Posted on 08/28/2017 10:36:25 AM PDT by Lorianne
If progressives are good at anything its reshaping culture through language. Phrases that used to convey understood collective agreement such as ‘freedom of speech’ or ‘freedom of religion’ now carry malicious undertones in the public sphere. Unless a person is actively political on social media, they are only exposed to the liberal media and that means these shifts in collective consciousness impact them the most.
As such the way we describe things and identify ourselves becomes ever more relevant to our national voice. We find ourselves in a catch-22 where refusing to submit to the Left’s language manipulation creates an environment where we eventually are forced to do so in order to move beyond the prejudices and bigotry they create. A decade ago describing oneself as ‘America First’ would have been easily understood and largely supported. Today it comes with a long list of clarifications and defenses one must deploy if one hopes to engage in any kind of discussion.
The Left’s strength is in their persistence. They have been screaming with the same passionate outrage that we are all violent Nazis and White Supremacists for decades. I first became aware of the association during the Tea Party era. George W. Bush was portrayed as a Nazi and a Fascist constantly. Today their accumulation of narrative has saturated the collective mind so greatly that it is far easier to turn an event like Charlottesville into proof positive of confirmed prediction. Haven’t they been warning of this for a long time?
In their narrative the widespread white supremacy movement was only hidden just under the surface because there was no great leader to inspire them. Today Trump serves as that leader and their uprising is credited to his encouragement. Of course there is no ‘uprising.’ White supremacist thinking isn’t more popular now than it was a decade ago. We are just more aware of its nuance due to social media and the larger media’s obsession with providing a spotlight on their every whispered word. Trump’s affiliation with white supremacy is a complete myth perpetuated by the media. White supremacists supported Trump because of ‘the wall’ and his strong stance against political correctness. Not because of some secret, as yet to be detailed, plan of ‘white supremacy.’
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The Left, however, both intentionally and unconsciously, associates any similarities together. It is why they so easily group people with similar racial characteristics into large collective categories. It is why defending the right of a Nazi to speak is the same as supporting the Nazi’s perspective in their minds. They also know that our brains works by organizing like things into easily sortable categories and recognize our collective desire to carefully manage association. As such they know that if they declare a person to be a Nazi, in the public eye, it is that person’s responsibility to prove otherwise.
SNIP
I disagreed, gently and let slip that I certainly voted for Mr. Trump and would happily re-elect him in 2020.
Needless to say, that pretty well ended a 51 year friendship but I was really struck that he referred to me as a "right-winger" because I am a conservative and religious. Does that constitute being "right wing" now?
I miss that buddy of mine but mental derangement is impossible to be around for any period of time.
Yes, because that “mental derangement,” along with the corresponding intolerance of other opinions, corrodes and affects all other aspects of a relationship.
Yep, I have people like that in my life ... or rather out of my life, right now for the same reason.
Back when I was a young Liberal, I hated Nazi’s as much as anyone else, but I also supported their right to be heard, because I figured they needed to be exposed. I am not so sure these days that I left the Liberals, or if they left me.
I tell you, the LEFT has turned into what we, as liberals, HATED back then. What a sad state of affairs.
Charlottetown is being used as a hammer. There was a story in Ontario of Yoke Group firing an employee, when it was revealed he flew the confederate flag off his truck. He said it was a joke. No matter.
Yes, I disputed this with my wife, whether there objectively really such a thing as the “right”. I consider my views as proper, reasoned and conservative.
Oh yes my sister wouldn’t admit it to me, but told my mom that I am a “radical”.
Consider that JFK would be a foaming screaming right winger in the minds of the left today.
The ACLU is clearly left-wing, but they spend a lot of time defending Nazis.
What's up with that and how does it fit into what's going on now?
I tend to view conservatism as "normal" or maybe "centrists" where "right wing" are authoritarians /fascists/Nazis.
It's the idiot Left trying to tar us normals as idiots with our arms in the air seeking a glorious dictator.
I suspect objectively America is less conservative than they subjectively think they are. Ie. most people consider themselves as Centrist when in fact their positions are liberal.
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