I think I mentioned in a previous post that I’m proofreading my son’s new book, which is about, in part, the national conversation among politicians and intellectuals just before, during, and shortly after the Civil War.
He relates that one strand of thought was to the effect that, after the Civil War, it was necessary to elevate the ex-slaves to full equality not just because it was morally right, but because a failure to do so would allow the South to create an unequal society that would undermine democracy throughout the nation, and possibly lead to another Civil War. The latter hasn’t yet happened, but the former has, and it’s no exaggeration to say that the post-Reconstruction failure of the Nation to impose democratic norms and institutions on the Southern states has had long term negative effects on the nation as a whole, which may very well be bearing its ultimate fruits in the present, for the Southern ethos has now captured (more exactly, recaptured) the Supreme Court and the House of Representatives, if not quite the Senate. It has also captured much of the media (e.g., Fox, Newsmax, et. al.) and internet, which has enabled the infection from the South to spread through large sections of the rest of the country.
The new Speaker of the House is yet another manifestation of this trend. A fascist of the first order. It remains to be seen if the media that is not in the pocket of the right will do its job and expose him, or continue in the both sides tradition. I have to admit that, despite my Good Friday repetitious postings, I sometimes find it difficult to look on the bright side.
Then again, somewhat on the bright side: Happy Halloween!
Post a Comment