With a hat-tip to the Maverick Philosopher, here’s an essay by Bruce Thornton arguing that we might as well give up on political debate with the cryptoreligious Left. The best recourse, he tells us, is ridicule. (Hume was right: reason is the slave of the passions.)
I agree with Professor Thornton about the futility of debate — we’ve moved well past the point where that might have been productive — but I see no reason to imagine that ridicule will accomplish anything either, other than to move us at a slightly brisker pace toward whatever denouement lies ahead. A showdown is at this point inevitable, I think.
That said, the piece gives a good summary of conditions on the battlefield, even if the tactical plan is too optimistic. Read it here.
5 Comments
The purpose of ridicule isn’t to persuade. It’s purpose is to deter neutral parties from moving in that direction. Ridicule works. Seen it firsthand
Leftists have not yet encountered personal consequences for their inflammatory acts. When they do, things will change fast. When they do, consequences need to come fast and regular. Let them know the streets, the public square and other leftist held ground will no longer be theirs uncontested.
I think you have to do some triage here. Some people will listen to a rational argument. Some people will respond to an emotional carrot and stick. Some people are too invested in their position to be good for anything but being made examples of through the use of ridicule.
Long version:
http://home.earthlink.net/~peter.a.taylor/ridicule.htm
Asher,
“Neutral parties”?
Ah yes, I think I remember seeing some of those when I was younger. I’ll keep the binoculars handy.
Peter,
Ridicule as a social tactic presumes an unbroken foundation of commonality: a shared public space in which shaming can find traction. When that foundation rots away, as it now seems to have done, ridicule loses its power.
While we’re ridiculing them, they are hating, dehumanizing, reviling, deploring, despising, demonizing, harassing, displacing, and assaulting us. It isn’t that they want to change our minds, or diminish our social and political power; they want us gone.
It’s hard to jeer effectively when you are blindfolded against a wall — and that’s where they’d have us, if they could.