I "came out" years ago. My socialist friends know what I'm about and accept it. They even respect me for standing by my opinions and not cowering before them. These are all college educated people with significant jobs. As we discussed how unreliable media is, one of them said that he was glad that there was the Bulwark, because it tells it straight. Good Lord!
I think the big dividing line is the degree to which people think their beliefs should be law. Those are the dangerous ones. Those are the progressives.
For me it's been more a a gradual reveal. My closest friends push back but are respectful and listen. I've definitely lost some outer circle friends deep into progressive ideology.
Most of the stubbornness is (I think) based on lack of knowledge of what makes a good society work and what has made them fail.
There is a degree of cultism in much political ideology. For whatever psychological reasons, a cult's followers demonstrate their dedication to their leaders and to each other by professing absolute belief in whatever it is that they are told to believe. To doubt, to discuss other possibilities is an act of disloyalty to the cult.
I have often found myself amid a gaggle of Leftists spewing bilge presented as consensus. The technique I've developed over the course of a long life has been to frame a contrary view as a question. It often reveals the shallowness of an argument. I loved your line: "The neutralist is everywhere, insisting that their worldview is the water in which we all swim. But the water is tainted—clouded by ideology and sold as pure." (Thanks also for the John Stuart Mill quote!) I have accepted that is is my destiny to be one of those people who ends up having to ask: "Who peed in the pool?" I am sufficiently sensitive to that taint that I seldom go in the water any more. I've gotten sufficiently fussy in my old age that all our water is carbon filtered, UV treated, and then run through a reverse osmosis filter before I'll drink it. We'd do well to be as careful (and particular) about our political opinions, and stop acting like they're the latest fashions.
I also, often are the one that pushes back. Most of my colleagues are on the left (although I see that changing a bit) so when they hear me push back they're surprised. Most react defensively, but I always enjoy the cognitive dissonance cause by 'one of them' thinking like the other side.
The greatest illusion..and all time lie is the Left-Right spectrum itself. Hitler and Mussolini were Socialists. If Hitler was a fascist, why did he call his party the National SOCIALIST German Workers Party. Mussolini claimed you can be both Socialist and Fascist, as the American Democrats have been frantically proving. The Left-Right spectrum supports Identity Politics and the subversion of America's culture through division and segregation. Add to that the Marxist academics who have rewritten America's culture and you have Obama claiming the systemically racist American culture needs fundamental transformation.
Great points. I think that the issue is most top down statist ideologies will turn into authoritarians. It just so happens that most current progressive (left) ideas are based on that top down statist foundations.
Yes sir. And those foundations are built on lies and we can see how they are beginning to crumble. Lies have a finite life cycle. Truth never changes and when people begin to accept the truth, the lies are exposed as they are revealed for just what they are...lies.
I always thought the dichotomy between socialism and fascism wasn't very useful if you are using control of the means of production to define them. Either one is anathema to anyone who favors free markets (and free minds). The left's cries of "FASCISM" regarding Trump are largely crap, but I did hear one thing recently that had the rank odor of fascism about it. The idea that he is trying to wrangle shares of chip makers' companies to be held by the Federal government sounds pretty suspect. It's certainly an important national security concern to have that production back in the US, but that's as far as I want to see that go. Hopefully there are still some saner heads around the President.
So many great lines in here: “The illusion of neutrality is dangerous not because it shouts, but because it soothes.”
The kerfuffle over the Smithsonian is an interesting one. Imagine if the National Holocaust Museum did an exhibit on Oct 7 and put out resources on the topic titled, “Aspects and Assumptions of Palestinian Culture” that painted an entire group of people as inherently violent. And any objection to these resources was framed as, “People just don’t want lessons of the Holocaust to be taught.” I doubt the left would be comfortable with that.
Just because something appears in a history museum doesn’t make it “neutral.” Choices have to be made in how we teach and talk about history so it’s rarely a purely neutral subject.
Wonderful piece! As I was reading I kept nodding my head in agreement. And the further along that I got it dawned on me that what you were saying could be intuitively known, but as you unraveled what begot what the astuteness of how you analyzed was brilliant! Sure wish I could think as deeply and as perspicacious as you. Well done.
Truth that cannot survive scrutiny ceases to be truth
AMEN!
This is a great piece … totally resonates with me. Yes I much prefer a partisan - you know where you stand - and it is intellectually dishonest to not admit bias
Love or hate Trump, the man is transparent about his views. I can appreciate that about AOC, Mandami as well. I don’t want what they are selling but at least I know what they are selling !
I "came out" years ago. My socialist friends know what I'm about and accept it. They even respect me for standing by my opinions and not cowering before them. These are all college educated people with significant jobs. As we discussed how unreliable media is, one of them said that he was glad that there was the Bulwark, because it tells it straight. Good Lord!
I think the big dividing line is the degree to which people think their beliefs should be law. Those are the dangerous ones. Those are the progressives.
For me it's been more a a gradual reveal. My closest friends push back but are respectful and listen. I've definitely lost some outer circle friends deep into progressive ideology.
Most of the stubbornness is (I think) based on lack of knowledge of what makes a good society work and what has made them fail.
There is a degree of cultism in much political ideology. For whatever psychological reasons, a cult's followers demonstrate their dedication to their leaders and to each other by professing absolute belief in whatever it is that they are told to believe. To doubt, to discuss other possibilities is an act of disloyalty to the cult.
I have often found myself amid a gaggle of Leftists spewing bilge presented as consensus. The technique I've developed over the course of a long life has been to frame a contrary view as a question. It often reveals the shallowness of an argument. I loved your line: "The neutralist is everywhere, insisting that their worldview is the water in which we all swim. But the water is tainted—clouded by ideology and sold as pure." (Thanks also for the John Stuart Mill quote!) I have accepted that is is my destiny to be one of those people who ends up having to ask: "Who peed in the pool?" I am sufficiently sensitive to that taint that I seldom go in the water any more. I've gotten sufficiently fussy in my old age that all our water is carbon filtered, UV treated, and then run through a reverse osmosis filter before I'll drink it. We'd do well to be as careful (and particular) about our political opinions, and stop acting like they're the latest fashions.
I also, often are the one that pushes back. Most of my colleagues are on the left (although I see that changing a bit) so when they hear me push back they're surprised. Most react defensively, but I always enjoy the cognitive dissonance cause by 'one of them' thinking like the other side.
Thank you for taking the time to read the piece.
You are most welcome. I enjoy them immensely.
The greatest illusion..and all time lie is the Left-Right spectrum itself. Hitler and Mussolini were Socialists. If Hitler was a fascist, why did he call his party the National SOCIALIST German Workers Party. Mussolini claimed you can be both Socialist and Fascist, as the American Democrats have been frantically proving. The Left-Right spectrum supports Identity Politics and the subversion of America's culture through division and segregation. Add to that the Marxist academics who have rewritten America's culture and you have Obama claiming the systemically racist American culture needs fundamental transformation.
Great points. I think that the issue is most top down statist ideologies will turn into authoritarians. It just so happens that most current progressive (left) ideas are based on that top down statist foundations.
Yes sir. And those foundations are built on lies and we can see how they are beginning to crumble. Lies have a finite life cycle. Truth never changes and when people begin to accept the truth, the lies are exposed as they are revealed for just what they are...lies.
I always thought the dichotomy between socialism and fascism wasn't very useful if you are using control of the means of production to define them. Either one is anathema to anyone who favors free markets (and free minds). The left's cries of "FASCISM" regarding Trump are largely crap, but I did hear one thing recently that had the rank odor of fascism about it. The idea that he is trying to wrangle shares of chip makers' companies to be held by the Federal government sounds pretty suspect. It's certainly an important national security concern to have that production back in the US, but that's as far as I want to see that go. Hopefully there are still some saner heads around the President.
So many great lines in here: “The illusion of neutrality is dangerous not because it shouts, but because it soothes.”
The kerfuffle over the Smithsonian is an interesting one. Imagine if the National Holocaust Museum did an exhibit on Oct 7 and put out resources on the topic titled, “Aspects and Assumptions of Palestinian Culture” that painted an entire group of people as inherently violent. And any objection to these resources was framed as, “People just don’t want lessons of the Holocaust to be taught.” I doubt the left would be comfortable with that.
Just because something appears in a history museum doesn’t make it “neutral.” Choices have to be made in how we teach and talk about history so it’s rarely a purely neutral subject.
Wonderful piece! As I was reading I kept nodding my head in agreement. And the further along that I got it dawned on me that what you were saying could be intuitively known, but as you unraveled what begot what the astuteness of how you analyzed was brilliant! Sure wish I could think as deeply and as perspicacious as you. Well done.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate you reading it and the support.
More soon.
Truth that cannot survive scrutiny ceases to be truth
AMEN!
This is a great piece … totally resonates with me. Yes I much prefer a partisan - you know where you stand - and it is intellectually dishonest to not admit bias
Love or hate Trump, the man is transparent about his views. I can appreciate that about AOC, Mandami as well. I don’t want what they are selling but at least I know what they are selling !