David Mamet, "Classical Liberal." – UPDATED

David Mamet, in a very well-done piece in the Village Voice declares himself “no longer a ‘brain-dead liberal'” and he sounds like he is a free man, and he sounds relieved, too.

Do I speak as a member of the “privileged class”? If you will—but classes in the United States are mobile, not static, which is the Marxist view. That is: Immigrants came and continue to come here penniless and can (and do) become rich; the nerd makes a trillion dollars; the single mother, penniless and ignorant of English, sends her two sons to college (my grandmother). On the other hand, the rich and the children of the rich can go belly-up; the hegemony of the railroads is appropriated by the airlines, that of the networks by the Internet; and the individual may and probably will change status more than once within his lifetime.

What about the role of government? Well, in the abstract, coming from my time and background, I thought it was a rather good thing, but tallying up the ledger in those things which affect me and in those things I observe, I am hard-pressed to see an instance where the intervention of the government led to much beyond sorrow.
[…]
Strand unacquainted bus travelers in the middle of the night, and what do you get? A lot of bad drama, and a shake-and-bake Mayflower Compact. Each, instantly, adds what he or she can to the solution. Why? Each wants, and in fact needs, to contribute—to throw into the pot what gifts each has in order to achieve the overall goal, as well as status in the new-formed community. And so they work it out.

You’ll want to read it all (and the comments section). Mamet even calls Thomas Sowell “our greatest contemporary philosopher.” Yes, really.

Welcome, Mr. Mamet! Some of us know precisely how it feels to suddenly realize that the jerking knees are not in sync with your life’s realities, and to take a wide step rightward.

Be careful not to step too widely; as with the stock-market and most industries, corrections easily become over-corrections (I’ve been there, done that) until one realizes that extremes no longer fit comfortably anymore because, as your rabbi pointed out, hearing out “the other guy” actually matters.

Enjoy all the havoc you’ve just created, sir, in your little world! You may find that you’ve just given others around you permission to free themselves, too. Maybe the word “liberal” can even be reclaimed, someday, to once again mean “broad minded, open and fair,” which is a far cry from what it means, these days.

Neoneocon, who made a similar voyage as Mamet has more.

UPDATE: Mamet got out just in time.

Welcome: Hot Air readers! While you’re here, enjoy a bit of Frank Sinatra giving us American classics, ponder the power of the press, prostitutes and the pews, appreciate Cowboy Bebop with Buster, or just marvel at the way ImproveEverywhere manages to turn a mall foodcourt into a musical.