The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

‘Progress’ As Cultural Bulldozer

Posted on | June 25, 2014 | 25 Comments

by Smitty

Anthony Daniels, aka Theodore Dalyrmple, speaking at Hillsdale of the lower class in England, emphasis mine:

Certainly the notions of dependence and independence have changed. I remember a population that was terrified of falling into dependence on the state, because such dependence, apart from being unpleasant in itself, signified personal failure and humiliation. But there has been an astonishing gestalt switch in my lifetime. Independence has now come to mean independence of the people to whom one is related and dependence on the state. Mothers would say to me that they were pleased to be independent, by which they meant independent of the fathers of their children—usually more than one—who in general were violent swine. Of course, the mothers knew them to be violent swine before they had children by them, but the question of whether a man would be a suitable father is no longer a question because there are no fathers: At best, though often also at worst, there are only stepfathers. The state would provide. In the new dispensation the state, as well as television, is father to the child.

Read the whole damning indictment, which is certainly not far off of the current American debacle.

I guess Mrs. OtherSmitty and I are some kind of rebellious counter-culture figures, staying employed, married, and taking our children to church, instead of raising them to look to the government for another Baal-out.

Category: Culture

Comments

25 Responses to “‘Progress’ As Cultural Bulldozer”

  1. Political Rift » ‘Progress’ As Cultural Bulldozer
    June 25th, 2014 @ 10:05 am

    […] Read more here: ‘Progress’ As Cultural Bulldozer […]

  2. Quartermaster
    June 25th, 2014 @ 10:45 am

    Being married, having kids in marriage, and going to church is quite the counter-cultural thing these days. I always wanted to be a non-conformist myself, but didn’t want to be a hippy, who were some of the most conformist people out there. Now I am, and I don’t have to change my lifestyle a whit.

  3. M. Thompson
    June 25th, 2014 @ 10:50 am

    Not freaking surprised. It’s a rot in the soul that starts.

  4. joe
    June 25th, 2014 @ 11:16 am

    yeah, by being a reactionary who wants the old status quo you’re “counter culture”. there’s been some silly right wing ideas over the years but thst one is the worst.

    xstianity is the ultimate group think.

  5. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    June 25th, 2014 @ 11:24 am

    Smitty does not even take mind altering substances!

  6. joe
    June 25th, 2014 @ 11:29 am

    no, it’s the consequence of our economic elite wanting cheap labor, and getting government to make the middle class pay for those who can’t get a job.

  7. RKae
    June 25th, 2014 @ 11:46 am

    Just “xstianity”?

    Yeah, you’re free of group think. Yup. Uh-huh.

  8. Trespassers W
    June 25th, 2014 @ 11:47 am

    There are none so blind. . . .

  9. RKae
    June 25th, 2014 @ 11:51 am

    Joe, read those words up there: “gestalt switch.” All culture is group think. Every 19-year-old with a tattoo considers himself/herself to be individualistic. It’s an utter joke.

    The shift away from responsible grownup behavior of the past to today’s “hookup culture” is group think.

    Smart-ass commenters using the same lingo over and over (“zombie Jesus”) get acceptance from the herd/tribe, and feel empowered.

    Atheism is the same group think as everything else.

  10. DeadMessenger
    June 25th, 2014 @ 12:43 pm

    How can “xstianity” be the “ultimate” group think, when there are so many sects that have different beliefs?

    The ultimate group think is actually political correctness, which is what you are spewing.

  11. Quartermaster
    June 25th, 2014 @ 1:02 pm

    Far better to be what you delude yourself into thinking what I am than to be that libtard you are. I don’t have to ignore the entire universe to be what I am, unlike you.

  12. RKae
    June 25th, 2014 @ 1:20 pm

    The atheist left likes to push the idiocy that the existence of different sects is proof that Christians can’t get along, when, instead, it’s exactly as you present it: they allow for people to step out.

    I love it when lefties tell me that we need one religion that we can all agree on… as if trying to pull everyone under one tent has EVER produced peace – in religion, politics, culture, etc.

  13. Wombat_socho
    June 25th, 2014 @ 1:42 pm

    Non sequitur much?

  14. RS
    June 25th, 2014 @ 1:52 pm

    The religion of the Left is nothing more than a cargo cult which believes that by giving people the accouterments of a middle class life, they will magically develop a middle class morality. It doesn’t happen, never has and never will.

  15. Heartbreak in Mississippi: Chris McDaniel loses in GOP primary runoff | Batshit Crazy News
    June 25th, 2014 @ 3:33 pm

    […] Smitty: Progress as a cultural bulldozer… […]

  16. bridget
    June 25th, 2014 @ 3:49 pm

    “Of course, the mothers knew them to be violent swine before they had
    children by them, but the question of whether a man would be a suitable
    father is no longer a question because there are no fathers”

    The thing that gets to me is that this isn’t even good for the alleged beneficiaries (i.e. women). Pray tell, what women benefits by sleeping and reproducing with violent swine, or even men who just lack general good character? How is it in our best interests – from a completely selfish perspective – to screw men who don’t care about us and then be covered in Pablum when they are out with their next conquest?

    Was that not once the fear of actual feminists – that we be stuck dating and raising the offspring of bad men? What next – we’ll start saying that it’s “empowering” to drop out of high school and be unemployable?

    I miss the days of a feminism that promoted our welfare, empowerment, education, and good decision-making.

  17. RKae
    June 25th, 2014 @ 7:09 pm

    Men desire to date (read: “hump”) beautiful women because it’s a status symbol that impresses other men; the rapper with the “arm candy” routine: “I got what you all want – so there!”

    I just don’t get what status there is for women to date vicious, toxic men. How does mating with thuggery impress other women? What the hell IS going on there? They giggle and say, “Oh, he’s got that ‘bad boy’ thing goin’ on!” and then they get either beaten or abandoned. Brilliant.

  18. Quartermaster
    June 25th, 2014 @ 8:02 pm

    The Bible is the ultimate mind altering “substance.” And, I’m glad of it.

  19. Nan
    June 25th, 2014 @ 8:26 pm

    Wait. You’re married to a woman? And you have children? Together?! AND you take them to church? Is that legal?

  20. Jane the Actuary
    June 25th, 2014 @ 9:51 pm

    We are headed towards modelling our society off the world of the Big Cats, where the father is extraneous, and even a threat, to the family. Not good. . .

    http://janetheactuary.blogspot.com/2013/12/big-cats-and-human-relationships.html

  21. smitty
    June 25th, 2014 @ 9:58 pm

    Barely. Once they throw out ex post facto we’re all beat.

  22. K-Bob
    June 25th, 2014 @ 10:44 pm

    We had a flood of these clowns at Scoop’s the other day. It’s like none of them have ever read their Kant, even though they fall all over themselves to believe the Marxists who did.

  23. DeadMessenger
    June 26th, 2014 @ 2:00 am

    Those lefties should just hold their horses, because one day soon they’re going to get their “one tent” political, religious, and possibly cultural wish for a period of 3.5 – 7 years, then Jesus will show up and repossess what is His. That one tent thing is going to turn out to not be the utopia their Marxist masters told them it would be.

  24. Quartermaster
    June 26th, 2014 @ 4:24 pm

    It will be hell on earth. The Nazi and communist regimes give an idea of what that will be like. The question I have is why the meth addled left wants such things? The are obviously too willfully obtuse to learn.

    God will let them have what they want, and they will get it good and hard. Then they will get it even worse in eternity.

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