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Truth For Truth's Sake

“Evening News” (February 16, 2023)

On The Tyranny Of Proper Nouns

 

William F. Buckley is said to have remarked about fellow Bonesman, George W. Bush: “He’s conservative, but he’s not a Conservative.” 

 

I can’t even remember which talking head delivered that quote and I can’t verify that Buckley ever said such a thing. So of course, we can’t get anyone to clarify or elaborate. 

 

What exactly did Buckley mean? At the time, circa 2000, I took it to mean that Buckley was issuing a half-hearted approval. Yes, it would be so much better to elevate a candidate who hoisted the Big C from their mast, but we will settle for someone who shares our professed values. 

 

Maybe Buckley meant something different. Maybe he was on to the 1990’s Conservatives, and he witnessed how they had run on conservative principles and ultimately governed with Conservative practices. Gingrich et al, could have defanged the deep state and could have eased our tax burden. They chose not to.

 

Alinsky’s Rules are not just for Radicals. Every proper noun throws principle overboard and every attack becomes personal. Thus, a Whitewater investigation veered off to perseverate on the sex life of Bill Clinton. Trimming the bloated bureaucracy was scrapped to promote bloated bureaucrats. A pornographer named Larry Flynt would engage in checkbook journalism to expose the gross (in every sense of the word) hypocrisy of several GOP stalwarts. The Republicans would be seen as a party that stood only for themselves.

 

Can one support a tribe without being tribal? I think so. Are principles and proper nouns mutually exclusive? No, but..

 

People who identify as Democrat are openly hostile to democratic principles. Their political discourse largely consists of personal attacks.

 

People who identify as Liberal are invariably illiberal in the extreme. Their political discourse largely consists of personal attacks.

 

People who identify as Progressive are always retrogressive in their thoughts and actions (But it is such a stylish label, isn’t it?) Their political discourse largely consists of personal attacks.

 

Conservatives–as in those we might call Con Inc. — are openly hostile to conservative principles. Their political discourse largely consists of personal attacks.

 

So, what’s the takeaway? No labels?

 

Labels are unavoidable. So too, are loyalties. No entanglements might be a better credo. Stay true to your beliefs. Stay true to your values. People change over time. Values are timeless.