Why Leftism Makes Me Angry

[florduh]

An observation, for what it's worth, Legion.

 

To me, you seem to be having an identity crisis. While you demonstrate a knee-jerk response of hatred to anything vaguely "Leftist" or, especially, "Obama," you take great pains to claim a moderate position. You do not wish to be classified as a right wing Conservative, yet that is the label that describes your actions.

 

Though in the minority around here, there is no shame in embracing the Right or its conservative agenda. With little or no criticism of the Right, one who is so strongly anti-liberal is by definition a conservative. Own it and be free!

[Legion]

An observation, for what it's worth, Legion.

 

To me, you seem to be having an identity crisis. While you demonstrate a knee-jerk response of hatred to anything vaguely "Leftist" or, especially, "Obama," you take great pains to claim a moderate position. You do not wish to be classified as a right wing Conservative, yet that is the label that describes your actions.

 

Though in the minority around here, there is no shame in embracing the Right or its conservative agenda. With little or no criticism of the Right, one who is so strongly anti-liberal is by definition a conservative. Own it and be free!

I do Chris. I own it and I am free. That's why I have NOT taken pains in this thread to point out that I am in fact a moderate-freedom lover, a libertarian. If you wish to see me as a conservative that's fine. I'm not going to waste my time trying to rectify my public image. It doesn't matter to me. Misunderstand me. I don't care.

[florduh]

I'm not going to waste my time trying rectify my public image. It doesn't matter to me. Misunderstand me. I don't care.

If it quacks like a duck...

 

Several people seem to be having trouble understanding you, and now I see why. You don't care if people happen to guess wrong at what you're trying to say and you're not interested in clarifying. I, for one, just don't have enough clear and accurate information to come to a reasoned conclusion. Sorry.

[Legion]

Chris seriously, am I supposed to go around to you guys saying, "Please don't see me as a conservative. Please don't call me a conservative. I don't want to be associated with them. I like you guys and I want to be part of you. Please accept me. Please."

 

Fuck no.

[florduh]

Chris seriously, am I supposed to go around to you guys saying, "Please don't see me as a conservative. Please don't call me a conservative. I don't want to be associated with them. I like you guys and I want to be part of you. Please accept me. Please."

 

Fuck no.

No, but you have stated on several occasions that you are a moderate and only appear conservative in contrast to the extremely liberal tone of the membership here. I don't care much for labels because they cause assumptions and expectations, but certain actions and positions do have appropriate labels for them. It's just that no individual adheres to every part of a standard definition of liberal, conservative, libertarian, Marxist, Catholic, etc.

[Legion]

Chris seriously, am I supposed to go around to you guys saying, "Please don't see me as a conservative. Please don't call me a conservative. I don't want to be associated with them. I like you guys and I want to be part of you. Please accept me. Please."

 

Fuck no.

No, but you have stated on several occasions that you are a moderate and only appear conservative in contrast to the extremely liberal tone of the membership here. I don't care much for labels because they cause assumptions and expectations, but certain actions and positions do have appropriate labels for them. It's just that no individual adheres to every part of a standard definition of liberal, conservative, libertarian, Marxist, Catholic, etc.

I love those of you on the Left. I love to party with you. I'll take a party with you ANY day over a party of conservatives. I like your free-spirits and unconventional ways. There's a guy I work with named Mike. He calls himself an "independent Democrat". I consider him a Left libertarian. I really like the guy. And we can reach reasonable compromises together.

 

But here's the problem. There is a small element of the Left which is flat out radical. I mean over-the-top, balls-to-the-walls, authoritarian Leftists. And they can be given no quarter. No mercy. They must be defeated. They must be thoroughly and utterly crushed.

[florduh]

But here's the problem. There is a small element of the Left which is flat out radical. I mean over-the-top, balls-to-the-walls, authoritarian Leftists. And they can be given no quarter. No mercy. They must be defeated. They must be thoroughly and utterly crushed.

That would apply to every kind of extremist, and they exist in every movement, party, religion and soccer game.

[Legion]

But here's the problem. There is a small element of the Left which is flat out radical. I mean over-the-top, balls-to-the-walls, authoritarian Leftists. And they can be given no quarter. No mercy. They must be defeated. They must be thoroughly and utterly crushed.

That would apply to every kind of extremist, and they exist in every movement, party, religion and soccer game.

But see... you're not dealing with the extremists among you. You are not dealing with them.

 

Here's your mind...

 

authoritarian Leftists = silly

libertarian Leftists = cool as hell

libertarian Right = very annoying

authoritarian right = dangerous as hell

 

Here's my mind...

 

authoritarian Right = silly

libertarian Right = cool as hell

libertarian Left = somewhat annoying

authoritarian Left = dangerous as hell

[florduh]

But here's the problem. There is a small element of the Left which is flat out radical. I mean over-the-top, balls-to-the-walls, authoritarian Leftists. And they can be given no quarter. No mercy. They must be defeated. They must be thoroughly and utterly crushed.

That would apply to every kind of extremist, and they exist in every movement, party, religion and soccer game.

But see... you're not dealing with the extremists among you. You are not dealing with them.

 

Here's your mind...

 

authoritarian Leftists = silly

libertarian Leftists = cool as hell

libertarian Right = very annoying

authoritarian right = dangerous as hell

 

Here's my mind...

 

authoritarian Right = silly

libertarian Right = cool as hell

libertarian Left = somewhat annoying

authoritarian Left = dangerous as hell

You're dealing with extremists? Here? Really?

 

 

 

 

Your attempt to read my mind failed. How about:

 

authoritarian anything = dangerous as hell

[Legion]

You're dealing with extremists? Here? Really?

no, no, most of you guys here are libertarian Left. You're relatively reasonable.

 

authoritarian anything = dangerous as hell

Then why do you not deal with the authoritarians among you? Why do you not try to temper their extremism?

[RankStranger]

People usually only get angry about things which effect them personally or effect someone close to them. I am no different. So what has Leftism done to me or mine which would make me angry?

 

I should have excelled academically. I am intelligent and passionate about learning. I believe of all the human endeavors, few are more noble than the continuing pursuit of understanding. So why didn't I excell?

 

Leftism. Academia is overwhelmingly Leftist. And they do their best to ensure that it remains this way. All I had to do was speak the right words. That's all I had to do. I didn't even have to believe it, I only had to toe the line. But I couldn't do it. So I was barred.

 

It's really that simple.

 

Really? It's that simple? You sure there isn't more to the story?

 

I wouldn't deny that lots of academia leans to the left... some departments more so than others, but that is the general slant. But in all my years at college (and I've been here WAY too long), I've never once seen a professor who would give a student a bad grade over nothing more than a difference of opinion. What I HAVE seen on a couple of occasions though, is a student who is so rigid in his thinking that he can't/won't do assignments properly because he disagrees with the very subject matter of the class- not just with how it's taught. Kinda like a hard-core christian who refuses appropriately answer test questions on evolution... because they can't/won't believe it.

 

I've rarely run into any 'left' slant in engineering- it's mainly limited to environmental stuff inserted into a few classes (and one obscure elective on renewable energy, obviously created for political purposes). Matter of fact among most students and faculty in this department, I'm the closest thing they can find to a liberal. We have quite a few ex-military students and faculty- and on a few occasions they haven't cared for some of my opinions. Heh.

 

Of course the social sciences, liberal arts, and education are a different story.

 

Legion, I understand how a grudge (blaming a person or group for your shitty situation- even legitimate blame) can color your perceptions. It's easy to apply that grude to entire swaths of the population- not just the specific people involved. I'm guilty of it myself, and I don't have any good advice for letting it go. Just saying that I THINK I understand to some extent where you're coming from.

 

For me, it helps to take a non-personal, broad view of the situation. For instance, I hate cops- I wouldn't piss on one if he was on fire. But on those rare occasions when I interact with them, I remind myself that they're just a cog in a massive, impersonal, interconnected system. The system is structured the way it is due to politics, money, social conventions, religion, etc; it really has nothing to do with ME. Our "justice" system (as well as the government, educational system, corporations... any human institution you can name) are set up pretty arbitrarily. Call it a game, a machine, an impersonal 'system'... the point is that generally speaking- you put in certain inputs: you get certain outputs. If you're willing to approach social institutions that way- abandoning idealistic notions of 'right', 'wrong', 'true', 'false', 'good', 'bad'- they can usually be navigated reasonably well.

 

And that's how I've learned to approach college. I could bust my ass for untold hours trying to learn everything I can. I could nitpick every assignment and make sure that it's 'right'. I could call the professors on all of their mistakes (and there are plenty). I could pursue my passion and learn only what I'm interested in- to hell with getting a degree. But what would all that get me? Brilliant and bitter?

 

Instead, I've approached college from this angle: "what is the end result that I want?"... and worked backwards from there. The end result that I want is a better job and some measure of financial security. In order to get that, I need a degree and a good GPA. Hence, my SOLE focus in my classes is to get the best grade for the least amount of work. I take every shortcut I can find, bullshit answers if necessary to get partial credit, avoid difficult classes if possible, etc. If I learn something along the way- that's great. But that's really not the point. The point is to jump through these arbitrary hoops, get that arbitrary degree, and move on to a better line of work.

 

I'm in a design group with a guy right now who does NOT approach classes this way. He really is in this for the knowledge, and he really cares about his work. He's every bit as intelligent as I am- maybe more so. But his GPA is 2.9, whereas mine is 3.8.

 

I ain't saying it's right- just saying that that's the world we find ourselves in. Are you gonna adapt and work with what you've got? Or languish as a martyr to your principles?

[Japedo]

Who can control anyone Legion? Temper who? Why do you feel the need to put a leash on anyone here? Are differing opinions so offensives to you that they must be "tempered" to help you cope with your own opinions?

 

You remind me of Christians who blame the godless for all their problems. Well if it wasn't for those evil atheists and godless heathens, we'd have a perfect world, I wish they'd all crawl off and die and slow painful death. I hate them for taking Christmas from me, I hate them for trying to take God from me.... ECT.

 

As we all know, no one takes Christmas or god from anyone, the war is in their own minds and in their own persecution complex so they can see themselves as some Saviour/fighter for the greater good. This faux war on the left you have is no different. Are there extremists? Yes That's not to say that everyone is an extremist, bent on taking "Freedom" from you.

 

 

Get rid of all the Leftists in the world and you're still going to be left with all your own insecurity's. Live and let live for godsakes. Stop viewing every aspect of your life as left vs right. Christ, can't you just accept people for who they are and who they aren't? So what if people don't stand around and validate all of YOUR opinions. Being a rugged individual is as American as apple pie, embrace it, and walk proud.

 

You can't blame the left anymore then I can blame all the Christians for all that's wrong in the world. There are "Christians" I love, there are some I loath. Start seeing people past the box you put them in. If they are dicks, then they are dicks not because they are left, right, atheist or Christian, They are just dicks because that's who they choose to be.

 

Not everything that goes wrong in the world or in life is due to leftists, sometimes it's just life that happens.

[Legion]

That was a very well spoken post Rank. That was well done.

 

See the thing is... I'm not bitter!!!! Yeah! Yeah! The joy is near to me!

 

I don't blame people. I blame ideas.

 

I don't care about money or status.

 

I want understanding.

 

I want it, and I don't care if it costs me my life.

[mymistake]

I want understanding.

 

I want it, and I don't care if it costs me my life.

 

It might cost you compromise. Can you define "dealing with extremists among you"? I would like to know what it is that we are not doing.

[Legion]

MM you are the shit, man. Straight up. You rock and roll.

 

I want understanding.

 

I want it, and I don't care if it costs me my life.

It might cost you compromise.

Yes it may.

 

Can you define "dealing with extremists among you"? I would like to know what it is that we are not doing.

I'm mainly concerned with the economic side of things. You can have the social issues.

 

Not all money belongs to the State.

The public good does not always supercede the good of the individual.

People must be given ample and equal opportunity, but they must not be overly sheilded from the consequences of their own actions.

 

Man I'm so excited. I haven't thought this all the way through yet. duh. I need to get a better bead on this.

 

Thanks MM.

[florduh]

<div>

Then why do you not deal with the authoritarians among you? Why do you not try to temper their extremism?

</div>

<div>What authoritarians am I among? How does one temper someone's extreme views?</div>

<div> </div>

<div>The most radical/extreme views I see around here are those of the Conservative persuasion <em>(Bomb troublesome Islamic countries into a parking lot, End public education, Outlaw unions, Dismantle all regulatory agencies, etc.).</em></div>

<div> </div>

<div>That is not to say there aren't radical Left extremists out there. Perhaps a Conservative considers a call to universal health care a radical, extreme move and a Liberal considers blanket bombing Iran to be extreme. Of course the proponents of such ideas each think their idea is a moderate and reasonable solution.</div>

 

[mymistake]

It's no problem.

 

I'm mainly concerned with the economic side of things. You can have the social issues.

 

Not all money belongs to the State.

The public good does not always supercede the good of the individual.

People must be given ample and equal opportunity, but they must not be overly sheilded from the consequences of their own actions.

 

Looking at your original post it sounds to me like you ran up against partisanism. It's an evil that can be found on the left, the right or just about any group. Would it surprise me if colleges in some area are partisanism regarding the left? No, because partisanism is a common problem and many universities have a left wing culture. Not all of them of course. Some have a right wing culture just like some news organizations have a right wing culture. Unfortunately real world problems do not conform to left thinking or right thinking. Rather this is just simplemindedness that our two political parties use to gain power. They try to control voters by blaming every bad thing on the other political party.

[Legion]

Do you guys think I need to spell out all the specifics? Serious question. I'm trying to figure this out.

 

I'm basically opposed to the Nanny State. it's filled with good intentions. But it does not work. Cannot work. Will not work. It's ultimately corrosive.

 

I suppose it may be too much to expect your help here. I will likely try to do some more independent thinking on this and consult with other people, both dead and alive.

 

 

My most sincere thanks go out to all of you. We have spoken, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I've been so honest here. It feels good. And considering that I am a hodge-podge of sometimes conficting ideas, I half expect some you to look through this thread and find inconsistencies in me. But I'm not worried!!!! If you find them, please tell me. it will be an opportunity for me to learn.

[Ramen666]

I'm basically opposed to the Nanny State. it's filled with good intentions. But it does not work. Cannot work. Will not work. It's ultimately corrosive.

 

This is for you Legion.

 

http://tvnewslies.or...republican.html

 

 

Joe gets up at 6:00am to prepare his morning coffee. He fills his pot full of good clean drinking water because some liberal fought for minimum water quality standards. He takes his daily medication with his first swallow of coffee. His medications are safe to take because some liberal fought to insure their safety and work as advertised.

All but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employers medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance, now Joe gets it too. He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs this day. Joe’s bacon is safe to eat because some liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

Joe takes his morning shower reaching for his shampoo; His bottle is properly labeled with every ingredient and the amount of its contents because some liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained. Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some tree hugging liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air. He walks to the subway station for his government subsidized ride to work; it saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees. You see, some liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

 

Joe begins his work day; he has a good job with excellent pay, medicals benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe’s employer pays these standards because Joe’s employer doesn’t want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed he’ll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some liberal didn’t think he should loose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

 

Its noon time, Joe needs to make a Bank Deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe’s deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some liberal wanted to protect Joe’s money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the depression.

 

Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae underwritten Mortgage and his below market federal student loan because some stupid liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his life-time.

 

Joe is home from work, he plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive to dads; his car is among the safest in the world because some liberal fought for car safety standards. He arrives at his boyhood home. He was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers Home Administration because bankers didn’t want to make rural loans. The house didn’t have electric until some big government liberal stuck his nose where it didn’t belong and demanded rural electrification. (Those rural Republican’s would still be sitting in the dark)

 

He is happy to see his dad who is now retired. His dad lives on Social Security and his union pension because some liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn’t have to. After his visit with dad he gets back in his car for the ride home.

 

He turns on a radio talk show, the host’s keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. (He doesn’t tell Joe that his beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day) Joe agrees, “We don’t need those big government liberals ruining our lives; after all, I’m a self made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have”.

REPUBLISHED: Originally published by TvNewsLIES.org July, 2004.

Written by John Gray Cincinnati, Ohio - jgray7@cinci.rr.com - Published July - 2004

[freeasabird]

I'm basically opposed to the Nanny State. it's filled with good intentions. But it does not work. Cannot work. Will not work. It's ultimately corrosive.

 

This is for you Legion.

 

http://tvnewslies.or...republican.html

 

 

Nice, reminds me of this one I saw a while back. Same thing, just a different flavor.

 

Posted on a message board:

 

"This morning I was awoken by my alarm clock powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the US Department of Energy. I then took a shower in the clean water provided by the municipal water utility. After that, I turned on the TV to one of the FCC regulated channels to see what the National Weather Service of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration determined the weather was going to be like using satellites designed, built, and launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I watched this while eating my breakfast of US Department of Agriculture inspected food and taking the drugs which have been determined as safe by the Food and Drug Administration.

 

At the appropriated time as regulated by the US Congress and kept accurate by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the US Naval Observatory, I get into my National Highway Traffic Safety Administration approved automobile and set out to work on the roads built by the local, state, and federal departments of transportation, possibly stopping to purchase additional fuel of a quality level determined by the Environmental Protection Agency, using legal tender issued by the Federal Reserve Bank. On the way out the door I deposit any mail I have to be sent out via US Postal Service and drop off the kids at the public school.

 

After work, I drive my NHTSA car back home on the DOT roads, to a house which has not burned down in my absence because of the state and local building codes and fire marshal's inspection, and which has not been plundered of all its valuables thanks to the local police department.

 

I then log on to the internet which was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration and post on Freerepublic.com and Fox News forums about how SOCIALISM in medicine is BAD because the government can't do anything right."

[Onyx]

I'm extremely strong on social liberalism, but I'm strongly pro ethical business also. But I don't let my politics intrude into my university work. As a matter of fact, I don't remember seeing any of my professors ever expressing a single political opinion, conservative or liberal. They just appraise my learning and mark my essays. And this is in the arts faculty, supposedly the greatest hotbed of academical leftism. I reckon that the better the university, the less the party politics intrude into the academical professors' mouths. But I hope this wasn't you making a baseless assertion that wrongly paints academia as a rabid bunch of leftists as a whole. It's a pretty serious accusation you're making, Legion. If any professors were to do this in my university, there'd be calls for the professors to be suspended. There was one professor who once called for the white people to be fucking off and plagarising stuff from another person's book, so he got fired and the university's name was dragged through the mud. And that was as extreme left as you get. I also think the university would have removed a professor who was constantly anti-abortion and put that rhetoric into his non related subject lecture. My university is like that when it comes to politics, removing anybody who talks too much rubbish whilst being a professor.

[mymistake]

Nice, reminds me of this one I saw a while back. Same thing, just a different flavor.

 

Posted on a message board:

 

"This morning I was awoken by my alarm clock powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the US Department of Energy.

 

Oh I want to do one.

 

Joe wakes up because God made the sun. Then Joe has some coffee because God made coffee. Then Joe has a shower because God made water.

 

 

Just kidding

[Legion]

Ever have an idea so complex that your mind could barely hold it? And expressing it is impossible. Not because of unwillingness, but because of inability.

 

That's where I'm at.

[florduh]

To wrap it up on my end, my final thoughts.

 

"Leftism" shouldn't evoke anger any more than "Rightism" should. It is the extreme, fringe elements of any camp that should cause concern and perhaps trigger an emotional response. Left and Right are merely points on the political spectrum, and most people travel back and forth, closer to one, then the other, throughout their life. An opposing view is nothing to get angry about. At least that's what we keep telling the Christians.

[Legion]

Chris do you think we live in a society where ideological warfare is the accepted norm?