Something Ive been thinking a lot about recently: There is a strong division between our members when it comes to *how* we argue our points. While the nuances of how we articulate and present support for our positions are varied, and there are many manifestations that may hint at this divergence of strategy, I think the easiest example of this is the refrain from Liberals that they arent ideologically motivated, but are being pragmatic. Normally, I would view laying claim to the so-called pragmatic approach as strictly within the realm of the Centrist - someone who actively seeks to avoid either ideological polar extreme while, rather ironically, failing to recognize their own position as simply one more (profoundly incoherent) spoke on the ideological wheel. However - on these boards and elsewhere - I have noticed the pragmatic flag adopted to a near equal extent by those far to the left of center - seemingly with no conscious awareness of the disingenuous nature of flying that banner. My suspicion is that the adoption of pragmatism as the battle cry for just about any given liberal position is, rather plainly, that liberals cannot win the philosophical ground war when they attempt to support one of their positions while simultaneously laying claim to the intellectual American high ground of Freedom or Liberty. Acknowledging the self-destructive nature of their positions when examined rationally, however, simply isnt an option. So, a different approach is needed - some way to conveniently sideline logic while still winning over hearts and... well, actually, just hearts will have to do. You dont win elections by promising to control the people you are hoping will vote for you. Dictators and despots arent looked upon very kindly by the world - particularly freedom-loving Americans. You win elections by pointing out all the starving children your new program will save while suggesting - or outright asserting - that those who disagree with you, in fact, actively *oppose* saving starving children from hunger or, better still, *want* children to die - right on your front lawn. Its important to recognize this is not a logical or rational argument, but rather an emotional appeal. It is of course intellectual nonsense, but damn if it isnt *effective* nonsense. When, invariably, someone counters that forcibly removing money from one person to give to another - *especially* for the purposes of benevolence - is a direct assault on liberty, the Liberal recoils at the thought of ideology rearing its ugly head in a discussion about the disenfranchised. Children are dying! Im not trapped in my ideology - because we need solutions, now! We need to be pragmatic! We need to *do* something! We need to pass the law and then figure out whats in it because we need action, damn it! And what form, pray tell, do these pragmatic solution come in, you might ask? In a surprise twist that is neither a surprise nor a twist, the pragmatic solution is, without fail, the government solution - the solution backed by forced compliance. And why wouldnt it be? As I heard in a trailer for an upcoming film about a rather dystopian future: If people are allowed to choose, they will choose wrong. So you take away the choice, and force everyone to pitch in to solve the problem, not in the name of ideology, of course, but in the name of pragmatism - all while seemingly blissfully unaware that pragmatic and authoritarian (liberal if you prefer) have become perfectly synonymous. But lets be clear: regardless of how loud you scream about pragmatism or wanting real solutions - you are just as driven by ideology as your opponents are. I think it speaks volumes about the intellectual integrity of the Liberals position that they seem to so actively seek to call it something, anything, but what it is. I will vehemently disagree with almost every point a Communist or Socialist or any brand of Authoritarian makes - but I respect their intellectual honesty to stand firmly under a flag that doesnt hide what they truly believe. So, for those pragmatists that may be reading this - please drop the charade long enough to do a little rational examination of your own principles. (Pro Tip: look at how you identify which problems need solutions. In a world absolutely full of problems, if youve convinced yourself that yours *truly* matters so much more than your neighbors that you are willing to force him to contribute to solving it, you may just be the most ideologically blinded of all.)
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 01:26:00 +0000
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