Mountain Blog

A Nation of Novak Clones

Hoppy Kerchival, my friend from Metronews, writes an interesting column and asks the question: Who do West Virginia liberals look to for leadership these days.

The answer, of course, is no one.

West Virginia and probably the entire country are entering a period I like to call the Dark Ages of the 21st Century. The causes for which liberals are famous aren't being offered as solutions and they aren't even seen as American.

I see a nation soon to be ruled by Robert Novak clones. Those who don't toe the neo-con mark will be ignored at best and sentenced to infamy at worst.

I told Hoppy on the radio this morning I expect this neo-con period to last more than 10 but less than 20 years. It will be a time when the rich will get most of what they want and the poor will get less than what they need. Ideas outside the comfort zone of neo-cons will be dismissed as insane or anti-American.

But it doesn't meant hat liberalism is dead and the fact west Virginia lacks a liberal who can carry the banner of liberalism to the people doesn't mean it's gone forever. It simply means the pendulum is swinging wildly to the right. But when people realize the right doesn't have any better solutions to our problems than the left, it will most assuredly swing back.

Meanwhile, if you want to be comfortable, and you're not to old to change, go right. That's where the action will be for the next couple of decades.

Spout the neo-con mantra. Show disdain for the poor by giving welfare to the rich and powerful. Believe this country and this state can succeed if only we suck up to business entirely. It won't work, but at least you won't be marching to a different drummer. Heck, you might even get a job in the Mancin administratioin.

posted by Dave Peyton @ 10:44 PM