Conservative Intellect-Kitsch, Oxymoron, or Both?
The conservative freak show known as CPAC, starring Rush ‘n Joe The Alleged Plumber, has demonstrated how bankrupt what passes for conservative intellect is nowadays. (Don’t gloat, liberals, this can happen after 20-plus years of unbridled power, and it can happen to YOU, too.)
Still, the carny sideshow nature of what the GOP has become inspires this astute observer to ask whether the Rethugs have descended to kitschy status.
From Jonathan Taplin’s TPM Cafe think-piece (highly-recommended):
“When the best selling intellectual tract at the CPAC show is written by Joe the Plumber, one can posit that the intellectual movement called conservatism has evolved into “Kitsch”–“a creative gesture that merely imitates the superficial appearances of thought (via repeated conventions and formula), thus, it is uncreative and unoriginal.” The great Milan Kundera described Kitsch this way.
Kitsch functions by excluding from view everything that humans find difficult with which to come to terms, offering instead a sanitized view of the world, in which “all answers are given in advance and preclude any questions”.
In its desire to paper over the complexities and contradictions of real life, kitsch, Kundera suggested, is intimately linked with totalitarianism. In a healthy democracy, diverse interest groups compete and negotiate with one another to produce a generally acceptable consensus; by contrast, “everything that infringes on kitsch,” including individualism, doubt, and irony, “must be banished for life” in order for kitsch to survive.”
“All answers are given in advance and preclude any questions.” Sounds like the origin of the Dittoheads to the Beast Who Slumbers.
Which brings El Somnambulo to the title of this piece. While ‘conservative intellect’ may or may not be an oxymoron, the unchallenged lead ‘intellect’ is an oxycontin-addled moron.
Close enough for ‘Bulo.
Oh, and if you’re the type that prefers your sideshow in slideshow form, click away. Just come back and tell ‘Bulo which slides you liked the best.
Kitsch would also include a 13-year old speaker.
Alaska’s I Eat Gravel said it best:
That clip is scary. Look at all the calculated hand gestures. He may or not be human. El Somnambulo sees a TV ministry in Robokid’s future.
HA! That’s Dave Burris’s new boss.
Man oh man, that is the second clip I’ve seen from that freakshow. The first one was Ann Coulter explaining the fact that FDR is only popular because the communists in charge of college history departments like him to some guileless home-schooled hot house flower.
If CPAC doesn’t demonstrate to everyone that conservatism is a dead movement, I don’t what it will take.
Over at Balloon Juice they’re making fun of a Brietbart piece that includes the following wisdom:
LOL!!! Who knew that Mike P. spamming threads at Delaware Liberal was a new avant garde form of Socratic debate!
I suppose that it is sinful to stand up to evil.
I remember Goldwater’s acceptance speech and still find the words to be true.
Some of us still do not love Big Brother.
Does Art mean the Big Brother who basically legalized tapping everyone’s phone lines? The Big Brother who throws people off of planes b/c of the sound of their names? The Big Brother who puts the Audubon Society on a list of terrorist organizations? The Big Brother who decides that the public has no right to know what Big Brother is doing?
Arturo proves ‘Bulo’s point. His post defines the phrase, “a creative gesture that merely imitates the superficial appearance of thought.” But w/o the ‘creative’.
3 sentences. Zero thought.
No, Art, that’s what Rush wants you to believe. Be strong, Art! Republicans should stand up to that evil, bullying talk-radio demagogue. Take back your party from Rush, Art!
I suppose that it is sinful to stand up to evil.
Interesting that Art wouldn’t object to the sin of lying, which is Limbaugh (and much of his party’s) stock in trade.
Channeling inner-wingnut speak:
So when are those conservodummy rightards gonna change their party’s name to XE or sumtin like that?
’cause rebranding is their only short-term hope.
BTW – can’t wait for the 3 ‘debates’ with Bill Maher and that swingin’ dick, Ann Coulter!