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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| On the Return of History |
| 2006-03-31 |
| "More and more throughout the 90s "History" was "out," and "Me" was in. "Me," "Having My Space," "How to Be Your Own Best Friend," "Me, Myself, I," were hallmarks of that self-besotted age. The History of Me was huge in the 90s and rolled right through the millennium. It even had a Customized President to preside over those years; the Most Me President ever. A perfect man for the time and one who, in the end, did not disappoint in choosing "Me" over "Country." How could he do otherwise? It was the option his constituency of Many-Million-Mes elected him to select. I know because I was into Me then and I voted for him because, well, because he seemed to be "just like me." It was a sad day when "Me" couldn't run for a third term, but The Party of Me offered up "Mini-Me" and a lot of Mes turned out for him too. Many millions of Mini-Mes were very upset when there weren't quite enough Mes in one state to put Mini-Me in office to continue with the wonderful Me-ness of it all. I voted for "Mini-Me" in 2000, but not because he really seemed like Me, but because he was the only thing out there that said he was Me. Unlike millions of miffed Mini-Mes, I wasn't too upset when he didn't get in after stamping his feet and holding his breath. I suppose I should have. It was what all the really intense Mini-Mes were doing. But I'd already started to become disgusted with all the Me-ness that had been going around so long and this tantrum of the Mini-Mes just made me not want to hang around them. After all, we were well beyond the End of History by this point, so what did it matter? Then on one bright and unusually fine New York September morning History came back with a vengeance we'd never seen before in the history of America. It came back and it stayed and stayed and stayed. The doors of history swung open again and we were all propelled through them into... what?" |
| Posted by:SR-71 |
| #15 I really, really wish I knew who originated the following quote. It applies so perfectly to our current flock: NEVER HAS THERE BEEN A GENERATION SO FULL OF SELF-ESTEEM ... FOR SO LITTLE REASON. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-03-31 20:40 |
| #14 Islam is popular there because it promises absolution and carte blanche for their next crimes. As an excon buddy of mine is fond of saying: "They're Muslims when their inside, Christians when they're in the halfway house, and crackheads when they're back on the street." |
| Posted by: Secret Master 2006-03-31 15:20 |
| #13 Charles Krauthammer exposed Francis last week. It's sad that his luminary career has become so damaged by his faux Damascus conversion. |
| Posted by: Captain America 2006-03-31 13:30 |
| #12 rjschwarz, the number of westerners converting to Islam is marginal. That is, not counting the prisons' inmates. Islam is popular there because it promises absolution and carte blanche for their next crimes. They would just need to select their victim properly. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2006-03-31 13:12 |
| #11 Good thoughts Anonymoose. |
| Posted by: HV 2006-03-31 12:45 |
| #10 The full article is excellent! Democrats & HollyWeed seem to be stuck in the mini-me mode as described in the source article. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-03-31 12:10 |
| #9 He'll let us know whose fault the current stuff is in about 15 years. |
| Posted by: Hupoluper Choluling9589 2006-03-31 12:02 |
| #8 Fukuyama is blaming everything stupid he ever said on "those darn neoconservatives seducing me to the dark side of the force." What about the stupid stuff he's saying now? |
| Posted by: DoDo 2006-03-31 11:54 |
| #7 Anonymoose, I would add Islam to that list. I think Islam has gotten a lot of followers in the West because it provides a very strict worldview and some folks need that. Christianity used to provide that (especially the Puritans) but not so much anymore. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2006-03-31 11:47 |
| #6 In this First Terrorist War, the character of our leadership will make a difference to some degree, but it will not decide. It is who we are and who we shall become as a people that will decide. How that will be in the end, I do not know. What I do know is that history, no matter what they tell you, never comes to an end. And because of that, the one small thing that I have the power to do is to decide that I shall no longer vote for Me. I shall vote for Us. This is rather well writen. |
| Posted by: Secret Master 2006-03-31 11:16 |
| #5 Remember that self-infatuation is not just the product of an "esteem"-oriented society, it is also a reaction and rejection of the misuse of "those things more important than the self" in cynical and sarcastic ways. Take "organized" Christianity as an example. It is facing a schismatic reformation because the laudable goals of its "better self" were co-opted by so many corrupt and perverse seducers that vast numbers of Christians could no longer tolerate it. From "Creationists", to "Revolution Theologists", to infiltration of its clergy by pedophiles and homosexuals, to the tolerance of "Marianist" factions, Christianity as a whole suffered. Its doctrines, Bible, Book of Common Prayer, Hymnal, were all torn down in many places, and its honored and beloved traditions were set aside as antiquated, to be replaced with crap. Those who are stubborn enough, try to reform their sect; those who are not are returning to pre-Christian traditions (also rejecting secular philosophies such as communism, thank god.) So we see the re-emergence of religions like the Druids, the Asatru (Aesir), the ancient Greek gods, even a pseudo-Aztec cult arising in Mexico. These are not reflections of self-importance, these are efforts to find something that is "higher than onesself", and not yet corrupted by those seeking wealth and power, and the destruction of that which is honored. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-03-31 10:46 |
| #4 Lighten up, Francis |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-03-31 10:34 |
| #3 Fukuyama is blaming everything stupid he ever said on "those darn neoconservatives seducing me to the dark side of the force." |
| Posted by: Phil 2006-03-31 10:04 |
| #2 "History's back -- and it's pissed." |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2006-03-31 09:49 |
| #1 I bet Fukuyama's pissed. |
| Posted by: Howard UK 2006-03-31 09:16 |