MaxedOutMama
Monday, February 28, 2005
Liberal Misery
Tom Carter has an excellent post up about liberals (I think this is a misnomer, I think this should be "leftists") who hate George Bush to the point of possibly being driven to defend irrational positions. As with many others of Tom's thoughtful posts, the comments this one inspired were excellent, and even more excellent for being given from many different points of view. The measure of a good issues blog is the quality of the commentary it inspires, IMO, and the commentary on Tom's is exceptional.
In my mind I make a clear distinction between people who hold differing perspectives on issues and those who are all about being devoted to a cause. The perspectives types might be very liberal or very conservative by conviction, but will deal with each issue on its merits. The causists types seem to tend to develop a fanatic view that rejects anyone who doesn't "stand" with their cause. The Buzzmachine has been discussing the same issues as in this post about being a liberal not in the current mainstream and the abuse and rejection this has inspired. He calls the causists (on the left and right) "fringers", which is about as good a way to say it as any. He followed up with this post and this post. I urge you to read the BuzzMachine and then read Tom's post.
Also, if you are a Republican and feel the need to gloat, remember that this type of syndrome could easily be in your party's future. A country with a strong streak of cultural fanaticism is not a healthy country. How do you know when you are being sucked into fanaticism? When you find yourself ignoring the facts in favor of the accepted view, evading reasonable dialogue in favor of invective, and believing that passion is the stamp of credibility.
So here is why the BuzzMachine is being added to my blog links (I read everyone on there every week, at a minimum):
In my mind I make a clear distinction between people who hold differing perspectives on issues and those who are all about being devoted to a cause. The perspectives types might be very liberal or very conservative by conviction, but will deal with each issue on its merits. The causists types seem to tend to develop a fanatic view that rejects anyone who doesn't "stand" with their cause. The Buzzmachine has been discussing the same issues as in this post about being a liberal not in the current mainstream and the abuse and rejection this has inspired. He calls the causists (on the left and right) "fringers", which is about as good a way to say it as any. He followed up with this post and this post. I urge you to read the BuzzMachine and then read Tom's post.
Also, if you are a Republican and feel the need to gloat, remember that this type of syndrome could easily be in your party's future. A country with a strong streak of cultural fanaticism is not a healthy country. How do you know when you are being sucked into fanaticism? When you find yourself ignoring the facts in favor of the accepted view, evading reasonable dialogue in favor of invective, and believing that passion is the stamp of credibility.
So here is why the BuzzMachine is being added to my blog links (I read everyone on there every week, at a minimum):
This is no way to win elections and no way to enact change and no way to influence policy. If this wing continues to be the loudest voice of the party and, in fact, takes over the party, then you can bet that the Democrats will forever be in opposition -- a role these folks love like cultists who feed on attack -- or, worse, even sink into extinction. I'm not a third-party guy; never have been, never want to be. But being attacked for daring to disagree on one issue or with one self-proclaimed leader is no way to win friends and influence elections. I hope the Clinton wing retakes the party from the spitting fringe.By most standards the BuzzMachine is pretty much to the left:
I'm no right-winger. But I'm not their kind of left-winger. I'm proud to sit in the center with most of America, in a country that isn't at war, red v. blue, but is getting sick of the fringers who are.
What does my right-wing look like?But he's not an 'ist, or an 'ite, just a man doggedly trying to forge a better future in the US and the world. One of his terrible crimes is that he supported the Iraqi war. He is also a professional journalist; it's quite interesting to read his take on matters.
: I voted for John Kerry, though reluctantly.
: I voted for Bill Clinton, eagerly.
: I am dying to vote for Hillary Clinton.
: I vote Democratic in local races in my corner of New Jersey, when they have the guts to run.
: I am pro-choice.
: I opposed the Bush tax cuts.
: I am against school vouchers.
: I am for gay marriage and quit the Presbyterian Church over its bigotry against gays.
: I am for universal health care.
: I fight for free speech in America and elsewhere.
: I wrote a cover story for The Nation.
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A country with a strong streak of cultural fanaticism is not a healthy country. How do you know when you are being sucked into fanaticism? When you find yourself ignoring the facts in favor of the accepted view, evading reasonable dialogue in favor of invective, and believing that passion is the stamp of credibility.
Very well said! This problem of intense personal hatred for Bush is troubling because it isn't the "fringers" we're talking about. We expect them to be irrational. What concerns me is the unusual number of people who are otherwise seemingly reasonable and intelligent but who are blinded by a level of personal hate so intense as to override all other considerations.
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Very well said! This problem of intense personal hatred for Bush is troubling because it isn't the "fringers" we're talking about. We expect them to be irrational. What concerns me is the unusual number of people who are otherwise seemingly reasonable and intelligent but who are blinded by a level of personal hate so intense as to override all other considerations.
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