This "article" is further proof of my thesis that Leftism is a psychopathology. This person is so disconnected form reality it's downright bizarre. Seriously, "militarism" causes us to need soup kitchens and produces "dilapidated inner city schools"? Those inner city schools are caused by people like Dallas Darling being in charge of our cities and schools for the past half-decade. And to call a handful of people reacting with empty rhetoric against anti-military (er, anti-war) protesters the same thing as racial segregation is an outrage. Nobody who is anti-war is being discriminated against in this country. Nothing like being denied service or proper schooling. Nobody is being lynched for their beliefs. An expression of annoyance using the same kind of empty rhetoric as as the vast majority of people who in the heat of an argument (or jokingly) say "I'm going to kill you" is NOT the same as racial discrimination. He should be ashamed of himself for making the equation. It is an insult to those who fought for their civil rights.
Why is it that Leftists have to see everyone who disagrees with them as being evil? Why must villainy be ascribed to those who merely disagree with you? I suppose one could accuse me of doing the same thing is saying Leftists have a psychopathology -- but I at least gave some evidence to support my claim, and I didn't say that all Leftists necessarily have a psychopathology. Some may simply be delusional and denying of reality. Some have been misinformed and miseducated. Some are just plain wrong.
Also, people like this idiot don'thelp the anti-war cause at all. They just make anti-war protester look like idiots, jerks, and hatemongers. Someone needs to tell them that you do not fight the worst in humans by emulating the worst in humans.
11 comments:
Some psychopathological leftist have made some great art.
Every society has to make trade-offs with the limited resources they have. Sincerely, militarism destroys life and wastes a tremendous amout of material and human resources that could be better spent in promoting peace and prosperity.
Psychopathology is not being able to recognize the forces and structures of death, but instead supporting them.
Todd,
You and I both know that being an artist isn't necessarily a sign of good mental health.
Anonymous,
You will note that I did not support militarism at all. I in fact argued that the person undermined anti-militarism with that insulting comparison he made. I actually support the pursuit of peace -- actual peace. I don't want to have a false peace with people who will undermine peace and murder people. I want the kind of peace that will come about through people being able to own their land and not be murdered by their governments -- the kind of peace that accompanies free trade among nations. The Left has historically been the ones to support the forces and structures of death, not those of us who support free markets.
Troy,
Evidently you are the one who is disconnected with reality and illogical. There have been thousands of people here in the U.S. fired from their jobs, persecuted, jailed, and even killed for their anti-war views and actions.
Also, you mistakenly toss out a label" 'Leftist,' in describing the views of the writer. Whether Leftist or Rightist, militarism has killed millions of people because it takes away valuable resources and monies that could be better used to help inner city kids and hard working families that have to depend on soup kitchens and food pantries, not to mention the wounded and disabled veterans.
Also, what many nations consider today as free market economies are actually unjust markets in which the wealthy and powerful corporations make the laws, abuse natural resources, and through mass media confuse needs and wants. In other words, free markets are suicial economic systems since they are based upon mass production and mass consumption. Even Economics 101 teaches that there is only a limited amount of natural resources. (Just think how much militarism consumes around the world!)
Believe it or not, through nonviolent action, civil disobedience, dialogue, and a change of heart, people can and do change and share their land, food, and other resources bringing about a more just and fair society. Labels are obsolete but one thing is for sure, we should all live simple so that others may simply live.
And oddly I haven't heard about any of these people you claim to have been fired, etc. I will need proof -- and I mean more than anecdotal evidence, since the occasional oddity is no proof of anything widespread. I further doubt you since a majority of Americans are against the war.
THe more money we have spent on schools, the worse the schools have gotten. THe more money we have spent on homelessness, the worse the homeless problem has gotten. Your good intentions repeatedly have terrible consequences. There is an inverse correlation between the amount of money spent on schools and how well the students do in those schools.
Free markets have been the only economic system in the world to create wealth for people. Poverty is the world-historical norm. Yes, there are limited resources, but free markets create alternatives, and the price system effectively and efficiently prevents us from overusing our natural resources, unlike non-free market economic systems.
I wish everyone were in fact rational so that we could talk to them. I wish that everyone would in fact listen. But they won't. Some people are driven by irrational ideologies and are determined to force those ideologies on us no matter what. If someone is telling you "your money or your life," then you'd best not rely on dialogue alone. If you can manage to pull it off, great. But I'd rather make sure I have something more substantial than words to back me up when my life and livelihood and family are threatened.
Wanting true peace in the world is not consistent with being willing to live with murderers, thieves, and rapists -- even then they call themselves a government.
Troy,
I AM one. Because I was against militarism, I have lost two careers, a wife, received death threats and hate mail, had to relocate, etc...there are many of us but you will not hear about us because the mainstream press is controlled by the Corporate-Military establishment.
Also, just because people are against the war in Iraq does not mean they are also against militarism. There is a difference. Also, you are too simplistic in thinking social problems are due to too funding. What about powerlessness, the lack of hope, lack of adequate health care, etc...
You should get out more and rub shoulders with the poor and downtrodden.
I didn't say they were due to funding. I was pointing out that there is no connection between funding and fixing a problem, and that typically there is an inverse relationship. Poverty is the world historical norm. Wealth is what is unusual. Thus, we need to figure out not what causes poverty (as it is our natural state), but what causes wealth. Government and social programs are not the answer. The same government that you oppose as being the source of militarism is not ever going to do anything good for anyone except to the extent that they get out of our way.
I was raised in rural Kentucky and my father was a coal miner. My father's family were all poor. I grew up around mostly poor people all my life. My wife is Mexican-American, and all her family are poor. So don't tell me I need to rub shoulders with the poor. I know what the realities of poverty are actually like.
Also, you might want to get ahold of your Leftist friends in academia and tell them that they shouldn't be making it impossible for me to get a job. Because I'm against authoritarianist Leftism I can't even get a career started.
Has it occurred to you, though, that the reason you lost your wife (and probably the job as well) may have had more to do with you and less to do with external forces?
Wow! This is the most heated debate I have seen here in a while. Personal attacks aside, please. I don't care who started it. Anyways, (anonymous) great thoughts on the effects on militarism. (troy) good counter points. Sadly, people need protectors for people that abuse power. The society also has to police the police. Sadly wars are necessary. Although this war was not necessary, I challenge anyone to justify not going to war with those Nazi thugs.
Let’s also put this into perspective. With the United Nations, expansion of NATO, and despite Russians posturing - NATO also has written agreements with them and other nations, little by little, nations are coming together in partnerships and trade. The more connected nations get, the less likely war between nations have become. Sure there will always be irrational leaders and barring any great shortages, (call me optimistic but) large war will get less likely.
Might I remind you, the US military leaders have been historically reluctant to go to war. Just read nearly any US general’s memoirs and you will find that they tend to be reluctant at war. Only congress can declare war. The commander and chief is the civilian leader of the military. How many, traditional Left leaders have stated wars in the US that Right leaning leaders? Left and Right, when you look at the extremes of both, they are both extremely repressive in their own Homicidal way!
Now, when someone uses himself as an example, my responding to him is not so much a personal attack as an alternative explanation. Am I to just ignore such an example, thus ceding his point?
Please check out this reference and website which desribes the parlous state of our planet altogether.
And by the way ALL of the psycho-pathologies pointed to on this site are LOUDLY CHAMPIONED by those on the "right", wherever they are geographically and culturally.
www.ispeace723.org/realityhumanity2.html
Also
www.coteda.com/fundamentals/index.html
Plus for my daily dose of psycho-pathology all I have to do is log into a right wing blog which are awash with unmitigated bad faith, PIG-ignorance, and sheer nastiness.
You will note in part 1 that I said all people who want power over others have the said psychopathology. I think anyone who has the need to control others' lives -- including (especially?) though government are control freaks.
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