I spend enough time in my car that I hear several talk-show programs, mostly those syndicated throughout the United States. It is a grating experience for the most part. Actually, one I most favor originates locally (Houston), and now has syndication in several states and apparently is growing. This particular brand is one of the few wherein the host is quite well-read over a variety of subjects so that callers may learn a bit of history regarding Western society and culture. And to put no fine point on it, Southern society and culture.
Borrowing a quote from Carl Jones in The Abbeville Institute, as I see it, most of the radio American history drivel goes something as follows: “The Founders of the United States realized that the Articles of Confederation were too weak and a stronger central government was needed to manage the affairs of ‘the people.’ So, one beautiful day in Philadelphia, they gathered and went about the work of improving the ‘nation’s’ governing system. These ‘founding brothers’ were all of like mind and in short order reached an agreement which resulted in our constitution – the Holy Grail of human governance – and established the greatest ‘nation’ in the history of mankind.”
However, though they forgot the evil slave system, fortunately subsequent New and Improved Founders decided, wisely, to try and kill these evil flesh peddlers by the thousands in the name of glories and hallelujahs from sea to shining sea.
And hoorah! A shining city on a hill (another talk-show blundering appreciation). And the “conservative” Republicans in all their goodness must overcome by the “vote” (a democratic worship not a republican one) the evil Democrats.
I do not think all Democrats are evil. Most are just selfish or dishonest. But then the same is true of Republicans. I do think that most Democrats and Republicans lack any scholarship, having long since abandoned searching for truth in favor of money. This brings the evil to both parties: “The love of money.”
There are too many sources, original sources, that is, as opposed to the superficial textbook twaddle that is babbled both on the air as well as those bastions of would-be intelligence, PUBLIC Schools, not to mention the talk show authors of puerile stories (Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims–gag, or Bill O’Reilly’s amorphous offerings) used by most of the party apparatchiks. They prefer these silly, supercilious volumes which by either being pro or con they can garner money, hence votes.
To these people the true concept of federalism or sovereignty is as mysterious and hidden as the so-called three co-equal branches of government.
I mentioned “Southern” above as in the American South. This is a topic most syndications have little knowledge of as they have been fed (and happily self-gorged) themselves on the verbosity of Eric Foner or Victor Davis Hanson or, for God sake Bill Bennett (Bennett being the happy gambler who doesn’t know the difference between nullification and secession–“Nullification is what they used to call secession” –good grief!).
I mention the above wannabe historians as every time I hear one of the above Marconi circuit riders of the airwaves cite some quasi translation from Jefferson or Madison it is (pardon the cliché) taken out of context. Actually, it is misunderstood; much like certain words thrashed about, such as exponential or parse. Anyway, if they have not studied history they likely have not sharpened the tools to do so anyway.
So, every battle is uphill, and steeply so, for the radio learner. And at the top more than likely will be a statue of Jefferson Davis or Robert E, Lee waiting to be shoved down the hill to be replaced by an N.F.L. player standing with his hand over his heart–because in this metaphysical radio world of child-like Animal Farm philosophies this is our Nation
Views expressed in op-eds are not the views of The Daily Caller.