Deconstructing a Noonanism

Peggy Noonan at the Wall Street Journal wrote an article; Why It’s Time for the Tea Party. Like so many milquetoast conservatives, she felt the need to balance the enthusiasm of the revolution with the wisdom of the ‘establishment’.

But establishments exist for a reason. It is true that the party establishment is compromised, and by many things, but one of them is experience. They’ve lived through a lot, seen a lot, know the national terrain. They know how things work. They know the history. I wonder if Tea Party members know how fragile are the institutions that help keep the country together.

Let’s begin.

But establishments exist for a reason.

Yes. But more often that not, establishments exist to perpetuate the establishment. Indirectly, that is it’s contribution to society, ie; providing stability. But that stability is only worth preserving when the establishment is not actively doing harm to the country. Otherwise, as they say, a little revolution is a good thing.

It is true that the party establishment is compromised, and by many things, but one of them is experience.

It’s almost embarrassing to point out that this sentence is C grade sophomore composition. Let me correct, “It is true that the party establishment is compromised, and by many things, but and one of them is experience.”

They’ve lived through a lot…

That’s the problem…and the solution is term limits.

…seen a lot…

But learned nothing.

…and know the national terrain.

Absolutely wrong. If they knew the national terrain, they wouldn’t have been blindsided by the Tea Party. They know the political terrain. It is ingrained in them like a metastasized tumor. And the goal of the political terrain? Preserving the ‘establishment’ and their grip on power.

They know how things work.

They know how things work in Washington, DC. Most of them haven’t got a snake’s knowledge of shoes about anything else, or care to. “Guam will turn over and sink.”? Most of these fools in the establishment don’t have a cargo cult’s understanding of what makes an economy work.

They know the history.

They know where the skeletons are buried, you mean. It’s part of the power game.

I wonder if Tea Party members know how fragile are the institutions that help keep the country together.

Like the American Auto industry that Obama all but destroyed by fiat (that’s a pun). Like the financial industry that has been turned into a branch of the political system? Like the world’s finest healthcare system that will be reduced to the efficiency of the Post Office by this ‘establishment’?

What is needed is an establishment that believes in the limitations of power, that understands the difference between governing and ruling, that comprehends the ‘invisible hand’ of free markets. All of the things the old establishment seems to have forgotten during their long ‘experience’. The Tea Party fully understands the value of an establishment. They’re going to build one in the near future. Either with the cooperation of the old one, or on the ashes of it.

Update: I norice Ace got on her for this article and managed to avoid upchucking but mostly got on her for this article.

Just to prove my prescience

I was here a year ago.

The Dums will be needing a new logo again…soon

I have a suggestion.

What are they trying to say?

It looks like a target.