I’m posting this on Milquetoast’s behalf, as I’m not sure I’m ready for him to post on his own. His pieces can use a strong editorial hand. He disagrees with this. He calls me Maxine Perkins; it’s an accurate nickname.
Herewith, Milquetoast Kaczynski:
Democracy rules!
Please understand that at its heart, when you really understand it (in a way that agrees with my opinions), democracy is all about agreement, about the community coming together; about standing shoulder to shoulder and marching together into the future. It’s about unity. A unity that comes together and hates any opinions that disagree with the always correct goal of My Side.
Naipaul once wrote about a character that “he had a lot of opinions, but he didn’t have a point of view.” He might as well have been describing progressives. Empty bags of opinions, constantly changing whenever it’s politically convenient or emotionally satisfying. No firm convictions or ideals that never change. Just opinions, changing with the current fashions.
Progressive opinions of the Now:
Science?
Progressives love science. They seldom shut up about how they love science, and I’m not sure what they mean when they use the word. Is it the scientific method? Is it a culture of careful observation and rigorous skepticism? I think they just see the phrase “studies show and experts agree” and are very impressed. Do they track down and read the studies or question who these experts are? Rarely. “Studies? Experts! Those are science words. It must be true”. So progressives love science, right until you put the word “Western” in front of it and it becomes “Western science” or “Western medicine”.
Then the enthusiasm cools. “Science is just a Western way of looking at things. Other cultures and other peoples have ways of seeing the world and organizing the world and understanding the world that are just as valid and just as real and just as true as what we in the West call “science.” Indigenous peoples have found ways to cure all known diseases with just roots and berries and empathy; far more advanced and holistic than our Western medicine. Science has done a lot of bad stuff too! Pollution! Nuclear weapons! Probably racism! Instead of putting our faith in science we should instead embrace the gentle wisdom of native peoples.”
I saw this happen in real time once, at a party. A woman was going on about how much she loves science and how those stupid conservatives don’t believe in science. I don’t think it was in reference to anything, just something she needed to blurt out occasionally to prove her bona fides as a Good Person. Time went by and she started talking about how she was really into acupuncture. I felt like being a dick so I said, “y’know, there’s no scientific basis for acupuncture. They’ve done studies and it just doesn’t work.” She looked confused and a little lost until she finally replied, “Well, science doesn’t know everything!”
And then she went down the expected paths. “Ancient Chinese wisdom……natural and holistic……stuff Western science doesn’t even consider…science is just a Western way of looking at things. A Western form of Western arrogance and Western cultural imperialism WESTERN!” The more she talked, the angrier she got.
I was a little astonished. In just a few minutes she had gone from, “I believe in science! I love science! I worship and adore science!” to “fuck science! I hate science! Science is stupid! Science can’t explain shit!”