Why is fascism considered a movement of the right?
The picture we are often confronted with is that of the the right wing fascists battling the left wing communists. And perhaps, at the end of the day, that is the only, completely superficial and un-sophisticated reason for the classification of the fascism (Mussolini, the Nazi’s) as right wing. They opposed the international communists whom we call left wing, therefore they must be right-wing in this one-dimensional spectrum.
The honest merchant is a servant of the people! He who charges excessive prices is an enemy of the people! Good product – fixed prices. Higher sales – Less exploitation. No hoarding or dumping prices
The problem is the intellectual slight of hand that always happens. In the modern western context, rightly or wrongly, we associate ‘right-wing’ with individualism and free markets to a varying degree on the social and economic fronts. So if fascism is ‘right wing’, in the modern west, the left can attack classical liberal economic ideas and ideas of individualism as “right wing” and by association therefore fascist and therefore “You’re a NAZI!”
Who are you with, them or us?
The foundations (and practical implementations) of fascist ideas were explicitly communists/anti-capitalist. Mussolini was an ardent socialist (communist) going into World War I. He came out perhaps disillusioned with the international socialists, but not disillusioned with socialism. He wanted to harness socialism to strengthen the Italian state and build it’s industrial power and independence (echos of industrialization of agriculture in the Soviet Union and the Great Leap forward in China). Fascism was the ‘third way’ a way to do communism with a national flavor, hence national socialism. The subordination of the individual to the state was still there, in spades. The distaste of laissez-faire was still there. All individual activity, including economic, was to be directed to the interests of the state. To me that’s no different than the subordination of the individual to the more nebulous class collective. In practice, they are are essentially impossible to distinguish. The conflict between fascism and communism that is often cited as ‘proof’ that fascism is right-wing is simply the result of a disagreement about what collective the individual must be subordinate too, the nation state or the more nebulous class-consciousness that might extend across national borders. If you’re concern is about individual liberty, this is a distinction without a difference.
Do your part; report [your comrades]
- “all unearned income, and all income that does not arise from work, be abolished”
- “We demand the extensive development of insurance for old age.”
- “enactment of a law to expropriate the owners without compensation of any land needed for the common purpose”
- “We demand that the State shall make it its primary duty to provide a livelihood for its citizens.”
- “The activities of the individual must not clash with the general interest, but must proceed within the framework of the community and be for the general good.”
- “We demand the nationalization of all businesses which have been formed into corporations”
- “We demand legal warfare on deliberate political mendacity and its dissemination in the press.”
- “The publishing of papers which are not conducive to the national welfare must be forbidden.”
Health, child protection, fighting poverty, aiding travellers, community, helping mothers: These are the tasks of the National Socialist People’s Charity.
And these ideas were repeated in speeches and policies throughout the Reich. Not sure how any of this can qualify as right-wing in the modern western context. Much of it is explicitly left-wing in that context.
So why is fascism right-wing? I’ve seen Jordan Peterson say things like “We know when the right goes to far, when they start using racial classifications.” OK – but that just seems to assume the conclusion. Nearly everything in the program is left-wing vis-a-vis economic and social policy, but once we see a racial aspect expressed, the ‘right-wing’ has gone too far. There is certainly a racial aspect to at least the Nazi expression of fascism, if not fascism generally, but I’ve never seen a justification for why that’s right-wing. Rather it seems to be post-hoc reasoning. “We see a racial component to this particular expression of authoritarianism, therefore this is right wing authoritarianism that has gone too far.”
We build body and soul. Totally gay.
Fascism is often associated with nationalism. So that is often cited as the defining characteristic; the Nazi glorification of the Volk and restriction of civil society to Germans; the Italian drive to strengthen Italian industry and agriculture. But essentially all communist revolutions and movement have the same elements. The national pride of the Soviets in forced industrialization and agricultural collectivization, the Chinese Great Leap Forward to bring China out of it’s backwardness and into it’s rightful place among nations. Nationalism is simply not unique to the Fascist ideology, but finds expression in nearly all systems, including movements traditionally though of as from the left.
Right = nationalist, racist authoritarianism is fine – at some level it’s definitional. The problem is that, in the west, or at the very least, the United States, in the political realm, the ‘right’ is associated with ideas of western liberalism, in the Lockean tradition. Individuals rights, autonomy, free markets, capitalism. Nothing fascist or racist about these ideas. But we end up, by virtue of our brains categorization and compartmentalization, associating these things since they are called the same thing. Hence we implicitly smear individualism, capitalism, autonomy, with fascism and racism. It provides an easy means to dismiss certain ideas without actually engaging them. “You’re proposing to do X. But we’ve classified you as right wing. Therefore, you are a fascist and a racists. Ergo X is racist. Get CNN on the line, we’ve got another one!”
Today is a good day to First out with your cock out. And baby, my cock is out.
I told you you need a gate for the chicken pen.
If you were truly a great Firster, you would have said “First out with your wurst out”, to keep the rhyme.
He meant to say “And my baby cock is out”
From here on out, Bro shall be known as “Babycock”.
to keep the rhyme
And theme of the article.
He’s just not the accomplished Firster he pretends to be.
The degenerate offspring of Fist of Etiquette.
What does firsting have to do with left wing Nazism?
I’m sure there was some firsting going on in the SS. Oh, wait, you guys are talking “firsting”. Nevermind.
Being occasionally first to post is his struggle.
Similarly for the Nazi party. We often say “it’s right there in the name!” And while that might be easily dismissed (“you can call yourself whatever you want”) – except for antifa which is literally anti fascist it is after all in the name
I see more and more Antifa referred to in the media as anti fascists. 1) deny that it’s an organization and 2) reinforce their purported rationale.
the original germany 30s antifa were basically stalinists.
The 3 arrows logo used by modern day antifa was the symbol of the Iron Front, which was opposed to 1930’s Antifa (itself a puppet organization of the commies).
Not to be confused with the Iron Guard
Being “antifascist” (AKA antifa) can still mean youre a tyrannical commie lover. And they are commies.
The proof is in what they say and do. Democrats lie. Its like commies calling themselves “progressives” to hide their commie ideals. Once they start advocating state control of property, they are commies.
Or monarchists. Somehow I dont think antifa value religious virtues.
Why is fascism considered a movement of the right?
You mostly answered your own question which I assume was the point. A combination of propaganda and the fact the right and left mean little if anything
Same reason Democrats freak out when you point out the democrat party is the party of slavery, segregation, and the kkk. Why any black american would support the party of slavery is almost entirely based on propaganda and lies.
The national pride of the Soviets in forced industrialization and agricultural collectivization, the Chinese Great Leap Forward to bring China out of it’s backwardness and into it’s rightful place among nations. – poor Romania is to small and always gets left out in these examples of communism. I know we have rookie numbers when it comes to murder but we had our ehmm fair share. And we have a nice canal to show for it.
Don’t forget the vampires.
I may be a Nazi, but You’re a Towel!
You’re a towel!
Wanna get high?
I said before but the goal of fascism and socialism was the same, the form was slightly different. The socialists wanted to tear down traditional institutions, the fash wanted to co-opt them, skin suit them, keep them in appearance.
??
They differed only in approach.
was is is because they aint gone
the fash wanted to co-opt them, skin suit them, keep them in appearance.
Fitting… Progressives are fascists.
a lot of them really are.
Progs have much in common with fascists and Nazis, but differ in many ways: national greatness, ethnic purity, militarism, love for uniforms.
Although they do insist that ethnicity defines you, over all else.
Perhaps they could be called international fascists.
Much like the differences between Stalin and Trotsky.
This is why ive been referring to them as prog-fascists for months. It’s the most apt descriptor.
But in practice, tearing down the institutions means you’re going to skin-suit them in some sense. Traditional institutions are there because they fill a purpose, you don’t obviate the need to fill that purpose by tearing them down. So you’ll ultimately need to to co-opt them or re-invent them and the end result is an institution with the same name, but with a very different constitution; no different than skin-suiting them directly.
you don’t obviate the need to fill that purpose by tearing them down – tell that to the social constructionists
Sorry, I was talking about reality, so didn’t think of them.
Aside – there are socially constructed things. That doesn’t mean EVERYTHING is socially constructed. I guess it’s a failing of human nature that nuance seems hard to come by. Must have an evolutionary advantage in the environment we developed in, but I’m not sure it’s not a huge detriment in the
environment we’ve managed to create by being such an evolutionary success.
Communism is not really popular. Socialism is supposed to be a phase to get to communism. Commies use anything that might get them to their fantasy utopia. Fascism highjacking business is used when that suits their needs.
Democrats using fascism on business to enforce tax rules, mask mandates, etc kind of works in amerixa when socialism and communism wont work.
Hell, FDR was almost explicitly fascist until Hitler and Mussolini made it unfashionable.
Our government remains economically fascist until this day and increasingly so in other areas.
https://mises.org/library/three-new-deals-why-nazis-and-fascists-loved-fdr
Individuals rights, autonomy, free markets, capitalism. Nothing fascist or racist about these ideas. – those are just a front for WHITE SUPREMACY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have you taken care of your Q’s today?
I haven’t read the morning links yet so I don’t know if Q posted.
To me that’s no different than the subordination of the individual to the more nebulous class collective. In practice, they are are essentially impossible to distinguish.
Which is why Hayek, I think it was Hayek, said these groups fought so hard against each other. They were all fighting over the same followers.
It provides an easy means to dismiss certain ideas without actually engaging them.
Progressives are lazy.
Sorry, got cut-off on the main image; soviet era propaganda poster urging women to take care of their breasts. Even the commies had some good ideas!
Even Hitler didn’t like smoking.
Or drinking, along with several other personal habits that in a different life, he would have been a vegan animal rights activist.
Therefore………
Vegan animal rights activists are Hitler!!
That’s how it’s done, right?
I smoke, so I can’t be a Nazi?
\phew, that was close….
Stick to weed for smoking. As far as I can tell, that’s fine, but tobacco is verboten. I’m shooting for a twofer – got arrested for weed in 1975, will probably get arrested for smoking tobacco one of these days.
1975?!? Smooth move, Cheech. I think Texas still handed out Life Without Parole for possession until 1976.
lobot – Glad I was not in TX then! Was in NJ at the time, pled guilty, no lawyer, got off with a fine ($100 + $25 court costs). I figured (correctly) the judge would be happy to clear his docket of one more stupid yute. Learned my lesson from a previous, um, indiscretion where my parents hired an expensive lawyer who succeeded in getting me two years probation and court-ordered group therapy.
Now you’re cookin’ with gas!
Them Bodies ain’t gonna cook themselves……
+1
It’s always been a tactic of the Left to call the Right a bunch Nazis starting when Gore Vidal called William F. Buckley a cypto-Nazi during the late 60’s. It’s been a useful tool and it’s because they are lazy.
When I was college and in the Republican club we would have robust debates about gay marriage, drug legalization, foreign policy and other shit because the group accepted all flavors of the Right from Libertarians to Social Conservatives to the Country Club Republicans. But once going to a meeting ran by the Democrat club, there was uniformity of ideas and they basically bashed the Right and basked in their own enlightenment.
We would have these debates once every quarter and without fail someone from the Democrat club debate team would heave some ad hominem towards us and wouldn’t even address the argument and this was in the mid 2000’s.
It’s always projection with the left. It’s the same way they use “racist” against anyone who disagrees with their racist agenda.
I was once “dismissed” by a proggie and self-proclaimed “intellectual” because I dared to make an assertion supported by evidence that ran contrary to his simple-minded, white-washed history worldview.
The quote that I will never forget: “I cannot even with that! I am an intellectual, sir. And I dismiss you!”
Was there a glove slap too?
During their run from truth, I love to say how the democrat party is the party of slavery, kkk, and segregation.
Commie doctrine dictates that you deny deny deny truth that makes the cause look bad. Lefties literally cannot debate in good faith.
The tell is that you take a Hitler speech or Nazi political platforms and simply change “Jews” to “White Supremacists” or “the 1%” and it sounds like Democrat party positions and Bernie speeches.
once we see a racial aspect expressed, the ‘right-wing’ has gone too far.
Like those right wing Progressives a century ago or their modern day Maoist descendants looking to reintroduce segregation and Jim Crow.
Jim Snow
Jim Snow – anti-white laws.
Jab Crow – anti-unvaxxed laws.
Nice essay, PM!
All of this shit all boils down to concentrating power and wealth into the hands of a few. Call it whatever the hell you want, but the goals are always the same.
It’s not left or right, it’s free or slave.
Yes, excellent essay!
And agree on “It’s not left or right, it’s free or slave.”
Yes, I’m really just trying to re-invent the nolan chart in some sense. We are stuck with a linear system since it’s simple and that’s how our brain works. But the extremes are indistinguishable. And the center can then be presented as the only place for sensible people and must involve compromises, accepting some really bad ideas. Turns out to be an unstable equilibrium though, that center. invariably will tilt towards totalitarianism since that’s what’s on either side of the equilibrium presented as polar opposites.
I just can’t figure out if it’s deliberate, that we classify things such that there’s no room for freedom as we see it, or that’s just our nature.
It’s our nature to be tribal.
The choice is always individualist/collectivist.
I think it’s our nature. Binary thinking is so much easier. Freedom just has so many nuances, risks and scary monsters.
And the center can then be presented as the only place for sensible people and must involve compromises, accepting some really bad ideas.
Quite frankly, I think the Nazis and the Fascists (Italy) were both examples of centrist extremism. As you mentioned in your article, Mussolini presented himself as a third-way, a middle ground between capitalism and communism. He was also a middle-ground between social conservatism and social liberalism, seeking to liberate the people in the socialist sense while preserving the monarchy and the church and painting himself as the second-coming of the caesars who will lead the nation to reclaim its fallen glory. The Nazis were a bit more left-wing, seeing as how they had no intention of preserving German institutions, although they were very concerned about preserving the German people (as they defined it), so I think they still belong in the center.
At the risk of dead threading – I like this reasoning. It makes sense – could even think of it as shifting the window so far to the left that the erstwhile center becomes the right (Nazis, Italian fascists) and the old right of capitalism and individualism is just right out of sight and no longer even an option.
But right as conservatism still exists, just conserving very different things and hence losing any useful meaning across time.
Centrists are libertarians. Nazis are left wing as they use the state to control property either outright or thru massive overegulation. Right wing controls property via the state too but are social conservatives.
Leftwingers want revolution and constant change while still enslaving people. They have no divine power to enslave like right wingers do, so they use changing culture, etc to control people.
Why cant we use the political spectrum where the right/left extremes are bad with little freedom and the center is max freedom?
Simplifying politics drives lefties crazy because they are always running to hide the horrible truths of their actions.
Great essay indeed, and free vs. slave hits the nail on the head. The attraction of socialism, call it fascism, Nazism communism or whatever, is the promise of a benevolent all-powerful state which will provide all needs, this is the large print. The century of evidence that such a state is necessarily malevolent and also fails to deliver on the promise of security is ignored, this is the small print. The large print giveth, and the small print taketh away.
When I teach this period, I put fascism, Nazism, communism, and the New Deal in the same lecture under the heading of “collectivism” and/or “statism.” Try to get the students away from trendy dichotomies.
Good on ya. Hope you are able to get through to at least some of your students.
So you are saying that the Jews control the world. //jk
After eight months of hysterical shrieking, Reuters now claims FBI sources say that there is no evidence that there was some grand plan for the Jan 6 Capitol riot.
As Senior Drill Instructor Gunnery Sergeant Hartman would say, ” Well, no shit”
Well, what’s the next false narrative then. Or are they going to keep trotting it out just like the Russia hoax.
I am bracing myself for TMITE to say unplanned insurrection.
That fake shit with guy in a truck yesterday. Somebody (the FBI) gave him a non-functioning bomb.
So when are the FBI honchos that promoted that shit going to be forced out?
Nooooooope. They’ll just move onto the next liberty crushing bullshit. That’s the best part about working for the entrenched bureaucracy, you rarely face the consequences of your lies or fuck ups.
Quite frankly the bureaucracy has gotten so bad I think a return to the old spoils system would be a marked improvement in our system of government.
About the same time the ones who promoted the Russia collusion hoax are held accountable in a meaningful way. And the same time as the woke generals who are responsible for the Afghanistan debacle are cashiered.
Magic 8-ball says “are you fucking kidding me?”
I want your version of the Magic 8 Ball!
Get one of your very own!
There’s probably a Distinguished Medal for Starting a Conversation in the works.
Dropped on a Friday with a huge current story overshadowing it.
So the “insurrectionists” in solitary confinement have been released? Right?
And offered compensation for the last 7 months?
FBI sources say that there is no evidence that there was some grand plan for the Jan 6 Capitol riot.
Whoa, hoss.
I think there were probably two organizations that had plans for the 01/06 protest.
Antifa, which infiltrated and provoked to some degree the riot. Antifa members are among those photographed inside the Capitol.
The FBI, which infiltrated and provoked to some degree “fringe” right wing groups. The FBI sure knew a whole lot in a big hurry about various 3%er/Oathkeeper groups that had some involvement.
I suspect this announcement is the FBI learning a lesson from the Whitmer plot – at some point, the Bad Thing has so many of your fingerprints on it that you’re better off just letting it slide.
I just got Rush-rolled.
They were called right-wingers, fascists, and Nazis in that era. For expressing the types of ideas they did in that song (and ripping off, I mean borrowing from, Rand). And it’s kind of at the core of what I’m struggling with – if those ideas are fascist, then where do we go from here? I think in some cases it’s deliberate, the association of right wing with both fascism and the individualist perspective, and certainly it’s consciously exploited. But, and this is more dangerous, it might just be a part of our nature.
That’s interesting. I did not know they caught hell for it. I wish I could get past Geddy’s voice and get into Rush.
Speaking of Rush, has anyone seen or heard of any really good Rush tribute bands? I’d love to see them live again, but sadly, that will never happen. Not only is Neil dead, but Geddy’s voice has succumbed to all the smoking over the years. He retains his phenomenal bass playing, but unfortunately, the voice is pretty much gone.
Anyway, I found these, but does anyone here know of other ones that are worth seeing?
I literally – that word is being used correctly – cannot listen to R40. He just struggles so much it’s cringe worthy. Better on newer stuff that was written for his current voice.
WRT tribute bands – Sorry, can’t help. Not to sound pretentious or anything, but I never really got into tribute bands.
Yeah, Geddy struggling really ruins a bunch of songs that are some of my favorites–and that they hadn’t played for decades prior. The musicianship on the more recent live albums is still excellent, in some cases better than the originals, but Geddy’s vocal problems really detract from the newer performances.
I’ve read before (but do not have a cite handy) that it was the explicit strategy of the Communists to slander everything not communist as fascist. Given the level of communist sympathy in media and education institutions in the US, this checks out. Individualism is just as much (if not more) of a threat to communism as actual fascism, so the propaganda must be pushed that it is in the same (discredited) basket. This is nothing new. If you look throughout history, you will find countless examples of politicians baselessly slandering their opponents with whatever actions/identity are considered socially taboo. As for what to do about it, ignore and argue against the slander or go on the offensive and counter-slander.
It’s scary how effective that has been.
The Bee, always great stuff,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J2hycw5EFs
We’re All Nazis Now
Not me…
So why is fascism right-wing?
Because leftists like to deflect and project their collectivist totalitarianism?
Right = nationalist, racist authoritarianism is fine – at some level it’s definitional.
A linear spectrum must have opposites. I.e. Left=collectivist/big-government, Right=individualist/small-government.
“Left=collectivist/big-government, Right=individualist/small-government.”
Right, and that’s the core of the problem. This categorization is one vague understanding of the left/right spectrum. But if we are able to also strongly associate one form of (essentially indistinguishable) collectivist/big-government with the right which is what fascism=right does, then we’re trapped, because as humans we make connections and associations to allow us to avoid having to pay too much attentions to everything – a huge evolutionary advantage – and we’ve managed to hijack that advantageous trait to smear anything individualist as a terrible evil system. Especially if we’ve managed to downplay the evilness of the other system that we’ve branded left in the parallel construction.
I think it partly boils down to the left being better liars and propagandists. And their willingness to push the lies ever further once the right allows the initial lies to take hold.
And their willingness to push the lies ever further once the right allows the initial lies to take hold.
Repetition legitimizes.
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Repetition legitimizes.
… right?
No.
You keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.
Repeat Stuff
A linear spectrum must indeed have opposites, and the left-right spectrum does: left = revolutionary, right = conservative. What is revolutionary and what is conservative varies over time and between cultures and nations, so the spectrum is only useful in a political sense and only within the context of a single system. The left/right spectrum is messy and occasionally contradictory because politics, which requires compromise and alliances of convenience to get anything done, is inherently messy and occasionally contradictory, and this spectrum was developed to describe politics.
Really nice job on this. You nailed it.
The unholy alliance between big tech and the permanent government bureaucrats is far and away the most fascist thing in my life time. I think it is legitimate, no-fucking-around fascism. I don’t think I’m mistaken on this, but I’m sure some disagree.
I can see telescreens in our future, given that these folks seem to consider “1984” to be an instruction manual. Smart TV’s indeed.
And these same people screamed bloody murder about Channel One, in the early 1990s, putting TV sets in classrooms to show current events programming in between commercials for Jell-O, Clearasil, Crayola, etc.. The complaint being that Channel One had cameras in the TVs to monitor the students and make sure they were viewing the ads.
I remember Channel One.
I think my school, being a Catholic school, got a slightly different deal than other schools. My old school was allowed to screen the day’s broadcast and nix it for the day if certain topics were shown. I didn’t hear of other schools in the area that showed Channel One being allowed to do that.
There were no cameras monitoring students that I heard of. Though teachers were paying attention to whether or not we watched the show. I remember teachers admonishing us to stop doing homework and watch TV.
The only kerfluffle I remember was one teacher timed the advertisements. He raised a stink because the contract specified no more than a certain amount of advertisements. Based on his timing of advertisements, Channel One routinely showed more than that allowed amount of advertisements.
After my time.
The idea seems ludicrous to me, except that it actually happened.
Yup. I remember watching Maria Menounos and friends on Channel One. It was just as schlocky as you’d expect from state propaganda.
Hey, I saw her on the little screen on the gas pump this morning.
They took the mute button off the last time they upgraded their pumps. Which kinda sucks.
I think I agree. I remember in the Obama era, the federal-something-something-board-of-equalization wouldn’t allow Boeing to move production facilities. That was good old fascism as well, in the service of communist ideals. They just don’t seem separable to me, communist and fascist.
With the tech+permanent bureaucracy. When the state controls education and funnels kids through it to come out the other end indoctrinated and they go on to run private companies, can the separation of private and state actor really still be made? That line becomes pretty blurred when the state ensures through control of the education system that most individuals will come out indoctrinated into ideas beneficial to the permanent bureaucracy and go on to enact the goals and programs of the permanent bureaucracy.
It was worse. Boeing wasn’t moving shit. They wanted to open their next new plant in a right to work state. The other plants weren’t closing, no jobs were being shifted.
If we’re measuring by “unholy alliance between big business and permanent government bureaucrats”, we’ve been living under no-shit Fascism for decades.
Since the 1930’s
The state dept emailed blank visa documents to Afghanistan. No names. JFC
What could possibly go wrong?
We’re going back in. I just know it.
Fuckers.
Don’t worry, they’re illegal to use if you put a federal logo on them. That’ll stop any fraudulent uses.
Totally illegal. Don’t do it.
Joe’s late to his own party, still nothing
Is he supposed to talk? Aren’t they pushing it with the aricept and modafinil?
Still nothing on the WH feed, I dunno
Well would you look at that!
Fucking clowns.
And it’s only the second stringers out talking at all. Where the fuck is Strawberry?
“Any American who wants to come home. We will get you home.”
Are we feeling confident?
“If you like your health plan, you can keep your health plan”
“The check’s in the mail”
I promise not to come in your mouth
Notice what’s missing in that promise?
“Unharmed”.
Just about every American who went to Viet Nam in the ’60s and ’70s came home, too. Maybe in a wheelchair or a body bag, but they came home.
Progs call right wingers fascists for no other reason than the “fascists” lost WW2 and thus became the scapegoats of history. It’s a useful epithet, nothing more. They neither understand the term nor do they care to understand the term. They use it because it works to label your enemies with something so divisive and repugnant in the culture. Same with racist, homophobic, transphobic, sexist, etc… The actual definition of such is unimportant.
Welcome to postmodernism.
Pretty much my take.
I was explaining to one of my colleagues the other day why post-modernism, which underlies critical race theory and modern leftism generally, is self-refuting. It holds that there is no capital-t Truth, which means that post-modernism itself is just another opinion that cannot lay claim to legitimacy or superiority to any other philosophy or belief system. EVerything, including post-modernism, is a “social construction”, which means it has no basis other than, essentially, a shared hallucination.
You can’t build a useful philosophy or a functional society on something that is, by its own terms, a matter of pure opinion, a shared hallucination.
Post-modernism is a tool the left constructed in order to engage in the left’s eternal project – tearing down existing institutions and societies. Unfortunately for them, they overdid it. They couldn’t come up with a tool that gave them the upper hand if you believed in things like individual agency, morality, ethics, or a society that was superior by any objective measure, so they had to go nuclear. And they are in the blast radius.
You can’t build a useful philosophy or a functional society on something that is, by its own terms, a matter of pure opinion, a shared hallucination.
It’s usefulness is based on its quick silver like property. We’re going to eliminate oppression and the signs of oppression like the signs of witchcraft are what we say it is.
You can’t build a useful philosophy or a functional society on something that is, by its own terms, a matter of pure opinion, a shared hallucination.
Here’s where their brilliance at social engineering shows. They are entirely counting on people to not embrace postmodernism whole hog. Sure, a handful will and they’ll be written off as lunatics. However, the anchoring works as intended by causing the masses to reject post-modernism in part, reject moral absolutism in part, and land in the squishy middle where emotivism reigns. “There is good, there is bad, but good and bad are what my feelings tell me” is the motto of the useful idiot.
Lefties pushing junk science fits right into that plan. If americans do not understand objective reasoning, then they can be told what the truth is by the state.
Damn it. Why do I have to be on my phone when articles I want to comment on drop. Rush home to catch up or keep the bike rolling…
Got some info from some folks on active duty right now that the military is using colored wristbands on bases to distinguish the
vaxxedubermensch from theunvaxxeduntermensch.Ft. Polk supposedly using green for the vaxxed and red for not; Ft. Drum using blue for vaxxed and nothing for unvaxxed.
Totally not Nazis, though. Could never happen here.
I think we should just do like the sneeches and use “stars upon thars!” It worked for Dr. Seuss!
I’m sure no snuffy, particularly a drunk snuffy, will fuck with this scheme.
I’m hearing from folks up and down the chain that it has gotten really weird. Like at every staff meeting all that is discussed is vaccine status. And that right now it’s about 50/50 to maybe 60/40 “for” the vaxxing. And the unvaxxed are being treated decidedly different.
“Goddammit, get the fucking shot by COB so we don’t have to waste time on this anymore. I got it, it’s NBD. Maybe this isn’t the place for you if you won’t obey orders mindlessly. Also, pick up my dry cleaning at the end of the day and pay for it yourself.
AATW (or) RLTW!
“
Oldest son is at Benning right now. Most trainee-types were basically frog-marched in and told to get it, though they could opt out. Refuseniks (like him) weren’t allowed passes, family visits, etc. Still not. He does say that through it all, the majority of the training cadre were “nots”. He’s not sure how/when they’ll be forced.
Makes a pretty clear distinction between people who will be promoted and those who will not be. Also who needs to be watched for potential thoughtcrime.
Our mandate says that the unvaxxed can’t promote or transfer. City council approved it, but still no word from my deptartment yet. Im getting an antibody test and consulting with my doctor, then I’m writing a acceptance of liabilty form. If i get stuck ( pun) getting the shot, im demading they accept liability and demanding complete disclosure of risks.
So it’s like teenagers wearing wristbands signifying what they are willing to do.
They’ve gotta see the optics of that right?
“Could never happen here” – I’m just going to trash that article. There’s no need to write it. Not only can it happen here, it is.
I think that the link between the right/conservatism is due to a tendency to, you know, want to conserve their society. Following that trajectory could get you to the, “Germany for the Germans” portion of Nazi ideology.
I am not completely sure I am on board with that, just thinking out loud.
Nationalism can be left and right wing.
Being conservative tends to mean that you dont change things without massive support. Theocracies are right wing because they dont change much. The Taliban and muslim political groups are effectively the same and have been for a long time. They go by the Koran and are mostly against freedoms.
The Catholic church hasnt changed much in almost 2000 years.
One of the greatest tells of the fact that fascists and communists are so close together is that they hate each other so much. As someone noted above, they are really competing for the same followers. Because their faiths are so totalitarian, they can do nothing other than to treat each other as heretics, apostates from The One True Politics.
Great essay!
International vs. Nation socialism was a nasty family fight.
When confronted with that argument (“of course they’re opposite, they fought”), my response is always “some of the most vicious fights are between brothers”.
The monarchies of europe fought the catholic church and they are both right wing tyrannies.
Great essay, PM. Love all of the images you put in there, too.
Great stuff.
California recall election envelope issue susceptible to fraud.
Would.
Did you expect anything else?
Interesting video as a reply to that one–purported video of two women stealing recall ballot envelopes from what is said to be a “mailbox”–I’m assuming a drop box in an apartment building or similar.
If you do as she suggests, and turn the ballot around so the vote can’t be read through the holes, anyone who’s disposing of visible “yes” votes will also trash the one’s they can’t see as well.
holy crap. “one’s” should obviously be “ones.”
I think it’s probably unintentional. The ballots in my county have the same hole, but the ballot is laid out such that you can’t see how I voted. That said, I don’t see the point of the holes and out of principle they should not be there in order to ensure ballot security.
And speaking of holes, also would.
At this point, unintentional is irrelevant.
Ensure there is something inside. Or isn’t something inside prior to being pulped. Ballots here used to have an inner secrecy envelope that has shrunk to a not fully enclosed “secrecy” sleeve.
Excellent article, it never made sense when Hitler was described as right wing.
I asked “What does he have in common with small government and personal freedom?”
Never got more than argle bargle in response.
I suppose you could argue they were culturally or socially conservative. Rather than erasing history like the commies, they tried to play up national glory.
Mussolini talking about Italy being a new Roman Empire was comical.
Yes, that seems like the most cogent justification along with Pie’s tearing down institutions vs. skin-suiting (though the left is doing a lot of the later these days). And that also fits with the right/conservative (if one uses the labels interchangeably) being more associated with the sort of Lockean traditions in the west since that’s more ‘conserving past systems/ideas’. Of course that makes the terms completely meaningless and transient and allows the intellectual slight of hand that’s used to dismiss free mind and free market (TM) ideas as fascist.
It was my mom I was talking too and she is a DEMOCRAT.
We started talking about it because she didn’t like the Saddam Hussein poster in my garage.
I don’t remember how we got to Hitler being right wing, but after talking to her for too long I should hear a chime and “This is CNN”.
Oh I’m sure you got “you just hate the poors and want them to starve to death in the streets”.
Pudding Cup speaks! Well, stumbles and mumbles…guess they need a few more doses of whatever he is on.
Preset questions. Ha.
There is a palpable aura of desperation coming from the Imperial City just now. I really wonder how much time was spent at Camp David adjusting Joe’s psychotropic cocktail to make him marginally coherent enough to read off the ‘prompter and answer scripted questions for 20-30 minutes.
Harris has the “Oh Fuck” stare going.
It just can’t go on. I mean right? It can’t?
I guess we are just reaping what we’ve sown over the last 50 years. The adults are in charge.
Edith Wilson says “50 years? what about me??”
He is really running down, sticking with the notes, but still forgetting things, stumbling and wandering OT.
i.e The “Afghan National Force” – they are 300 people.” WTF is that?
I thought I say Kammala physically react to that. Like it took every fiber of her being to not roll her eyes.
*saw
Blinken looked like he sharted.
The masks are a godsend for the people who have to stand with him when he talks.
If these are the adults, I want no part of adulting.
Gee, I hope they don’t accidentally ask them out of order and get out of sequence with his hypno-programming.
He is running out of gas after 12 minutes.
I didn’t watch a single speech or press conference that Obama or Trump gave (read a bunch of transcripts though), and I have no intention of breaking my streak, but I have seen clips of him talking. Seems the content of the clips varies by whether they are presented by friends or opponents.
This was bad… 4 preset questions he still screwed up and then walked off. Made all of 18 minutes.
The fact that they will not allow him to take free-form questions is very telling. How can even his fans not see this?
OK, I did look up the uncut video from this one and skipped around in it. He’s definitely losing it. Has been for some time.
I love his notes sheets he has for each.
At least he is picking tough questioners – NPR, Bloomberg, the original alphabet networks…
We have no over the horizon capabilities in Central Asia, look at the map, this Man is a fool,
And yet the press doesn’t ask about that…
This whole thing is a giant lie, every word he mimics is a false flag to save face, oops! ,too late!
Biden: There was no way the evacuation was not going to go down like it has
Biden: We had no idea the Tally-ban was going to get control so quickly
Which is it, Pudding Cup?
Whichever one allows him to displace blame, sort of the throw it against the wall and see what sticks approach.
My god, he’s degenerating fast.
I have to keep myself from feeling sorry for him. My dad went through/is going through the same thing. For various reasons, he’s in an adult care home a fair distance away (i.e. a real trip, not drive an hour or two to visit). It’s a good place, only 5 residents, and the owner is a great lady, cares and takes good care of her residents. I still feel guilt at being so far away and sadness at watching his decline. Seeing many of the same behaviors and characteristics in Biden as I saw in my dad brings those feelings up. While I can blame the people around him for doing this to him and hence justify feeling sorry for him a bit, he did it to himself as well. He was more together 2-3 years ago and should have stayed very far away from the presidential race; but he is reaping what he’s sown from a lifelong pursuit of power and graft and surrounding himself with people for whom those are their primary goals as well.
I never felt sorry for him, he wanted this his whole life, and so did Dr. Jill.
Sorry about your dad though.
I’ve had a couple grandparents and Aunts go through it and it’s horrifying.
Agreed. I watched my father go through this. It was hard to watch a first rate mind deteriorate. Biden was never a first rate mind and it’s still hard to watch.
Ditto, my Father passed away last September, but he was gone years before that.
Sorry about your dad.
I had relatives with Alzheimer’s. It wasn’t pretty.
I don’t feel sorry for Biden. He dug his grave.
As much as I hate Cackle -la at least she can read a teleprompter. Time to wrap it up Joe.
Apparently the limeys, krauts and white-flaggers actually care about their citizens.
The British Government is sending Para Troops in vehicles through the center of Kabul to rescue their citizens.
The UK sent paratroopers to Kabul to help rescue the 4,000 stranded Brits and Afghans in the city. They were told to “prepare for face-to-face combat.”
French forces have made multiple trips back and forth from their embassy over the last few days to extract over 200 French citizens out of the region.
Two German special forces helicopters have also arrived in Kabul to rescue citizens.
Joe Biden however is allowing tens of thousands of Americans to be at the mercy of a very dangerous terrorist faction.
“US forces are under strict orders not to leave the airport. Instead, they rely on the Taliban for safe passage.”
The Taliban is setting up checkpoints everywhere, blocking access to Kabul airport.
Trusting the Taliban to escort people doesn’t seem like the best of ideas.
Look, fat- they already said they’re all about women’s right now. Clearly they’ve evolved.
I mean they only are going to rape them once…. or twice…. okay, okay three times, max.
How long before the Taliban starts executing people (probably starting with Afghanis) within sight of the US perimeter?
I just listened to Biden talk. Everything is fine. All the Americans and allies are going to make it safely out of the airport. The airport is secured by US forces and the Taliban is letting anyone with a US passport through. Not a single American will be harmed or captured as the Taliban is honoring a commitment made a year prior. This whole operation is going as smoothly as possible and no one has ever done it as well in the history of 20 year occupations. Whew, what a relief to know the adults are in charge.
This seems relevant.
Everything I wrote is “the narrative” team Biden is going for. It blows the fuck up once an American gets shot or captured. Doubly so if it’s on video. It’s pretty dicey. Especially since it’s all in team Taliban’s control. Feels bad.
It’s not good but we’re in a piss poor situation. The Taliban hold all the cards right now and could deny everyone the ability to access the airport if that’s what they wanted to do. We should have been more vigilant about not letting it get to this point but we don’t have much of a choice now but to rely on their good graces.
Yep. The Taliban only has moderate control over their factions and a lot of very pissed off adherents.
Tinderbox doesn’t begin to describe it.
The Taliban have always had difficulty in the North in general, with too many other ethnicities that are highly skeptical of the mostly Pashtun Taliban. Even before we invaded their grasp on the region was tenuous, at best. (Not that there are not shitheads up there, they are just not as closely tied to the Taliban).
Kabul is kind of a funny place, you must control Kabul to rule AF, but if you just have Kabul, you won’t rule.
They aren’t going to be able to spin themselves out of this. Even Angela, Boris, and Macron are wincing and sucking air through their teeth over this failure.
I’m generally stoic about this kind of shit, but I’m incredibly fearful of what’s going to happen next. We have a buffoon (more buffoonery than usual) in charge and his handlers are power hungry pieces of shit. If they are this bad while being completely incompetent, imagine them when they actually have their shit together.
It is more than a little concerning, we have caused our allies to doubt us and we have shown weakness to our enemies. The Chinese may smell blood in the water and start getting frisky about the Spratlys or some of the Taiwan-held islands in the straights or, dog forbid, make a play for Taiwan proper. Any one of those situations could go south quick, fast, and in a hurry.
I think it’s worth pointing out that the left often plays the victim, but they’ve won. There are few if any governed areas on the planet left that wouldn’t be considered left of quasi socialists. It seems the only fights left are just giving ground to more progressive, AKA Authoritarians.
Weaponizing people’s empathy and sympathy against them is how they won. Why would they stop now?
Fortunately, I have no capacity for empathy so I am immune
A somewhat more detailed account of the NIF’s recent “breakthrough” fusion experiment.
Now we are in Real trouble, Parkour Robots!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF4DML7FIWk
I for one welcome our robot overlords. They can’t be worse than what we have right now.
If we don’t vote, the wrong robot will win.
Killbot 2000 is a bum!
Killbot 2001 is clearly the superior robot overlord.
Their movements, and their ability to keep their body centered, makes them seem very animal or human and not at all robotic. It kind of freaks me out.
The continuous refinement of the motion sensors and control laws over the years has been remarkable.
They are deep into the uncanny valley at this point.
These euphemisms…enough to make a sexbot blush!
and the motherfucker pats hisself on the back at the end, We are DOOOMMMed!
Uncanny valley – that’s the phrase I was looking for. Besides being made of metal, you would never tell those were robots.
*Loads slugs into 12 gauge*
You need to get some EMP rounds.
Yeah, I don’t think I like where this is going.
I am still having trouble figuring how you could program independent will into a machine. You can give it directives, even malevolent instructions but that is still not a sense of self and the ability to do anything beyond what it is told to do. I can’t grok what the programmatic scheme for something like that would look like.
No surprise, since we have no clue how independent will arises (or, really, if it does) in people.
I can’t grok what the programmatic scheme for something like that would look like.
Usually when they say such things, all they mean is some method for randomization and some method for learning.
Maybe, but, as you know, randomizers are not really random, they are just algorithms that will only repeat sequences after a very large number of operations. They would still be slaves to their programming, no matter how sophisticated.
As horrible as it sounds, is it wrong to think we would be better off moving on to President Harris?
I have only watched 2 episodes of VEEP, but I have to think Harris is like JLD in the scene in Ep 2 where the President is having some heart problem and they move her to the White House situation room and she is planning who to fire and etc when she is Prez.
Nope,
BidenDr. Jill will ride it out till the casket.Are you saying Nope, it isnt going to happen (I agree) or Nope, it would be bad to move on?
I don’t see them quitting this charade, but I’m just some dumb rube.
Clawing for power is all Joe knows. He is going to have to drop dead for that to happen.
Just like our first female president, Edith Wilson.
Biden is a meat popsicle at this point. The government is being run by unelected handlers. That’s about as bad as it gets.
Harris is capable of rational thought, So, she would at least be in the decision loop regardless of how inept she might be,
Everyone hates her, nothing she wants to accomplish will get done. Some serious compromise will be needed to get any new VP approved by the House and the Senate.
Little happen between now and 2024, and she will be crushed in the next election.
So Biden needs to go ASAP.
That is pretty much my thought process.
Practical issues aside, it would be a very good precedent to establish that a regency is not legally acceptable in the U.S.
As much as we may hate the idea of President Harris, and as incompetent and divisive as she would be, it’s probably the right thing legally and Constitutionally to remove Biden.
I’d rather that not be the case, but I’m starting to think more and more that the current situation is unacceptable. What infuriates me is that all of this could have been (and was) predicted before the 2020 election, and should have resulted in a loss for Biden.
should have resulted in a loss for Biden
I think the odds are, it did.
The election results fail at least three independent sanity checks:
1) The Donald lost an election that where he increased his support in key democratic constituencies — blacks, hispanics, and women
2) The “red wave” gave the Pubs increases in state legislatures, governorships, and the House of Representatives while the head of the ticket lost
3) The election results require a huge influx of first time voters (middle-aged, middle-class, men who are traditionally republican) to vote for Biden and for no other democrat on the ballot.
It is not possible that Biden won without fraud.
You might add a fourth:
(4) Somehow, there was a huge increase in turnout even though neither candidate was particularly popular.
Wishing at this point I hadn’t written that–I’d rather have discussion over the legality of a regency.
The legalities have been satisfied. Biden is the President, legally, not a regent.
Is the man making decisions? Answering questions? In full control of his faculties and capable of directing his staff?
There is a process to remove him if he isn’t. The process hasn’t (yet) been followed, so he is still legally President.
America is in civil war 2.0 that democrats declared (again).
Trump was Americas last president until civil war 2.0 gets resolved. We have el presidente biden in charge of a banana republic run by treasonous oath breakers.
Civil war 1.0 also started partly because of an election and took some time before the shooting started.
I think this is their biggest problem. Getting rid of him wouldn’t be difficult, but Harris polls terribly and doesn’t at all have the experience or skills for the job. If she did, the powers that be would have gotten her to win the primaries. She might be more coherent, but policy-wise she would be terrible. And I get the feeling the other Dems don’t like her, and vice-versa.
I doubt there would be any difference between Biden and Harris. They are both figureheads with the same handlers.
with the same handlers.
I doubt that.
I expect that Harris will clear house and bring in a new crew once Dr Jill is powerless.
Dr. Jill is powerless. So is Biden. So is Harris. They are all figureheads to be raised up or cast down as needed.
Do you think Harris got the VP nod on her own abilities or allies? It always seemed to me that Harris got it simply because she would be 100% beholden to whoever is running Biden’s show. Contrast Harris with someone like Susan Rice who would have her own agenda and allies.
She got it because she was the least psychotic black woman high up in Democratic circles.
That’s what we should be trying to figure out – who will be pulling Harris’s strings?
I’m for getting Joe out sooner rather than later. The longer Harris is in the Big Chair, the more of the shit that is coming down the pike will stick to her. I suspect that Joe was initially a sacrificial candidate, since he was nominated (effectively) before the ‘Vid when they thought Trump was a lock. I think he’s now a sacrificial President, a blame sink for all the crap that is going to happen as they try to stuff the MAGAs into a hole and restart their fundamental transformation. As a one-termer, he’s basically a political snotrag – once he’s served his purpose, throw him away and all the crud that has stuck to him.
The Obama crew gets the boot and the Clinton crowd comes back.
Not a big difference to us – both are corrupt and incompetent.
Interesting. If the factions inside the Executive are basically Clinton v Obama, could we be looking at VP Hillary if the pro-Joe Obamaites lose the factional struggle? Or does the Obama faction get the VP as a peace offering/compromise of some sort.
Vermin Supreme is the obvious choice for VP.
The upside is that she makes present-day Joe look like a political savant. I do not think she would be able to get much done, especially after the midterms, which the GOP, unless they snatch defeat from the jaws of victory (again), is very likely to have the majority in at least the house.
Zing!
https://humanevents.com/2021/08/18/afghanistan-or-joe-biden-which-is-the-faster-fall/
I think it should also be noted that the right/left classification is shorthand for conservative/revolutionary and that what these two things mean is context dependent. For example, Frederic Bastiat was on the same side of the political spectrum (left) as the socialists, simply because they were both opposed to the ancient institutions of France, even though their opposition was diametrically opposed to each other. In the US our ancient institutions have a flavor that is both pro-freedom and pro-tradition, as our government and culture was born out of a very unusual revolution, one that merely sought reform not the wholesale reordering of society. So in the US the pro-freedom side is on the right, as is the pro-tradition side, while in other countries both the pro-freedom and anti-tradition sides would be on the left. Basically the categories “left” and “right” are so broad that they are only meaningful in a political sense (where compromise must be made and coalitions built to achieve anything), not a philosophical sense, and even then the meaning is contextual to the culture. Hell, in Afghanistan the both Taliban and the gender-studies crowd could be considered to be left-wing, as they both seek to overthrow the traditions of their country, yet they are nothing at all alike.
Actually, thinking it over a bit more the Taliban are another instance of radical centrism – promoting both reform and tradition at the same time. Their interpretation of Islam is very conservative, but is not consistent with many aspects of Afghan culture and so its implementation is an instance of overthrowing tradition and remolding the nation with a “progressive” vision, albeit one that progresses in a very different direction that that of western progressives.
Taliban are right wing extremists who dont value freedom like monarchs dont value freedoms.
Centrists are like libertarians and where you find the most freedoms. Its why its a political spectrum and not a political line.
The founderswere in the centrist political spectrum somewhere. They valued religion, social conservatism and revolution to overthrow a right wing monarchy. But also tolerated slavery while wanting a very freedom oriented society.
I think I understand left/right:conservative/revolutionary – but cast that way it’s meaningless except at a specific location in time and space. It has no validity when used to compare across time nor in the moment but different regions. It has usefulness for those who want to smear the right in the US (ancient institutions favoring freedom) with the right in Nazi Germany, but carries no informational value without a ton of ancillary information and understanding.
Yes. I’ve always disliked the “conservative” moniker. They usually fulfill the definition quite well by refusing to do anything.
Conservatives dont change much without wide support. Its kind of why weed decrminalization has wide support so its not a hot topic for conservatives.
I think I understand left/right:conservative/revolutionary – but cast that way it’s meaningless except at a specific location in time and space. It has no validity when used to compare across time nor in the moment but different regions.
Yes. Because human action is often binary by necessity (I do this or I do not, I join these people or I do not) while human thought is not, it has much greater diversity. Various philosophical factions come together to accomplish a common goal and in doing so are on the same side of the political spectrum, and when that goal is achieved they can very well drift apart and even find themselves on the opposite side of the political spectrum at a later date. The philosophy underpinning their actions have not changed, but the coalitions required to advocate for their perspectives has. So I would say that while it is useful to describe politics in a left/right spectrum, it is useless and even counterproductive to try to fit philosophy onto a spectrum. Although it can be done when focusing on specific points within broader philosophies, but at that point we are dissecting things more finely than most people are willing to consider.
Also, I need to thank you for this article. It was well done and clearly got my mental juices flowing, given all the comments I’ve posted on this thread, so I greatly appreciate it.
Yes, I agree that the one-dimensional spectrum is horrifically retarded, but that’s some suck eggs liberty 101 stuff around these parts I suppose.
Think about all the “anti-fascist” goons and their fellow travelers in the propaganda dept feeding right back into that by claiming that “all authoritarian dictatorships are right wing” (a direct quote or near paraphrase from an article posted here recently) and then making horribly nonsensical arguments about how left wing = freedom, tied in of course with arguing against the basic straw man screaming for his “freedom” as an idiot who doesn’t understand real freedom.
There are countless thousands of opinion peuecs and blog posts written over the years doing mental somersaults and contortions to explain why, effectively, slavery=freedom, but most hinge on convincing the reader of buying into the notion that those who disagree (conservatives, libertarians, etc) are stupid and have a very one-dimensional concept of “freedom”. There are no good faith or honest arguments to be had. I often have to check myself when reading things that refer broadly to “the left”, in that regard. In reality it is often in a context from which it is easy to infer that it’s refering to some version of what Malice might call “The Cathedral”, and also in reality, I have met a few left wingers that openly and specifically reject the cultural marxism, even if they are hellbent for Bernie or whoever. I also would like to point out that a great many on “the left”, especially above a certain age, really have their heads in the sand about the extent to which the stupidity is very real and very dangerous. Biden’s “Antifa is just an idea”, to me, reflected a very real gulf between what certain generations believe to be, and what actually is.
Ps – what are “the traditions of the country”? As far as I can tell, Afghanistan is a country in name and borders only. The only “national” tradition appears to be tribal parochialism, or nearabouts. It’s a region of warlords. The Taliban are the worst incarnation of what could unify the place. All the other warlords are gone. The forever war MIC were absolutely intent on avoiding doing what it would actuall take to wipe out the Taliban, to bathe the streets in their blood. They saw the decades of failures past; the British, the Soviets. They knew what it would take. They weren’t interested. If not enough of the Afghan people were really interested in standing up and actively wanting to change the status quo once and for all, it was always going to revert to this anyway, as sad as that is. Of course one could read that and assume on bad faith that I have no respect for the sacrifices of those who did. My point there is that there weren’t enough of them. What the fuck has the CIA been doing, by the way? What is the full extent of their part in this clusterfuck? Aside from actively spreading falsehoods in order to undermine the sitting president and his administration?
As far as I can tell, Afghanistan is a country in name and borders only.
So really no different than most European countries.
As far as I can tell, Afghanistan is a country in name and borders only. The only “national” tradition appears to be tribal parochialism, or nearabouts.
I would say the tribalism is a tradition that the Taliban is seeking to overturn with its emphasis on conformity and subjugation to its interpretation of Islam. They are placing their doctrine and hierarchy above the will of the tribal leaders in the political sense, which seems a fairly major departure from tradition. Also, the Taliban’s proscription of drugs will be a major departure for a country that has a tradition of growing opium. And I would say that their opposition to pederasty is trampling on an ancient Afghan tradition as well. I’m sure there are other areas where the MO of Afghan daily life conflicts with the Taliban’s Islamic code as well.
Afghanistan was mostly isolated for much of its history. Mountainous terrain and little natural resources that are easily accessible.
The british desire for conquest really dragged afghanistan into the history books as one of the few places that cannot be permanently conquered.
It is kind of entertaining to think that if we were to use the same metrics for left and right as 19th-century France used, nearly every western politician would be a leftist.
Although it did seem like there were a few Monarchists about during the Obama administration.
OT, but I larfed.
Milley should resign and go chew on the business end of his pistol, but I doubt he will.
How many American servicemen have been lost to the despair of suicide in the last two decades, and how unlikely it is to claim their leaders!
That would require a sense of honor and shame, two traits that swamp creatures always lack.
lulz… that is going to leave a mark.
“Yes I was out smarted by men who sodomize goats. However, I want to understand white rage, and I’m white. Getting my ass kicked in front of the entire world by some 12th century fantasists using our own weapons has helped that”.
I didn’t read the article yet but that homepage image is uhhh…. HAWT.
Also OT: Mike Richards Out As ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Amid Backlash
The news comes on the heels of a xxxx(redacted on purpose, don’t want you giving them any traffic) report about offensive and sexist comments towards his female co-hosts and guests Richards had made on The Randumb Show
For ever loving f*ck’s sake. Are you f*cking kidding me? Qualified dude lost a job because of a “report about offensive and sexist comments”? Has anyone found that libertarian paradise yet where people can say and believe whatever they feel? Because I want to go to there.
I haven’t and I am sad to report that Galt’s Valley is definitely not in Colorado.
There were better guest hosts than him (Mayim Bialik, Ken Jennings, and even Robin Roberts although I think she’d be better suited to something like To Tell the Truth or a revival of What’s My Line if they every brought that back), and as Executive Producer he was basically picking himself.
Not naming the other site so we can go there and judge for ourselves is the real “are you fucking kidding me” move.
Well Ted S, big boy, the site is https://www.theringer.com/, go have a look. Ken Jennings is a one-trick pony and if you think he’s apt to hold Trebek’s jock strap, well more power to you. Mayim Bialik was pretty good, no doubt, and I never saw Robin Roberts so I can’t comment on that.
Technically could be considered to be in the form of a question; allowed.
My assumption is that one of the “Ermegerd! LeVar Burton got screwed!” camp went out and dug up this “dirt”.
On the political spectrum, libertarianism is centrist and the most freedom. The left extreme is communism with little freedom. The right extreme is monarchism with little freedom.
Fascism is not well defined but if it means tyrannical government using business to force citizens into slavery, then its left wing. Right wing always has more conservative religious aspects of the growing tyranny.
Nazis (leftwing) were socialists and used fascism to some degree. By the end of WWII most companies contributong to the war effort were effectively owned and controlled by the german reich. The german govt outright seized many companies.