Looking back at yesterday's Moore piece, I did regret one thing. I was giving Moore a very healthy benefit of the doubt but I didn't make one thing clear. If you strive for patriotism without accepting the shared humanity and patriotism of your fellow citizens who disagree with you politically, you'll fail at patriotism and quickly end up at fascistic jingoism. Push that line far enough and we're back at Congressmen beating each other to death on the floor of the legislature and preparations for civil war.
Lileks, on the other hand, doesn't give Moore a break at all. Maybe he's right, but I hope not. The problem is that Michael Moore is undeniably popular and the Michael Moore that Lileks describes is a figure that could only be followed by a population that is seriously gone astray to the point of societal suicide.
It isn't Moore himself that is so important but the significant following that he has captured, a following that doesn't seem to care much about the truth, doesn't care to concede the shared humanity and patriotism that should unite this polity, and will eventually, inevitably, turn to violence when their electoral ambitions are denied. That's the devil's brew that we're faced with.
God help us.
Posted by TMLutas at July 8, 2004 03:45 PM