a normative-conservative's personal reflection

• Shame about shame by Dale Freundlich, CSW, 11/4/98
  • It makes sense, doesn't it? by Don Nathanson, 11/4/98
    
    

I identify myself as a fiscal conservative that is sympathetic to the social conservatives. Personally I accept abortion, terminal illness suicide, and am extreme in support of Gay and Lesbian rights and equality but deeply and fundamentally opposed to Affirmative Action which I think is Orwellian double speak for racism and bigotry. I also acknowledge a shame based personality and from that perspective, let me reflect on Monicagate and shame of shame in political ideology.

My good friend and therapist Don Nathanson has written about the shame reaction to another's shame, specifically, the national reaction to the shame of WJC and his supporters. I think the shame to the exposure of others is a good analytic tool and I think fuels my own glee at the discomfiture of the psuedo compassionate Liberals who shamed those that disagreed-those that opposed Affirmative Action were bigots, ignorant of history and unsympathetic to the plight of the underprivileged, Gloria Steinam's and NOW"s mantra of "The Personal is the Political" shaming anyone who had the same lust that WJC has and any red blooded American boy has and it was WJC pandering to NOW who supported the expansion of sexual harrassment laws that have now tripped him up as it tripped me up on one occasion and many another innocent, and has any of those, including Don, thought of Clarence Thomas's national humiliation at the accusations of Anita Hill, [interestinly none of her supporters suggested prosecution of Thomas for lying to Congress or lying under oath and a close examination of her testimony may reveal that it was she that was the liar] and the public self righteousness of the left liberals, the academic and media elites and everyone who publicly shamed Clarence Thomas for doing far less than WJC has admitted to. Perhaps it is a delayed shame reaction that has put the normatives into full (and perhaps excessive) fury over this particularly incident [although it is difficult for me to see how the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the country can be exonerated without any criminal sanction for perjury-only a knave or someone too embarrassed to see reality would deny perjury on two different occasions]. It was also WJC in 1992 before the Rep route of 1994 was anticipated that the Dem Congress re enacted and WJC signed into law the renewal of the Indep Counsel Law which has bedeviled Rep Presidencies since Watergate. It should also be remembered that in 1994, Rep gained control of House since, I think, 40 years and the 6 term majority is unprecedented since 1948[I am not exactly sure of the dates but it has been a long time since the Rep gained control}. could 1994 been a mirror of 1998? Frankly, I think the intellectual, media and academic elites disdain (that is shame) the normative and those that disagree to a considerable degree that is not in conformity to their espoused ideas of inclusiveness, diversity, tolerance. They tolerate those that agree with them, not political opponents who deeply disagree and actually can attain power. My hope is that intellectual honesty and compassion(empathy or sympathy-I'll take what I can get) from left liberals will engender the civil type of dialectic that we say we want. I am not saying the Right, or political conservatives are without hypocricy[the recent pork barrel highway bill and phony balanced budget deal (social security shortfall was not included in calculation )proved that-. My point is that those that preach compassion lack it, and lack intellectual honesty about the President's sexual harrassment(compare statements made at time of Anita Hill's accusations against Clarence Thomas and lame defense of WJC) and shame the Normatives - mock our intelligence and perhaps not all of us are as successful and intelligent as the Left-but the issue is not who has the correct or better idea, the issue Don raises is, What is the effect of shame in the political arena and what happens when the shame of the failed and less affluent white male, less successful white male by women and more successful white males and African American males is not acknowledged. Answer they become enraged and vindictive so called 'conservatives' actually I think more accurately reactionaries-reacting to the shame imposed by the elites. That is how I look at it and it may not be a pretty sight but that is what shame does and it does no good to vilify the right for the empathic shortcomings of left.

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