Green Energy
Peggy Noonan:
Watching Season 2 of “House of Cards.” Not to be a scold or humorless, but do Washington politicians understand how they make themselves look when they embrace the show and become part of its promotion by spouting its famous lines? Congressmen only work three days a week. Each shot must have taken two hours or so—the setup, the crew, the rehearsal, the learning the line. How do they have time for that? Why do they think it’s good for them?
“House of Cards” very famously does nothing to enhance Washington’s reputation. It reinforces the idea that the capital has no room for clean people. The earnest, the diligent, the idealistic, they have no place there. Why would powerful members of Congress align themselves with this message? Why do they become part of it? I guess they think they’re showing they’re in on the joke and hip to the culture. I guess they think they’re impressing people with their surprising groovelocity.
Or maybe they’re just stupid.
But it’s all vaguely decadent, no? Or maybe not vaguely. America sees Washington as the capital of vacant, empty souls, chattering among the pillars. Suggesting this perception is valid is helpful in what way?
I don’t understand why members of Congress, the White House and the media become cooperators in videos that sort of show that deep down they all see themselves as . . . actors. And good ones! In a phony drama. Meant I suppose to fool the rubes.
It’s all supposed to be amusing, supposed to show you’re an insider who sees right through this town. But I’m not sure it shows that.
We’re at a funny point in our political culture. To have judgment is to be an elitist. To have dignity is to be yesterday. To have standards is to be a hypocrite—you won’t always meet standards even when they’re your own, so why have them?
At least they tried to keep it secret. That was good of them!
They are America’s putative great business leaders. They are laughing, singing, drinking, posing in drag and acting out skits. The skits make fun of their greed and cynicism. In doing this they declare and make clear, just in case you had any doubts, that they are greedy and cynical.
All of this is supposed to be merry, high-jinksy, unpretentious, wickedly self-spoofing. But it seems more self-exposing, doesn’t it?
And all of it feels so decadent.
No one wants to be the earnest outsider now, no one wants to play the sober steward, no one wants to be the grind, the guy carrying around a cross of dignity. No one wants to be accused of being staid. No one wants to say, “This isn’t good for the country, and it isn’t good for our profession.”
And it is all about the behavior of our elites, our upper classes, which we define now in a practical sense as those who are successful, affluent and powerful. This group not only includes but is almost limited to our political class, Wall Street, and the media, from Hollywood to the news divisions.
They’re all kind of running America.
They all seem increasingly decadent.
What are the implications of this, do you think?
They’re making their videos, holding their parties and having a ball. OK. But imagine you’re a Citizen at Home just grinding through—trying to do it all, the job, the parenthood, the mowing the lawn and paying the taxes. No glamour, all responsibility and effort. And you see these little clips on the Net where the wealthy sing about how great taxpayer bailouts are and you feel like . . . they’re laughing at you.
What happens to a nation whose elites laugh at its citizens?
What happens to its elites?
- Peggy Noonan's Thoughts On The Donald Trump Phenomenon
I Will Win You Over With My Weird, Wacky Ways From WSJ: So, more thoughts on Donald Trump’s candidacy, because I can’t stop being fascinated. You know the latest numbers. Quinnipiac University’s poll this week has Mr. Trump at a hefty...
- Princeton And Northwestern : Us Is Now An Oligarchy (political Class)
America is no longer a democracy — never mind the democratic republic envisioned by Founding Fathers. Rather, it has taken a turn down elitist lane and becomea country led by a small dominant class comprised of powerful members who exert total control...
-
David Plouffe: Obama on side of Occupy Wall Street protesters Plouffe (ploo-fay)noun 1. a fart that went wrong. From Politico: The White House wants to make it clear that President Barack Obama is on the same side as the Occupy Wall Street protesters...
- The Error Of Their Ways...the Alaska Independence Party And Sarah Palin
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- Enemy Mine: Conservatives In Muslim Clothing?
One of the topics that I like to blog about how we create our own enemies. That has been true throughout history. The Left holds the belief that America brought upon itself the horrendous attacks of 9-11 and the necessity for the self-defense of the Islamist...
Green Energy
Our Decadent Elites
Peggy Noonan:
Watching Season 2 of “House of Cards.” Not to be a scold or humorless, but do Washington politicians understand how they make themselves look when they embrace the show and become part of its promotion by spouting its famous lines? Congressmen only work three days a week. Each shot must have taken two hours or so—the setup, the crew, the rehearsal, the learning the line. How do they have time for that? Why do they think it’s good for them?
“House of Cards” very famously does nothing to enhance Washington’s reputation. It reinforces the idea that the capital has no room for clean people. The earnest, the diligent, the idealistic, they have no place there. Why would powerful members of Congress align themselves with this message? Why do they become part of it? I guess they think they’re showing they’re in on the joke and hip to the culture. I guess they think they’re impressing people with their surprising groovelocity.
Or maybe they’re just stupid.
But it’s all vaguely decadent, no? Or maybe not vaguely. America sees Washington as the capital of vacant, empty souls, chattering among the pillars. Suggesting this perception is valid is helpful in what way?
I don’t understand why members of Congress, the White House and the media become cooperators in videos that sort of show that deep down they all see themselves as . . . actors. And good ones! In a phony drama. Meant I suppose to fool the rubes.
It’s all supposed to be amusing, supposed to show you’re an insider who sees right through this town. But I’m not sure it shows that.
We’re at a funny point in our political culture. To have judgment is to be an elitist. To have dignity is to be yesterday. To have standards is to be a hypocrite—you won’t always meet standards even when they’re your own, so why have them?
* * *
I wonder if the titans of Wall Street understand how they look in this. At least they tried to keep it secret. That was good of them!
They are America’s putative great business leaders. They are laughing, singing, drinking, posing in drag and acting out skits. The skits make fun of their greed and cynicism. In doing this they declare and make clear, just in case you had any doubts, that they are greedy and cynical.
All of this is supposed to be merry, high-jinksy, unpretentious, wickedly self-spoofing. But it seems more self-exposing, doesn’t it?
And all of it feels so decadent.
No one wants to be the earnest outsider now, no one wants to play the sober steward, no one wants to be the grind, the guy carrying around a cross of dignity. No one wants to be accused of being staid. No one wants to say, “This isn’t good for the country, and it isn’t good for our profession.”
And it is all about the behavior of our elites, our upper classes, which we define now in a practical sense as those who are successful, affluent and powerful. This group not only includes but is almost limited to our political class, Wall Street, and the media, from Hollywood to the news divisions.
They’re all kind of running America.
They all seem increasingly decadent.
What are the implications of this, do you think?
They’re making their videos, holding their parties and having a ball. OK. But imagine you’re a Citizen at Home just grinding through—trying to do it all, the job, the parenthood, the mowing the lawn and paying the taxes. No glamour, all responsibility and effort. And you see these little clips on the Net where the wealthy sing about how great taxpayer bailouts are and you feel like . . . they’re laughing at you.
What happens to a nation whose elites laugh at its citizens?
What happens to its elites?
- Peggy Noonan's Thoughts On The Donald Trump Phenomenon
I Will Win You Over With My Weird, Wacky Ways From WSJ: So, more thoughts on Donald Trump’s candidacy, because I can’t stop being fascinated. You know the latest numbers. Quinnipiac University’s poll this week has Mr. Trump at a hefty...
- Princeton And Northwestern : Us Is Now An Oligarchy (political Class)
America is no longer a democracy — never mind the democratic republic envisioned by Founding Fathers. Rather, it has taken a turn down elitist lane and becomea country led by a small dominant class comprised of powerful members who exert total control...
-
David Plouffe: Obama on side of Occupy Wall Street protesters Plouffe (ploo-fay)noun 1. a fart that went wrong. From Politico: The White House wants to make it clear that President Barack Obama is on the same side as the Occupy Wall Street protesters...
- The Error Of Their Ways...the Alaska Independence Party And Sarah Palin
Earlier in this marathon week a 'progressive' friend sent me a story about the huntress - hot librarian perhaps next VP joining a crank 'secessionist party'. This was after the 'her daughter is her granddaughter' slime and...
- Enemy Mine: Conservatives In Muslim Clothing?
One of the topics that I like to blog about how we create our own enemies. That has been true throughout history. The Left holds the belief that America brought upon itself the horrendous attacks of 9-11 and the necessity for the self-defense of the Islamist...