the fact that "racism" (even if defined broadly) hasn't killed anywhere near 4000 Americans over the last <i>three decades</i>. I really don't want to believe that part of this hysterical reaction against Paul isn't the result of these pundits realizing that, after the mild success of the surge, the balance of power on the right may be shifting back even further to the interventionist side a la 2002, but it's quite hard not to feel so. That’s a shame. Dreher is the second person whom I once believed to be fairly sensible, Joshua T. being the first, who for some reason now supports the candidate who is most likely to continue the brand of “conservatism” that has (ostensibly) irritated them for at least the last couple of years.

It’s also serves as yet another reminder that Americans are absolutely irrational about the subject of race. Huckabee and the other four “mainstream” GOP candidates full-throatily endorse an ideology, today, that has resulted in the deaths of 4000 Americans (and 10000+ coalition, including the Iraqi National Army, personnel) over the last five years, and this is completely unremarkable. Paul twenty years ago allows a ghostwriter to write some un-PC remarks in a zine, and he’s automatically a non-person, despite the fact that “racism” (even if defined broadly) hasn’t killed anywhere near 4000 Americans over the last three decades.

I really don’t want to believe that part of this hysterical reaction against Paul isn’t the result of these pundits realizing that, after the mild success of the surge, the balance of power on the right may be shifting back even further to the interventionist side a la 2002, but it’s quite hard not to feel so.

]]> by: Daniel Larison http://larison.org/2008/01/11/theyre-on-the-huckabandwagoni-am-not/#comment-8504 Sat, 12 Jan 2008 23:46:44 +0000 http://larison.org/2008/01/11/theyre-on-the-huckabandwagoni-am-not/#comment-8504 Case in point: Huckabee wants to drive the Palestinians off their land, while Bush has come around, however belatedly, to speaking of "the occupation." I'm still trying to process that one--it's such a bizarre thing for him to say, because it demonstrates something like a realistic understanding of something in the region. Case in point: Huckabee wants to drive the Palestinians off their land, while Bush has come around, however belatedly, to speaking of “the occupation.” I’m still trying to process that one–it’s such a bizarre thing for him to say, because it demonstrates something like a realistic understanding of something in the region.

]]> by: tcowan http://larison.org/2008/01/11/theyre-on-the-huckabandwagoni-am-not/#comment-8503 Sat, 12 Jan 2008 23:41:51 +0000 http://larison.org/2008/01/11/theyre-on-the-huckabandwagoni-am-not/#comment-8503 I'm going to give the Huckabandwagon a pass, as well. I readily admit that I am prejudiced against him. I see him first and foremost as a Southern Baptist preacher. And I live in a region of the country where Southern Baptist preachers have not a little influence. But invariably, they all fall in line behind the downtown crowd and Chamber of Commerce types. More business as usual. What scares me about Huckabee is that here is a man who can gush enthusiastically about the "Left Behind" series. At the risk of being considered elitist, this just tells me that he is not a serious reader. This is certainly no disqualification for the job, particularly in light of the fact that we are about to enter the 8th year of such a Presidency. My fear is that Huckabee, who holds to such a seriously screwball eschatology, could do even more damage than GWB in the Middle East. Hard to imagine, but that is my fear. I’m going to give the Huckabandwagon a pass, as well. I readily admit that I am prejudiced against him. I see him first and foremost as a Southern Baptist preacher. And I live in a region of the country where Southern Baptist preachers have not a little influence. But invariably, they all fall in line behind the downtown crowd and Chamber of Commerce types. More business as usual.

What scares me about Huckabee is that here is a man who can gush enthusiastically about the “Left Behind” series. At the risk of being considered elitist, this just tells me that he is not a serious reader. This is certainly no disqualification for the job, particularly in light of the fact that we are about to enter the 8th year of such a Presidency. My fear is that Huckabee, who holds to such a seriously screwball eschatology, could do even more damage than GWB in the Middle East. Hard to imagine, but that is my fear.

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