~~~
George Carlin said, "Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist."
These are cynical times. The assumption that others speak in good faith is unfashionable. The basic etiquette of rational speech isn't observed, yet these very unreflective arguers, blind to their own psychology, are happy to guess at the motivations of others. It couldn't be that you know something I don't. It must be that you're driven by a stupid animal urge to be a bad person. I feel better about that.
At the risk of returning the favour, it seems safe to say that the vitriol on the left today must emanate from some deep wounding or disappointment. Progress sounds good, but it sounds linear. When it encounters complications, changes, cycles, or conservatives, the expectation is disappointed. In order to hold on to the faith, the cultist must adapt their belief system to the new reality. Heaven didn't come to Earth because someone somewhere was sinning.
But behind that steaming resentment is the hope for a better world, twisted and perverted into hatred for those who stand in its way. A sincere wish for good things becomes transmuted into a disingenuous attack. This reverse alchemy turns gold into garbage. The disappointed progressive says in their heart that we will have our world of peace and love, even if we have to hate and kill to get there.
The lines are ever-shifting, but not so long ago liberals and progressives appeared to have a common cause. Disappointment has driven them apart. Disappointment that those who don't agree with the program of change won't get on board with it has driven progressives further to the left. Disappointment with the dismissal of natural law, utility, and objective measures of progress has driven liberals to the right.
If we place to the side the rabid projections of their opponents, we find among the growing ranks of conservatives a good number of former liberals and libertarians. These are people who believed in freedom, for the individual and society. They believed in the promise of progress. They believed that tolerance and compromise would reduce strife. Ultimately, they believed in the power of egalitarian principles to hold everyone to the same standard, and thereby establish a common understanding.
Instead we are at war for reality, perceiving different worlds, speaking different languages with the same words, and disagreeing on the most fundamental values. Those who would stay out of it and go home to their families are treated as traitors or deserters. It was never about fairness, or logic, or stability. We all wanted to make the world a better place, but we forgot to stop and make sure we were talking about the same thing.
Some or quite possibly all are born that way, but the haters of haters should be aware that inside many a deplorable, there is a disappointed liberal.
These are cynical times. The assumption that others speak in good faith is unfashionable. The basic etiquette of rational speech isn't observed, yet these very unreflective arguers, blind to their own psychology, are happy to guess at the motivations of others. It couldn't be that you know something I don't. It must be that you're driven by a stupid animal urge to be a bad person. I feel better about that.
At the risk of returning the favour, it seems safe to say that the vitriol on the left today must emanate from some deep wounding or disappointment. Progress sounds good, but it sounds linear. When it encounters complications, changes, cycles, or conservatives, the expectation is disappointed. In order to hold on to the faith, the cultist must adapt their belief system to the new reality. Heaven didn't come to Earth because someone somewhere was sinning.
But behind that steaming resentment is the hope for a better world, twisted and perverted into hatred for those who stand in its way. A sincere wish for good things becomes transmuted into a disingenuous attack. This reverse alchemy turns gold into garbage. The disappointed progressive says in their heart that we will have our world of peace and love, even if we have to hate and kill to get there.
The lines are ever-shifting, but not so long ago liberals and progressives appeared to have a common cause. Disappointment has driven them apart. Disappointment that those who don't agree with the program of change won't get on board with it has driven progressives further to the left. Disappointment with the dismissal of natural law, utility, and objective measures of progress has driven liberals to the right.
If we place to the side the rabid projections of their opponents, we find among the growing ranks of conservatives a good number of former liberals and libertarians. These are people who believed in freedom, for the individual and society. They believed in the promise of progress. They believed that tolerance and compromise would reduce strife. Ultimately, they believed in the power of egalitarian principles to hold everyone to the same standard, and thereby establish a common understanding.
Instead we are at war for reality, perceiving different worlds, speaking different languages with the same words, and disagreeing on the most fundamental values. Those who would stay out of it and go home to their families are treated as traitors or deserters. It was never about fairness, or logic, or stability. We all wanted to make the world a better place, but we forgot to stop and make sure we were talking about the same thing.
Some or quite possibly all are born that way, but the haters of haters should be aware that inside many a deplorable, there is a disappointed liberal.
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