The Liberal Death Throes

Several Years ago I wrote a book called Post-Liberalism: The Death of a Dream.  In it I explained why liberalism was dying.  Contrary to the neo-Marxist scenario, progressives are on the wrong side of history.  Collectivism cannot contend with the demands of modernism.

Because liberalism was still riding high, I used a metaphor to elucidate what I believed was occurring.  This comparison was based on an incident that took place at my home.  One day, while reading a book in my living room, I heard a thump at the front window.  I immediately got up to investigate.

There, in the center of the windowpane, was a smudge.  When I looked down toward the driveway, I could see a small bird.  Upon going descending the front stairs, it was obvious that this creature was in distress. For a moment, I did not know what to do.

Although I wanted to help, how?  Soon events took this decision out of my hands.  The tiny bird began to thrash around.  Evidently it was experiencing significant pain.  But perhaps it was recovering its strength.  Perhaps this thrashing was its effort to again take wing.

Then, after a few seconds of wildly beating its wings, it suddenly went inert.  The flailing had been its death throes.  In fighting against its expiration, it used its last ounce of energy to cling to life. Wasn’t this what liberals were also doing?

In retrospect, I got the timing wrong.  Liberalism was sliding toward death, but had not yet arrived at its doorstep.  Today it is much closer to its demise.  With each passing day, we learn that its faith in big government was misplaced.  The evidence of incompetence and corruption is unmistakable.

Liberals are increasingly aware of this.  They cannot help but notice that their archenemy, Donald Trump, has been able to accomplish feats they could not manage.  A flourishing economy is surely at the top of this list.

As a result, they have tumbled into the thrashing mode.  Several years ago, they anticipated their downfall by vigorously denying their failures.  They still do, but nowadays are also behaving fanatically.  There is an irrational wildness to their current behavior that does not accord with designs to regain political dominance.

Consider the Brett Kavanaugh dustup.  No one doubts the right of the president to nominate a Supreme Court Justice. No one doubts the right of the Senate to confirm this nominee.  Nonetheless, we have entered a twilight zone of where hypocrisy reigns.

By nearly every measure, Kavanaugh is qualified for the position. His record on the bench has been sterling.  His only disqualification is that he believes in interpreting the constitution as it was written.  This is anathema to liberals who argue that it is a living document they can decipher as they desire.

Hence all of the objections to Kavanaugh.  Hence the demands for unprecedented levels of documentation. What makes this farce truly absurd is that those screaming loudest for these materials have already proclaimed they will not vote for him.

To add to the incongruity, these obstructionists will not even speak to Kavanaugh.  Indeed, they announced that they were against him before they knew who he would be.  This is not democracy.  This is not advice and consent, but animus and ignorance.

This thrashing about is a betrayal of America’s heritage.  Its goal is to stop whatever Trump wants.  Democracy, however, depends up honoring elections. The party that loses is obliged to step back and allow the winners to govern.  Not so this time around.  There is not even a pretense of proposing legislative alternatives.

Another indicator of liberal flailing is the abolish ICE movement. Although ICE had nothing to do with separating mothers and babies at the border, its agents are maligned as “thugs.” Then, when asked how they would replace ICE, we are vacuously told the agency needs to be “reimagined.”

Serious people do not behave this way.  People with good ideas do not make a perpetual show of petulance.  They do more than call names.  They do more than demand that a president they hate be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors they cannot document.

This is what thrashing looks like.  This is how death throes play out.  The vicious anger coming from the left is evidence that these folks know their dream is dying.  What little energy remains them they dedicate to mucking up what their dogmas could not fix. How sad.

Melvyn L. Fein, Ph.D.

Professor of Sociology

Kennesaw State University