Tuesday, March 08, 2005

Elitism and Liberals

MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy » Dubya-speak

Beth of MYVRWC wonders if the ability to admit one's weaknesses with humor is the defining characteristic of conservatives. We have been thinking about this too. What is it that causes some people to be Liberals and some conservatives? If we knew that we would have more success at deprogamming the mislead. She is certainly right that many Liberals can not admit that they were wrong and certainly can't laugh about it. This is one reason so many Americans were so pissed off at Dan Rather. It was obvious he was wrong but he just couldn't admit it. (On the other hand, they demand that Bush admit he made a mistake even though he did not.)

This ties in to what I have been thinking recently. Being a Liberal (again, I stress that I am talking about Liberalism not just anyone who is a Democrat) is the political manifestation of personal immaturity. Of course, telling them this has no effect, just as it has no effect on a teenager. Can you think of a less humble group of people than teenagers? When was the last time you heard one admit that they were wrong?

No one should admit to a mistake that they have not made, though. Liberals, because they are not humble before objective reality, are incapable of discerning the difference between a true mistake and something they wish was a mistake. They sure as hell wish that Bush had been wrong to attack Iraq and enact the "Bush doctrine." If he is was right, then they will have to admit they they were wrong. The problem for them is that their very identity is tied up with Liberal ideology and Beth is right to say that they "go around with an air of superiority to be taken seriously, as an 'intellectual'?" Admitting that they were so monumentally wrong would be like suicide.

This suicide is exactly what is required. One must kill off one's teenager identity in order to become a man or woman. Often this occurs for people in an epiphany, especially with the birth of a child. You say to yourself, "Holy Crap! This is not just fun and games anymore. I am not the center of the world and must sacrifice for this baby." This humility before the reality of a baby is just the sort of thing required for maturity. (What disgusts me is that so many parents pretend to know this, but act differently.)

So, Beth is right, elitism and its attendant lack of self deprication is a characteristic of Liberalism. I think that after 9/11 many people grew up and put away that elitism because they had to face that awful reality. It is disgusting that so many others did not.

1 comment:

Endymion said...

Beth of My VRWC said:

You got it! You're right on target with "liberalism" (I can't even call them that any more) being a manifestation of immaturity. Along with self-centeredness and the lack of ability to admit error, the immature also have an unreasonable rebellion toward everything they see as "authority" or "establishment." The constant cry from them is that we're "brainwashed" by Bush, etc., yet they are supposedly independent free-thinkers. It's become laughable; they can't even consider the possibility that their ideas are old, washed up, and re-treads from the last few generations. They think we're all the conformists and they're so free, yet they all sing the same propaganda and accuse those of us who disagree of being evil, racist, heartless, blah blah blah, you know the drill. The only thing these emotional children really challenge are the adults--those who live and think rationally (like responsible adults). After the election, there was so much (and still is, to a slightly milder extent) emotional hysteria, it was like a teenage tantrum. To see ADULTS act like that only invites derision from the rest of us...which inflames them even further, just as it would if you laughed at or made fun of a teenager having a tantrum.

Damn, I'm getting long-winded. I should BLOG this instead of leaving an essay in comments...because I could go on and on about this even more.

Great post, keep it up!
Beth | Homepage | 03.09.05 - 2:55 am |