Well, that moment we all knew was coming is here – Rush is dead, of an aggressive form of lung cancer. He was 70 years old – just slightly older than I – and, in that abbreviated span of time, he changed the world.
When he started, the Leftists and their soft allies, the Liberals, owned the political discussion. There was only tepid opposition to their plans, goals, and dreams. Those who opposed them were fogies, past-their-sell-by-date Cold Warriors.
Like Reagan. He talked about the Soviets – the Evil Empire – and the Politics-as-Usual Crowd was dumbfounded when young people responded positively. It helped, of course, that at the same time, the popular TV show, Family Ties, had a character – Alex P. Keaton, played by Michael J. Fox (no relation) – who was articulate, personable, and dedicated to the pursuit of wealth. That character’s desire to change his life led to his support for the policies of Reaganomics and of Conservative goals in general.
Never underestimate the Power of Cool.
Interestingly, many of the most popular shows had a character that supported traditional values – and, many of those characters became the heart and soul of the shows:
- All in the Family – Archie Bunker
- Cheers – the characters may have been primarily barflies, but they were not cookie-cutter evil conservatives
- Sam worked hard in his bar, having invested all he had at the time. He had rejected his alcoholic past, while retaining his firm conviction that the old ways were better.
- Carla, the waitress, who carried an inconveniently conceived baby to term during the show – that pregnancy was real – the actress, Rhea Perlman, had 2 kids during her Cheers run.
- Woody, boy just off the farm, innocent in the big city. No, that was not the reality of Woody Harrelson, who played him.
- Magnum, PI – the show that portrayed the Viet vet sympathetically. As did The A-Team, more comedically.
- Happy Days – need I add more?
- The Dukes of Hazzard – non-PC, family-supporting, Redneck to the core – and, that Confederate flag!
- MacGyver – old-fashioned DIY ingenuity saves the day for America!
- M*A*S*H – for all the sex, alcoholism, and rejection of authority, the core mission – saving lives of soldiers – is paramount. Men acting like men in the early years; became overly PC over time.
This was not an isolated phenomenon. Many of the most popular shows have a Conservative message (their success is often a surprise to the networks and cable companies).
I believe that unintended Conservative message is WHY the shows were so successful. Families are struggling to raise decent and successful children, in the midst of a society that has changed beyond all recognition. It’s probably not that Evil has become more common; there are many, many decent and moral people in every political alliance.
But, it’s the extended reach of the Evil Ones that has changed. And, the misguided tolerance of many average people that enables them to act.
Which brings up The Lincoln Project.
Given the readiness with which many working in and around the Project have admitted to concerns about the sexual exploitation and harassment of minors, a reasonable question is:
Was this PLANNED?
Did the Lincoln deliberately neuter the RINOs, intending to blackmail them into compliance with the aims of the Left? In the process, burning off a lot of the donations, to funnel to the leadership of the Project, and entangle them in illegal use of donated funds.
I think it no surprise that Kelly Conway, architect of Trump’s 2016 win, had a husband who was seduced into working with the Project. I think it was planned; by drawing family finances into that snare, the backers neutered one of the most effective members of his team, personally loyal to him, not to the Deep State or other enemies. It may have contributed to the circumstances of the 2020 loss (or “loss”, depending on your suspicion about the true outcome).
So, how about today? What hope do we have for the future?
One major plus is that the Left, as represented by Biden-Harris, their administrative team, and the Congressional leadership, appear to be bumbling boobs. Incompetent. Completely blind to the optics of their message.
Already, protest against Federal mandates and executive orders is evident at the state level. People are noticing that the vaccine rollout has dramatically slowed (despite having support, not resistance, from the Deep State). People are MEGA-Mad at the status of in-person learning, and several of the governors are poised to open, whether or not the teachers will cooperate. That could lead to the end of teacher’s unions (in combination with the Janus decision of 2018, which took away public union’s privilege of collecting money from workers’ opposed to union positions). That, in combination with the Wisconsin decision on forced collection of ‘fair share’ money from non-members, may signal the upcoming end of public unions.
The teachers are not acting rationally; the public is more than fed up with paying teachers to sit at home. Like it or not, a large part of the willingness to pay teachers to be physically present is because parents realize that this gives them child care/supervision for most of the day. Without that aspect of the job, many parents have been unable to break even on the costs of working – leading to many women leaving their jobs, if they have other income sources (such as a husband). Feminists are aghast at this reasonable decision.
I’m coming from a perspective of having worked in that field; teachers DO get exposed to many infections that other workers do not. Kids’ hygiene is not always that impeccable (although, in general, kids are MORE germ-phobic than previous generations). Teachers at the extreme ends of their working years are most vulnerable. Those just beginning, who are suddenly confronted with diseases they haven’t been exposed to before. And, those near the end of their career, who may have developed conditions that make them more vulnerable to even mild diseases. Those two groups, and those pregnant/trying to be, should be prioritized for injections – IF they choose to get them.
I’m not in favor of forcing people to get the shots, if they object. If they choose not to, there should be no liability on the part of their employer.
Obviously, if you are immune-compromised, you should either stay home on medical leave/disability, or wear a mask. I’m not in favor of forcing people to do so. It’s their own call about the risk. The only exception might be those teachers working with immunosuppressed students/close workers. That would be a valid reason to insist on a mask as a condition of employment.
So, what is the future for us who are the NLDs (Non-Leftist Dissidents)?
I suggest we take the Desmond Doss approach.
Col. Doss was the Conscientious Objector of WWII, whose story was told in Hacksaw Ridge. It may well stand as the defining movie for Mel Gibson, a man who has brought stories about heroic people to the theaters. Amazing, most of the most dramatic moments of that story were true, not Hollywood fantasizing – check out the link.
[UPDATE] I had written that as Col. – Doss was a Corporal. My error.
Doss didn’t ask to win the whole battle. He didn’t pray for a major miracle, when ALL the wounded would be saved by God’s intervention.
He prayed only for the strength to save one more.
And another. And another.
One at a time, he personally tended and evacuated 75 men off the Ridge.
I don’t personally practice pacifism. My daughter, a Franciscan sister, does. She believes in the concept absolutely.
I admire her conviction. I don’t share it, as I do believe that killing is justified, should it protect the innocent. Therefore, I’m okay with capital punishment, NECESSARY wars, and the individual’s right to self-defense.
But, I do respect those who believe otherwise. Such as Doss.
His focus, not on winning the battle, nor praying for Divine Intervention to save all the wounded, but on what HE, personally, could do to make things better, is what I believe we should emulate.
We need to focus on changing minds, gathering allies, and preparing to fight back – one person at a time.
We don’t have to be Rush Limbaughs or Patrick Henrys. We can be that person who notices someone on the sidelines, and makes it their mission to Share the Message.
One person at a time.
We need to wake up each morning, and pray, “Lord, just let me get one more today”. If we prayed that, every day, and only reached 1 in 100, how many would that be?
Here’s a Lifetime clock to calculate the years, and here is one that will tell you how many days you might expect to live.
Now, how many people would that be for you? I estimate that I might reach 84 people, if I only can affect 1 in 100. And, if they each do the same?
We could win.
