Comments on: Sam Francis’s Mad Tea Party

By: R J Stove

R J Stove — Sun, 02 May 2010 22:19:44 +0000

Dare one say (in the present political circumstances) Samuel Francis est mort; vive Samuel Francis?

RIP. He was a deep thinker and a stylish writer, who is much missed. Even when one disagreed with him, he made one realize that one had better come up with extremely good reasons for doing so.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:52:52 +0000

I'm about as skeptical as Mr. Leaberry is. They just now, suddenly discovered that big government is a problem?

Their inconsistency just gives the left more ammo as in "you all just object to the man who's in office because ......." Listen to Keith Olberman for the rest.

By: Derek Leaberry

Derek Leaberry — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 16:29:49 +0000

By coincidence, I re-read "Beautiful Losers" two months ago and agree with Sean Scallon that MARs match the Tea Partiers. The problem with both MARs and Tea Partiers is that although they recognize many of the country's problems correctly, they have a political program that is inchoate and contradictory. Tea Partiers are rightfully disturbed by heavy deficit spending yet, in the main, most support George Bush's expensive wars in the Middle East and Medicare and Social Security payments as promised to them by long-dead Lyndon Johnson and longer-dead Franklin Roosevelt. In fact, one poll had George W. Bush's support level amoongst Tea Partiers at 57 %. If Tea Partiers can't recognize that Bush the Younger is part of the problem, what use is there for such an obtuse crowd. Here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, a Tea Partier named Jack Wilson is running for Congress. On his billboards the slogan "Enough is Enough" is prominent. But what does "Enouogh is Enough" mean? Is enough just Jack Wilson's grumblings after downing a couple of beers in his backyard? The immaturity of political beliefs of many Tea Partiers is stunning. More than likely is that the Republicans will cynically use the frustrations of the Tea Party members to elect Republicans to office this year. Most of these Republicans will vote as told by such statemen as Mitch McConnell and John Boehner in 2011 thus intensifying the frustrations of Tea Party members.

By: s masty

s masty — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 14:28:45 +0000

i wonder what the author would make of russell kirk, who long argued that conservatism and ideology were anathema to one another.

By: Sean Scallon

Sean Scallon — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 05:22:40 +0000

I just finished re-reading Beautiful Losers a few months ago and there's no questions Tea Partiers share the same characteristics as MARs. The problem MARs have always traditionally have had is the populist path never goes as far as they want and when they try to take the easier roads, their guides tend to be a part of the same managerial class. That's why they are always co-opted or their leaders are always co-opted.

By: robert

robert — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:03:58 +0000

"Can this be turned around before it is too late? Or is it already too late?"

It is never too late to convert: to turn toward a deeper understanding and admiration of truth, goodness and beauty and away from falsehood, vice and ugliness. The Tea Party represents an understanding that something is wrong with the world but there is absolutely no evidence that any of them know what that something might be. Lack of freedom? Maybe, but there is plenty of its cheap substitue called license. Too much government? Social Security? Medi-care? State Schools? National Highways ? Private television and news sources? Boy, now there is an argument for free enterprise!! Standing Army in Iraq, Korea, Europe and Afghanistan? The truth is, as Chilton Williamson observed about folks like Sarah Palin, Sean Hannity, and popular conservatives; "Unfortunately, the sort of interests, knowledge, and skills that the liberal establishment possesses and the Middle American Radicals lack, are necessary to providing the overwhelming mass of the American public with what it wants, or thinks it wants, or has been reeducated into thinking it ought to want." The hope is in future generations of the current underground who will have had some experience of the real principles of civility -- love of learning, respect for elders, long suffering, reciting our ancient prayers on ones knees, a few songs from memory, gardens and creating things both useful and beautiful by their own handiwork on a human scale. The most serious undertaking conservatives can make today, is to walk and not run to the nearest exits of national politics.

By: Web Roundup – Naive White Liberals, etc. | Conservative Heritage Times

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:57:59 +0000

[...] Chilton Williamson, Jr., "Sam Francis’s Mad Tea Party" [...]

By: MAP

MAP — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:38:17 +0000

"As The Misfit thought Christ had done, so an anti-establishment establishment has thrown the United States and the rest of the Western world off balance, very likely with fatal consequences. Western political theory is simply unable to accommodate the fact of an elite that is revolutionary and destructive rather than traditional and conservative. The ages-old theory of mixed government is fundamentally incompatible with so hideous and unnatural a thing."

Can this be turned around before it is too late? Or is it already too late? This is a great article. However, I can't find much on which to found any confidence. Pat Buchanon's latest column on the tea parties is far more optimistic.

By: Andrew G Van Sant

Andrew G Van Sant — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 03:12:35 +0000

"We aint got the dog yet. It won't take but one. But he aint there. Maybe he aint nowhere. . . .Too big. We aint got the dog yet. But maybe some day." Sam Fathers, in Faulkner's The Bear, said this about taking down a different adversary, but I think it describes our situation. We aint got the dog that can take down the Democrats and the Republicans, the Liberal Establishment. The Tea Party movement isn't it. (A recent poll indicates that about 70 percent of the movement is willing to vote for Republicans.) Maybe we will never have the dog . . . . but maybe some day.

By: C Bowen

C Bowen — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 00:03:58 +0000

It must be noted that the "paleo" (for humor's sake, but see Carla Howell)-Tea Party did not support Mr. Brown (and for the record, I met the chap in his first race, living in his district, at the time, working for the local fish wrap), and his election, represents more the monkey wrench approach of Rothbard, than Francis, who I suspect would have noted as much. Looking to Texas, and Gov. Gardasil, defeating the neocon choice, I am sure Francis would have seen as much and taken no satisfaction. It is not that the MARS strategy is a failure, but that people are looking for the wrong result. Kentucky and Rand Paul, just for example, has already been won. Indiana is up for grabs. Pace, elders.