Like most of America, we assumed that Gary Hart of “Monkey Business” fame had fallen of the face of the earth. But the Huffington Post now lists Hart as a “Scholar in Residence.” Writing as only a Scholar in Residence can, Hart confronts Middle Class America.
“There is nothing wrong with high ambitions, expectations, and dreams. Americans lead the world in all of these, and for much of our history with good reason. But almost nothing in this world is guaranteed, including our superiority and inevitable success. Nations and empires rise and fall. Leaders come and go. Sometimes we’re up, and sometimes we are down. History is a sobering teacher. About the only thing that is inevitable is human folly.”
This seems to be a very thinly veiled attack on the concept of American exceptionalism and nothing said elsewhere in the article dispels that theory. In fact, it gets worse.
“Are our dreams permanently shattered?” asks the frisky former Senator. “Are we in a sharp decline? Is our hour over? No, I don’t think so. A certain kind of way of life may be coming to an end, one marked by excessive consumption, waste, and inefficiency. And if you have defined your life or your nation’s life by those standards, it does look gloomy. But what really is wrong with smaller cars and more efficient homes and deferred gratification and saving for a rainy day?”
This from a man who spent a considerable amount of time cruising around on luxury yachts while balancing a blonde on one knee and a beer on the other.
In answer to the former Senator’s questions, we say there’s nothing wrong with driving a small car or having an energy efficient home or even with saving for a rainy day. What Middle America doesn’t like, Mr. Hart, is leftist elitists proposing a somewhat less satisfying lifestyle for “the other guy” while they continue to live a life of luxury and excess.
Unless, that is, Mr. Hart now gets his kicks with smaller boats and smaller blonds.
Source: Huffington Post
This post was last modified on September 11, 2010
View Comments (12)
This article and several of the comments make me wonder if those who wrote them have any idea about Senator Hart's life of service and his considerable accomplishments, or would that not make any difference. I would be glad to detail them for you, if you have any interest. It will be a long and impressive list.
We're waiting...
gary hart? Who the hell is gary hart? that irrelevant guy from, wherever he was from? Considerable accomplishments? Dude, back away from the mushroon juice...otherwise known as obamalaid....
gary hart was just another in a long line of socialist know nothings..........thank the Good Lord he's gone....bet you liked old teddy too, huh?
I'm from Colorado , and I know how corrupt and sleazy this scum bag really is , and that is a LONG and UNimpressive list
Your right, I'm not interested in Gary Hart's "service" or his "considerable accomplishments". This is a guy who's lied about everything, inclduing his surname, his birthdate and his mistress. Classic crash and burn, Hart was the John Edwards of the 1980s. Now he's just another Democrat huckster writing for the Huffington Post.
I might feel better about Mr. Hart if he actually practiced what he preaches for us.
Gary Hart? Life of service? You mean stud service?
Oh? He got promoted from dud to stud?
So Thomas, his "long and impressive" list of accomplishments means that he can do no wrong? Is this man truly above reproach? Just out of curiosity, did you read the article the Senator wrote and not find it offensive?
For crying out loud, Bush accomplished things, McCain accomplished things, Condi Rice was one of the most accomplished women ever to serve in public office - did no one speak ill of them? God forbid anyone should speak ill of a Hart a Kennedy or a Obama.
To flame or not to flame, that is the question.Shooting the messenger for his hypocracy is permitted. However, much of his message is uncomfortable on target.
I call as witness the closing words of the Declaration of Independence: ..(W)e mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor".One question- Is this still the modus operandi of the average US citizen? It's certainly not the government's at it's various levels.
But what about Mr. and Mrs. Smith in Smalltown, or Mr. and Mrs. Jones in Megatropolis, USA? The folks that think"I'm too busy. Let Geroge do it." "I don't want to get involved, it's not my problem"; the ones that have 3 max'ed out credit-cards and a new 52" plasma screen; the ones that send their kids to public school to learn that "Truth is relative. There are no absolutes."; the business owner that adds some bogus expense deductions on his tax return; the folks that elect people that once screamed "You can't legislate morality" but who now pass protective legislation for "special interest" life (death)-styles; folks that think liberty means "if it feels good, do it"; the folks that think the Ten Commandments were ok once, but in modern times they should be cut it down to Five Suggestions without all that religious stuff. And on and on.
This is not to paint everyone with the same brush. There are still some folks that follow the old ways of frontier individualism coupled with self-sacrifice, charity, personal integrity and reverence. However, distasteful as it may be, Mr. Hart has a point. This can't go on.
American Exceptionalism, as documented by de Tocqueville in "Democracy in America-Vol. I & II" has been slowly eroding as we experienced increasing prosperity, national security, personal success and the more recent seductions of the "nanny state". By abandoning our former roots the Liberty tree is now bearing the corrupt fruits of complacency, greed, and unchecked corruption both legal and moral.
Revolution - no.
Reformation - yes.
To borrow from the Beatles " Get back, get back, get back to where you once belonged." We gotta get back to our National roots where once again....(W)e mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor".
"My country, right or wrong"? NO !! My country, and I'm going to fix it starting with myself !
Freedom is the difference between the nations and empires this fool refers to and America. Taxation and regulation keep idiots like him in power and they don't care if America takes second place, but hopefully there are enough Americans who are fed up with these nasty people.
Interestingly, he seems to think that it is the American people, the average Joe, that should become accustomed to dealing with fewer resources. Nowhere in the piece does he suggest that government should refrain from excessive consumption, waste, and inefficiency, which has been, and is continuing to be, the biggest contributor to our decline.
He reminds me of Jerry Brown's governorship. Brown declared that everyone should lower their expectations and be happy with what they had. Jerry's still using the same tired argument in his current run for Governor.