America’s Decline and Future Fall Observed

On a wide variety of profound issues, due to opposed principles on philosophical, political, and moral grounds, this too, however, is an obvious issue where the traditionalist right solidly rejects and stands adamantly against conservatism’s views on the subject of passion and its specific application to politics.  The classical mind, meaning the cognition of the traditionalist right, thus, properly rejects the thinking of the conservative mind.

Conservatism in America, on this matter, once again supremely proves itself to be a form of liberalism in that modern politics, basically embraced by conservatism, is opposed to classical politics, which is, on the other hand, rightly upheld and admired by the thinking of the traditionalist right.  Passion is part of the firm basis of modern politics, which is the lust for modernity, meaning modernist political cognition as was firmly supported by, e. g., Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, J. S. Mill, Marx, Lenin, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and others. 

In contrast, Aristotle taught, in line with what is called the perennial philosophy, classical political philosophy, as was also properly understood by such philosophers as Leo Strauss, that passion and, moreover, a known man of passion were said to be always automatically, axiomatically, disqualified from participating in politics.  What, however, specifically is meant?

No passionate man, Aristotle insisted, should ever be allowed to exercise political power, due to the excessiveness of such emotional and/or psychological impulses held that can then logically corrupt or derange his thinking and any consequent actions.  Passion, thus, bespeaks a mind and will unfortunately afflicted with what today is recognized as ideological ardor that can and usually will then deform the ratiocination or cognition of anyone who puts abstractions before the humble realities of human beings. 

Concerning this important matter, moreover, Limbaugh and many other very prominent conservatives have, repeatedly, publicly, and vehemently insisted that conservatism is definitely an ideology geared for passionate action in this world; but, among other serious defects, it logically leads to the destruction of actual and needed statecraft and statesmanship.   

A statesman, in sharp contrast to a mere politician, has a disinterested regard for politics, which does not mean a lack of interest; politics, in terms of true statesmanship, is then to be a logical and proper extension of ethics as ethics is a requisite part of morality; but, politics, when rashly conducted at the most base level, gets reduced to who gets what, when, and how much; not surprisingly, the bold champions of such a debased and often ideologized  politics, therefore, do easily achieve their raw expectations of fame and glory, money and power, in this fallen world.

And yet, one sees clearly, as the poets have knowingly said, that all fame is fleeting; and, as theologians acclaim, all (true) glory is God’s.