Liberalism is Inception. And the American people are starting to wake up.
“Americans approval of how President Barack Obama is handling the nation’s economy has dropped to its lowest level of his presidency, according to a new national poll.”
Liberalism is predicated on the notion that we can suspend reality, create
worlds in our own idealistic image, and live there for decades just like the main character Cobb thought he could do. Proponents of liberalism seek to convince you that entitlement spending and record deficits mean nothing; Iranian Holocaust-denying police state presidents can be reasoned with; prosperity can be had through excessive taxation, and a laundry list of other ideas that can only be implemented with a heavily sedated population.
At one point in Inception Mal says to Cobb, “You keep telling yourself what you know. But what do you believe? What do you feel?” Cobb’s response: “Guilt.” Likewise, liberalism requires adherents to partake in healthy doses of guilt, whether it be America’s founding or the discovery of inequalities of any kind (regardless of the reasons for their existence).
I propose liberals are lying to themselves when they try and convince us that America must be fundamentally changed because of the more sordid side of its past, that being slavery. The idea that somehow the Founding Fathers got it all wrong, or that we should cast off the system of government set up by the Constitution because its ideals weren’t fully realized at its “inception” is ludicrous.
Western Civilization was the first culture to cast off the chains of slavery, and for that we should be proud. It is the critics of Western Civilization whose guilt runs deep, and they delude themselves by denigrating the freest country in the history of the world. Deep down, they know the seeds they’re trying to plant in your head are pipe dreams. They’re visions that can only lead to disappointment and heartache, and yet they sell them anyway…
As you come into your idealogical own, realize that conservatism is the “totem” that can bring you home. Conservatism is rooted in reality: Great societies are created through the hard work, blood, sweat, toil, and tears of entrepreneurs; dictators and despots back down when confronted by a morally self-assured nation that is willing to use force (when necessary) to defend its people and the principles that allow freedom to flourish; millions of everyday people engaging in voluntary transactions, in the aggregate, are much better stewards of their life than small elite groups of central planners trying to micromanage trillion dollar economies.
At one point in Inception, Cobb tells his protege that she should never “create from memory,” which is fitting because liberalism, as much as it claims to be a student of history, is not. Liberal politicians always claim to be creating something new, but the reality is often something starkly different. They don’t want you to know it because the stale, stodgy, sad mess that is statism is always a political loser. And, just like the “subconscious” in Inception, the American people will attack it like white blood cells on a parasite when it becomes apparent.
I believe that is happening right now. And I believe that, just like the movie, liberals are going to go for broke to keep you sedated and confused.
As Cobb says: “Rely on your training.” The Constitution is your training. Our founding is the “map” to get you through the maze. If we as a nation use it, we’ll be fine. If we don’t, get ready to find yourself in limbo.
Now go out there and buy yourself a ticket to Christopher Nolan’s newest classic.
Douglas Ernst Blog 