Why Beinart, Fighting Faith, and bloggers everywhere are on the wrong path.

It was bound to happen. Whilst Democrats began wondering where to go, what to do, pragmatic liberals would soon follow suit. Peter Beinart should be fired from his post as Editor In Chief at one of the oldest bastions of liberal journalism, The New Republic. He shames the publication that has become a beacon of inspiration, and hope in so many of us.

I was wondering about bloggers being upset about being shut out of last weekend’s DNC “choose the next leader of the losers” show. I was wondering why they were disheartened that the same party they banded together to elect and (most important to the Democrats) raise money, was now shunning them from the first of very many processes to choose new leadership. This new swath of internet voices, still being debated on traditional media outlets, as “fringe journalists” became a force to be reckoned with, leaking valuable “non-traditional” information to the super highway. It was worrying me that the blogosphere did what I did, dropped their real candidate in order to handle the mission at hand, beat Bush. They probably believed enough in Kerry but their politics and their words are not those of Democrats. They are those of liberals. You know the BAD GUYS.

Before I get on too many tangents about how wrong Beinart is in his article and how wrong the liberal Blogosphere is for being shut out of the DNC (yet still supporting them) let me just point out a couple of idiosyncrasies from the election. Liberals did not “loose” the election for Kerry, Kerry, his message, and his band of cowardly messengers lost the election. This time without Nader being the sacapegoat, Liberals are pinning the loss on themselves.

Two words for Beinart and the blogosphere: READ 1984 (or rent the movie). It is ever more obvious that the blogosphere, Beinart, and presumably liberals everywhere have been taken to Orwell’s room 101. The infamous room where any dissenter is brought in to be tortured and eventually denounce their belief or alliance to Emmanuel Goldstein (today’s Ralph Nader or Michael Moore). Pragmatism, the cancer of our democracy, has polluted the liberals. Liberals have repeatedly mentioned Orwell’s name since Bush’s policies reflect very much of what Orwell wrote in his book, yet they have forgotten the very lessons Orwell taught. These policies include media control, or controlling the message, a false sense of security, perpetual war abroad to induce a sense of peace at home.

War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.

Just listen to Sean Hannity or any other conservative talk show host and you can see the similarities, however, instead of 3 minutes, we now have 3 hours (or more) of hate.

In 1984, O’Brien, a member of “the Party,” persuades the protagonist Winston to believe he is actually a revolutionary working on the inside. Winston and his girlfriend, Julia, quietly succumb and begin to meet secretly to read Goldstein’s writings when O’Brien turns them in, the very man they believed was protecting them. After timeless torture, Winston and Julia finally give in, denouncing Goldstein and admitting they were just plain crazy to believe anything but the party line.

The irony of the situation is that in the beginning of the story, Goldstein and his colleague dissenters (also caught and tortured) had been shunned and dismissed. In Big Brother's world, revolutionaries are forced to make public confessions of their insanity and denounce the movement. Sort of like Michael Moore’s appearance in a suit on Jay Leno not too long ago. "If you can't beat'em, join'em."

Beinart and the blogosphere are no different. Indeed Beinart tries to make a point about learning from history and how liberalism became powerful in the 50’s. However, upon further inspection, his rant becomes further and further from liberalism and begins to sound more like a shift to the right. Not only does Beinart denounce Michael Moore and Moveon.org, quite possibly two of the most influential forces for the Democrats, he also mistakenly compares the war on terror to the Cold War. He cites how liberals during the Cold War were open, supporting, and working for Nation Building. He believes Nation Building in the Middle East and other totalitarian Islamic countries could fight the war on terror. He fails to notice that we cannot possibly fight for revolutions in the war on terror, and that terrorism persisted throughout the Cold War. One may argue that the our practices during the Cold War may have even spawned more terrorists. He urges liberals to denounce people like Michael Moore, and Moveon.org for their stances against both the Afghan and Iraq wars. While I disagree with Michael Moore on the War in Afghanistan, I don't think I should change my ideals or my support for Moore just because of it.

I think liberals are missing the greater point, and the bloggers may have learned this point this past weekend. The Democrats are not the liberal party, they are not the party of the people, they are as Ralph Nader constantly reminds us, the “other-other white meat” of politics. Democrats followed the money this election season just like any other election season. They are just as eternally beholden to their monetary interests as the Republicans are; indeed, they share many of the same contributors.

Just think of the voter fraud that has occurred and how the Democrats stood idly by when the burden of $150,000 (which Kerry and the Democrats easily had) fell on the shoulders of David Cobb of the Green Party (and grass root donors like myself). Meanwhile the Democrats sent emails every other day asking for money for other congressional races that were being “run-off.”

This election I saw Bill Maher, and Michael Moore get down on their knees and beg Ralph Nader to withdraw from the race. These men knew the most important thing was to liberate this country from the grasp of the Bush White House. Dropping their idealism, they became pragmatic (as I did) during this election to make sure job #1 got done. Even the sole liberal voice in the media, “Air America” denounced Nader within its first hours of broadcasting. This must be Beinart’s version of liberalism.

Well job #1 didn’t get done, and the first sign of the Democrats loosing the people was Kerry conceding without getting the votes counted. By dismissing the recount and refusing to donate one of his 15 million leftover dollars to it, John Kerry has become the only loser to break a campaign promise.

It goes further, the first big post election Democratic meeting sequesters the very people who did their very best to raise money, spread the message, and help them be elected. Moveon alone raised more money that most of the Democrat’s historical donors and “constituencies.”

It does not end there. The Democrats have been quick to denounce their support for Howard Dean as a candidate for DNC chair. Dean was the first Democrat I really felt I could support, and the blogosphere seems to share that feeling. Dean was the man along with Joe Trippi, to realize the power of the internet to empower the voice in the grass roots. The very populist the country needs. Should Howard Dean not be selected as DNC chair, my case will be stronger.

Yet the liberal bastions like The New Republic instead of uniting, fighting, and standing up for their actions, concede, give up, and state they should move away from the very ideals that define liberalism. Indeed the left has gone wrong. Or, as Beinart and Democrats suggest, gone right.

Message to the blogosphere, Moveon, Michael Moore, and any other liberal thinking that pragmatism is the way to go. Use the political capital gained for a true revolution, denounce the party that shut you out of their gathering, now is the time for a third party.

Just think what Moveon and Ralph Nader can do together.