December Open Thread | 97 comments (97 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Sulivan is not elaborate, but his straightforward assessment is not necessarily boring or wrong.

By religion, I mean something quite specific: a practice not a theory; a way of life that gives meaning, a meaning that cannot really be defended without recourse to some transcendent value, undying "Truth" or God (or gods).
Which is to say, even today's atheists are expressing an attenuated form of religion.

If you want to see liberal values win, tribal validation is not mandatory indeed. But if too many people are actually repulsed by how far intersectionality, queer "tolerance" and similar unbounded values are going, that is perhaps exactly why Trump gets all validation and more.

by das monde on Tue Dec 18th, 2018 at 06:58:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: December Open Thread (none / 0)

Well, if the issue is tribalism vs rationality, Sullivan has no added value from my point of view. He seems to posit that "liberals" are a tribe, and that their tribalism is inferior to others.

Your objection to rationality (what you call liberalism) is apparently the age-old one of religious moralists : "Gay rights brought down the Roman Empire", etc...

_{It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue
- Queen Elizabeth II}

by eurogreen on Wed Dec 19th, 2018 at 04:12:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: December Open Thread (none / 0)

Liberalism and Rationality are not the same things. As I suggested above, liberals could be rather Romantics. Liberal moral purity may appear more than unattractive to most of population -- what is compassionate then?

The subject of liberal religion is taking off on the dark internet:

Postmodern Religion and the Faith of Social Justice

by das monde on Thu Dec 20th, 2018 at 10:11:08 AM EST
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Re: December Open Thread (none / 1)

OK, [pandering to your définitions for the sake of argument], so liberals are just another tribe/faith, and my first instinct was right : I am not a member, and indeed nobody here is, as far as I can see. As for the Maoists, if they are included in your definition of "liberals", then that's... interesting (from a psychiatric point of view)

The non-tribal people, those who actually buy into the idea of individual emancipation, don't seem to exist in your taxonomy (nor in that of Sullivan). That's fine with me :)

Just keep on trying to put me in a category.

_{It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue
- Queen Elizabeth II}

by eurogreen on Thu Dec 20th, 2018 at 02:56:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: December Open Thread (none / 0)

It does not matter what I categorize or not.

Faith is characterized by absence of limits. As the drive for intersectional justice shows no sensitivity outside its focus, that will provoke categorizations and comparisons with Mao, alas. That is my message.

by das monde on Thu Dec 20th, 2018 at 03:09:03 PM EST
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Re: December Open Thread (none / 0)

It does not matter what I categorize or not.

You're right about that.

There are always extremists on all sides on hot-button social issues. Your determination to categorize me with the people who are hostile to the study of "ROGD" tells us plenty about you, and nothing about me. (Oh I suppose you can guess my opinion on that subject. Will you kindly fill me in?)

_{It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue
- Queen Elizabeth II}

by eurogreen on Thu Dec 20th, 2018 at 03:43:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: December Open Thread (none / 0)

I did not expect you to be that kind of a zealot, even if you are reluctant to bad-mouth them.

by das monde on Thu Dec 20th, 2018 at 03:53:38 PM EST
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Re: December Open Thread (none / 0)

But surely I must follow the laws of my tribe? I'm confused. Please explain.

_{It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue
- Queen Elizabeth II}

by eurogreen on Thu Dec 20th, 2018 at 04:23:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: December Open Thread (none / 0)

We are not patronizing each other

by das monde on Thu Dec 20th, 2018 at 05:45:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

December Open Thread | 97 comments (97 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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