http://www.frumforum.com/the-rise-of-silas-lapham Building a conservatism that can win again Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:50:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://www.frumforum.com/the-rise-of-silas-lapham/comment-page-1#comment-349520 Krauthammer: Occupy Wall Streeters, a Bunch of Disaffected English Majors? | thetortoisefactor Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:34:51 +0000 #comment-349520 [...] disaffection has other sources. True, my reading of William Dean Howells’ “The Rise of Silas Lapham” affected me profoundly as did “The Catcher in the Rye” and “The Fountainhead.” And I have [...] [...] disaffection has other sources. True, my reading of William Dean Howells’ “The Rise of Silas Lapham” affected me profoundly as did “The Catcher in the Rye” and “The Fountainhead.” And I have [...]

]]> http://www.frumforum.com/the-rise-of-silas-lapham/comment-page-1#comment-55412 ottovbvs Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:22:03 +0000 #comment-55412 I'll get it, as it sounds entirely sensible. I'm not sure how willing candidates would be to surrender their independence in a much more absolute sense than is the case currently. Basically everywhere else you'd better toe the party line or you're dead because the party organization can starve you of cash. There's also another fundamental difference between the practice of politics in the rest of the west and the US. I realize what I'm going to say sounds a bit sweeping and obviously there are nuances to it but basically the US political system is driven by interest whereas the European systems are driven by political principle. You're either a politician of the left or right and this largely defines the stance you take on every issue. It's nowhere near as clearcut in the US because of interest and the extent to which the sytem is funded by what is essentially a massive system of legalized bribery aimed at vote buying. The most liberal anti militarist also becomes surprising pro Pentagon if it involves weapon systems built in his district. I also think you may be a bit optimistic about such a system change making a big difference in the world view of movement conservatives. I’ll get it, as it sounds entirely sensible. I’m not sure how willing candidates would be to surrender their independence in a much more absolute sense than is the case currently. Basically everywhere else you’d better toe the party line or you’re dead because the party organization can starve you of cash. There’s also another fundamental difference between the practice of politics in the rest of the west and the US. I realize what I’m going to say sounds a bit sweeping and obviously there are nuances to it but basically the US political system is driven by interest whereas the European systems are driven by political principle. You’re either a politician of the left or right and this largely defines the stance you take on every issue. It’s nowhere near as clearcut in the US because of interest and the extent to which the sytem is funded by what is essentially a massive system of legalized bribery aimed at vote buying. The most liberal anti militarist also becomes surprising pro Pentagon if it involves weapon systems built in his district. I also think you may be a bit optimistic about such a system change making a big difference in the world view of movement conservatives.

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