Replying to smalltownrifle

The underdog-friendly narratives of the left are emotionally appealing, till they have to define words, assign meaning to things, deal with reality, identify causes and effects.

Their vague definitions of what constitutes capitalism, justice, oppression, exploitation and privilege fail them.

Without good definitions, they lack the ideological tools necessary to analyse events and actions consistently.

Reality is something they perpetually fight against, rather than improve. In fact, nothing might seem real to them at all. It's all a conspiracy, according to them. Since they can't assign meanings adequately, everything will start to have meaning for them.

And because of the lack of skill to identify causality, they will eventually get to a point where the truth will start to become whatever they feel to be. Feel strongly enough about something, and it will become the truth, according to them.

Whether this is a postmodern thing or something else, I don't know.

But it's a sad state of affairs for a person to be in.
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n0>1 3mo ago 💬 1

What's the left?

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smalltownrifle 3mo ago

The origins of the terms left and right come from where people sat in the assembly after the French revolution.

Used to be defined as those in politics - the politicians, policymakers and intellectuals - who believed in classical liberal, laissez-faire ideas, i.e. natural rights, self-ownership, freedom of and to trade, property rights, etc.

Over time, egalitarian and socialist ideas have influenced people on this side. So now, it has changed into those in politics who believe that:

-the state needs to make policy that enforces equality among people, beyond just equality in front of the natural law. Examples include redistribution of wealth, socializing the means of production, affirmative action, educational reform etc.

-a 'right to' or 'freedom to' something constitutes whatever the majority, or the state, thinks it ought to be - the concept of natural rights and freedoms that exist absent a government is frowned upon by them.

-socialism, if implemented within the constraints of a democratic republic, is a superior form of organising society morally, legally, politically and economically.

To explore more:

(1) A talk by Hoppe

https://youtu.be/EO68Kvb9fD4

(2) A talk by Roderick T. Long

https://youtu.be/z31FQ1_jjlQ

(3) An article by Murray Rothbard

https://mises.org/mises-daily/left-and-right-prospects-liberty