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Title: American Apocalypse
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URL Source: http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2013/10/17/american-apocalypse/
Published: Oct 19, 2013
Author: Justin Raimondo
Post Date: 2013-10-19 17:45:57 by PnbC
Keywords: None
Views: 291
Comments: 14
American Apocalypse The case for divine retribution I don’t believe in God. However, I do believe in divine retribution. Without going into the specifics of this somewhat counterintuitive theology, suffice to say here that its central axiom is the idea that actions have consequences. One cannot go on committing evil without reaping a whirlwind or two. Eventually Nemesis overtakes Hubris, and the results aren’t pretty. This is our future. Or, at least, one hopes it is – otherwise, there is no justice in this world, or perhaps even in the next. This struck me as I was reading a column by Steve Chapman, a mildly conservative journalist with vaguely libertarian leanings: according to him, people on the right (of which I count myself one) are "addicted to apocalypse." He takes us through decades of conservative apocalyptic rhetoric, from Ronald Reagan predicting the end of freedom in America due to the depredations of Medicare to Ted Cruz – the liberal media’s villain of the moment – who recently said: “The challenges facing this country are unlike any we have ever seen. … (T)his is an administration that seems bound and determined to violate every single one of our Bill of Rights. We’re nearing the edge of a cliff. … We have a couple of years to turn this country around, or we go off the cliff to oblivion.” Citing Reagan, Cruz declared: “One day we will find ourselves answering questions from our children and our children’s children, ‘What was it like when America was free?’” According to Chapman, whose likeness accompanying his column shows him smiling the smile of the self-satisfied bourgeois, this is all so much balderdash, because, you see, Reagan was wrong: Medicare wasn’t that bad (it’s cheaper than Obamacare!), the counterculture receded (not where I live, but whatever), and the Soviet Union faded away (well, yes, just as the apocalyptic Ludwig von Mises predicted). See? Nothing to fear! Good times are ahead! The world is our oyster! The problem with those grumpy old conservatives, says Chapman, is that "when their dire predictions fail to come true, they keep forecasting the worst possible outcome if they don’t get their way. They seem to need the perpetual excitement of impending doom." The smugness of our political class is impenetrable: they believe the system that sustains and rewards them is invulnerable, or nearly so. The society in which they live is, seemingly, a well-ordered one, where – in spite of a few glitches, like government shutdowns caused by evil nihilists and other subversive elements – the machinery of society runs smoothly, interrupted only by occasional burps and hiccups Yet just beneath the surface, there is a roiling, like some giant serpent crawling mere inches below the cool green grass, making odd curlicues in an otherwise perfect lawn: a message written in an alien cursive, signifying – what? As the workers go off every morning, lining up at Starbucks and preparing to earn their daily bread, American drones take off from secret silos somewhere in the desert, seeking out their intended victims – and some not intended. As the sounds of normalcy stream in through an open window – leafblowers in the distance, chirping birds crowding around the feeder, children brawling in the schoolyard – the news that the NSA is collecting our emails seems irrelevant. We go about our business, and the political class goes about theirs – the former quite ordinary, the latter quite another story altogether. A new study shows our noble crusade to "liberate" Iraq killed half a million people. It is impossible to even imagine such a crime: the mind shuts down in the face of those numbers. I can’t even visualize half a million dead bodies – can you? And that doesn’t take into account the sanctions, which killed hundreds of thousands more, mostly old people and children. Nor does it include the number we killed in the first Gulf war – we’re surely up to a solid million dead by now. Getting away with this is what we call "American exceptionalism." God (or Nature) punishes evil, eventually – but not us. We’re the exception. But are we? Since the end of World War II, the United States has murdered so many innocent people that the numbers approach Hitlerian dimensions. Yes, I know I’m teetering on the edge of breaking Godwin’s Law here, but numbers don’t lie – and it’s getting worse. Since September 11, 2001, the death toll has increased exponentially, and there’s no end in sight. One could make the case that a self-conscious evil, the sort that revels in its moral inversion and loudly proclaims its transgressive nature at least has the virtue of honesty about it. But that’s not our style: we kill because we’re fighting for Democracy and Freedom and against Intolerance and Sheer Badness. And we believe our own lies, if only because of that warm toasty feeling we get when we repeat them, like hot chocolate quaffed in front of a fireplace on Christmas Eve. The lies we tell ourselves insulate us from the cold realities the rest of the world must live with, and we convince ourselves we’re safe. Outside the Western metropolis, those Other People suffer coups and depressions, tyranny and terror – but we are immune. Because, after all, we’re Americans – and nothing like that has ever happened here. Oh, there was the Civil War, but that was a long time ago, before the invention of Twitter. On that occasion the god-hero Lincoln arose to save the nation by jailing his opponents, banning newspapers, and burning down half the cities of the South – but, as I said, all that was Long Ago and Far Away, and now we have inspiring statues and yearly reenactments of the Battle of Gettysburg. And, yes, there was that nasty Great Depression, but the god-hero Roosevelt arose to save us, and now no bank can ever fail because the US government says so, and we have our Safety Net, which may have a few holes in it but whatever. Don’t worry: be happy – because this is America, and we’re exceptional. Yet economics doesn’t make exceptions: all are subject to its immutable laws. We used to know this, but sometime around the 1930s we lost this knowledge because remembering it was inconvenient. The banks were failing: the bubble of the 1920s had popped and reality – economic reality – had set in. How to insulate ourselves against the pain of deflation? The anesthetic of governmental action was applied in huge doses and the patient seemed to recover: but the underlying illness lingered. "We owe it to ourselves," they told us, and they are still singing the same song after all these years. Those antediluvians who insist otherwise are simply doomsayers, grumpy old reactionaries who want to spoil our fun: when we need more money we just print it. So what’s the problem with raising the debt limit? After all, our moral debt dwarfs our monetary one, and yet here we are, safe and sound – no lightning bolts have issued forth from Heaven, no plagues of boils or infestations of frogs have blighted the country. I won’t deliver a long lecture here on basic economics: there’s no room – and, really, no need. Because any ordinary person can see what is wrong with this picture: one cannot consume more than one produces. The average American used to understand this: the American political class, on the other hand, has always had its own arithmetic, one founded on the very same "exceptionalist" doctrine that has steered our foreign policy on its present mad course. Bound by no law but that which they legislate, Washington’s reckless hubris defies the laws of nature and the gods themselves. In short: they’re begging for that lightning bolt, as did Icarus – and look where he landed. Oh, but in Chapman’s World, all is calm, all is right, and if it’s not – well, take that pill the doctor prescribed for the nameless all-pervasive anxiety that hangs over this paradisiacal scene. You’ll feel better in a minute….
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#1. To: PnbC (#0)
I believe in God.
______________________________________ Suspect all media / resist bad propaganda/Learn NLP everyday everyway ;) (It's a more positive message)
Well good for you. If that is all you got from the article, then you missed the whole point. In fact you missed the point of the original statement. I call it Karma, which I've long believed to exist whether a deity does or not. Consequences. John Howard says: There are 4 schools of economics: Democrats don't mind war as long as they can have big government. Republicans don't mind big government as long as they can have war. Author has lost his way. Get over it. Killing is profitable, wars and endless wars prove that.
Since the end of World War II, the United States has murdered so many innocent people that the numbers approach Hitlerian dimensions. He doesn't believe in God yet he 'belieeeves' in the hitler 6 million jews gassed in gas chamber myth! This guy, an unrepentant homo atheist who can't even see through the most absurd stories, is not someone who I consider credible. I hope for his sake that he would change his life before it's too late. "Even to the death fight for truth, and the LORD your God will battle for you". Sirach 4:28
Way to hijack a thread. The author never meant for it to be a debate over theology or the holocaust. You can poo-poo certain isolated statements, but it is a pity you can't assess the gist of the article as a whole. I guess bigotry is more important than substance.
John Howard says: There are 4 schools of economics: Democrats don't mind war as long as they can have big government. Republicans don't mind big government as long as they can have war. 1. responding to a thread with the comments I see fit is not hijacking the thread. 2. Im not dismissing the article as a whole. Raimando maintains some good positions- non interventionism, civil liberties. 3. maintaining traditional Christian principles is not 'bigotry.' I am of the position that the position this country is in today is not a result of some bad politicians gone awry. today's usa situation is the bad fruit of a bad tree. This situation with our govt is actually a spiritual battle, good v evil. and rejecting the laws of God openly , and embracing some evil (homosexuality) (albeit while condemning other evils (empire), as Raimando does,) is not going to garner any good results. "When once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is King, society will at last receive the great blessings of real liberty, well- ordered discipline, peace and harmony." QUAS PRIMAS- ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PIUS XI 'ON THE FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING.' December 11, 1925 You can disagree, but just watch, wait, and see how far the atheist tacts get you, or raimando, or the usa. "Even to the death fight for truth, and the LORD your God will battle for you". Sirach 4:28
In your honest opinion, should I refrain from posting articles by Justin Raimondo? I really thought that this would be a more receptive forum than some of the others.
John Howard says: There are 4 schools of economics: Democrats don't mind war as long as they can have big government. Republicans don't mind big government as long as they can have war. No, I don't think you should refrain from posting articles by Raimondo. I like his commentary. But as you know, anything posted is subject to replies of either praise or criticism. I wouldn't take it personally. At least you got some response. :)
To question is to value the ideal of truth more highly than the loyalties to nation, religion, race, or ideology.
That was well said. I only hope Washington gets its deserved lightening bolt. To question is to value the ideal of truth more highly than the loyalties to nation, religion, race, or ideology.
Rejecting an author because he is gay (or for that matter an atheist) and not because of his message, to me shows such "principles" to be rather shallow. John Howard says: There are 4 schools of economics: Democrats don't mind war as long as they can have big government. Republicans don't mind big government as long as they can have war. I wouldn't suggest you stop posting raimando's , or anyone elses, stuff either. I thought my reply was interesting and worthy of debate! :-) I always look to the source of an article to see who it is. for example, glenn beck may say some good things but he is overall a horrible person who openly advocates monstrous evil. Plus, I'm not a 'libertarian,' so that's probably one reason I don't always agree with them. "Even to the death fight for truth, and the LORD your God will battle for you". Sirach 4:28
Fair enough. John Howard says: There are 4 schools of economics: Democrats don't mind war as long as they can have big government. Republicans don't mind big government as long as they can have war. The problem with wanting apocalypse is that most people don't understand the meaning of the word. If they did, all would want apocalypse. An apocalypse (Ancient Greek: ἀÀ¿º¬»Åȹ apocálypsis, from ἀÀÌ and º±»ÍÀÄÉ meaning 'un-covering'), translated literally from Greek, is a disclosure of knowledge, i.e., a lifting of the veil or revelation, although this sense did not enter English until the 14th century. Problems begin with people thinking apocalypse is a terrible culling, wrath, judgment, damnation on people with the exception of those who wish for such things under the security blanket of rapture. Right, left, indifferent could all use a good dose apocalypse/disclosure. " If you cannot govern yourself, you will be governed by assholes. " Randge, Poet de Forum, 1/11/11 "Life's tough, and even tougher if you're stupid." --John Wayne
Sure one can, in fact an entire nation can and has done so for decades.....the caveat is that one or a nation can only do so for a limited time. " If you cannot govern yourself, you will be governed by assholes. " Randge, Poet de Forum, 1/11/11 "Life's tough, and even tougher if you're stupid." --John Wayne
#2. To: titorite (#1)
I believe in God.
Marxism: steal everything
Keynesianism: steal by counterfeiting whenever needed
Chicago school (Milton Friedman): steal by counterfeiting at a steady, predictable rate
Austrians: don't steal
'Wiped off the Map' – The Rumor of the Century
#3. To: PnbC (#0)
but sometime around the 1930s we lost this knowledge because remembering it was inconvenient. The banks were failing: the bubble of the 1920s had popped and reality – economic reality – had set in.
#4. To: PnbC, titorite (#0)
#5. To: Artisan, titorite (#4)
(Edited)
Marxism: steal everything
Keynesianism: steal by counterfeiting whenever needed
Chicago school (Milton Friedman): steal by counterfeiting at a steady, predictable rate
Austrians: don't steal
'Wiped off the Map' – The Rumor of the Century
#6. To: PnbC (#0)
Way to hijack a thread. The author never meant for it to be a debate over theology or the holocaust. You can poo-poo certain isolated statements, but it is a pity you can't assess the gist of the article as a whole. I guess bigotry is more important than substance
#7. To: Christine (#6)
Marxism: steal everything
Keynesianism: steal by counterfeiting whenever needed
Chicago school (Milton Friedman): steal by counterfeiting at a steady, predictable rate
Austrians: don't steal
'Wiped off the Map' – The Rumor of the Century
#8. To: PnbC (#7)
#9. To: PnbC (#5)
I won’t deliver a long lecture here on basic economics: there’s no room – and, really, no need. Because any ordinary person can see what is wrong with this picture: one cannot consume more than one produces. The average American used to understand this: the American political class, on the other hand, has always had its own arithmetic, one founded on the very same "exceptionalist" doctrine that has steered our foreign policy on its present mad course. Bound by no law but that which they legislate, Washington’s reckless hubris defies the laws of nature and the gods themselves. In short: they’re begging for that lightning bolt, as did Icarus – and look where he landed.
#10. To: Artisan (#6)
maintaining traditional Christian principles is not 'bigotry.'
Marxism: steal everything
Keynesianism: steal by counterfeiting whenever needed
Chicago school (Milton Friedman): steal by counterfeiting at a steady, predictable rate
Austrians: don't steal
'Wiped off the Map' – The Rumor of the Century
#11. To: PnbC, christine (#7)
In your honest opinion, should I refrain from posting articles by Justin Raimondo? I really thought that this would be a more receptive forum than some of the others.
#12. To: Artisan (#11)
Plus, I'm not a 'libertarian,' so that's probably one reason I don't always agree with them.
Marxism: steal everything
Keynesianism: steal by counterfeiting whenever needed
Chicago school (Milton Friedman): steal by counterfeiting at a steady, predictable rate
Austrians: don't steal
'Wiped off the Map' – The Rumor of the Century
#13. To: PnbC (#0)
#14. To: PnbC (#0)
one cannot consume more than one produces
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