Qball
Corner Pocket
I was going through some of my old posts when I found something I wrote a few years ago:
I'd forgotten I even wrote that, but I got a few Thanks' and repped for that post. I'm reposting it because I think it's part and parcel of the reason why it seems people are still so concerned about right-wing extremism and seemingly in disbelief that liberals could ever be extremist, given recent events with this cop-killer dude on the loose.
I've always had two thoughts when it came to the idea of right-wing extremism: 1) it's not as serious as liberals make it out to be...they just like painting us as crazy to make their ideas more tenable to people in the middle; and 2) to the extent that right-wing rhetoric is more animated than liberal rhetoric these days, it's probably due to the fact that each side has to have a period of that to figure out what they stand for and how to achieve their goals...liberals had their period of violence and extremist rhetoric in the 60s and 70s, which is where many of their ideas came out of.
But, I think it's something else, too. I think conservatives, right-wingers, Republicans are castigated as "extremist" because they dare to define themselves. Think about it. How often do liberals admit to being liberal? How often do Democrats call one of their own a "liberal"? How often has Obama called himself "liberal"?
Think about how offended liberals get whenever people accuse Obama and the Democrats of supporting socialist policies. Why is that? Socialism is an actual thing that exists. There's even a voting member of Congress who identifies as a socialist (Bernie Sanders).
Think about how, day after day, all the main hosts on MSNBC do is point to the sins of the Republican Party and conservative ideology, and yet, how often has Maddow or Ed Schultz or Chris Matthews called themselves a liberal? Jon Stewart does nothing but criticize Republicans and FOX News for being crazy, he had a "Rally to Restore Sanity", and yet, only when he's pinned down, will he admit he "has a bias".
How often do you hear about people warning the far-left about their extremist rhetoric? It's almost like they don't exist.
It really seems like the only place liberals have the courage to call themselves what they are is through the anonymity of the Internet.
Contrast that coyness with the right-wing. All we do is define ourselves. We wave our conservative banner proudly. We call ourselves libertarian. We make our representatives call themselves conservative or libertarian. We gravitate to people who proudly define themselves as such. Our ideas about government -- less taxes, less spending, less regulation, conservative social policy, etc -- are all apart of who we are. We have disagreements and fights about how much is too much, but we don't shy away from labeling ourselves with vague language...and that's our problem.
If you agree with our ideas, you're probably a conservative. At the very least, you aren't a liberal. But see, a lot of people don't like what being a conservative implies, or liberal for that matter, implies. So they hedge on defining themselves. So what liberals do is wrap up their ideas in the conceits of "intellect". Their ideas about soaking the rich in taxes, universal healthcare, more spending on the environment, etc. aren't "liberal", no, it's what any person who feels, thinks, respects science, respects math, respects facts, has common sense and the ability to use logic would conclude about the world. "Smart people" vote for Democrats, "conservatives" vote for Republicans, see what I mean?
The problem is, our ideas, conservative though they may be, are also based in fact and logic. I think that's why older people tend to be conservative; they no longer need the social validation of siding with the "smart crowd", which means they're free to actually make up their own minds and see things for what they are.
I'd forgotten I even wrote that, but I got a few Thanks' and repped for that post. I'm reposting it because I think it's part and parcel of the reason why it seems people are still so concerned about right-wing extremism and seemingly in disbelief that liberals could ever be extremist, given recent events with this cop-killer dude on the loose.
I've always had two thoughts when it came to the idea of right-wing extremism: 1) it's not as serious as liberals make it out to be...they just like painting us as crazy to make their ideas more tenable to people in the middle; and 2) to the extent that right-wing rhetoric is more animated than liberal rhetoric these days, it's probably due to the fact that each side has to have a period of that to figure out what they stand for and how to achieve their goals...liberals had their period of violence and extremist rhetoric in the 60s and 70s, which is where many of their ideas came out of.
But, I think it's something else, too. I think conservatives, right-wingers, Republicans are castigated as "extremist" because they dare to define themselves. Think about it. How often do liberals admit to being liberal? How often do Democrats call one of their own a "liberal"? How often has Obama called himself "liberal"?
Think about how offended liberals get whenever people accuse Obama and the Democrats of supporting socialist policies. Why is that? Socialism is an actual thing that exists. There's even a voting member of Congress who identifies as a socialist (Bernie Sanders).
Think about how, day after day, all the main hosts on MSNBC do is point to the sins of the Republican Party and conservative ideology, and yet, how often has Maddow or Ed Schultz or Chris Matthews called themselves a liberal? Jon Stewart does nothing but criticize Republicans and FOX News for being crazy, he had a "Rally to Restore Sanity", and yet, only when he's pinned down, will he admit he "has a bias".
How often do you hear about people warning the far-left about their extremist rhetoric? It's almost like they don't exist.
It really seems like the only place liberals have the courage to call themselves what they are is through the anonymity of the Internet.
Contrast that coyness with the right-wing. All we do is define ourselves. We wave our conservative banner proudly. We call ourselves libertarian. We make our representatives call themselves conservative or libertarian. We gravitate to people who proudly define themselves as such. Our ideas about government -- less taxes, less spending, less regulation, conservative social policy, etc -- are all apart of who we are. We have disagreements and fights about how much is too much, but we don't shy away from labeling ourselves with vague language...and that's our problem.
If you agree with our ideas, you're probably a conservative. At the very least, you aren't a liberal. But see, a lot of people don't like what being a conservative implies, or liberal for that matter, implies. So they hedge on defining themselves. So what liberals do is wrap up their ideas in the conceits of "intellect". Their ideas about soaking the rich in taxes, universal healthcare, more spending on the environment, etc. aren't "liberal", no, it's what any person who feels, thinks, respects science, respects math, respects facts, has common sense and the ability to use logic would conclude about the world. "Smart people" vote for Democrats, "conservatives" vote for Republicans, see what I mean?
The problem is, our ideas, conservative though they may be, are also based in fact and logic. I think that's why older people tend to be conservative; they no longer need the social validation of siding with the "smart crowd", which means they're free to actually make up their own minds and see things for what they are.
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