History’s Complexity Should Discourage Liberals’ Cheap Retroactive Morality

National Review ^ | 8/6/2015 | Victor Davis Hanson

[Servant of the Cross]

Some Democratic-party groups are renouncing their once-egalitarian idols, the renaissance genius Thomas Jefferson and the populist Andrew Jackson. Both presidents, some two centuries ago, owned slaves. Consequently, the two men have been suddenly deemed unworthy of further liberal reverence.

In Connecticut, for instance, the state Democratic party has removed the two presidents’ names from an annual fundraiser previously known as the Jefferson-Jackson-Bailey Dinner. There are lots of strange paradoxes in the current frenzied liberal dissection of past sins.

One, a historic figure must be near perfect in all dimensions of his or her complex life to now pass progressive muster. That Jefferson is responsible for helping to establish many of the cherished human rights now enshrined in American life apparently cannot offset the transgression of having owned slaves.

Two, today’s moral standards are always considered superior to those of the past. Ethical sense supposedly always improves with time.

However, would the American society of 1915 have allowed a federally supported agency such as Planned Parenthood to cut apart aborted fetuses to sell infant body parts?

[Servant of the Cross]

Liberals and morality are a oxymoron.

[BlackAdderess]

You’d think!

[Servant of the Cross]

VDH ping ...

[Rapscallion]

In Connecticut, for instance, the state Democratic party has removed the two presidents’ names from an annual fundraiser previously known as the Jefferson-Jackson-Bailey Dinner.

Connecti-cutters are crazed with progressive-ism so much that they have lost sight of reality. They are hardly even Americans any more.

[Darteaus94025]

Then FDR must be removed from the dime because of his racist imprisionment of Japanese citizens in concentration camps during WWII.

[Pietro]

I see this as part of a larger philosopher from liberals to try and destroy or discredit actual history.

In their shallow little brains they believe they have transcended history and that lessons of the past, lessons screaming:"DON'T GO THERE", no longer apply.

Unfortunately, history has not been suspended and it will hammer us w/ a vengeance just as it always has when a culture becomes convinced of its own invincibility.

[Servant of the Cross]

Then FDR must be removed from the dime because of his racist imprisionment of Japanese citizens in concentration camps during WWII.

Exactly! And then start working on Woodrow Wilson, Earl Warren, Malcolm X, MARGARET SANGER ...

[celmak]

Sorry, I will not forgive the DemoRAT Party of its sins. All the same, I’ll let God judge the people involved in it, though I’ll do everything within His power in me to fight their evil.

[Hawthorn]

>> Then FDR must be removed from the dime <<

Well, it seems to me that he was less a racist than Abe Lincoln. So let’s get rid of the Lincoln pennies while we’re at it.

[aquila48]

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[Sir Napsalot]

If it were that simple ......

History showed the complete failures of socialism/communism everywhere it has been tried, latest in Venezuela, yet every new gen thinks it an absolute genius idea.