Wednesday, March 12, 2014

More on Progressive "thought"

It's been a long, long journey from "The Affluent Society" to today's degenerate Progressive "thinking":
I have at least two problems with people who cleave to this kind of woolly centrism. The first is that they've probably not thought hard enough ever in their lives to form a worthwhile opinion on anything. And the second is that they've clearly never experienced what it's like to be on the front line of the war on cultural Marxism.
This war has many theatres: radical feminism; progressive educationalism; the Nanny State; political correctness; race; disability; Islamism; communitarianism; environmentalism; and so on. But the techniques used by the enemy are always the same: vicious ad hominems; appeals to authority; feigned outrage; legislative bullying; attempts to close down the argument; lies; threats; smears; sabotage...
...
"But what is it about my argument that they find so objectionable?" I've often asked myself. "What exactly is so evil about arguing, say, that schools should teach kids rigorously, or that climate scientists should do more science and less political activism, or that bigger government only perpetuates the power of a corrupt elite at the expense of ordinary people?"
And the conclusion I've long since reached is that there are some people out there who you're simply never going to reach through logic or sweet reasonableness or basic courtesy. These people will always hate me - and those who think like me - as a matter of fundamental principle. It's an ideological clash of total opposites: tyranny v liberty; poverty v prosperity; hysteria v reason; the state v the individual; misery v happiness.
Ridicule and sneers directed at their most obvious contradictions.  They already hate you, so there's no downside (other than not being invited back to the "right sort" of parties).  Punch back twice as hard.

4 comments:

Mark Philip Alger said...

Nonsense. They don't get a pass. They know damned good and well that these are the inevitable outcomes of their policies. They intend these ends. They desperately want them. They are evil manifest.

M

Weetabix said...

It's all about first principles. If someone has different first principles from you, there's no talking to them about how to solve some other problem. You're not looking for the same ultimate end, so discussing intermediate measures is frustrating and futile.

Knucklehead said...

These people are the Archie Bunkers of our age - without the sense of humor and occasional introspection.

They hate what they do not control (and most of what they do control)and they envy everything anyone else has that they don't.

Jester said...

I find this current meme to illustrate what you said perfectly, I'll just write what it states:

I would rather have a thousand lazy bums live off my tax dollars than let a single poverty stricken family go with out food or shelter.

Now what I've observed and thought is the following, that think of how many actual needy families we could be helping WITHOUT those thousand lazy bums on the system. (Who knows perhaps that is the actual percentage, 1000 to say 5 people using occupy wallstreet's own meme logic..) That does not include the system of employees that has to work to distribute the money to those thousand lazy bums.
No, you can't use that logic because ZOMG WE HAVE TO HELP AT ALL COSTS WITH OUT PLANNING OR THINKING!

You can't use the analogy that a hap hazard method of distributing help (Well okay tax dollars) is akin to fertilizing and watering an entire garden, weeds as well as your prized plants so in effect you are not helping anyone only making a bigger mess. No, can't use that logic because THAT ONE FAMILY!

You can't argue that such tactics are like when a job requires a tool say a small wrench to fix a leaky faucet in a home you are taking a bulldozer to the entire place. Nope, not at all.

Because of what of you said Borepatch and your link has said. (I can assure you that he is accurate living in the Minneapolis area myself, complete with the unshaven women the men are moon eyed for as well as complete ignoring of cold hard facts...) we even get the lack of logic behind the meme. Its better to support a thousand bums and know about it just so we can feel good about helping one family. Damn the implications, damn the reported loss of tax dollars. You can't even tell them that we could genuinely help 1000 more people with a bit of work and planning down the road because they want to feel good -now-.