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Counterpoint:
The Terror Felt by Conservatives
James Hall, From the Left
When I read Sartre's Point, I was reminded of a story about a lazy lawyer
and his more energetic research assistant. The lawyer counted on the assistant to provide the background and details
of each case, which he would then argue before the court. But one day, on a prominent case, the assistant paid him back
for his lack of preparation. He handed the lawyer a file, in which was single sheet of paper. It read, "You have
no case; abuse the plaintiff."
This is the tactic brother Sartre himself has chosen. While accusing
liberals of "name-calling and demonizing," he himself calls them "varmints,""annointed criminals,""the enemy of all mankind."
Where in all his words is the logical, evidence-based case against liberalism that Sartre says conservatives like to make?
It's nowhere to be found.
Let's examine what he does say. "Denial of reality and ignoring
human nature" is one criticism of liberals. But the philosophy of liberalism is based on the key ideas of personal freedom
and social progress require an understanding of human nature, in particular the imperfect human desire to have power and control
over other humans. Early liberalism, sometimes called negative or classical liberalism, fought for the primacy of individual
rights over the complete authority of the authoritarian state, the church (when that church was a state-supported institution),
and other forms of freedom-crippling authority.
Today's liberals are believers in positive liberalism, which recognizes
yet another means of oppressive power that threatens each individual's freedom--economic power. Living in poverty means
the loss of any freedom to choose, while great wealth gives the imperfect individual an opportunity of oppress others.
Today's liberals recognized that the "invisible hand" of the classical marketplace that negative liberals relied on to guarantee
fair trade is more nonexistent than invisible. Without the public's policeman patrolling the marketplace, free traders
collude, form powerful cartels and monopolies, the rich become a permanent, self-interested class and starve their employees
and consumers into submission.
Positive liberalism relies on government to police and maintain a fair
marketplace. Not authoritative government, where an elite rules, or even republican forms of government where a self-selected
class makes the rules for all others, but a democratic form of government, because liberals believe that all humans are equally
entitled to participate in their government. Liberals believe that a democratic government that combines majority rule
with constitutional protections for the minority is the least imperfect of generally imperfect forms of government.
Sartre would have us believe that liberals follow no moral canon.
The reality is that our values lead us to believe in the freedom of the individual to believe as he or she wishes--to participate
in a free marketplace of ideas. Despite Sartre's epithets, many liberals are religious--the liberal push for civil rights
for oppressed minorities, its opposition to unjust wars and desire to bring about Jesus' Social Gospel--charity to the downtrodden
as a national policy--have been fights led by the liberal clergy of many faiths. As for secularism, liberals recognize
that keeping government religiously neutral keeps it out of religious disputes and wars of religion.
It's clear that in the marketplace of ideas, more Americans and more
people around the world are buying into a philosophy of liberalism. Liberal notions of personal freedom, democratic
government, and a fair marketplace are more attractive than the outdated notion of republican government that lets a wealthy
elite rule, permitting them to prey on the poor. Far from being the control freaks that conservatives like Sartre allege,
liberals are content to compete in the marketplace of ideas and let each person in the body politic have a say in our national
policy. Only conservatives would control who gets to participate in our nation's debates.
"The creation of crisis, the generation of hysteria" that Sartre says
is a liberal attribute is the conservative response to liberalism's success. Isn't it conservatives who decry the steady
deterioration of the wealth class (despite statistics to the contrary), the loss of liberty, the destruction of the military,
the corruption of government and the fabric of the nation's moral life under the Clintons? Who bemoan the end of the gold
standard and of (their) organized religion in public schools?. Read William Bennett's latest books to discover the death
of moral outrage and the murder of the family by liberals--a magnificent generation of hysteria.
No, the terror that conservatives feel is not due to terrorist attacks,
but to the political acumen of the American people and people of the world. They are fast at work building nations that
tear down the authoritarian structures of government and state-sponsored religious institutions, supplanting the privileges
of wealth with social policies that give each citizen a chance to be educated and to succeed at life's struggle for existence,
or giving that citizen the support to live in quiet dignity if he or she fails in life's struggle.
Final Word:
Rather than pounding the table, as Sartre insists, let's put our
cards on it. Conservatives like to prattle on about individual freedom--chiefly their own, I might add. But historically
they stood aside--or even in the way--while Jim Crow laws held down the freedoms of black Americans, cultural discrimination
kept women isolated to a few roles in society, and companies exploited the work of children. It was liberals, not conservatives,
who fought for the right of blacks, women, and workers to exercise their freedom. It was liberals who fought for the
right of the disabled to work, shop, and exercise the freedoms that the able-bodied do. It is liberals who now fight for the
rights of gay and lesbians to be as free as heterosexual Americans--in the face of opposition from so-called "freedom-loving"
conservatives.
A major reason for the success of liberalism has been the willingness
of liberals to fight for other's rights, while our conservative brethren are dug in protecting their own wealth and privileges.
And because we are concerned about others, we can recognize the threat of disproportionate wealth on America's political health--on
its ability to guarantee freedom for all citizens. The lack of capital severely impacts freedom of choice--offering
the destitute poor food or no food, poor education or no education, poor working conditions or no work, poor healthcare or
no healthcare--poor chances to live a free life, or no chance at all.
Meanwhile, the wealthiest Americans own far more capital than they
can ever use, and some even use that surplus wealth to gain power and advantage over their fellow citizens. By supporting
remedies like progressive taxation, liberals have tapped into a small portion of that wealth to create a social safety net,
so that no citizen starves, no senior goes without a home or medication, and no child without inoculations or education, no
worker without safe working conditions. For trying to increase the opportunities of the poor and destitute to live in
greater freedom we are accused to being socialists, of endangering the freedom of the wealthy and powerful.
The terror that conservatives feel is directed largely at a government
that they fear no longer has their interests in heart. The conservative fear of "gutter government" is the fear of oppressors
that the tables are turned on them. But their fears are groundless. Most poor and middle class Americans only
want a chance to succeed in life, to live with dignity without the fear of poverty, and they support the liberal policies
that enable this to happen without endangering the opportunity to create and enjoy wealth. As long as America remains
a land of opportunity and freedom, no "peoples' revolution" will ever occur here.
James Hall, From the Left
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Point:
The Terror Known as Liberalism
The enemy within our midsts is not foreign nor will it be destroyed by
smart bombs. This foe of the Republic occupies the halls of Congress and sits at the table, in the Senate. Politicians that
wear this badge of shame, proudly look into the camera, as they perfect their talent for lying. Their religion is the deception
know as Liberalism.
The time is long passed to attempt any coexistence with these varmints.
They exist to destroy others, while they promise a future of milk and honey. Their record is clear and unambiguous. Only the
deranged continue to defend the practices of these anointed criminals. They apply their trade with eagerness and glee. For
their purpose is simple and their methods direct. The enslavement of citizens is their stated intent. No means are taboo in
this quest for total domination. Their tools extend to the most hideous behaviors, and their willingness to apply their use,
has no restriction. Yes, most wear the label of Democrat, but there are also some closet Republicans that qualify. So you
say, what are the pillars of faith for this cult?
Denial of reality is their key doctrine. Ignoring human nature and facts
are central to their dogma. History is but a tale to be reworked to fit the circumstance. Relativism is their canon of belief,
and Secular Humanism is their substitute for morality. Illustrations of contradictions are dismissed as irrelevant. And judgments
of reason and common sense are discarded. Liberalism rests upon denial of truth and reality.
The means to achieve their objective of people control is to design a
system of Thought Control. Manufacturing perception is their wish and the use of 'PC' is their witch's spell, for acceptance.
Altering image, the meaning of words and the significance of actions, are skills that these nefarious crooks use to deceive.
Compliance is their virtue and dissent the province of sinners. Their inquisition demands purification in thought and devotion
to their professed beliefs. Reason is shunned, while rationalization is promoted. Liberalism requires conformity in behavior
and thinking.
Crisis creation is a skill refined into an art. Generation of hysteria
is perfected as the emotional trigger that breeds irrational madness. Confusion directs the circumstance, while frenzy raises
the intensity. Shock is used to achieve distress, until the senses become numb. Fabrication of false problems becomes routine,
while scapegoats are shaped to point the finger at. Erecting crazed conduct and building distrust among different groups,
becomes the means to maintain constant chaos. Liberalism thrives upon disorder and upheaval.
Calm and reasonable problem solving is attacked, and denounced as being
unfair. The projection of guilt is engineered to create blame in each citizen. Excuses for the powerful are habitual, while
criticism of the people are standard. Causes for suffering and inequity, stem from lack of adherence to the faith. The fault
for failure is due to your own deficiency. Culpability never rests with the ideology, just the lack of commitment to observe
its tenants. Attitude adjustments are needed to avoid further guilt. Liberalism must inflict fault for failure on the neglect
of citizens.
Opponents need to be discredited and destroyed. Name calling and demonizing
becomes regular tactics. Ravishing the image of political heretics is a proven technique. Planting discontent and distrust
at the feet of rivals, is encouraged. Lying is acceptable and promoted as the optimum characterization. Misrepresentation
in attacking an adversary, is acclaimed. Inflamed rhetoric, provocation and innuendo are assets. Liberalism seeks to eliminate
opposition by savaging their reputation.
The terror that Liberals inflict is worse than any alien cell. They obliterate
hope when they falsely promise their free lunch. They demolish cooperation when their word is meaningless. And they destroy
rational order with their inventions of continuous chaos and perpetual turmoil. Liberalism is the enemy of all mankind. Rejection
of true reality, in exchange for their counterfeit surrogate, is their greatest offense. Fear of facing the Truth, is their
greatest dread and, at the same time, their most active motivation. Because if they had any integrity, they would need to
change their ways. Living a lie is not always easy, even if it becomes second nature. Liberals have left their evil mark,
and it is our duty to expose their immorality for what it is. The terror of Liberalism is the horror of our lifetime . . .
James Hall aka SARTRE
Rebuttal:
When you have the facts, argue the facts. When you have the law, argue
the law. When you have neither the facts nor the law, pound the table. That's the real legal brief that the Liberal operates
by, and attempts to confuse by offering platitudes of noble definitions, deny reality. For the facts are quite different.
The only social progress that this group of neurotics have ever provided, is one of slavery and surrender. What hurts their
deceiving pride is that methods of similar conduct, from their play book, can ever be directed back against the Liberal hypocrites!
If descriptive names are true, you socialists should wear them alongside your inbred egoism. Liberals are intellectual frauds.
And cozy slobber fitting Tom Daschle, does not erase the true record of your destructive policies.
At the risk of unending annoyance and adnauseam; facts, arguments and
examples are ignored by the progressive cultist. Any attempt for a 'collectivists' to embrace 'freedom of the individual'
is duplicitous and a canard. You don't even understand what you claim to believe in! Lies and distortion are habitual and
hereditary to the Liberal delusion. You can't really believe that anyone would accept, that comrades have genuine compassion
for their fellow man? If your reply is affirmative, your need immediate professional help.
Substituting government abuses for the offenses of human greed is obscene
in its lunacy. You just never get it, and always are willing to ascend to the next higher level of folly to rationalize the
evils, that your government god, will inflict upon others. The power of the State never justifies the damages their results
inflict, in the name of a deceitful cause. Policing the government is the real legitimate task of all citizens. You envision
a society of universal incarceration under the dictates of Liberal perversion. Your primary public service project seeks the
captivity of the human spirit. Liberal gutter government, works ceaselessly to generate and perpetrate, deranged and demented
'true believers'. We conservatives don't wish to exclude your kind from debates. The more you talk, the easier it is to recognize
insanity.
James Hall - 'The Right'
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