Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

No Left Turns

Political Philosophy

Blogito, Ergo Sum

That's the title of Jim Ceaser's triumphant return to the world of postmodern, yet conservative, blogging.

Discussions - 3 Comments

Not a triumphant return. There is more to post-modernism than the conceit of self-referentiality. Anyone informed on the movement would compare that conceit with the conceits of unquestioned 'first principles' and bankrupt metaphysical presuppositions which have secretly guided thinking for centuries. The conceit of the latter is the much more pernicious example. Indeed, one cannot have enough self-referential critical reflections on the starting points of inquiry. Of course the point here is not to go too deep. These are entertainment blogs just trying to inoculate conservative 'thinking' against having to think too hard, and colonialize some of the language to sound informed, so as to get back as quickly as possible to the standard bearers, like Tocqueville.

The above comment proves why you cannot substitute "blogging" with "media", especially as Tocqueville understood it. The "media" was once a serious endeavor where politics was not just discussed but was the first source of information for many on the local level. No longer are the speeches of Presidents and Congressmen printed and reprinted for public digestion. Instead we now have blogs which do little else but debase political discourse until it becomes a virtual popularity contest where the opinion with the most followers wins. It's a shame. I cannot imagine Ben Franklin setting up a blog instead of opening up a printing press.

So, are there any conservatives at all over there at First Things? I used to read it regularly a few years ago, but between Ceaser and that Larouchie it seems like the place has gone to the dogs.

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