The conflict among the right and left has become more mainstream these days. The difference of opinion that used to be a small part of most people's overall ideologies and beliefs has spilled to the forefront. We wear our politics on our sleeves these days. And madness seems to have the upper edge. Well, it almost always does, but unreasonability, unwavering, staunch totalitarianism and near fascism seems to be winning the day. (As a side note, it is interesting how liberatiranism has blended into fascism as a means to justify an end, like a big budget studio justifying Transformers 20 to be able to use the revenues to fund some glorified art project). The right wing nuts rule the roost these days, across the globe, with no pretense of compromise or even trying to take a middle road.
A big reason for this rise has to be attributed to a major failure of liberals. It is more a fault of the liberals than liberalism per se. Conservatives managed to get under our skin. They became so annoying, so deliberately obnoxious that we felt justified in treating them with THEIR values and not OURS. Hardly any attempts were made to take the high road with them. To offer a chance of dialogue or compromise. Instead we chose to consider them beneath us. Unworthy of a dignified response. They were only to be mocked and ridiculed (quite deservedly so, in many cases). Even our protests became as such. One word of derision by them against something and we shoved it in excess, down their throats, flooding the streets lanes and by-lanes (and the gutters of the internet) with more of those.
We, in essence, became fanatics. Taking unabashedly uncompromising stances against anything they chose or stood for. We stopped examining right and wrong, stopped trying to look for common ground. We mocked them incessantly in the name of satire. But as it turns out, that didn't work. We never provided the rationale, we stopped countering their ranting with rationale arguments, leading any newcomer to the fray to imagine, they were the rational ones and we were the jokers. These newcomers will be influenced by the current dominant trend, not by what is right overall. We rarely get to shape ourselves separate from our environment. Case in point, all these millenials who will have the misfortune of being Marvel fans over DC purely based on the current state of blockbuster cinema. Comedy is best when used for healing, not for hurting. We used hammers where incisive blades were needed. In gamer terms, we used rocket launchers in close quarters and took critical hits. And now it is time to re-spawn.
Conservatives have of course, taken the upper hand to go on the offensive. They never had any pretense for middle grounds. They haven't lost their way because this was always their way. There are a few wolves in sheep clothing though. Seemingly calm minded rational people who claim to be neither conservatives nor liberals, but use the abusive libtards for liberals. Who rationally try to justify every extreme measure and step taken, who cover every conservative excess as a need of the hour.
If we lose at times, let it be with dignity. Let us at least remain the sane reasonable ones. It is one thing to lose to right wing nuts. It is completely another to lose our sense of identity and what we stand for. Mocking is easy, but reasoning takes time and patience. Comedy can be stand up, but philosophy needs to be a sit down affair. A dialogue not a monologue. Oh, and if you thought, I was talking about one particular place or instance, you're wrong. It is happening all around the globe.
A big reason for this rise has to be attributed to a major failure of liberals. It is more a fault of the liberals than liberalism per se. Conservatives managed to get under our skin. They became so annoying, so deliberately obnoxious that we felt justified in treating them with THEIR values and not OURS. Hardly any attempts were made to take the high road with them. To offer a chance of dialogue or compromise. Instead we chose to consider them beneath us. Unworthy of a dignified response. They were only to be mocked and ridiculed (quite deservedly so, in many cases). Even our protests became as such. One word of derision by them against something and we shoved it in excess, down their throats, flooding the streets lanes and by-lanes (and the gutters of the internet) with more of those.
We, in essence, became fanatics. Taking unabashedly uncompromising stances against anything they chose or stood for. We stopped examining right and wrong, stopped trying to look for common ground. We mocked them incessantly in the name of satire. But as it turns out, that didn't work. We never provided the rationale, we stopped countering their ranting with rationale arguments, leading any newcomer to the fray to imagine, they were the rational ones and we were the jokers. These newcomers will be influenced by the current dominant trend, not by what is right overall. We rarely get to shape ourselves separate from our environment. Case in point, all these millenials who will have the misfortune of being Marvel fans over DC purely based on the current state of blockbuster cinema. Comedy is best when used for healing, not for hurting. We used hammers where incisive blades were needed. In gamer terms, we used rocket launchers in close quarters and took critical hits. And now it is time to re-spawn.
Conservatives have of course, taken the upper hand to go on the offensive. They never had any pretense for middle grounds. They haven't lost their way because this was always their way. There are a few wolves in sheep clothing though. Seemingly calm minded rational people who claim to be neither conservatives nor liberals, but use the abusive libtards for liberals. Who rationally try to justify every extreme measure and step taken, who cover every conservative excess as a need of the hour.
If we lose at times, let it be with dignity. Let us at least remain the sane reasonable ones. It is one thing to lose to right wing nuts. It is completely another to lose our sense of identity and what we stand for. Mocking is easy, but reasoning takes time and patience. Comedy can be stand up, but philosophy needs to be a sit down affair. A dialogue not a monologue. Oh, and if you thought, I was talking about one particular place or instance, you're wrong. It is happening all around the globe.
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