"Last Century", Eh?

News item:

President Obama blasted Republicans Saturday for an agenda he said was so “last century” that it was like watching “black-and-white TV.”

As though Karl Marx is 22nd Century?

G K Chesterton saw the descendants of Herb Croly (Progressives) for what they were and practically called Obama by name here:

"The case of the general talk of "progress" is, indeed, an extreme one. As enunciated today, "progress" is simply a comparative of which we have not settled the superlative. 

We meet every ideal of religion, patriotism, beauty, or brute pleasure with the alternative ideal of progress--that is to say, we meet every proposal of getting something that we know about, with an alternative proposal of getting a great deal more of nobody knows what. 

Progress, properly understood, has, indeed, a most dignified and legitimate meaning. But as used in opposition to precise moral ideals, it is ludicrous. So, far from it being the truth that the ideal of progress is to be set against that of ethical or religious finality, the reverse is the truth.

That's black-and-white enough for me.

HT:  Gateway

Addendum:  Weigel frets about one practical matter (RFRA) using similar concepts.