What happened to liberalism?

Submitted by Jeff (United States), Aug 2, 2018 at 17:11

Hi Dennis,

Your list of wonderful liberal accomplishments was brought to us by the party of FDR, (social security, unconditional surrender) JFK, ("A rising tide raises all boats") Danial Patrick Moynihan ("We were not about to have dictators lecture us on democracy") and Hubert Humphrey ("Freedom is hammered out on the anvil of discussion, dissent and debate").

All of whom would be shouted down and booed out of any Democratic rally today.

FDR said "All government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service." How long would he be allowed to speak after saying that now?

Within a few miles of my house, I can point out buildings created during FDR's economic stimulus program, all of them still in use today. I can't point out a single bridge, building, dam or anything else built during President Obama's much more recent economic stimulus program. The day after the last of 8 hundred billions dollars was spent on shovel-ready projects the leaders who directed its spending started whining about "our crumbling infrastructure."

When then party chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz was asked the difference between a Democrat and a Socialist, she couldn't or wouldn't answer. (A JFK, RFK, Frank Church or LBJ would have thanked the lord for such a softball question.) The Democratic leaders of San Francisco now ponder banning corporate cafeterias while refuse piles up in their streets. Liberal New York mayors worry about salt in restaurants and the size of soda cups but can't get the streets plowed in the wintertime. Party leaders ridicule and encourage disrespect for and breaking of our immigration laws that were passed by both houses of the elected Congress to which they belong and signed into law by an elected President.

The 250 year assumption of the need for a secure border now indicates xenophobia, racism, ignorance and fear of those who are different. 9/11, perpetrated upon us by people whom we welcomed into our country, has become a mere incident in our history that in no way precludes allowing millions of people about whom we know nothing to sneak across the border. Ditto for the so-called opiate crisis.

Human trafficking is a horrible thing, except when it occurs on our southern border; then it's heroism.

The tea party, who obtained permits for their rallies and cleaned up after themselves before peaceably returning home, was comprised of dangerous, racist, toothless morons. The occupy movement, who trashed public property, extolled communism, invaded family run convenience stores, attacked police and spit on Coast Guard officers were brilliant upholders of who we are as Americans. The Democratic senior senator (and possible presidential candidate) from Massachusetts proudly claimed to have provided the "intellectual foundation" for the occupy movement. Perhaps visitors to FDR's grave felt a slight rumbling in the ground that day.

That public education system that you and I are rightfully thankful for has served us unbelievably well. Probably just like you, the teachers I remember most fondly are the ones who made me work the hardest and didn't exactly lie awake nights worrying about my self-esteem. Today, math is racist. Shakespeare? Just another dead white guy (i.e., worthless piece of garbage). Yesterday's public education system enabled space exploration, suspension bridges and the creation of Microsoft, Google and Apple. Today's public education system enables social justice warriors who retreat to safe spaces where no one breathes a word of dissent.

The best way to celebrate the great gifts of liberalism is to return to the standards and philosophy that produced those gifts.

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