Mark Steyn: Why the real battle for America is over culture, not elections

[EdwardBaiamonte]

When's the last time you saw a sitcom wherein the smart kid was also the cool kid? Probably back somewhere before color television.

The left won the culture war, and the culture told us that being smart is lame. Coincidence?

The Big Bang Theory

xxxxxxxxx The more liberal a ghetto culture the more being smart is dismissed as "white".

 

[edthecynic]

You can’t have conservative government in a liberal culture, and that’s the position the Republican Party is in.

I lost track of how many times I've shown the Right on both sides of every issue, but after habitually telling us that America is Center Right, suddenly we are so solidly Left the poor Republicans don't stand a chance!

 

[konradv]

When's the last time you saw a sitcom wherein the smart kid was also the cool kid? Probably back somewhere before color television.

The left won the culture war, and the culture told us that being smart is lame. Coincidence?

The Big Bang Theory

please don't be a clown liberal. The more liberal a ghetto culture the more being smart is dismissed as "white".

My post has nothing to do with ghetto culture. My point was that there is a show where it's cool to be smart.

 

[edthecynic]

When's the last time you saw a sitcom wherein the smart kid was also the cool kid? Probably back somewhere before color television.

The left won the culture war, and the culture told us that being smart is lame. Coincidence?

The Big Bang Theory

There was also Numb3rs, and now Scorpians.

When's the last time you saw a sitcom wherein the smart kid was also the cool kid? Probably back somewhere before color television.

The left won the culture war, and the culture told us that being smart is lame. Coincidence?

The Big Bang Theory

please don't be a clown liberal. The more liberal a ghetto culture the more being smart is dismissed as "white".

My post has nothing to do with ghetto culture. My point was that there is a show where it's cool to be smart.

And it wasn't the only one! There was Numb3rs, and now Scorpions.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

When's the last time you saw a sitcom wherein the smart kid was also the cool kid? Probably back somewhere before color television.

The left won the culture war, and the culture told us that being smart is lame. Coincidence?

The Big Bang Theory

There was also Numb3rs, and now Scorpians.

When's the last time you saw a sitcom wherein the smart kid was also the cool kid? Probably back somewhere before color television.

The left won the culture war, and the culture told us that being smart is lame. Coincidence?

The Big Bang Theory

please don't be a clown liberal. The more liberal a ghetto culture the more being smart is dismissed as "white".

My post has nothing to do with ghetto culture. My point was that there is a show where it's cool to be smart.

And it wasn't the only one! There was Numb3rs, and now Scorpions.

dear, I think the point is that there is now a huge liberal hip hop underclass in America that is taught to reject family, school, and work.

So why not make liberalism illegal( as our founders intended) since it is so deadly and generally destructive?

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

You can’t have conservative government in a liberal culture, and that’s the position the Republican Party is in.

I lost track of how many times I've shown the Right on both sides of every issue, but after habitually telling us that America is Center Right, suddenly we are so solidly Left the poor Republicans don't stand a chance!

Republicans don't have a chance since they are selling freedom while Democrats are subverting the American idea by selling more and more welfare entitlement programs.

"When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."
-Benjamin Franklin

 

[Not2BSubjugated]

When's the last time you saw a sitcom wherein the smart kid was also the cool kid? Probably back somewhere before color television.

The left won the culture war, and the culture told us that being smart is lame. Coincidence?

The Big Bang Theory

Lol! Which smart character in The Big Bang theory is the cool one? Leonard is the closest to socially normal, and even he's sold as merely the least awkward of the gang of complete dweebs who most of the show's humor constantly deprecates. They're all gangly, weak social misfits. I can't think of all the names off top, but the bazing genius guy's so full of irrational behavioral ticks and obsessive compulsive disorders that he can't have a normal interaction with anyone, the indian kid can't speak when a girl's present, the astronaut has holy shit whacked out mommy issues, and none of them are capable of the slightest confrontation with anyone outside of their little social circle. Please, explain to me how these characters are sold as cool. And don't get me wrong, it's a very funny show. I don't watch it religiously, but every time I've caught it at a friend's place I've enjoyed it. Nevertheless, your example is a poor one.

 

[Not2BSubjugated]

I suppose I can concede these, given that I haven't seen either, and tech'y chic has kinda become a thing with that goth forensics woman in NCIS and the computer guy in Leverage, to some degree, but these are relatively low ratings shows aimed at older viewers. Up until that point where you're watching cable dramas aimed at 30 somethings, everything's more on the level with Big Bang Theory, where all the intelligent characters are physically weak, cowardly, and socially awkward beyond repair.

Bottom line, the culture has dumbed us down, despite the fact that you can find a couple references in thousands where the smart character isn't flawed physically and, more importantly, socially. After all, the prevailing attitude in our culture is that likeability and popularity (as opposed to, say, intellectual capacity, integrity, independent critical thought) are of paramount import. The proof is everywhere.

Politics, for instance. I'm watching them discuss the possibility of a Chris Christy presidency (personally I wouldn't wanna see him get the gig, but that's another discussion), and these shitheads on MSNBC masquerading as intelligent political pundits (inherent contradiction?) focusing on whether or not people would get tired of his bully'ish outbursts at hecklers. -That- was the important crux issue. Not his record, not the traceable results of his policies in New Jersey. . . just is he likeable enough that people wouldn't get tired of him being a big ol' meanie head in 4 years. Moreover, I remember back as recently as the Clinton era that, even though both parties were fiercely opposed to the other's agenda, there was still enough understanding of the philosophies driving the opposing viewpoints that the politicians had to concede that, ultimately, both sides were doing what they thought was best for the country. That's over. Nobody bothers to try and understand the opposing philosophies, and when the politicians say this party or that party's out to "destroy America" or "starve children and throw elderly people over a cliff", large enough portions of the electorate buy into that ridiculous shit that it's become the most common go-to tactic of political hacks on both sides of the isle.

International school rankings, vague and amorphous communications degrees, Jersey-Shore-Kardashian-Duck Dynasty-Flavor of Love madness, MICHAEL BAY FLICKS! If the culture drives these things, and it does, and the left owns the culture, and it does, then it must be conceded that the culture of the left contributes to the slow destruction of a society's will to think for itself. . . or at all.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

The culture is liberal and so the election results will reflect that liberalism. But, democracy is debate so the culture can be changed in the debates the preceed elections. In short, elections can make the culture and govt conservative.

 

[Rikurzhen]

The culture was will determined by women and by the millennials.

The far right lost a long time ago.

Let's conduct a mental experiment. Imagine a world where all the white men in the world lived together in one country, and everyone else lived in other countries and sex is removed from the equation. Now the borders of all nations are opened to migrants.

Who believes that white men would head to the societies created by women and by blacks and Hispanics?

Now back to the real world, women fought to enter the world of men, everyone from the Third World wants to come to North America and Europe.

What leftists are destroying is what made the West great. Putting women, liberal manjinas and minorities in charge won't make things better, it will make things worse.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Let's imagine an objective discussion with context, nuance, and Rik.

Well I had two of three.

We won because enough women and minorities and millennials voted for us to try to govern. Go back to the bad old far right ways, Dems clean up in 2016.

Mitch and John know that. Reach out to minorities, leave marriage equality alone, create a fair health care plan for everyone.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

The culture was will determined by women and by the millennials.

The far right lost a long time ago.

Let's conduct a mental experiment. Imagine a world where all the white men in the world lived together in one country, and everyone else lived in other countries and sex is removed from the equation. Now the borders of all nations are opened to migrants.

Who believes that white men would head to the societies created by women and by blacks and Hispanics?

Now back to the real world, women fought to enter the world of men, everyone from the Third World wants to come to North America and Europe.

What leftists are destroying is what made the West great. Putting women, liberal manjinas and minorities in charge won't make things better, it will make things worse.

yes, historically women have used men for welfare so they would be free to be mothers. It is not surprising that they often want to use government for the same thing as liberalsim continues its attack on love and marriage. Loveless feminists objected to the way love and welfare subjugated women to men, but not to the way welfare subjugates women to liberal govt. I guess they don't see it as subjugation because there is no love involved in govt welfare. It seems feminists have taught women to oppose love itself! They must be so proud.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Then the office answer, ETB, is that we should make government assistance tied to job training and education with verifiable bench marks. Don't want to learn and make the grades, lose the assistance and lose the children as well.

 

[ninja007]

culture defines politics, not the other way around. Mark, as usual is correct.

 

[ninja007]

The culture was will determined by women and by the millennials.

The far right lost a long time ago.

Let's conduct a mental experiment. Imagine a world where all the white men in the world lived together in one country, and everyone else lived in other countries and sex is removed from the equation. Now the borders of all nations are opened to migrants.

Who believes that white men would head to the societies created by women and by blacks and Hispanics?

Now back to the real world, women fought to enter the world of men, everyone from the Third World wants to come to North America and Europe.

What leftists are destroying is what made the West great. Putting women, liberal manjinas and minorities in charge won't make things better, it will make things worse.

feminism hurt men AND women. It hurt marriage. It hurt society as a whole and it hurt the children.

 

[Mac1958]

culture defines politics, not the other way around.

Yep. Our politics and our society are merely reflections of our culture.

All we need to do is open our eyes, look around, and see the decay.

Evidently, it's the opening of our eyes that is the difficult part.

.

 

[ninja007]

culture defines politics, not the other way around.

Yep. Our politics and our society are merely reflections of our culture.

All we need to do is open our eyes, look around, and see the decay.

Evidently, it's the opening of our eyes that is the difficult part.

.

that is why the left (most, not all) want to get rid of Christianity in the culture.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

culture defines politics, not the other way around. Mark, as usual is correct.

it is during political elections primarily that we learn about, debate, and decide on what culture we want. Mark is a great guy but he was mistaken on that point.

 

[EdwardBaiamonte]

feminism hurt men AND women. It hurt marriage. It hurt society as a whole and it hurt the children.

very true, before feminism women were all love, family, and children and they didn't think going to the factory to raise widgets was better than raising children. Now women are about themselves, not their children, and our children are paying a horrible liberal price.

 

[edthecynic]

culture defines politics, not the other way around. Mark, as usual is correct.

it is during political elections primarily that we learn about, debate, and decide on what culture we want. Mark is a great guy but he was mistaken on that point.

When 2/3 don't vote, elections say absolutely nothing about culture!