Rare it is that I link to the Daily Kos. However, I saw this over at Hugh Hewitt's place and it may be the perfect Lefty Post ever. The author determines that the NFL is both a symptom and a cause for all that he says ails America. I love this post for many reasons. First, it demonstrates the hatred of the Left for masculinity. Competition, physical confrontation, high-spirits and even an appreciation of pretty cheerleaders is suspect. One reason those like me feel liberalism is unmanly is that in its deepest manifestation it consciously rejects manliness. Second, is the Cromwellian disdain for leisure activity or entertaining diversions. The mindset that banned bear-baiting in England not because of the pain of the bear but the pleasure of the on-looker is here manifest. The comments emphasize this. "It is terrible that people watch football instead of protesting McChimpy's unjust war," seems to be the reigning philosophy.
The formerly liberal idea of sport as a leveler among classes is gone. Back at Hamilton the more leftist a professor the more he despised organized sports (and fraternities). I, non-athlete that I am, always got the impression that this was driven by a detestation of the popularity of athletes versus pompous know it alls. You could just look at the most rabid jock haters on the faculty and see jealously. In fact, I sometimes think that if only some guy over 5' 6" had taken Nancy Rabinowitz to the freak'n prom we would have been spared the Ward Churchill imbroglio.
The author makes good points on public subsidies of stadiums but people vote for a lot of counterproductive measures that make them feel good (see minimum wage hikes) without complaint from the Left. One of the commentators believes federal intervention is needed to prevent teams from playing municipalities off against one another. Yes, indeed federal intervention to prevent economic competition between the states over sports teams! The Founders would be so proud.
Also, no mention of Greenbay which is community owned in a blue state. I would think this would cause Kosgasms but apparently the glass must be totally empty while Bush is in office.
Who calls the American people "the masses" in 2007? Is this common among Chomskyites? If anyone in Ithaca is reading this let me know.
The comments must be read (especially those that believe Rugby is not a popular American sport because of the NFL conspiracy).
Next time some Lefty complains that the Right keeps calling it unAmerican this is exhibit 1.
And I personally thank the commentators on Kos who called this overthetop nonsense as it sustains my faith in humanity, such as it is.
8 comments:
I am perfectly capable of watching football and protesting McChimpy.
That is the perfect post of The Left - that monolithic, fractured, omnipotent, powerless non-entity entity - in that it confirms everyone's stereotypes simultaneously, including mine for JJV.
It also finally tells us where Prawer ended up.
It was so nice of some humorless zealot to offer up a straw man for JJV to wave around as emblematic of all who oppose right thinkers. That said, there is a strain on the whack job left that has taken the pendulum swing too far and spends too much time seeing flaws in the society without seeing greatness. I am recalled of W.S. Gilbert's "little list" from The Mikado, deploring "the idiot who praises in enthusiastic tone, every century but this and every country but his own." Where JJV and I differ is that he seems to consider the "whack job left" as being everyone not currently on the RNC. And maybe more than that, if Olympia Snowe is on the RNC.
But oddly enough I don't feel at all defined by either JJV or the Daily Kos. Humorless zealots may be found on all sides, deploring the trivial things that we do to entertain ourselves and get through our working day. Whether it's right wing "family values" types deploring sex/movies/TV or left wing hand wringers who hate the NFL, I shall continue to enjoy both sex and football (they can't make me watch American Idol, though ... I shall eschew idolatry). Instead I follow Queen Elizabeth's search for a via media. That way I get to laugh with everyone, and still strive to make the world a better place. An open mind and personal responsibility. It's a groovy time, man!
JCC
The American people just told you what ails them: the right/RNC. You guys just don't care/hear.
I note that when for 12 years the "American People" told us the Left/DNC ailed them LAM was impervious to the Vox Populi.
What the hell is wrong with guys under 5"6? I think they are yummy!
Oh, and btw, I'm from Ithaca.
Jeez, if you were a librarian-by-training who homeschools her kids, you'd fit the exact profile for the author of that Kos diary.
Hey...
Well, I went to that Kos site and talk about strange and impenetrable! Don't look at me, Chomskyite Ithacan librarian that I am! No, literally - don't look at me! How do I get my damn picture off the comments? I have to figure that out, or you guys have to put your picture on yours!
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