Wednesday, September 30, 2009

When Americans Aren't Evil, They're Stupid   [Jonah Goldberg]

You've got to read Rob Long's review of Ralph Nader's new novel. Rob is smart to let the book mostly speak for itself.  The book is called — really it is — "Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!" It's a 700 page novel about how super-rich progressives get together to make America a European style welfare state. Seriously! Here's a passage I thought was particularly interesting, as did Rob:

Here, for instance, is an actual passage from "Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!": "As promised, Ted Turner and Phil Donahue had put their heads together to brainstorm about a mascot for the group's efforts. Ted's thoughts naturally ran along avian lines, and it wasn't long before they hit on the idea of a parrot. . . . Patriotic Polly hit the airwaves in fifteen-second spots shown on thousands of stations, and it was an immediate smash."

The parrot, see, appears on TV and squawks, "Get up! Don't let America down!" Then there's an email address for viewers to use to join the movement to redirect America. Which the viewers do, and off we go.

Because that's what it takes, really, to get America to agree with you, according to Ralph Nader: a parrot, a couple of TV spots, some billionaire's cash. Why so easy? The premise of the novel is that ordinary people love Ralph Nader's politics. They all agree with his progressive, left-wing agenda—even though, for some reason, they didn't vote for him, in huge numbers, in two presidential elections. But with a little Hollywood pixie dust and some community-organizing money, the entire grocery list of left-wing causes from 1960 to 2009 can be enacted. The whole story is presented with such sweet earnestness that it almost seems mean to laugh at it. Almost.

Obviously, I think Rob's got the right take. But it's worth dwelling on this because there is just so much projection at work here. Nader thinks the non-progressive super-rich run the show now. So he concludes that victory is as easy as fighting fire with fire. If only Warren Buffet et al would form their own Super-Rich Justice League, America would be fixed. Heck it would be easier than easy because Americans actually agree with Nader but have been duped  by the plutocratic forces of reaction. So merely give Ralph Nader a parrot and checkbook and — bada bing — America swings Swedish style.

What's funny about this is Nader often waxes lyrical about civic education, informed citizenry and all that (I actually shared a stage with him for one of his sermons on the subject). But the truth is he thinks we're idiots.

This sort of thing is almost as bad as Bette Midler thinking we live in a country that Glenn Beck can turn  into Rwanda simply by pounding on a table. Midler thinks millions of Americans are smoldering with murderous rage. Nader thinks Americans are smothering in imbecillic sloth. Either way, it adds up to contempt for Americans.

09/30 10:03 AMShare