Losing Our Delusions. Not Much Left.

Reposted as history. Originally posted in February of 2005.


by Martin Peretz - Post date 02.17.05 Issue date 02.28.05 - The New Republic

Ask yourself: Who is a truly influential liberal mind in our culture? Whose ideas challenge and whose ideals inspire? Whose books and articles are read and passed around? There's no one, really. What's left is the laundry list: the catalogue of programs (some dubious, some not) that Republicans aren't funding, and the [left wing] blogs, with their daily panic dose about how the Bush administration is ruining the country.

This is a truly amazing editorial in a liberal magazine that has for quite some time been a liberal leader in the intellectual discussions of our nation. It is a fascinating read. Like the resignation letter of Christopher Hitchens over the anti-war bias of the left, it is a surprising break with conventional wisdom of the left. No one on the right has been as honestly critical of the problems that beset the liberal mind set of the democrats as Peretz has been here.

To get back on track, liberals and democrats might start with; 1. a willingness to concede socialism is a horrible and evil system that dehumanizes people and leads to a totalitarian state, and 2. that they are once again willing to be patriots for our great nation. I suspect either position is going farther than Peretz (or any liberal) is willing to go, but this editorial is a good start.