Emptyland

EMPTY: containing nothing, HOLLOW, without purpose, BARREN, desolate, FORSAKEN, meaningless, SENSELESSNESS.


This is where we live. Three examples:

Example numero uno ----> THE PREMISE ----> There is no truth.

Jonah Goldberg writes a column in National Review. He says that left-liberals respond to criticism by saying things like, "This is my genuine, authentic point of view and I have a right to express it."

Goldberg asks this question: "Who cares if it's authentic if it's wrong?"

The answer: Nobody believes it's possible to know what's right anymore, so the new right and wrong is no longer true vs. false; it's authentic vs. fake. Let me tweak that: it's authentic-seeming versus fake-seeming. It's all about style, uniqueness, appearance, presentation. Welcome to the United States of Entertainment.

Example numero dos ----> THE VEHICLE ----> MTVization of the Media

Rob Long writes in National Review (print issue, unavailable online) about Al Gore's new television station, where viewers can add their own programming by uploading it via the web.


The idea is going to catch on, Long writes, and be successful. But this is not necessarily good for how people will receive information and, consequently, how they will think and communicate with each other.

"There's no real structure or theme," Long writes, "just a loose, random collection of segments ranging from the Reagan assassination attempt, to how young people in Iran sneak out to parties, to rock climbing, to rare-sneaker collecting. It's an iPod shuffle for the eyes."

Example Numero tres ----> THE RESULT ----> Emptyland: Meaninglessness (and, ultimately, tyranny)

Dean Barnett writes in the Weekly Standard:

"...Prominent left-wing bloggers such as Steve Gilliard and Markos Moulitsas are in the process of formulating and promulgating a 'litmus test' for Democratic politicians that is literally--and intentionally--devoid of any substantive issues. Instead, the emphasis is exclusively on style. A few of the newly-minted litmus test's requirements are that the candidate 'make it clear that he opposes Bush and the Republicans, . . . act like he wants to win, . . . not distance himself from the party [and] be proud to be a Democrat.'
...The newly-devised litmus test combined with the left-wing blogosphere's full-throated enthusiasm for Hackett suggests that to win the support of the blogging community, a candidate's sole real requirement is that he have his Bush-hating bona fides in proper order.

Whatever their faults, organizations such as the DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) owe their existence to an ideology. It may be a rickety, tottering ideology--but it's something. The shift from the DCCC to the blogs may signal that the Democratic party will no longer even pretend to be a party of ideas, but will instead become a party of oppositionism somewhat akin to Great Britain's current sad sack of Tories.

Left wing blogs represent the younger generation of left-wing thinkers. And this is what they believe in. Not ideas. Rather, feelings. Not excluding hatred. Based on perceptions and style, and tiny bits of information that are fashioned into a reputation.

ADDENDUM: The Result (#2) ----> Humans stampede one another for cheap computers


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