Armchair leftists seem to have a hard time distinguishing between talking and doing. They admire the political talkers but disdain the political doers of America, who are never progressive enough. Armchair leftists know for sure that their opinions are the correct ones, and like to listen endlessly to other people who profess them. They vote piously for fringe candidates who don't have a prayer of winning--ideologues who couldn't mount a viable political campaign if their lives depended on it. Fringe candidates in America have this advantage, after all: they will always remain pure, like a bug preserved in amber. They'll never get sullied by having to participate in the messy business of negotiating with the conservative unwashed. (This would change, of course, if we had proportional representation, but we don't). Fringe candidates have the further advantage that you can vote for them and feel you contributed to a progressive cause, and then go home and get back to the more comfortable business of whining about the status quo and the perfidy of politicians.
Armchair leftists don't really like democracy--don't like having to deal with people of different opinions. Much too messy and difficult. They would prefer to see their own opinions imposed on the ignorant masses by force. If only somebody would go and do it. At bottom, they're closet authoritarians. They would feel much happier with a left-wing dictator, at least for a while. Sooner or later they'd probably complain about him, too, only more quietly.
A little strong. I wouldn't say "Armchair Leftists" don't like little "D" democracy, I would say that really don't like Big "D" Democratic Party democracy. They're also just waaaay more easily frustrated at the messy results of governing. I also wouldn't say that they'd prefer having their obviously superior ideas imposed by force, but when their ideas or candidates lose, there is an air of "take my ball and go home" about them.
And this is definitely a case of the Pot calling the kettle black, because I have been waaaaay guilty of these very same behaviors.
Heck, what do you think blogs are for?
No comments:
Post a Comment