The Thing That Used to Be Conservatism Continues Its Descent into Hilarious Insanity

First, of course, is the ludicrous joke of La Donald hosting a debate, which at least some candidates could not abase themselves to participate in because they have, you know, a shred of dignity and decency left. (Though Our Man Newt is, of course, johnny on the spot when money talks).

Next, and particularly exquisite, is the spectacle of Fox News, vigilant against the telltale traces of leftist “brainwashing” in the new Muppet movie. No. Really:

It’s like the “conservatism” Fox now represents has become a sort of ghastly reflection of a micromanaging, humorless, grim Soviet ideological purity bureaucrat for state media. It invites gales of ridicule and contempt. Rod Dreher has fun at the expense of this vacuum-sealed nitwittery masquerading as “conservatism” but really as rigidly totalitarian as Mao:

Look, I love complaining about Hollywood liberalism as much as anybody, but these Fox News hysterics are saying that the Muppet movie is an example of “brainwashing.” Really? Brainwashing? Because the villain is a greedy corporate type? Gosh, where would anyone have gotten the idea that the super-rich can be villainous? I expect Fox will now turn its vigilance toward the you-think-it’s-Christian-but-it’s-really-Maoist “Veggie Tales,” in which the evil King Nebuchadnezzar is portrayed as the tyrannical boss of a chocolate factory. (Come to think of it, Bob the Tomato is suspiciously … red.) And think of how many children’s minds will be poisoned against the banking industry this Christmas when that pinko Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” slanders the great American financial industry with its snarling caricature of Mr. Potter? You watch: if Hollywood has its way, the brainwashed American sheeple will start thinking there’s something wrong with bankers.

If we’re going to have a culture war, can’t we on the Right at least fight intelligently? Windmills are not dragons.

Speaking of Mao, go read the whole thing and check out the hard-to-distinguish-from-Eric-Bolling’s-stultifying-ideological-rigidity review of True Lies by an equally humorless and grim Maoist. What passes for “conservatism” today is often as soul-crushing and joyless as the grimmest Commie working in some dark, airless Red bookstore. Mr. Bolling needs to “get a life” as the kids say these days.