So far, BO is pretty much a political reflective surface into which the politically narcissistic stare, see a reflection of their own ideas, and fall in love. Unsurprisingly, EJ Dionne sees BO as the the shining knight to turn back the political clock beyond the age of Reagan, as Dionne himself has thought is a grand idea since the day Reagan was elected.
President Barack Obama intends to use conservative values for progressive ends. He will cast extreme individualism as an infantile approach to politics that must be supplanted by a more adult sense of personal and collective responsibility. He will honor government's role in our democracy and not degrade it. He wants America to lead the world, but as much by example as by force.
"Conservative values for progressive ends" is a nice statement. Certainly a good idea use conservative values, since liberal values are an oxymoron -- he is on solid pragmatic footing there. So what is a progressive end? Socialism and other collectivism of course. It is good that individual rights are "infantile", that is a very useful term. So would that be ALL individual rights? Speech, Religion, Property, Association -- or only Property?
He returns to the theme at the end and lets us know a bit more of his position:
For now, each side in the old debate can enlist aspects of Obama's rhetoric in their polemics against the other. But in associating our recent past with "childish things," in insisting that greatness is "never a given" and always "must be earned," Obama is challenging the very basis of their conflict.
It is a worthy fight. It will also be a hard fight to win because rights are so much easier to talk about than duties, and freedom's gifts are always more prized than its obligations.
He earlier claims that "the sides" are the "do your own thing personal morality of the 60's" and "the greed and irresponsibility of the '80s" ... BO will now eclipse with his new higher level of morality, a morality of "duty". So what would BO do to supplant "do your own thing"? Return abortion restrictions, so the wages of promiscuity would include the responsibility of parenthood rather than the killing of the unborn? Apparently not, he has already signed an executive order so that our tax dollars can be used to avoid that responsiblity globally.
Can you really imagine BO doing something that would suspend the moral abrogation of the '60s? Nope, neither can I. That whole side of the equation is exactly what liberals usually do -- present a false bargain where they will give up precisely nothing. Can you imagine him radically attacking property rights through standard income taxation, and possibly even more egregious "wealth taxes"? Not too hard is it?
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