Posted by
CCBlogger on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 10:49:14 AM
Update: Welcome BabaluBlog readers. For those who haven't read it yet, check out Val's thoughts on the
priviledge of partisanship.
And since not all persons are granted that right of choice or of
opinion or of expression - as in the case of a country like Cuba - then
those of us who can freely express our convictions without repercussion
should consider it a privilege.
***
Great event last night. I got to meet
Val Prieto of Babalu Blog, Fausta of
Faustasblog.com,
Austin Bay,
Glenn Reynolds,
Mike from RedState.com, and others. Overall, I did not find the panel as engaging as I expected. Frankly, responses felt "soft." Glenn Reynolds had some good questions, but I felt like the answers went a bit to long, and just where not as hard hitting as I was hoping. Perhaps I had wrong expectations. Despite that, the event was great, as the pre and post conversations where engaging and interesting. I enjoyed it, and hope they will do it more often.
One key thing was clear from last night's conversations. The MSM is in decline, and the blogosphere is maturing and growing. I'm looking forward to seeing first hand what this means come November and 2008.
I asked a question about the effect of the battle over worldviews--right & wrong, truth, and absolutes--on partisanship, and it seemed to me that the question was completely sidestepped. Maybe I didn't ask the question right, or I wasn't clear. Perhaps. Its too bad, as I would have liked to hear some thoughts on that.
I think we are more partisan because more Americans are understanding what is at stake--a root understanding of how we see the world around us, and how that affects policy makers. If all religions are equal, and if good and evil is relative, or worst--non existent--then why would anyone care about partisanship?
Most people do care because most people understand that there is a right & wrong, and good & evil. In today's political environment, the Democrats have chosen to embrace all sorts of ideologies and a relativistic multiculturalism, basically standing for nothing out of fear of offending someone (except Christians, of course...they don't count for the Liberal left). Most Americans want a leadership that will stand for what most Americans believe in, and the left is just out of touch with this.
Here some additional thoughts from Atlas on why our country is increasingly partisan and what is at stake:
IMAO, the topic of the panel "“How Partisan Is Too Partisan?" is a luxurious conversation we can not afford. The left is not on the side of America. Gay rights is a mute point (Pim Fortuyn!)
when the enemy will behead all gays (and Jews, and Christians, and
infidels etc.) Abortion is irrelevant if you're dead. It seems to me
that the only party that matters at this historical crossroads is the
party of life, and those who wish to fight to live free. In other
words, the Republicans.
She has a good point.
Check out her post, and the pictures, including a shot of our Managing Editor, Mary Katharine.
You would think the Democrats would understand what is at stake, and stand up for what THEY believe--gay rights, abortion, and all that. This just goes to point that the left just doesn't really stand for anything.
Simply, that is just the nature of a relativistic worldview that attempts to embrace a poisoned pluralism, and overarching relativism. The Liberal left simply lack the philosophical foundation to understand such things as good & evil, morality, absolute truths, and justice.
I'm not saying the right, or Republicans in particular, are always right, or have a strong clear understanding of right & wrong, justice, absolute truth, etc--I'm saying they are doing a much better job at it than Democrats are.
So, for now, I will be partisan, and I will vote Republican, but until now, they are the only party that has taken efforts to protect life and the unborn (baby steps), and they have nominated judges with a strong understanding of justice and our constitution. Republicans are the ones doing a better job at understanding the evil of radical Islam, and the threat of terrorism and are calling it for what it is (for the most part). So, yes--I am partisan, but it has nothing to do with party and everything to do with worldview.
Update: From Mary Katharine Ham;
...my first thoughts on a panel called, "How Partisan is Too Partisan?"
It's a good thing y'all held this panel in September, because in October the answer's gonna be, "not a da'n thing!"