Signs and Wonders, German Legacy Media Edition: Die Welt Offers a Quite Apt Critique of What Passes for 'The Left' These Days: If They Don't Change, Good Riddance To Them
Sure, the generalisation is apt, even though I'd argue that the Left's 'long march through the institutions' has resulted in them more or less completely corrupting/taking over most, if not all, institutions, hence their current dominance.
As has happened in the past, this will quite likely end badly, which will lead to a new round of discrediting of 'left-ish' ideas. Talk about history repeating itself.
The modern-day "leftist" does not acknowledge free will as existing, therefore no freedoms, liberties or such can exist.
A simple, semi-made up example:
I'm guided my my own internal moral compass and ethical system more than anything else.
A Lefty on the other hand has no moral compass and no ethical system, instead deferring always to Authority (if said authority is acknowledged as valid according to the Lefty).
Also, the is adivide between people who think like me, that only what is explicitly fobidden is forbidden, and people like the modern Lefties who think that what is not expressly said to be allowed in a well-defined way, is dis-allowed.
I regularly burn excess paper-waste (the kind that cannot be mulched, such as glossy commercial leaflets, which is what I otherwise do with it) in an old rusty barrel, into the lower rim of which I've driven holes for better effect. Also, I've made a lid that leads the smoke down to the ground thus avoiding bothering anyone and minimising the risk of sparks et c. The ashes I dump once a year, at the municipal dump.
The typical normal response to that is: "Good thinking".
The Lefty response is "Do you know if you are allowed to do that? Have you asked authorities? How do you know you're doing it correctly?"
That is the difference. They don't trust themselves, so they don't trust anyone else either. I trust myself, so I trust others to be at least as able as myself.
I'm an adult; the Lefties are two to four-year olds, mentally speaking.
Exactly.... and I’m getting a little tired of being “nudged” and otherwise being treated like a child by our governments, who are supposed to be doing our bidding.....and not the other way around.
There appears to be an indirect proportionality between the seemingly increasing blabber about individuals' 'rights' and the sad reality of such 'rights' becoming more and more prerogatives that may be taken away at a whim.
As to nudging, well, in more honest times (sic) that was called something else, e.g., 'Propaganda' or the like.
Not only doesbeing nudged gall, being asked to be enthusiastic and cheerful really raises my hackles something fierce.
"Hand in all your organic waste to the municipal recycling station! To save the climate!"
Which in reality is "Give it to the local county-owned wastehandling company so they can sell it to a semi-state owned company making "biogas" (aka methane) from it, so it can sell it at profit to a tax-subsidised politically connected "green" company, who then re-sells it to local municipalities which uses such gas for fuel, paid for by your taxes".
This neoliberal capitalist democracy thing sure is different from fascism or communism, neh?
Main difference being, fascists and communists were honest and upfront compared to todays neoliberals.
It’s really just state sanctioned corruption. Smart people coming up with schemes to get rich off the taxpayer, while pretending that it’s good for the environment, or the children, or the underserved communities, or whatever. Almost anything will do, as long as it is in line with the lefts policy objectives.
It’s really ‘who you know, and who you blow’ type of corruption.
And all of the left’s organizations are linked to each other and to their advocates in government . They all gain money, power and influence.
Brilliant piece, thanks for the translation. Well, Jakob has been hanging out with the right people (from Laidak, Berlin). I've shared it widely - will post this on Twitter, too. x
I liked it a lot, esp. the chastising of today's theoretically illiterate, but moralising 'left', which you also criticise.
It is important to note that Mr. Hayner's piece, though, as good as I find it, is in the best left tradition of offering an incisive critique of the current state of affairs, although he offers little in terms of prescriptions as to how to deal with these lunatics.
I suspect that a kind of 'bridge-building' to ideas espoused by, among others, Karl Popper and his observations about the impossibility of tolerating the intolerant (e.g., Antifa, the Branch Covidians, and their ilk) in an open society. I suspect that a certain modicum of in-vs.-out-group dynamics must be invoked and sustained--to brand and expel these lunatics and their (empty) 'ideas'--from 'polite society.
She decried the dismissal and tarring of any and all criticism being in the service of the far-right and argued the left ought to be wrestling such popular traditional leftist positions from the right. Instead it was playing a moralising game of casting aspersions of guilt-by-association on any and all skeptics.
You're welcome. If you'd like the German-language PDF, just drop me an email.
Ulrike Guérot's piece is also among the early analytical pieces of note, I'd say.
Yet, as she also pointed out, the propaganda was really well done as it honed in on the core 'leftist' beliefs that 'people' trump 'money', which the rallying cries of 'solidarity' evoked from the traditionally 'pro-choice' (pun intended) 'leftists'.
In the end, guilt-by-association and the like is, most likely, a kind of 'defensive reflex' by the same 'leftists' who, at least in part, are seemingly re-emerging after some 2-3 years spent in this propaganda-induced trance.
Yet, as the traditional saying goes, 'Unwissenheit schützt nicht vor Strafe', which translates roughly into 'ignorance is no excuse'--and this notion has been codified into criminal law as ignorance of any statute does not absolve the (suspected) perpetrator from his or her responsibility in terms of punishment.
The Hannah Arendt quote ("Widerstand durch Wirklichkeit", and so on) is a bit curious. It can be found all over the place, especially since Covid, but ultimately seems to go back to this essay (which I do not have access to): Nordmann, Ingeborg: Erfahrungen in einem Land, das die Realität verloren hat. In: Arendt, Hannah: Besuch in Deutschland 1950. In: Knott, Marie Luise (Hg.): Zur Zeit. Politische Essays. Berlin 1986. S.67-95
It is not to be found in "Elemente und Ursprünge totaler Herrschaft", Arendt's revision (far from simple translation) of "The Origins of Totalitarianism".
Oh, and on my desk there is a ZEIT piece by Oliver Nachtwey and Carolin Amlinger (I might amuse myself by writing about it). Havin read it, I know that I do not have to read their book...
Thanks for the reference to the Arendt quote. I've had only a bit of time earlier today, couldn't find the reference quickly enough (other than without attribution online), and then settled for the better-documented passage from The Origins, which does the trick, I'd argue.
As to the piece by Nachtwey and Amlinger, well, if you'd read it and write about it, I won't have to re-read it (which I'm admittedly loath to do).
Here we go (in German; my take: left liberalism means passive acceptance of change, and convenient redefinition of change as progress; plus playing the victim card against critics): https://dochdoch.substack.com/p/linksliberale-edelopfer
I found a copy of "Besuch in Deutschland" which contains Ingeborg Nordmann's essay. It seems that the quote is not a direct one by Hannah Arendt, but Ingeborg Nordmann's summary of Arendt's conclusion. I will read the whole book, and see...
Most on the Left enjoy being subservient to the State, as long as they control that particular State.
I know that that is a generalization, but there aren’t many examples of a leftist government even allowing individual freedoms.
Sure, the generalisation is apt, even though I'd argue that the Left's 'long march through the institutions' has resulted in them more or less completely corrupting/taking over most, if not all, institutions, hence their current dominance.
As has happened in the past, this will quite likely end badly, which will lead to a new round of discrediting of 'left-ish' ideas. Talk about history repeating itself.
The modern-day "leftist" does not acknowledge free will as existing, therefore no freedoms, liberties or such can exist.
A simple, semi-made up example:
I'm guided my my own internal moral compass and ethical system more than anything else.
A Lefty on the other hand has no moral compass and no ethical system, instead deferring always to Authority (if said authority is acknowledged as valid according to the Lefty).
Also, the is adivide between people who think like me, that only what is explicitly fobidden is forbidden, and people like the modern Lefties who think that what is not expressly said to be allowed in a well-defined way, is dis-allowed.
I regularly burn excess paper-waste (the kind that cannot be mulched, such as glossy commercial leaflets, which is what I otherwise do with it) in an old rusty barrel, into the lower rim of which I've driven holes for better effect. Also, I've made a lid that leads the smoke down to the ground thus avoiding bothering anyone and minimising the risk of sparks et c. The ashes I dump once a year, at the municipal dump.
The typical normal response to that is: "Good thinking".
The Lefty response is "Do you know if you are allowed to do that? Have you asked authorities? How do you know you're doing it correctly?"
That is the difference. They don't trust themselves, so they don't trust anyone else either. I trust myself, so I trust others to be at least as able as myself.
I'm an adult; the Lefties are two to four-year olds, mentally speaking.
Exactly.... and I’m getting a little tired of being “nudged” and otherwise being treated like a child by our governments, who are supposed to be doing our bidding.....and not the other way around.
There appears to be an indirect proportionality between the seemingly increasing blabber about individuals' 'rights' and the sad reality of such 'rights' becoming more and more prerogatives that may be taken away at a whim.
As to nudging, well, in more honest times (sic) that was called something else, e.g., 'Propaganda' or the like.
Not only doesbeing nudged gall, being asked to be enthusiastic and cheerful really raises my hackles something fierce.
"Hand in all your organic waste to the municipal recycling station! To save the climate!"
Which in reality is "Give it to the local county-owned wastehandling company so they can sell it to a semi-state owned company making "biogas" (aka methane) from it, so it can sell it at profit to a tax-subsidised politically connected "green" company, who then re-sells it to local municipalities which uses such gas for fuel, paid for by your taxes".
This neoliberal capitalist democracy thing sure is different from fascism or communism, neh?
Main difference being, fascists and communists were honest and upfront compared to todays neoliberals.
There isn’t much that is capitalist about it.
It’s really just state sanctioned corruption. Smart people coming up with schemes to get rich off the taxpayer, while pretending that it’s good for the environment, or the children, or the underserved communities, or whatever. Almost anything will do, as long as it is in line with the lefts policy objectives.
It’s really ‘who you know, and who you blow’ type of corruption.
And all of the left’s organizations are linked to each other and to their advocates in government . They all gain money, power and influence.
Rinse and repeat.
Brilliant piece, thanks for the translation. Well, Jakob has been hanging out with the right people (from Laidak, Berlin). I've shared it widely - will post this on Twitter, too. x
I liked it a lot, esp. the chastising of today's theoretically illiterate, but moralising 'left', which you also criticise.
It is important to note that Mr. Hayner's piece, though, as good as I find it, is in the best left tradition of offering an incisive critique of the current state of affairs, although he offers little in terms of prescriptions as to how to deal with these lunatics.
I suspect that a kind of 'bridge-building' to ideas espoused by, among others, Karl Popper and his observations about the impossibility of tolerating the intolerant (e.g., Antifa, the Branch Covidians, and their ilk) in an open society. I suspect that a certain modicum of in-vs.-out-group dynamics must be invoked and sustained--to brand and expel these lunatics and their (empty) 'ideas'--from 'polite society.
Many thanks for this translation. Had seen the piece but couldn't read behind the paywall. Reminds me of Ulrike Guerot's article „De facto ist eine gesamte Gesellschaft entmündigt worden“ late 2021 https://www.welt.de/vermischtes/plus235908648/Ulrike-Guerot-De-facto-ist-eine-gesamte-Gesellschaft-entmuendigt-worden.html
She decried the dismissal and tarring of any and all criticism being in the service of the far-right and argued the left ought to be wrestling such popular traditional leftist positions from the right. Instead it was playing a moralising game of casting aspersions of guilt-by-association on any and all skeptics.
You're welcome. If you'd like the German-language PDF, just drop me an email.
Ulrike Guérot's piece is also among the early analytical pieces of note, I'd say.
Yet, as she also pointed out, the propaganda was really well done as it honed in on the core 'leftist' beliefs that 'people' trump 'money', which the rallying cries of 'solidarity' evoked from the traditionally 'pro-choice' (pun intended) 'leftists'.
In the end, guilt-by-association and the like is, most likely, a kind of 'defensive reflex' by the same 'leftists' who, at least in part, are seemingly re-emerging after some 2-3 years spent in this propaganda-induced trance.
Yet, as the traditional saying goes, 'Unwissenheit schützt nicht vor Strafe', which translates roughly into 'ignorance is no excuse'--and this notion has been codified into criminal law as ignorance of any statute does not absolve the (suspected) perpetrator from his or her responsibility in terms of punishment.
The Hannah Arendt quote ("Widerstand durch Wirklichkeit", and so on) is a bit curious. It can be found all over the place, especially since Covid, but ultimately seems to go back to this essay (which I do not have access to): Nordmann, Ingeborg: Erfahrungen in einem Land, das die Realität verloren hat. In: Arendt, Hannah: Besuch in Deutschland 1950. In: Knott, Marie Luise (Hg.): Zur Zeit. Politische Essays. Berlin 1986. S.67-95
It is not to be found in "Elemente und Ursprünge totaler Herrschaft", Arendt's revision (far from simple translation) of "The Origins of Totalitarianism".
Oh, and on my desk there is a ZEIT piece by Oliver Nachtwey and Carolin Amlinger (I might amuse myself by writing about it). Havin read it, I know that I do not have to read their book...
Thanks for the reference to the Arendt quote. I've had only a bit of time earlier today, couldn't find the reference quickly enough (other than without attribution online), and then settled for the better-documented passage from The Origins, which does the trick, I'd argue.
As to the piece by Nachtwey and Amlinger, well, if you'd read it and write about it, I won't have to re-read it (which I'm admittedly loath to do).
Here we go (in German; my take: left liberalism means passive acceptance of change, and convenient redefinition of change as progress; plus playing the victim card against critics): https://dochdoch.substack.com/p/linksliberale-edelopfer
Excellent posting.
Would you mind me translating and posting it?
You're welcome.
I found a copy of "Besuch in Deutschland" which contains Ingeborg Nordmann's essay. It seems that the quote is not a direct one by Hannah Arendt, but Ingeborg Nordmann's summary of Arendt's conclusion. I will read the whole book, and see...
https://www.file-upload.net/download-15152336/Arendt.jpg.html