Posted on 07/31/2013 1:49:22 PM PDT by Ohioan
Egalitarian rhetoric, once largely confined to revolutionary movements, such as French Jacobins & Marxist Communists, now appears accepted by many in the political & social mainstream. Thus, there is scarcely a ripple among affluent viewers when major "Liberal" broadcast media air programs discussing the "need" & methods to "narrow a gap between the rich & poor," despite the unspoken, yet obvious, implications. Thus a former American President, who claimed to be a "Compassionate Conservative," voiced a similar objective, with scarce notice in a generally hostile media, which had no problem in mislabeling him & the like-minded, as "right wing."
The true implications of such a goal are not, of course, the claimed altruistic pursuit of "social justice" or a fairer allocation of resources. They are the traditional Socialist & Communist mantra that those who succeed do so, in large measure, by exploiting those who fail--an ongoing slander, not only against the affluent of this generation, but against much that is noble in human history. The Leftist mantra depends not upon individual cases, where someone may indeed have taken unfair advantage of another--a situation subject to case by case judicial resolution--but upon a presumption that all classes of persons possess basically similar aptitudes for success.
(Excerpt) Read more at truthbasedlogic.com ...
Saved for later, thanks.
For one thing, they are never grounded on verifiable premises--i.e., they take a snap shot of a current condition, and then rush to a conclusion as to the cause, which usually involves demonizing someone with no evidence to support the demonization--only circular reasoning that suggests that to succeed, one has to wrong someone else.
For an example, the Industrial Revolution was the dawn of tremendous opportunity for surplus labor that was no longer needed on the farms of England & Scotland; but all the Left can focus on is that the working conditions at the start were far from ideal. Think about it. It was a prototype of the vicious attribution of blame for all sorts of things that have followed. And, of course, also presupposes that people are interchangeable.
Understanding the emotion driven, underlying fallacy is essential to preserving our heritage.
” For an example, the Industrial Revolution was the dawn of tremendous opportunity for surplus labor that was no longer needed on the farms of England & Scotland;...”
This may be the first time I have seen someone bring this up, without the requisite “exploitation/alienation of labor” mantra.
“... And, of course, also presupposes that people are interchangeable. “
Individual effort has always been anathema to the left, as is differing degrees of intelligence.
Yes. Absolutely. They also fail to recognize, not only differing degrees of intelligence, but differing mental aptitudes; which has the clear effect of actually retarding the opportunities for realization by some of the very groups they claim to be trying to help! Only scoundrels & demagogues benefit from what is going on.
” They also fail to recognize, not only differing degrees of intelligence, but differing mental aptitudes; which has the clear effect of actually retarding the opportunities for realization by some of the very groups they claim to be trying to help!”
Well, the left always claims to want to help these people, but if you scratch the scab, they merely want to control these people, not help them. This never varies, regardless of the topic of discussion.
I read the following quote here this morning - it made so much sense to me. I’m not sure it applies exactly to the ‘field’ you’re analyzing, but I thought it was a good template for liberal (non)thought.
“Socialism, like the ancient ideas from which it springs, confuses the distinction between government and society. As a result of this, every time we object to a thing being done by government, the socialists conclude that we object to its being done at all. We disapprove of state education. Then the socialists say that we are opposed to any education. We object to a state religion. Then the socialists say that we want no religion at all. We object to a state-enforced equality. Then they say that we are against equality. And so on, and so on. It is as if the socialists were to accuse us of not wanting persons to eat because we do not want the state to raise grain.” ~ Frédéric Bastiat, The Law
One of the first things I realized, when I first began my four years at a very, very "Liberal" (in the modern sense) college, was that Leftist thought is never grounded on reality. As Kipling put it, it is windborne & cloudborne. They start with their biases & wishlists, or outright compulsions, and then seek to verbally rationalize them.
William Flax
The pretense that drives collectivist/egalitarian politics, educational theories, social agitations, etc., impacts virtually every issue of particular interest to American Conservatives. It supplies the rationale for the grievance industry; for schemes to build new world orders; for the demonization of those who achieve & succeed; for coveting the fruits of their success; and for the sort of offensive terminology that impugns the motives of normal people, who simply want to live as their forebears in a free society.
Once you see the pattern of denial--that is the denial of reality--that fuels the Leftist efforts in virtually every field, you will begin to perceive how to better attack them on a wide panoply of fronts.
William Flax
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That behind Egalitarian argument is compulsion, not reason, should be clear, both from the almost hysterical cant of its adherents and from a persistent use of far-fetched arguments, whose premises have been refuted over & over again, down through the generations. It should also be clear from the fact that the dogmatic conclusions help no one. To the contrary, the ongoing war on reality retards more legitimate efforts to improve any part of the human condition.
Again, Egalitarianism is not compassion driven. It is compulsion driven in much the same sense as the mob that cheered every time a young girl, whose only crime was to have been born into a family that had played an illustrious part in French history, was beheaded before the Paris City Hall during the "Reign of Terror." We saw its like repeated in the waves of purposeful savagery, unleashed in Russia by the Bolshevik Revolution. Yet again, among the massed, uniformed, automatons cheering in staccato unison in the stands at Nuremberg, as the Fuehrer ranted about the glories of a new "Classless, Casteless" Germany, acting with one "Will," under one Leader.
Nor is there anything idealistic about an effort to reduce the rich & varied tapestry, the quite diverse tribes & nations of the earth, to the culture of some form of insect, where all but the Queen live uniform, completely structured lives, with no expectation of individual character or identity--no possibility of ever rising above the masses.
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The inherent fallacy of the collectivist egalitarian is in irreconcilable conflict with actually helping anyone at a disadvantage. The dogma prevents the development of anything unique to the individual. Exceptionalism of any type, is in conflict with the mantra. The very division of labor that has made possible almost all material human progress since the most primitive, is itself something they have a difficult time accepting--hence the endless appeals to jealousy & envy--to demanding progress rather than working for it, by developing whatever talents one has.
” The very division of labor that has made possible almost all material human progress since the most primitive, is itself something they have a difficult time accepting—hence the endless appeals to jealousy & envy—to demanding progress rather than working for it”
The Obama administration in a nutshell.The jealousy & envy eventually slips into hatred.
The Left has never been the wave of the future; always an amalgam of all that was base in the human past--all that the wise & honest would seek to counteract in that future..
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Denial?
I got yer denial right here!
(read my profile FRiend)
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