Reflections on the Anti-Establishment Left

The abuses of the Bush Administration—and the capitulation of Democrats—has given rise to anti-Establishment liberals like Glenn Greenwald, Jon Stewart, Mike Gravel, Ralph Nader, Lou Dobbs, Cindy Sheehan, Michael Moore, Phil Donahue, and the folks at Counterpunch and Orion Magazine. Here’s my question: Will these people reconcile with the Establishment after Democrats gain power?

Anti-Establishment sentiment has never been more justified. Both parties support everything that constitutes the status quo: Empire, the Federal Reserve, the income tax, wealth redistribution, crony capitalism, managed trade, the police state, surveillance, the war on drugs, public education, open immigration, the two-party duopoly, incumbency protection, federal supremacy over the states, presidential dictatorship, “national greatness,” globalism, the religion of democracy, and—most importantly—opposition to all forms of radicalism that could threaten Establishment power (civil disobedience, jury nullification, secession, and self-defense against government thugs). Partisan politics is a divide-and-conquer strategy—a sham that distracts voters while the Establishment loots and controls them. The false dichotomy between Democrats and Republicans is perpetuated by useful idiots who make money by inflaming partisan passions.

Anti-Establishment conservatism had a brief heyday in the early 90s. A popular bumper sticker read, “I love my country, but I fear my government.” Waco and Ruby Ridge became rallying cries about a slide toward tyranny. The NRA was calling the ATF “Jack-booted thugs.” It all culminated in the 1994 Republican takeover of Congress—a massive and unprecedented public repudiation of Big Government. Even Bill Clinton declared the end of big government.

Conservatives abandoned radicalism for three reasons: 1) They were intimidated into silence following the Oklahoma City bombing; 2) They lowered their guard after the election of a Republican president. (National Review stupidly proclaimed, “The adults are back in charge!”) 2) They believed it was treasonous to oppose the President during a time of war.

Conservatives learned the hard way. Under Republican rule, government has become more expensive, corrupt, intrusive, and dysfunctional than ever. The abuses of the Clinton Administration pale in comparison to the lies and thug tactics used to promote Republican boondoggles like No Child Left Behind, the Medicare prescription drug benefit, and the transformation of the Middle East.

Will liberals make the same mistake? Some signs point to “yes.” Just as conservatives focused too much on the “wackiness” of Bill Clinton, liberals focus too much on the “stupidity” of George Bush. With Democrats set to dominate the entire government, the temptation to embrace Establishment power will be hard to resist. Just as conservatives rationalized federal power grabs in the name of defeating terrorism, liberals will rationalize them in the name of universal health care.

The problem with Washington is not parties or personalities. The problem is that power corrupts. Any government this powerful will inevitably be hijacked by special interests. The people can’t control the government if it’s too big and complicated for the average voter to understand, and there is no democratic mechanism that will force the government to serve the people. The federal government is a morally and financially bankrupt institution controlled by greedy special interests and power-hungry sociopaths. The worst rise to the top. One President’s abuses are a floor for the next President’s abuses. Parties don’t matter! Washington won’t be “cleaned up” if enough people write their congressman or join a fucking Facebook group. DC is overrun with hundreds of thousands of politicians, lobbyists, lawyers, judges, bureaucrats, and enforcement agents who will feed on the host population until it dies. The federal government is like the Terminator:

Listen, and understand. That terminator is out there. It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.

Even libertarians need to abandon the notion of “restoring” the Constitution. We can’t storm the Establishment though the chokepoints controlled by the Establishment itself. The colonists first tried to petition Parliament based on their rights as Englishmen. When it became obvious the Brits weren’t listening, the colonists told them to get the fuck out. It’s time Americans said the same thing to all the parasites in Washington, DC.

Overall, I am optimistic about the prospects for radicalism on the Left and Right. First of all, the Internet has made it more difficult for a few useful idiots to mislead an entire movement. On the Right, there is growing sentiment that Iraq was a mistake, that the terrorist threat is overblown, that the neocon plan for world domination is not “conservative,” and that the modern conservative movement has failed. (Of course, a rebirth of conservative radicalism could be aborted by another terrorist attack—possibly orchestrated by the Establishment itself.) On the Left, I am encouraged by articles like this, which calls for progressives to abandon the “presidentialism” of MoveOn.org in favor of true local democracy. Finally, some anti-Establishment liberals are flat-out studs! Glenn Greenwald has too much integrity to sell out.

The wildcard in these scenarios is the economic crisis. If the Establishment collapses, they will probably make a last stand by imposing some variant of totalitarianism. All Americans should stand ready to resist a coup d’état with all due prejudice.

Just in case anyone cares what I think, here is my advice to anti-Establishment types:

Liberals: Don’t make the same mistake conservatives did! Don’t lower your guard. Don’t be seduced by power. Obama will not bring about a “new politics,” a “new social contract,” or a “new New Deal.” Four years from now, politicians will be making the same bullshit promises about schools, health care, inner cities, and everything else that is near and dear to your hearts. Nothing will change.

Conservatives: Don’t make the same mistake twice! Republicans won’t be “good conservatives” the next time around.

Libertarians: Grow some balls. Talk some smack. I enjoyed the Ron Paul Revolution as much as the next libertarian, but there will never be a Congress full of Ron Pauls. Take your pocket Constitution and throw it in the garbage. The experiment is over. The government doesn’t respect the Constitution, why should you? All governments have an inherent tendency to break through the institutional restraints imposed on them. When that happens, the people have the right and duty to resist.

Anti-Establishment types must officially abandon conventional politics and the futile strategies of compromise, incrementalism, and voting for the lesser of two evils. The people are sovereign. This means not only electing our leaders but also determining the structure of government itself. Democracy in its current form has no future. The future of radicalism is decentralization—a world of smaller political units where people can “vote with their feet” and migrate to those jurisdictions that best fit their tastes and preferences. Whether you’re a liberal, conservative, libertarian, or just some dude who hates politicians, you should be openly resisting the Feds and restricting political activity to the state and local level.