The Cliche of the Tyranny of Cliches

There is a book out called the Tyranny of Cliches which supposedly puts the lie to Liberal/Left Wing ideals and propaganda. The authors epiphanic moment came when he deduced that Liberal views or talking points or ideals were not founded in any sort of reality at all. The liberals have no ideology where in fact Conservatives do have an ideology and are willing to stand up for what they believe in. While liberals just talk. The author on Pierce Morgan said of course he agrees with these talking points. That we should help poor people and it is bad if the rich are taking more than their fair share (they aren't he points out) but if they were then of course they should give more.

The problem with the authors assertion that conservatives agree with these empty cliches is of course that they don't. The author has simply pulled a Romney and become what he hates. And the author does hate liberals. The snapping jaw, the smoting eyes while Pierce questioned him as the author complained he was not given a fair shake before on his who, demonstrate  that he is not just a man who has pointed out an unfortunate truth for Liberals. He does not really believe in the empty cliches which have no bite as he points out. We should help poor people. The rich take too much. We should not bust unions. We should not eviscerate teachers pensions. But he does a good job of intellectualizing.

The cliche of The Tyranny of Cliches is that the emperor has no clothes at all. Conservatives do not have the moral highroad nor do they want it. They do not try and help the poor and they do not try and close loopholes for the rich or corporations. Even if not one Liberal policy ever made it through into any sort of tangible benefit for anybody, it is preferable to have people giving lip service to helping their fellow man and woman than the bat the Conservatives use to beat anyone down who dare tries. But to base a book on a thesis founded in the bitterness of being low on the totem pole of moral authority, is really someone just dressing up the same old tired saw... nothing really changes, so why try?

How cliche.

http://www.billhazelgrove.com/

The Bushwhacking of NPR

You should be concerned about this one if you go to movies, plays, the ballet, poetry readings, book readings, galleries, enjoy fine wine, a good book, a symphony on the lawn, Mozart, the Beatles, just about anything to do with culture. Because let's say the bad guys have a point in busting up the unions and cutting every social program they can get their hands on. You could almost say that they are doing some of this out of true fiscal concern or at the very least ideology. But trying to destroy National Public Radio is attacking what is left of culture in this country and every single Sesame Street watching child and Ken Burns devotee should really say enough is enough.

What? We want to cement Sarah Palins bet that America is truly a stupid country? That in fact the lowest common denominator should rule the land? That some short sighted ideologue who was probably the weird guy in the class who entertained Timothy McVeigh fantasies and saw the government as evil but then veered into fame as a better way to satisfy his tortured loner geek soul could now score points by trying to take down the wine drinking cheese crowd by getting an NPR executive to spill  his guts so he could prove what a left leaning organization NPR really is, is really pathetic and a true low point in what American society is capable of producing.

Let's say we get rid of NPR. Let's say we get rid of culture. Let's say the stupid men rule the land. Now what? Without culture you do not have a country. You have no collective national consciousness to balance the insidious vapidity of crass commercialism which rolls along F. Scotts Fitzgerald's definition of cheap entertainment as simply heroin of the soul. Even rabid conservatives  want to go see a fine play or enjoy a night at the symphony after a long day of taking bottles from children and cutting out funding for the education, women, infants, and poor  people. But alas, they cut out culture too and instead of Stravinsky  they are stuck with Die Hard 6.

So this is not about scoring points. NPR is part of America. America needs something elevated to balance the natural crassness of a country founded on the almighty dollar as it's guiding light after paying lip service to liberty and freedom. We need it if only to keep the creeps in the corners and our own hope alive that one day we will get beyond the infancy of  the mega commercial state. We can only hope NPR is still around when the dust settles after the conservative slash and burn orgy of 2011.

http://www.billhazelgrove.com/
Rocket Man will blast off April 26th

Watching Glen Beck with Captain Crunch

In from the bar and surfing along with Captain Crunch . Obermann, Maddow, O'Donnell, Anderson Cooper looking very Cooperish. Hit Sean Hannity throwing a football and fall back to Glen Beck. Parking brake set I refill the bowl and pour the milk. I feel like I am back in school with the classroom setting and the chalkboard and the flag and pictures of the Founding Fathers. More Captain as Glen walks out of the screen.


Fact. The President believes in giving away our money. Fact. The President believes in Liberation Theology. Fact. The President believes we are a colonial power who should give back everything we have taken. Fact. The President wants to take your money and give it to other people. Fact. The President hangs out with other people who believe America is bad and should give back what we have taken. Fact. Bill Ayers. Fact. Reverend Wright. Fact. Obama's father believes in Liberation theology. Fact. The President wrote a book about it. Fact. The President hates Winston Churchill. Fact. That's why he gave the Queens gift back.

The Facts are beside big red buttons on his chalk board. Glen believes only in facts. Opinion. I believe the President is a racist. Opinion. I believe he wants to give away your money. Fact. The President comes from a long line of colonial haters. Fact. His father was jailed for a time for his beliefs. Fact. The President wants to change America. Fact. The President is a Socialist.

Fact. I turn off the television. Fact. I ate too much Captain Crunch. Fact. I should never watch lunatics after midnight.

Wiliam Hazelgrove's latest novel is Rocket Man
http://www.billhazelgrove.com/