Sunday, July 24, 2005

Of Apologists and Enemies

I must admit, I do not understand the penchant that many on the left have for apologist attitudes. I think that much of it is Orwellian in nature.

They have divided the world into two political camps, (how absurd). America = Imperialism = bad, all else, revolution = good. They have become totally thoughtless reactionaries and actually see the totalitarian Islamists as an ally. They oppose any American policy or action in a Pavlovian fashion that would embarrass even the most hardened student of aberrant psychology.


Normblog
[...]
So, there are apologists among us. They have to be fought - fought intellectually and politically and without let-up. What is it that moves them to their disgraceful litany of excuses? This is doubtless a complex matter, but here are a few suggestions. One thing seems to be the treatment of those who practise terror as though they were part of some natural environment we have to take as given - not themselves free and responsible agents, but like a vicious dog or a hive of bees. If we do anything that provokes them, that must make us morally responsible, for they can be expected to react as they do. If this isn't a form of covert racism, then it's a kind of diminishing culturalism and is equally insulting to the people transformed by it into amoral beings incapable of choice or judgement.

[...]

10 comments:

beakerkin said...

The far left is evil incarnate and it is about power. The far left want to cast themselves as gods and the only way they can bring about the revolution is to bring society down.

I use 167 as an illustration of stupidity and prejudice. Mr Beamishes troll is good for comic relief. I am still waiting for a description of anarchistic tax bases.

The cold war never ended for me. I am a anti Communist moderate and if you check my blog there are threats against yours truly. I did not survive WTC 93 and witness 9-11 only to be intimidated.

Esther said...

Great post, Warren. Well said! These people are dangerous...and Orwellian in nature was a great description.

Warren said...

Beak,
I left a little, (not so) subtle threat of my own for a certain crying troll. Do you want me to track him down?

I'm beginning to believe that Mr. B's troll is still in high school. Its as if he just fell out of the sky with a copy of the works of Chomsky in his hand.

Esther, my lady,
Thank you for you kind words.

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

That is exactly it. Ethnic nationalism = racism. Ethnic nationalism has always led to fascism and totalitarianism.

Without studying history, getting to know the people behind events, you can philosophize all day long and never understand why your ideas always fail.

I don't think "my total opposite" Wintermute is a high school student. I think he's probably got some college in him, likely poli sci courses and philosophy, but no history.

Regardless, I think he's at a loss dealing with me, the Celtic-Cherokee-Pictish-Anglo-Saxon-American. I'm in the smallest minority group because my tribe is humanity and my nation is civilization.

Always On Watch said...

Warren,
Normblog wrote ""[O]ne constantly nurtures the illusion that people learn. The fact is that some of them don't and, from where they think, can't....It needs to be seen and said clear: there are, amongst us, apologists for what the killers do, and they make more difficult the long fight that is needed to defeat them."

My father (1911-1998) used to say "Some people don't have anything to think with." Same idea, though not eruditely spoken.

Thanks for linking to this excellent article.

Warren said...

Elijah, There is a web site named Engrish.com.

It is a comedy site dedicated to the fascination that the Japanese people have with English and their misunderstanding of the syntax (?).

A large portion of it is devoted to T-shirts with humorous malapropism.

Every time I see a "Che" T-shirt, I wonder if the wearer understands English, history, or really much of anything.

*******************

Beamish, I think you have it exactly right.

I also think wintermeathead is at a loss (full stop)


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Always on Watch,
Knowing the syntax well keeps us from having to use as many words.

You father knew the subject well!

My grandfather would shake his head, hold his index finger and thumb about a quarter inch apart and mumble, "A chicken's got a head this wide". Meaning, a chicken is smarter than that.
;^)

Always On Watch said...

Warren,
Just a personal note here...When I was in third grade, one of our spelling/vocabulary words was "economical." Here's the sentence I wrote: "My father is economical with words."

Not exactly the kind of usage my teacher wanted, but once he got to know my father, he agreed.

I love your grandfather's "chicken head" saying!

Another of my father's favorites was "Even a low-class moron knows better."

Warren said...

Elijah,
In case you cannot access your Email, check your blog. I left a post last night (Thursday the 28th)

Warren said...

Always On Watch,
I sometimes wonder what today's children will think of our sayings in another 40 years.

My grandfather had a great many of them that would not bear repeating in polite company.

I learned many educational things from him. Many of those lessons were administered and re-enforced by his personal, "board of education".
LOL

Always On Watch said...

Getting a bit silly here, but...Sometimes the only way to explain something is in de tail.