June 02, 2006
Ace is the Place!
Ace who blogs at Ace of Spades wonders why the Left is so INCENSED about Jeff Goldstein. I wondered too of course because at mu.nu Ace is a legend and I'm a legend in waiting at mu.nu (and yes, this is another GREAT MU.NU BLOG) then I read Ace's post and got the answer. A sample:
This conceit, usually wholly undeserved, of practically every leftist in the world is what makes leftism so intoxicating for the intellectually insecure, and what makes leftists so easily led and manipulated. It's an attractive doctrine for those who wish to conceive of themselves as intellectual and brilliant, for it provides an instant short-cut to the equivalent of an MIT education. If you simply believe these things we tell you to believe, you are one of Us, one of the Intellectually Elite, one of the Cultural Vanguard. Just as giving oneself to Christ, and believing in His power, and accepting the need for and gift of His redemption, instantly makes one "saved" and enters one's name in the Book of the Heaven, so too does accepting leftist tropes and core beliefs make one one of the Secular Elect.Now, go read the whole thing, and the comments and come back here and comment. And leave a comment at the Ace of Spades too while you are at it. Posted by GM Roper at June 2, 2006 12:35 PM | TrackBackNow, the things the left wants you to believe are not easy to believe. It's hard to believe that, for example, taxing work and investment will not reduce work and investment (especially when one simultaneously believes that taxing the use of gasoline or other energy will reduce the use of gasoline or other energy). Nevertheless, while it may be difficult to believe these things, it's certainly easier to simply give in and believe these things than to, say, earn a Ph. D. in literary theory or semiotics or even something stupid like science or engineering. "
I tried to post this comment yesterday but the servers seemed to be acting up.
The left, to a man, considers itself to be educated and enlightened. It matters not how little actual schooling a particlular leftist may have had, nor how unintelligent the person might be. They all consider themselves intellectuals of sorts. If they dropped out of college after one semester, they just think of themselves as autodidacts whose genius could not be stimulated by the ossified and bourgeois teaching of the academy.
I like the above which was just above what you quoted. It almost perfectly described my liberal/leftist/progressive brother-in-law except he flunked out of college after his first semester. Ace psychologically pegged him and other lliberals/leftists/progressives I know almost perfetly.
In fact yesterday, my brother-in-law blogged about his "mere belief that Al Gore is the currently elected President of the United States" or, now, John Kerry . Ace's piece is bsolutely amazing. Needless to say family gatherings aren't always that pleasant.
Posted by DADvocate at June 3, 2006 06:43 AM
DADvocate, I too have a brother who is leftwards of liberal and only see him a couple times a year for holidays. The family discussion around the Thanksgiving dining room table is, how should I say, lively? We love him anyway, but it does not deter me from reminding him of his blind devotion to hating so many who disagree with his own ideology. Oddly, he grew up in a household of right-of-center family members. Every one of us, except him. I blame this on his twenty years spent living in New York City after he left home. He still, only reluctantly, concedes to the good things Guilaini did for New York, but always concludes it with, "Well, I just hate him," but can't say why. Even after Guiliani's stellar job performance after 9/11.
This line in Ace's post - "They all consider themselves intellectuals of sorts." reminds me of a Thomas Sowell quote:
"It is usually futile to try to talk facts and analysis to people who are enjoying a sense of moral superiority in their ignorance."
Posted by Oyster at June 3, 2006 08:55 AM
Oyster - I was raised in a very liberal family. But after spending a childhood listening to how white males are the problem and other such stuff whle seeing the personal hypocrisy, intellectual dishonesty, etc. of the left I had no problem finding a better philosophy of life which includes libertarian conservatism.
Posted by DADvocate at June 3, 2006 05:39 PM
