Friday, December 01, 2017
Is leftist thought a form of mental illness?
It appears to be. On his "I Want a New Left" blog, philosophy professor John Pepple makes three points that strongly suggest today's leftists are simply insane.
First, quoting an anonymous blog commenter, he observes that much of the "narrative" the left promulgates today -- incessant claims of microaggressions and victimhood and outrage -- follows exactly the procedure of cognitive behavioral therapy (one of the few psychological treatments that actually seems to be effective). Only instead of promoting the positive and the solving of problems, it promotes hostility, hatred, and failure. It's cognitive behavioral anti-therapy in service of dysfunction.
Second, in discussing Elizabeth Warren's refusal to get a DNA test to prove her claim she's an Indian, Professor Pepple observes that Dems really seem to not even understand the positions of their political opponents, and gives several examples. I think this is proof that modern leftism, at least this common sort, is intellectually and morally empty, and also a mere dogma or faith, a set of beliefs held without reason, and often in defiance of reason. Pepple's post is particularly worth reading.
Finally, in a second post on Pocahontas Warren's "Indianness," Pepple notes that she appears to claim to be 1/32 Cherokee. That makes one an Indian? Well, of course. In modern leftist thought, men can be women, women can be men, men and women can be one (or more) of 61 or so otherkins, or anything else he or she or it or [place pronoun of choice here] wants... but only if he or she etc. holds the right set of beliefs about Trump, free markets, gun control, Islam, and so on ad infinitum. Otherwise, "he" is a white male oppressor -- like Ted Cruz, Clarence Thomas, Nikki Haley, Condoleeza Rice, Bobby Jindal, Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, Carly Fiorina, and the rest of those old white males.
Yes, leftist thought is clearly a form of mental illness. It's less clear it actually qualifies as thought.
First, quoting an anonymous blog commenter, he observes that much of the "narrative" the left promulgates today -- incessant claims of microaggressions and victimhood and outrage -- follows exactly the procedure of cognitive behavioral therapy (one of the few psychological treatments that actually seems to be effective). Only instead of promoting the positive and the solving of problems, it promotes hostility, hatred, and failure. It's cognitive behavioral anti-therapy in service of dysfunction.
Second, in discussing Elizabeth Warren's refusal to get a DNA test to prove her claim she's an Indian, Professor Pepple observes that Dems really seem to not even understand the positions of their political opponents, and gives several examples. I think this is proof that modern leftism, at least this common sort, is intellectually and morally empty, and also a mere dogma or faith, a set of beliefs held without reason, and often in defiance of reason. Pepple's post is particularly worth reading.
Finally, in a second post on Pocahontas Warren's "Indianness," Pepple notes that she appears to claim to be 1/32 Cherokee. That makes one an Indian? Well, of course. In modern leftist thought, men can be women, women can be men, men and women can be one (or more) of 61 or so otherkins, or anything else he or she or it or [place pronoun of choice here] wants... but only if he or she etc. holds the right set of beliefs about Trump, free markets, gun control, Islam, and so on ad infinitum. Otherwise, "he" is a white male oppressor -- like Ted Cruz, Clarence Thomas, Nikki Haley, Condoleeza Rice, Bobby Jindal, Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, Carly Fiorina, and the rest of those old white males.
Yes, leftist thought is clearly a form of mental illness. It's less clear it actually qualifies as thought.
