Posted on 05/22/2018 4:33:36 AM PDT by SJackson
If you want to understand the moral sickness at the heart of leftism, read the first paragraph of the most recent column by Washington Post columnist E. J. Dionne:
"It's never right to call other human beings 'animals.' It's not something we should even have to debate. No matter how debased the behavior of a given individual or group, no matter how much legitimate anger that genuinely evil actions might inspire, dehumanizing others always leads us down a dangerous path."
Let's begin with the first sentence: "It's never right to call other human beings 'animals.'"
This is so self-evident to Dionne that he adds, "It's not something we should even have to debate."
Only someone who has never debated the issue could make such a claim.
So allow me to debate the assertion.
My view is the antithesis of Dionne's. As I see it, it is not right to never call another human being an "animal."
Calling the cruelest among us names such as "animal" or any other "dehumanizing" epithet actually protects humans. The word "beastly" exists for a reason and is frequently applied to human beings. By rhetorically reading certain despicable people out of the human race, we elevate the human race. We have declared certain behaviors out of line with being human.
Biologically, of course, we are all human. But if "human" is to mean anything moral — anything beyond the purely biological — then some people who have committed particularly heinous acts of evil against other human beings are not to be considered human. Otherwise "human" has no moral being. We should then not retain the word "inhumane." What is the difference between "he is inhumane" and "he is an animal"? Both imply actions that render the person no longer human.
Dionne provides his answer at the end of the paragraph: "dehumanizing others always leads us down a dangerous path."
He provides not a single argument or illustration for this truly absurd comment.
Anyone who refuses to "dehumanize" the Nazi physicians — who, with no anesthesia, froze naked people for hours and then dropped them in boiling water to rewarm them; put people in depressurized rooms where their eardrums burst, driving them out of their minds from pain; rubbed wood shavings and ground glass into infected wounds, etc. — is, to put it very gently, profoundly morally confused.
What would Dionne have us call those Nazi physicians — "not nice," "badly flawed," "evil"? Why is rhetorically ostracizing them from the human race "a dangerous path"? He doesn't have an answer because he lives in the left's world of moral-sounding platitudes. Leftism consists almost entirely of moral-sounding platitudes — statements meant to make the person making them feel morally sophisticated. But based on their relative reactions to the sadists of the MS-13 gangs, I trust Donald Trump's moral compass more than E. J. Dionne's.
It is ever dangerous to use dehumanizing rhetoric on people? Of course — when it is directed at people based on their race, religion, ethnicity, nationality or any other immutable physical characteristic. The Nazis did what they did to Jews and others because they dehumanized them based on their religious/ethnic/racial identity. That's why racism is evil. But why is it dangerous to use such rhetoric on people based on their behavior? By equating labeling the cruelest among us "animals" with labeling Jews "animals," Dionne cheapens the fight against real evil.
I once asked Rabbi Leon Radzik, a Holocaust survivor who had been in Auschwitz, what word he would use to characterize the sadistic guards in the camp. I will never forget his response: "They were monsters with a human face."
Incredibly, Dionne would not agree with him.
“What is the law? Not on all four”
Hits news slime too close to home.
It’s my life, and I’ll say what I want.
Some are animal like barbarians. Others like EJ Dione are assholes
The New Synthesis of All Heresies: On Nietzschean Catholicism
Friedrich Nietzsche spoke of the “transvaluation of all values”: the inversion of our conceptions of good and evil in this post-Christian era. What had been regarded as good—humility, self-denial, obedience, love of the poor and of poverty, looking towards a world to come—was, in his system, to be seen as evil, and what had been regarded as evil—imposing one’s will by domination, satisfying one’s lusts, crushing the weak, dismissing thoughts of an afterlife, living for the moment—would now be virtues. The Übermensch or Superman would be the exact contrary of the Christian saint.
Those Animals
You better gitt outta dis place
Dionne is the type of a**hole who would praise Charles Manson for his leadership abilities. Or admire Jeffrey Dahmer’ s “culinary skills”. Sure, Shitler’s attitude toward the Jews left something to be desired but he was a vegetarian who cared about the environment. Hey, Dionne, I hear everone’s favorite cop killer Mumia Abu Jamal ain’t doing to well lately, why not give him a shout out, let him know they’re thinking about him, he could use a little love. When you show mercy to the cruel you become cruel to the merciful.
Oh but the left do call some animals. They are all of the conservative variety who cling to their religion, guns, and xenophobia. Those who fit into that profile are encouraged by the leftist to be ridiculed and labeled whatever they feel like, including animals. Animals are actually one of the kinder descriptors they would use to describe us.
The liberals came and grumbled
Some of them came and spied
Down in Washington.
Few with more wisdom than Dennis Prager. Think of this statement of his........”By rhetorically reading certain despicable people out of the human race, we elevate the human race. We have declared certain behaviors out of line with being human.”
That’s some deep stuff there. I wish Trump would hire Prager to be some kind of advisor or spokesperson. Prager can out debate anyone.....
I would not mind seeing Dionne and those like him swinging from trees.
Why? Because I am not an animal. I seek to actually protect society.
Traitors like him harm society.
Libtards will call conservatives and Republicans animals.
https://www.politicususa.com/2015/08/10/conservatives-mad-netflix-announces-years-unlimited-paid-maternity-leave.html
Brent Holman
TUE, AUG 11TH, 2015 AT 11:51 PM
The Great American Star-Spangled Cash-Register! Labor fills it up, & the rich & powerful empty it.
Anything that threatens this, they are rabidly opposed to, but then pseudo-conservatives are animals, driven by fear & loathing…ultimately of life, people & themselves.
https://www.justplainpolitics.com/showthread.php?33535-A-message-for-liberals
A message for liberals
There has never been peace but for when one side in a war has completely and totally annihilated the other. The Conservatives have declared war, are lobbing grenades at us, and you idiots just stand around, drink coffee, and try to reason with the inhuman animals. BEAT THE CONSERVATIVES INTO SUBMISSION!
Conservatives are animals, human rights don’t apply to them. Waterboarding is for pussies.
https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Donald/comments/7q8iia/the_tolerant_left_believes_republicans_are/
The tolerant left believes Republicans are animals, sub human, and need to be forcibly separated from the rest of society. It’s sad that it’s impossible to tell if this person is real or just a LARPing moron. (screenpost of message exchange at the link)
http://www.genmay.com/showthread.php?t=429218
I was reading this post on freerepublic about a reporter getting killed by errant US helicopter fire, AND THESE ANIMALS mock and cheer his death just like those they accuse of celebrating 9-11.
http://www.sanjoseinside.com/2015/10/23/hillary-clintons-big-week-is-the-turnaround-we-expected/
MIA COHEN Oct 23, 2015 @ 4:00 pm
The Republicans are the enemy. There is no doubt about that. However diplomatic you could be, if your enemies are throwing cr@p at you, you have to throw the cr@p back at them. The republicans are animals out for blood. Let’s castrate these animals.
>>No matter how debased the behavior of a given individual or group, no matter how much legitimate anger that genuinely evil actions might inspire, dehumanizing others always leads us down a dangerous path.”
We are already there as the not-so-far Left denies that pregnant women have living beings inside them. They fight tooth and nail to say that a fetus is NOT human and therefore a-ok to kill for any reason up to the moment of birth and some want a 2 month - 2 year extension on that time frame.
It’s apparent the left loves murderers. Gang members belong to the same group as abortionists IMO.
‘Back in 1994, Al Gore called Oliver North “the colonel of untruth” and said Mr. North was counting on political contributions from “the extra-chromosome right wing.” ‘
Once again the far Left comes out in favor of rapists and those committing gun violence.
Some people have too much time on their hands. Looking for ways to feel either superior or offended.
What’s the big deal?
People are routinely referred to as “vegetables”
But never as mineral.
With the possible exception of Al Gore...
Not to mention a host of other stupid things he has said throughout his entire life. While I had forgotten that one, I wasn't surprised in the least that he had uttered it. 8>)
They call cops “pigs” though.
I agree with Prager on most everything, but he was totally wrong about Bob Grant.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.