Could it be..?

[crow]

Could it be that leftists are leftists because leftism offers them an opportunity to demand that others behave in a certain way, while allowing them - as accusers - of being under no obligation to behave in such a way themselves?
Could it really be that simple? That shallow? That pathetic?

[Ensittare]

Nah, I don't think that kind of cynicism will get us anywhere. It implies (or so it seems to me) that leftists in general don't really believe in their ideals, and I think that's far from the truth.

Consider the leftists who consistently buy Fair Trade products, who consistently indulge in a vegetarian lifestyle, who consistently send money to poor countries. They most certainly practice what they preach.

Now, it's quite possible that some leftists (as well as some conservatives) use ideology as a strategic, manipulative means to individual power. But more often than not, I think any person does what he/she does because he/she believes it is the right thing to do.

[aquarius]

Consider the leftists who consistently buy Fair Trade products, who consistently indulge in a vegetarian lifestyle, who consistently send money to poor countries. They most certainly practice what they preach.

These are token gestures. A way of appearing to right the wrongs of the world (without realizing liberalism itself is the prime cause thereof). I've got no doubt they might put unparalled energy into practicing what they preach, and may even be good natured people, but there is a natural order that pervades all things and I don't think liberals can stomach it. Their thinking becomes an anti-ideology. A maladaptive reaction based on fear of the hardships of reality.

That being said, I also don't see the value of making an enemy. There is variable potential for change in people though I personally see helping them as a task beyond my capacity.

[Dylar]

Political ideologies—like their religious counterparts—provide a mythic framework for A.) explaining why things aren't the way they ought to be and B.) how things can be made to be the way they ought to be.  Childish, yes, but for a human being, who might reasonable expect 80 years of life in a universe where a billion years is chump change, a certain degree of perpetual childishness is to be expected, no?

[Examiner]

Modern liberalism is nothing more than a feel-good ideology. The problem is that it has seeped itself in other political movements so they have the chance to pander to the lowest common denominator. Donate here, protest there, what does it matter if it achieves anything as long as it makes you feel good?

[MediterraneanSun]

The reason they become leftists is that they are shocked by the inequality/injustice/suffering of the world. And the reason they are shocked by this, is their humanist/liberal upbringing. That's the point, it is reproducing itself. Even if you're not brainwashed (politically) by your liberal parents, you're gonna become a leftist during your adolescence years just because the world out there is not as "good" as you've been taught by the garbage tv shows for kids and Christian stories of love and equality.

Suddenly, problems arise, the intelligent ones can perceive them all, the mediocre ones can perceive a few: Anything has a price tag on it so what matters more is marketing and not substance, spiritual health and virility (for men) are TOTALLY ignored (in favor of getting technical skills), most girls are whores, even more men are fucking morons and sexually dependent worthless drones, social skills are on a free fall, the nerd/loser caste is expanding expotentially (it will try to devour you if you are not alpha enough) and it's THEM, OR the hipsters OR the status-hungry types. And of course there are the big scale problems, ecocide is coming, economy is crashing, something is wrong with the third world, culture is non-existent in the West, race war, cultural war, criminality, drugs, depression, sexual perversion etc etc.

If you are a fucking moron you can blame, what you perceive of all this, to capitalism and become a leftist. Or blame it to capitalism/intolerance/lack of humanism and become a moral liberal, or something like that, categories are a bit different in Europe.

Anyway.. there are some people who play it leftist to gain social power but I would call them manipulators and I believe there are the minority. There are also a lot of leftists who might have the morality of leftism but cannot apply it in all situations (since it is surreal in itself). For example you might be a leftist and believe in integration, but, let's be honest, you cannot buy a house in a black neighborhood and send your blond little daughter to a school there, you just can't... instinctively. To a degree, I can understand how these pathetic morons think.

[death metal black metal]

Could it be that leftists are leftists because leftism offers them an opportunity to demand that others behave in a certain way, while allowing them - as accusers - of being under no obligation to behave in such a way themselves?
Could it really be that simple? That shallow? That pathetic?

Shallow? Simple? Pathetic? It's brilliant!

That is, it's the perfect design for a perfect parasite.

The host will have another view....

[WAAAAAAGH!]

Consider the leftists who consistently buy Fair Trade products, who consistently indulge in a vegetarian lifestyle, who consistently send money to poor countries. They most certainly practice what they preach.

These are token gestures. A way of appearing to right the wrongs of the world (without realizing liberalism itself is the prime cause thereof). I've got no doubt they might put unparalled energy into practicing what they preach, and may even be good natured people, but there is a natural order that pervades all things and I don't think liberals can stomach it. Their thinking becomes an anti-ideology. A maladaptive reaction based on fear of the hardships of reality.

That being said, I also don't see the value of making an enemy. There is variable potential for change in people though I personally see helping them as a task beyond my capacity.

The problem is, you've already been made an enemy. They will slander and defame you as they have done to their opposition for centuries.

[aquarius]

Consider the leftists who consistently buy Fair Trade products, who consistently indulge in a vegetarian lifestyle, who consistently send money to poor countries. They most certainly practice what they preach.

These are token gestures. A way of appearing to right the wrongs of the world (without realizing liberalism itself is the prime cause thereof). I've got no doubt they might put unparalled energy into practicing what they preach, and may even be good natured people, but there is a natural order that pervades all things and I don't think liberals can stomach it. Their thinking becomes an anti-ideology. A maladaptive reaction based on fear of the hardships of reality.

That being said, I also don't see the value of making an enemy. There is variable potential for change in people though I personally see helping them as a task beyond my capacity.

The problem is, you've already been made an enemy. They will slander and defame you as they have done to their opposition for centuries.

I was thinking of the many conservatives that say they started out as liberals. There are also those higher up, pulling the strings of the extreme left who couldn't appear more conservative.

[Jim Necroslaughter]

Nah, I don't think that kind of cynicism will get us anywhere. It implies (or so it seems to me) that leftists in general don't really believe in their ideals, and I think that's far from the truth.

Consider the leftists who consistently buy Fair Trade products, who consistently indulge in a vegetarian lifestyle, who consistently send money to poor countries. They most certainly practice what they preach.

Now, it's quite possible that some leftists (as well as some conservatives) use ideology as a strategic, manipulative means to individual power. But more often than not, I think any person does what he/she does because he/she believes it is the right thing to do.

For what it's worth, I agree with this.  They are TRUE BELIEVERS.  That being said, I think it is possible for them to come around to common sense, slowly but surely, and see the error of their ways.  I don't think there's necessarily a formula for how that would be done, however.