Modernity & art. And an atheist & ex-Republican named Mike.

Rated PG-13 for crude language.

In one of Roger Kimaball's articles he mentions George Orwell commenting on artists (his thoughts were written in the 1940s according to Kimaball) -

I think they still hold today.

I'll just concentrate on the "Just pronounce the magic world 'Art,' and everything is O.K. Over on Breitbart.com this enthralling (I'm being facetious) exchange of words took place a few days ago -

Poster GreenLantern has many good (and true) points. If one is remotely familiar with how producing a movie works, Mr. Lantern isn't typing away just to type away. Mike's "It's called art," is a good example of vacuous emotive bullshit.

How come Mike's appeal to "art" sounds so much like every other modern day appeal to the arts? It's like 100 years from now books (maybe turned into e-books) will be non-existent or museums holding exhibitions will be gone in Mike's mind.

It's not like I'm a anti-art (if you knew about my interests you'd think "Da f-ck? How are you a traditionalist?") or think black & white films are boring, or think "real" films (the ones that show up at Cannes, Sundance, TIFF, Venice etc.) are a waste of time.

But Mike wasn't done.

and

and

and

According to his posts, supposedly Mike was a Marine AND a Republican back in the day. How convenient. I guess that makes his comments even more "legit."

Now I'm aware that there are atheists who serve in our military, so I'm not ignorant of such a demographic being present in a branch that might otherwise seem full of Christians - whatever sect. I never served in the military (though I wish I had) so I don't know if the all the "You're going to hell" talk is present to any atheist who broadcasts his thoughts on religion; I don't know what is talked about in the barracks. Now was the man a Republican? I am not sure if that is true. The thing that seems true is that he's an atheist (Gnu), a non-believer.

 I don't have anything personal against atheists -- I'm just highlighting what clearly shows an atheist going out of his way (starting an off-topic post) to be an an out right ass on an article that has nothing to with religion, let alone Christianity. It would be like me going on a HuffPo article about educational protests in Colorado, posting how people who think abortion is a "right" are evil sons-of-a-bitches. I don't believe such a thing nor would I do such a thing, let alone troll such a website.

I take the "ex-Republican" with a grain of salt because of this comment -

Mike also has some race issue (not that race issue) -

I don't know how old Mike is, but I figure most of his military superiors were white during the time of his service.

The man goes on, in other posts, talking about how the Indians (Native Americans) got screwed over with their land, how tough it is to be a black person (I think Mike is white, at least that's what he wrote before) and that America only protects white males. Then is another post he voices how America is a hypocritical country saying - I dunno, can't really remember - that the country will only live up to its true potential by adopting some egalitarian mindset. This is coming from a person who said he served in the Marines, served as a cop for 20+ yrs and was Republican at some point in his life.

Mike, you could've had me fooled for something else.

Here's something that I've noticed amongst lefties -

They [lefties], when the timing is right, tend to say something along the same lines -- that the world is tired of conservatives supposed close mindedness, its bigotry and hatred, its "baggage" causing progress in society to halt or retard etc. That they [conservatives] are that type of person that no one wants to talk to at a party because of supposedly antiquated views of [insert political issue or social topic].

In other words its the "no one likes you" school yard card. It's pure intimidation used to make the receiver into take an (unfair) guilt trip.

"My gosh, we are mean and backwards, and everything the media and trolls (like Mike) say we are. We are so sorry. Please forgive us."

Kinda like how race baiters want America, somehow - don't know how, to pay for its own "original sin" -- slavery. And whatever racism, sexism, gender-injustice, oil seeking injustice that exists America has got to pay for it. I don't know how, but somehow the country has to set things "right."

If the world can't stand you, then I guess the world is right, right? If foreign media portrays conservatives and the GOP as some wacko right-wing fanatic group then it's true, right?

(I am neither a Republican or a Democrat. I'm an independent voter, though back in the day I considered myself a Democrat. I am fully aware that Mike's supposed past history is symmetric to mine, but I know I'm telling the truth about my past. As for Mike ... I don't know.)

I'll say this: Someone who is a traditionalist is very bizarre to most of the (Western) world, especially Europe. An American libertarian is, as I learned, quite a rare bird in world politics. I'll break this oddness rareness down.

From the PBS site, as the late Ronald Reagan said -

January 11, 1989 -- farewell address to the nation

"I've spoken of the shining city all my political life…. And how stands the city on this winter night? … After 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true to the granite ridge, and her glow has held no matter what storm. And she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home." 

• America is seen as the last shining light to the world. I agree. If America tanks the world is screwed.
• American politics is seen as more conservative, as a whole, when compared to Western Europe. Go ask comedian/actor Russell Brand. The 2nd amendment about guns? The Brits think we're nuts.
• Social conservatives are seen as *weird mother fuckers to most of the world. What, no Two Girls One Cup? (No link, you sick bastard.) Why you be hatin'? They ain't hurtin' anyone.
• Middle America is more (socially) conservative than, say, Western Europe & the coasts. It's a place seen filled with weird mother fuckers.
• "The rest of the world can't stand you." The you refers to conservatives (with all the compliments that Mike attributed).
• An American conservative is rare bird in the world.

Snuff that light out. Mike would like that. In fact, Mike admits that the country's potential is in some egalitarian Utopia. A "new" light is made because the "old" light just doesn't cut it, but the details are quite vague. Just don't demand a detailed answer from Mike.

And here's another thing I've noticed: There are far more leftie trolls on conservative sites than conservative trolls on non-conservative sites. Actually, I can't really recall a conservative acting like a troll on sites dominated by the liberal view. I wish I did, I wished I experienced something like Mike, but a conservative one, because then I can say "well this one time a self-proclaimed conservative on Jezebel .... "

What I can say is that posters like Mike, are often times condescending. Wait, that should be Condescending. Bold. Capitalized. Bitter as well - oh the bitterness. It's like they're confessing their deepest angst and the posters reading should be saint like in receiving the slanders and jabs, thought the patience shown by some posters is more than impressive.

Then this long rant (the article was about a law supporting building rooms specifically for beast feeding in airports - apparently some of the posters didn't like the idea, so Mike had his say) -

So what we have here is a Marine turned cop, for 20 years, who is an ex-Republican, yet he talks like a modern day Kool-Aid drinking leftie. Seriously, how on earth did he survive his 4 years in the Marines let alone become a cop all the while thinking and believing the things he does?

A part of me wants to believe his what he types, the other just wants to call BS. I did come across a person, claiming that they were an urban Republican that worked in politics, that came across as some conservative poser. When I asked him about his tone (it was clear he didn't like the NASCAR type of people or those in small towns, basically most of America), he proclaimed that didn't like middle American and the South because of the "twang" accents ("If that makes me elitist, then so be it," he said), and that while watching the news overseas that such people were an embarrassment when interviewed.

Rubes aren't liked by the "sophisticated" urban Republican nor the Marine turned cop/ex-Republican who now holds right wing America in immense contempt.

I did have the idiocy to respond to some of his posts, so I'll see how our own discussion goes if he replies back. And I'm an ex-(modern) liberal, otherwise known as a leftie ...

* I don't think middle American is filled with weird mother fuckers due to it being socially conservative.