The Occasional, If Regrettably Necessary, Restatement of Principles

I am not a liberal. This is not a liberal blog. Please don't harbor illusions that underneath my writerly contempt for Democratic politicians there is some softness for so-called progressive ideas.

I am not interested in fixing American. The idea that it can be fixed proceeds from false premises. It rests on mythic assumptions about the noble experiment in self-government. Even at its most harshly critical, it assumes as true that America is, was, or can be "a force for good in the world." I am not interested in providing would-be activists with an intellectual framework through which they can . . . activate more successfully, efficiently, effectually, intelligently. I'm interested in America as a biologist is interested in the living things he studies. That's not a flawless metaphor--it suggests Jonah taking cell samples from within the giant fish, but there it is, nonetheless.

You may believe that through participation in the political process, you can ameliorate some condition of life in this country or world that you consider regrettable or unjust. Or, you may believe that through some action outside of the official political arena--protest or revolution or what have you--that you can do the same. That's fine, but it's presumptuous. What makes you think you'll do any better? I am interested in the brutal absurdity of our condition, but unlike the existentialists, I've got a sense of humor about it. Life is short, but inevitable. Look, I'm here. Can't help it. Might as well have a laugh at the expense of the powerful. They can afford it.