Has America Gone Crazy the Last Two Weeks?
by Kurt SchlichterOn a trip that included a leg in a Blackhawk helicopter, I stepped off a KLM jet at LAX Monday after nearly a day in the air and found that apparently, during a short 9-day absence, my country had gone insane.
I was in Kosovo and largely out of touch with things happening back here in the States. I had no Internet, limited phone connectivity, and access only to CNN. This means that while I was gone I received nothing in the way of useful information. So imagine my surprise at all the news when I returned home.
Maybe you were not aware of it, but apparently the United States government now pretty much owns General Motors. I’m going to say that again, because it’s nuts – especially to those of us a certain age (44) who always saw GM as pretty much the Cadillac of American capitalism. The government owns General Motors. Let that notion roll around in your think-gourd for a few seconds.
I’m not really clear on the technical political science term for this phenomenon, since at UC San Diego my major was Coors Light with a minor in failed relationships, but that sounds an awful lot like socialism.
We also seemed to have jettisoned some of our most appealing political conventions while I was gone. Now, Kosovo and the rest of the Balkans have a rather checkered history when it comes to relationships between political competitors. Basically, until recently, the relationship was that you would kill your competitor. This is not a particularly progressive custom, and it helped make the former Yugoslavia the political, social and economic wonderland it is today.
I had a chance to talk to folks there about America and our system of resolving conflicts peacefully through the rule of law, as opposed to grabbing your AK-47 from the cache in the haystack and ethnically cleansing your neighbors. Our Kosovar friends – and they are our friends, as the average Kosovar is considerably more pro-American than the average American – listened eagerly and expressed a firm desire to build their newly independent nation along American lines and to settle future political differences through a structured political process rather than mass murder. Yes, a majority Muslim nation strongly believes that the United States provides the best model for its future development. And yes, I missed that story on the CBS Evening News, too.
So, upon departing my customs colonoscopy at LAX (My final flight did originate in Amsterdam), I was a bit disturbed to find that apparently we Americans have given up on that particular feature of our political system. Some self-righteous creep decided that the proper way to fight against the scourge of late-term abortion was to shoot America’s most notorious late-term abortionist. And some Muslim convert decided to slaughter an American soldier, Private William Long, and wound his buddy because he does not approve of the military campaigns initiated and carried on by our elected leaders. And a white supremacist, that I have to summon up considerable charity to label as a semi-human, decided to go on a deadly shooting spree at the Holocaust Museum.
In just nine days, did we Americans give up on our political process? Why didn’t I get the memo? Now, I’m no fan of Dr. Tiller, but to focus my objections on his activities – activities that whether one likes it or not, our democratic system have decided are legal – is to take the focus off the even greater threat that such political violence poses to our nation. This is America, and if that means anything at all it means that you don’t shoot people because you don’t agree with them.
This is a bigger problem than the murders of a liberal icon, an American soldier and a security guard, Steven Tyrone Johns, who every American should admire. This kind of behavior is a threat to our entire system and must be ruthlessly stamped out. Assuming guilt, Kansas needs to send killer Scott Roeder – who is a Christian like I am a particle physicist – to meet his maker. The same goes for that cretin who gunned down the soldiers – the sooner the good folks of Arkansas dispatch Mr. Abdulhakim Muhammad to his 72 virgins, the better. And as for that degenerate James von Brunn, my only regret is that the museum guards shot him in his brain instead of an organ he actually used.
There’s more. In popular culture, in just nine days, all sense of decency has departed from the public sphere. Now, it’s not as though before my trip our public discourse was at the level of the Algonquin Roundtable, but in my short absence it has taken a nosedive. David Letterman is now making sex jokes about Sarah Palin’s 14 year old daughter as well as calling the Governor “slutty.” Superclassy. Actually, I was more surprised to discover Letterman’s still on the air than to discover he was stealing bits that would embarrass the denizens of the Daily Kos comments pages.
Then there’s David Carradine. Let me sum that up in one word: Whattheunholyhell!?!?!
Can’t I leave you people alone even for nine days?
Kosovar kids pose for U.S. soldiers in the American sector, June 2009
As appalling as so much of our culture can be, there are bright lights out there – I’ve just visited with some of them. Take a moment to think of the American men and women serving all over the world, and especially those keeping the peace in Kosovo. As often as I want to bang my head against the wall in frustration at my society, our people are helping create a vibrant multi-ethnic capitalist pro-American democracy out of a failed socialist dictatorship based on ethnic divisions.
Think about that. Even while we fritter away the glorious nation our founding fathers bequeathed us, some of us are still striving to make their promise a reality for other peoples. And that more than makes up for all the dumb, tacky and evil things that have happened in the last nine days.
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68 Comments
It's true, a friend of mine from Kosovo loves her country, but thinks America really is the world's last, best hope for the world. Or, at least, she did a few years ago. We haven't had the conversation since, and now I'm hesitant to bring it up.
Thank you for your service, sir. And, yes, your country is circling the drain.
That about sums up the week. Maybe they put crazy pills in the water?
Seriously, thanks for the article and for being another voice of reason. There is no justification for any of this garbage in our country.
Jaciscully, I think we still are. . . we're just temporarily side-tracked by a moment of national stupidity. It will pass.
Yeah, what Andrew says. I've heard that missionaries coming back from remote places also see just how nuts we can get.
You confusion is caused by the fact that you were spending time with the U.S. Military, where people behave, norms are observed, and there are rules that everybody abides by. Meanwhile, back in the civilian world, many of us hate going to sleep at night because we know when we wake up in the morning, some new "it can't happen in America" moment will just have happened, and we'll be seeing or hearing about it with our morning coffee.
More laws, more regulations, more taxes. Everything is changing in ways people don't want, in ways they don't understand, and don't feel like they had any imput on, either left or right. Everyone is told to compromise and sacrifice but the changes always seem to be to the benefit of others. People are frustrated. The nuts are the first to break. The government and politicos need to see the warning signs and back off with promising everything and delivering nothing.
nothing like a trip abroad to find out 1) how much you love and miss the US, and 2) just how much most Europeans are truly fond of this country… a friend recently was in France and overheard some American citizens (liberals, no doubt) blasting the US and excoriating Bush. He said the cool response of the French people with him was the best understanding of the Bush administration he'd ever heard. They told the American miscreants
that Bush's presidency was a very complicated one and would have been extremely difficult for anyone to handle- and that he, despite his shortcomings kept the world safe…
and this was from the French!
"National Stupidity" … that pretty much sums it up. I'm checking the globe for alternative points of relocation in the event this whole national stupidity thing catches on in a bigger and more enduring way. Sighhhh….
It's true Kurt. If you would go to outer Mongolia for a month to study the mating habits of yak (on a Gore induced grant) and return, you just don't know what to expect. Things are now on the fast track. GM, Chrysler, Citi Bank takeovers, anti capitalism is on the march and theres no stopping it. From that perspective, things are looking bleak. Now there going to return cities to nature, and provide gravel roads… soon jack-asses will be the main source of transportation – which makes sense, since they are the ones that put us here.
Gordon, on the two shooters, we should all remember that of the 300 million people in this country, the number of nutjobs who decide to start killing people can usually be counted on one hand in any one year. So, by and large, we are a surprisingly decent people on that account, and we should all be thankful.
Still, Kurt is right when he talks about the dangers to our society of encouraging these people. We can't ever let these crackpots think that they will (1) become a hero or (2) change history or (3) help whatever cause they claim to representing. Or we will see them in much greater numbers. We must never encourage them.
Of course, the same thing is true with Obama — people need to stop encouraging him!
That warm, fuzzy feeling you're getting is Hope! and Change!
That warm, fuzzy feeling you're getting is Hope! and Change!
Well said.
too many people have started to confuse the election of our leaders with American Idol.
There is something particularly enlightening about seeing events from outside the prism of our own bubble, if you will, and your take on these past couple of weeks illustrates that perfectly. It reminds me of Robert Davi's post regarding the analysis of Obama's sermon to the Muslims as made by the former Indian cabinet member. Whether or not that gentleman was 100% correct or not was beside the point. What was cool was seeing an observation free from getting caught up in the daily grind.
I do want to remind everyone, Obama has been speaking to the A.M.A. today This is the big one folks. As someone who spent his career in insurance industry can attest, we simply have to keep the government from gaining more control of health care. I simply cannot preach that enough.
Indeed – on all counts. I do think that in times of upheaval, those among us who are less than stable think they must "do something". DailyKos commenters were daily saying that we were in the midst of a Republikkan coup d'etat and that "drastic action" was required to end the Bush Regime. Except for Tiller's murderer, I think we on the right can keep our heads.
Obama is bad for the country, but we'll survive and he will legitimately step down at the end of 4 years like Bush did.
Sorry Kurt. While you were gone the United States became the "People's Republic of obama" This country was sold out by a media that became 95% Anti- American a few years ago. They fail to report the news of this country and when they do they lie about it. If you want to find out what is going on in the this country you have only a few choices. Canada Free Press, almost any paper in the UK e.g DailyMail, Telegraph, even the London Times, Fox News and of course Big Hollywood. But don't fret by the end of 2010 we will belong to another communist regime called "The People Republic Of China".
Excellent post, this part is of special interest:
"our people are helping create a vibrant multi-ethnic capitalist pro-American democracy out of a failed socialist dictatorship based on ethnic divisions."
In other words, our people are helping them out of a situation that we may soon find ourselves in if we don't stand up and stop the nonsense.
Indeed. I lived in a former Soviet country in Central Asia for a year doing m work between 2006 and 2007, and when I got back it was both refreshing (Look, no Lenin statues!) and frustrating (Look, Paris Hilton is still in the news!). I felt pride at our system of government, entrepreneurial achievement, and generosity, the importance of which I really understood for the first time; but shame at our superficiality and the strange mix of apathy and belligerence regarding culture and politics.
The thing is, though, I have heard a lot of people from my generation (I graduated from college in 2005) say things like, "I wish something would happen" or "I wish I could have been involved in the Civil Rights movement", etc. Stories from those days have been glorified, like war stories, so people who didn't live through it want their moment to shine, not realizing how difficult those days were (not that I lived through them myself, but I imagine it was a tough time to be around). They don't want to be like Generation X, who are stigmatized as having been nothing and done nothing. Even if it means having riots in the streets, I think they think that's a good thing. It feels like a whole generation is going culturally stir crazy.
It's about time it was mentioned those Three Cretins (aka Scumbag Scott Roeder, Ballsac James von Brunn, and Sh**stain Carlos Bledsoe- I REFUSE to use his "terrorist" name in descibing him) deserve to be destroyed like the bags of filth they are…compared to those three tragic, treasonous acts of violence against America, I really couldn't care less about some jokes told by some irrelevant late-night "performer"…
You know it's interesting, but it seems like folks from "new" Europe appreciate us more than some of our old "special" friends over there. It's so easy for Americans of this generation to take what we have for granted.
You are right! It certainly changes your perspective to visit a place that practically worships America as the model country and to see US soldiers who are risking their lives far away from home and family to help others to realize the same freedom we seemingly take for granted or even abuse.
Kosovo has a long road ahead, but I (and hopefully others) are interested in building a better future and helping young Kosovars realize their dreams. I have been purchasing technology equipment for the past year and have formed a non-profit organization here in the USA. We will be starting a technology center in Kosovo this fall (complete with a surface mount assembly line and microelectronics cleanroom) to offer hands-on training and design experience to electrical engineering students.
Later, we will launch a technology business incubator to help young Kosovars start international technology businesses. This technology center is called Genesis Technology Center. Google us to learn more about it, if you are interested.
While the path ahead is difficult, the current situation offers the opportunity to make a huge and lasting difference for those who are willing to make the commitment.
This too shall pass. Once in awhile there are sudden periods of inexplicable wierdness that we just have to put up with. My advice is to pour out a couple of knocks of Bushmill's Irish, light up a cigar, put "The Searchers" in the DVD player and take it in stride. Repeat until a blessed insensibility takes hold.
I'd go to Australia, but everything there can kill you.
It is because of nostalgia of the type you express – General Motors being the "cadillac of American capitalism" – that GM was "saved" and falsely buoyed by the government. This "too big to fail" nonsense (or perhaps in this case, would it be "too many memories to fail" or "too historically significant to fail"?) is pure anathema to free market capitalism. GM was poorly managed, with its too-dear legacy costs, union bullying, refusal to follow consumer and technological trends, and proliferation of way too many poor-selling models. It deserved to tank, and top GM execs knew it for years. I am sure they were in fact waiting for "hard times" in order to "out" their financial situation and blame it on general downturn.
I disagree that 3 random wackos represent a "threat to our entire system." Let's dial down the hyperbole kthx.
I hope we are in flux. Will return to something solid or will we simply continue to melt and run downhill?
Hi five broham! As a fellow 44 year old, I share your confusion and disorientation of what our country has become.
Only in the military is the old America still living and breathing (and kicking ass!) on a daily basis.
Your comments would be more interesting without the partisanship.
Seems like the point of the whole website to me.
"I’m no fan of Dr. Tiller, but to focus my objections on his activities – activities that whether one likes it or not, our democratic system have decided are legal."
That's about the only thing I found in your piece to disagree with…on a technicality.
Legislation through the Supreme Court ala "Roe v. Wade" actually short-circuits our democratic system. It's almost the opposite thing from democracy. And what Tiller was doing wasn't even legal under Kansas law post Roe v. Wade.
Did he deserve to die for it? Well, yeah, kinda. I was pulling for a particularly grisly form of cancer as a judgment from the God of the Old Testament, who apparently used to do that sort of thing.
That having been said, we can't just run around shooting people we disagree with. Although, it would make the Final Six American Idol a whole lot more interesting.
As to whether or not the new "Government Motors" constitutes socialism: well, only in the sense that "government control or ownership of the revenue-producing industry" constitutes socialism. So I think we're good here: when was the last time GM actually produced revenue?
Welcome home.
Okay, everyone, take a deep breath for a minute…
Ready?
The NUTS have always been around. Always. From Brutus forward. Actually, you could make the case from Cain forward. And in a lot of cases, you couldn't just point at the people and say, "Look! a NUT!" And in a way, we wouldn't want to. Because someone with more authority and less intelligence might point at us one day and go, "NUT!"
What should be going on is cruel, cold calculation to have those in office who brought this on us defeated and removed before more damage occurs, to work without cease to put those with character, integrity, and morality in positions of power in every level and scope of our society, to root out and repair the damage that was done, even to the cost of their career in politics, and to inhibit, stymie, redirect, or emphatically deny those who would place these sorts of chains upon the American people ever again. And folks, if you, and by that I mean all of us, are not doing absolutely everything you possibly can to accomplish this, we, all of us, are failing our Nation, our Duty, and our Heritage. We have to be Reagan's "shining city on a hill", we just have to be!
Dali-Bama and the Minion Cohorts, (MSM, Congress, Statist Academia, the works), must be opposed at all and every place they seek power and dominion over the Citizens of this great Nation. We have seen example after example of how these "best and brightest", as they are portrayed to us, cannot even manage their own lives; why should we allow even one of them to manage anyone else?
40% of this Nation is, or identifies with, Conservative values. We can defeat this evil foisted upon us simply by being who we are. We must fight as if our very lives depend on it, (because they do), against this smothering, putrid sea of "Hope and Change" that changes absolutely nothing except to chain our existence in enslavement to government.
The three most overrated things on the planet are simultaneous orgasms, bipartisanship, and Barack Obama.
National stupidity?
A handful of jackaninnies doth not "national" make.
The actual National Stupidity was back in November.
dcase:
I have a close friend who recently had to spend a few days in Luxembourg on business. Upon learning he was an American, damn near every native he encountered — waitresses, bartenders, cabbies, what have you — offered to personally take him to see the 3rd Army cemetery. They wanted him to know that they remember (of course, most of them didn't actually "remember") and that they were grateful.
I'm sure there's an amount of European anti-Americanism, but I think the U.S. media really over-hyped (media hype — imagine that) to help further the "Bush made everybody hate us" narrative.
"What's good for General Motors is good for the country," has taken on a whole new meaning.
"Can’t I leave you people alone even for nine days?"
We're very sorry, Mr. Schlichter. We just get carried away sometimes.
you're absolutely correct; the biggest canard the left floats is the 'Bush made them hate us' narrative; he did no such thing. Europe has always resented us- whenyou're the big kid on the block that goes without saying- but the rightward shift in Europe since Obama's election is no coincidence… they are feeling fear for the first time in a while…
Not for nothing, but wouldn't it be nice, if at this moment in history, we had a national policy toward Iran — I mean, besides the administration's policy of kissing Ahmadinejad's a**.
I'm willing, solely for the sake of argument, to run with the left's spin on the abortionist murder and the museum murder. Assuming the abortion killer was a Christian, and the museum murderer a right wing racist, what percentage of the general population do they comprise? Damned few, and both are roundly condemned by every mainstream Christian denomination. Murder is forbidden by one of the Ten Commandments, and that is exactly what nearly every pastor and priest preaches from the pulpit.
Now, all the left needs to do is explain why the silence is so deafening about the murder of the soldier at the recruiting station in Little Rock. The murderer was a home-grown Islamic jihadist. What percentage of fundamentalist Muslims are ready, willing and able to commit murder in advancing their religion? A whole helluva lot. How many Islamic fundamentalist imams and ayatollahs preach murder of all non-Muslims from their version of the pulpit? Most.
Condemnation of the first two murders fits into Obama's world-view. The religiously-motivated murder by an adherent of Islam does not. Any further questions about the President's (and the MSM's) comments on the first two murders, but not the third?
True, BUT our government trying to tar an entire half of the political spectrum does. So does our government taking over the banks and GM, and creating czars to run everything. National stupidity.
Welcome home, Kurt! Now that you have access to Fox News, you'll get instant notification of whatever fresh hell our government has in store for us.
This is a very good point. The left is highly emotional, and part of that emotionalism is a nostalgia for things past. Carter, Clinton, Obama, at the start of their administrations were all compared to JFK's camelot. The anti Iraq war movement was really rooted in the good ole' Vietnam anti-war nostalgia, and the idea of impeaching Bush…Nixon and McCarthy all over again. While they wallow in the glow of the Obama victory and their defeat of such evil "far right" horrors ( normal people) like Carrie Prejann and Sarah Palin, the country will find itself engaged in a less nostalgic reminiss of High Taxation, High Inflation and High Unemployement, the legacy of liberalism that the left conveniently has amnesia towards.
But…but…I thought Islam was a religion of peace.
We were told that by our last Republican president, so it can't be just more leftist propaganda, can it?.
The Yak are shedding those heavy coats now because of global warming.
Have you ever seen a molting female Yak? Not pretty. I'm fairly sure they aren't reproducing. There are some things even a rutting Yak won't do…
Haven't you heard..the National Policy is: Blame George Bush.
We’re surrounded by insanity, life is dangerous and to ascribe crazy to this moment, I say SNAFU.
I agree Lawhawk. There are always nuts, though thankfully, they are amazingly few in number. And you can't legitimately condemn an entire political or religious movement just because a couple lunatics, who act in ways not sanctioned by those movements, claim to be acting on behalf of that movement.
BUT you can condemn a religion that preaches the behaviors in which such nutjobs engage. And until Islam stops preaching such conduct and starts condemning it, they must bear the fault.
I wonder if the time has passed that if I leave the USA for 9 nine days with little access to news, I would come back to a better place.
"Assuming guilt, Kansas needs to send killer Scott Roeder – who is a Christian like I am a particle physicist – to meet his maker. The same goes for that cretin who gunned down the soldiers – the sooner the good folks of Arkansas dispatch Mr. Abdulhakim Muhammad to his 72 virgins, the better. And as for that degenerate James von Brunn, my only regret is that the museum guards shot him in his brain instead of an organ he actually used."
What are your specific disagreements with the so-called "partisanship" above?
16 Czar's(Dictators), Senator's not beholden to their own laws, private CEO pay up for government capping, socialized medicine when they can't even pay for the illegal aliens, black is white, white is black, dog's and cats eating people…
It's pretty much a march to Communism that makes Vladimir Putin's balls shrink to the size of raisin's. He knows corruption and he knows psychopath's. We got the latter. There is a way back from this, and it's not in a voting booth. See Iran for more details, if they can pull it off.
The notion of this "will pass" is historically wrong. Government has never gotten smaller in any civilization since the history of mankind without collapse. That's why it's important to keep it small- because there is no going back. You are screwed- completely and totally screwed. I hope you people understand this before it smacks you in the face. For those that do live in reality, you already know what to do now. No point in explaining it.
since I didn't make the comment, I wasn't the one being criticized.
I don't think the site was ever meant to be limited to conservative thought in the movies. It seems it was meant to address Hollywood in general, and not just film but all popculture.
Which of us is here by mistake?
It isn't just Obama's world view and it isn't just Islam.
If you needed more evidence of MSM bias; note what is considered newsworthy versus what is not.
Remember when Matthew Shepard was murdered? It was a perfect news bonanza because a horrible murder was committed against a gay person in the Midwest. He became the news media's new Christ (10 BO – Before Obama).
Damn, you're right, I forgot — he was rude to them and made them mad.
i agree totally its very very scary,, we all need to stand up and fight it like our fore fathers did… were is everybody doesn't anybody care?
When you read the message boards from other countries like Russia, UK, Italy etc and they start saying things like "what's happening to America" then you can bet something is rotten in the state of Denmark.
People are coming to realize the "moral hazard" of the regulators is far, far worse than the moral hazard of Wall Street robber barons. The flaw in this semi-socialism is the government ruling party are the robber barons, and nobody then has the duty or power of regulation.
We need to stop the conservative circular firing squad, blazing away at each other, get organized and win an election. To answer your question, what happened is we allowed the Reagan coalition to collapse by abandoning both our principles and our spirit of compromise thus driving the voters to this disaster in DC.
Only after you have done without certain things like liberty, freedom and a host of other things, do you began to know what you are missing. You can have too much government and can have too little government depending on what the government actions are. So many people voted for Obama and had no real idea of what they were voting for, beyond he is a Democrat. Some voted because he is half black and thought they would like to be in on this historica electionl event. Words have meanings unless they are actually lies, or are based on ignorance. George Bush's real problem was that he wouldn't lower himself to the same low level as most of his critics in responding to them. He kept us safe for over seven years and that is more important than all the other clap trap allegations thrown at him by ignorant partasan critics, mostly all from Democrats God, please help Obama because he certainly needs the help for our blessed sake..
First, let me pass along my compliments, Mr. Schlichter, on a wonderfully written, at times humorous, but cogent commentary! I could not agree more with your views in this instance.
Having said that, I also want once again to pass along my compliments to the creators and contributors to this Web site, who daily provide some of the most learned, articulate and tremendously worthwhile commentary being produced today in our country. I pride myself on the fact that throughout my 64 years on this planet I have remained a "tough audience," who believes strongly in being very conservative when passing along a kudos regarding anything. We don't just get or give them, they're EARNED.
Well, Mr. Schlichter, and Big Hollywood, you've earned this kudos many times over and I appreciate very much having access to this valuable opinion resource.
Just so you know that 72 virgin thing isn't true, just propaganda, thought you should know. And killing people because they disagree has been going on the U.S. for a long time. I remember 2 men in KY shot each other because of their political views, 1 died.
Yea I guess you did major in Coors Light because when governments and corporations merge it is not called socialism as you mildly suggest about the GM/government takeover. it is called corporatism or better known as fascism.
Well said Old Tom.
Thanks for the cool bucket of water gently thrown into our faces Kurt. It's way past time for a wake-up call and return to basic decency and civility in the USA.
Abortions: "our democratic system have decided are legal"
Nope. We never voted on this. The SCOTUS decided this abomination for us.
I don't think there is anywhere else to go.
The US was my escape destination for when things got to stupid in Australia, at least you guys have guns to fight back with…
The irony is that they are hankering after a past that is largely manufactured. It wasn´t "Camelot" while JFK was alive.
Too bad. Because it´s all about making you laugh.
Right, let´s work together. I for one have no interest in becoming complicit in policies that will do enormous damage. I intend to OPPOSE them. How about you?
Awesome website…
[...]the time to read or visit the content or sites we have linked to below the[...]……
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