I am fascinated by the same issue as the poster: "what could possibly explain why so many people feel the need to attack the most free and expressive society in the world and glorify the most awful and odious?"
I don't agree, though, that it is an "urge to suicide" or a "death wish". The people like Chomsky, Kos, et al. who continue to attack America, continue to attack the West, continue to be, well, traitorous, do not feel that they are committing suicide. They aren't directing their considerable bile onto themselves; they are directing it onto what they perceive as others, Evil Ones who have surreptitiously seized the reigns of power while no one was watching. They can't really imagine that pulling down the United States government would ever have an adverse impact on them. The two are completely divided in their minds.
An interesting point, MHA. One can see this in many other places -- such as the people who despise military forces in general and the American military in particular, without realizing that it is precisely the American military that enables us to live the comfortable lives that we do. (As Kim du Toit used to say: yes, an armed invasion of America is unthinkable. That doesn't mean our military is unnecessary; it means they're doing their job.)
Perhaps such people despise the American military precisely because it's our own; the feeling that we, of all people, ought to be able to do better. And perhaps they despise the American government, and make excuses for tyrannies abroad, for the same reason -- ours ought to be as perfect as well can make it, with no excuses, while foreign regimes need allowances made for them. (Or something.)
It took me a long time to realize that, yes, human beings are fallible, and that society is truly a fragile, precious thing. To my surprise, I didn't find that realization depressing; I found it liberating. But I suspect many people are still afraid of that. They continue to expect the best from people, instead of preparing for the worst... and they are perpetually disappointed as a result.
3 comments:
I am fascinated by the same issue as the poster: "what could possibly explain why so many people feel the need to attack the most free and expressive society in the world and glorify the most awful and odious?"
I don't agree, though, that it is an "urge to suicide" or a "death wish". The people like Chomsky, Kos, et al. who continue to attack America, continue to attack the West, continue to be, well, traitorous, do not feel that they are committing suicide. They aren't directing their considerable bile onto themselves; they are directing it onto what they perceive as others, Evil Ones who have surreptitiously seized the reigns of power while no one was watching. They can't really imagine that pulling down the United States government would ever have an adverse impact on them. The two are completely divided in their minds.
I think the phrase "liberal death wish" originated with Malcolm Muggeridge.
An interesting point, MHA. One can see this in many other places -- such as the people who despise military forces in general and the American military in particular, without realizing that it is precisely the American military that enables us to live the comfortable lives that we do. (As Kim du Toit used to say: yes, an armed invasion of America is unthinkable. That doesn't mean our military is unnecessary; it means they're doing their job.)
Perhaps such people despise the American military precisely because it's our own; the feeling that we, of all people, ought to be able to do better. And perhaps they despise the American government, and make excuses for tyrannies abroad, for the same reason -- ours ought to be as perfect as well can make it, with no excuses, while foreign regimes need allowances made for them. (Or something.)
It took me a long time to realize that, yes, human beings are fallible, and that society is truly a fragile, precious thing. To my surprise, I didn't find that realization depressing; I found it liberating. But I suspect many people are still afraid of that. They continue to expect the best from people, instead of preparing for the worst... and they are perpetually disappointed as a result.
respectfully,
Daniel in Brookline
P.S. -- many thanks for the link!
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