>> The abusers on “the left” offer nothing in return except the delusion of being good.
It's certainly more than that. The current "left" offers social cachet and coolness, and in some important quarters, ascendant political power (AOC is a good example of a young 'passionate joiner' who was very quickly brought to heel).
>> The abusers on “the left” offer nothing in return except the delusion of being good.
It's certainly more than that. The current "left" offers social cachet and coolness, and in some important quarters, ascendant political power (AOC is a good example of a young 'passionate joiner' who was very quickly brought to heel).
Oh, Rhyd, there's so many times I want to give you a hug; at least three in this essay. "Monsters" is unquestionably good; if it lacks a very broad market, it's because the intersection of topics (critique of progressivism/modernism from a Marxist perspective, and I realize I'm oversimplifying) lacks a broad market. But I think anyone who knows the dance is impressed by your moves.
Violence. I have such a funny relationship to violence. Don't we all? Truth be told, I think there's simply too many of us and we're too well-connected, and we're a bunch of angry chimps that want DESPERATELY to bash in the brains of the chimps stressing us out until they're ABSOLUTELY. POSITIVELY. DEAD. But we've all had our rocks taken away and get punished for even SAYING we want to bash the other chimps' brains in, so we've learned to be manipulative: serve the power that grants us permission to bash brains in again, or get them to do it for us but let us watch.
We're not designed to live as we do, and we ARE designed for violence (among other, loftier things). Like sex, we've put violence in a locked box that we pretend doesn't exist, sitting on a shelf somewhere with the Ark of the Covenant at the end of the Indiana Jones movie. But it does exist, and the "disabled trans activists" really, really wanted to just bash some chimp brains... and- if I'm being darkly honest for a moment?- it would thrill my blood from head to toe if they'd come for me or my friends. I'd want to kiss them on the lips and say "thank you" before getting started. See? I'm just on the other side of the chimp line, wanting desperately for "self defense" to be my excuse, because I'm too damned honorable to start hitting people for talking, but would still LOVE to hit some people.
I've stopped worrying about whether violence is right. I concern myself, as a "mature adult," (yeah, I could barely type that) with whether its potential consequences are worth bearing. In that respect I'm wiser than a young "leftist" activist throwing shit at people (chimps indeed).
But it's very unlikely that the nature of modern living will be reversed. We might be drugging most of human nature out of existence, but if "disabled trans activists" are picking brawls with leafleting libertarians, we clearly haven't successfully suppressed or neutered aggression from humanity. We've just gotten good at pretending the ones who get caught are the only ones doing it.
>> The abusers on “the left” offer nothing in return except the delusion of being good.
It's certainly more than that. The current "left" offers social cachet and coolness, and in some important quarters, ascendant political power (AOC is a good example of a young 'passionate joiner' who was very quickly brought to heel).
Oh, Rhyd, there's so many times I want to give you a hug; at least three in this essay. "Monsters" is unquestionably good; if it lacks a very broad market, it's because the intersection of topics (critique of progressivism/modernism from a Marxist perspective, and I realize I'm oversimplifying) lacks a broad market. But I think anyone who knows the dance is impressed by your moves.
Violence. I have such a funny relationship to violence. Don't we all? Truth be told, I think there's simply too many of us and we're too well-connected, and we're a bunch of angry chimps that want DESPERATELY to bash in the brains of the chimps stressing us out until they're ABSOLUTELY. POSITIVELY. DEAD. But we've all had our rocks taken away and get punished for even SAYING we want to bash the other chimps' brains in, so we've learned to be manipulative: serve the power that grants us permission to bash brains in again, or get them to do it for us but let us watch.
We're not designed to live as we do, and we ARE designed for violence (among other, loftier things). Like sex, we've put violence in a locked box that we pretend doesn't exist, sitting on a shelf somewhere with the Ark of the Covenant at the end of the Indiana Jones movie. But it does exist, and the "disabled trans activists" really, really wanted to just bash some chimp brains... and- if I'm being darkly honest for a moment?- it would thrill my blood from head to toe if they'd come for me or my friends. I'd want to kiss them on the lips and say "thank you" before getting started. See? I'm just on the other side of the chimp line, wanting desperately for "self defense" to be my excuse, because I'm too damned honorable to start hitting people for talking, but would still LOVE to hit some people.
I've stopped worrying about whether violence is right. I concern myself, as a "mature adult," (yeah, I could barely type that) with whether its potential consequences are worth bearing. In that respect I'm wiser than a young "leftist" activist throwing shit at people (chimps indeed).
But it's very unlikely that the nature of modern living will be reversed. We might be drugging most of human nature out of existence, but if "disabled trans activists" are picking brawls with leafleting libertarians, we clearly haven't successfully suppressed or neutered aggression from humanity. We've just gotten good at pretending the ones who get caught are the only ones doing it.
This is gold 🙏
At yer service, mister.