01.11.07
More sad commentary on modern thought
In this post I am responding to a comment of Publus’s that was responding… Well, no need to reprint it. You can go read it here. I’ll respond to its basic points, which transcend individual blog entries and commentary.
For the most part, I agree with Publus when he says that the positions pundits and pols have taken on issues are positions of moral absolutism, and that for them the ultimate proof of whether we are right or wrong is whether we are with them or against them, not how well we construct our arguments or what they are based on. They permit themselves the freedom of mix-and-match factoids, assembled and reassembled as a matter of convenience when someone sees through their smokescreens. The only issue I would take is that Publus has, perhaps, not taken it all the way to its roots.
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The problem is not so much (or only) that they have taken a position of moral absolutism - “with us” or “agin us,” but they have reached their position independent of observation or real facts. Remember what I said of these modern thinkers in an earlier post discussing the abominable state of modern analytical thought - for people like this facts don’t matter. Facts are of less value than ideas, and all ideas are equally valid and deserving of respect. In fact (sic), for people who think this way, facts can only obscure an issue. According to this logic (and it does sometimes appear to be the prevailing logic), knowing anything about a subject or an issue will cloud your thoughts. It will slant your opinions. Only people who are truly ignorant have any wisdom, because only their thoughts are free. So ideas not based on fact - or as I think of them, non-reality-based ideas - are most worthy of support, and since facts don’t matter, you can make them up to support your premise as you find it expedient.
So think of this if you’re watching Fox News or listening to O’Reilly or any of those other think-a-trons. They based their opinions on nothing whatever, they know it, and this makes them feel more wise than you, me, or anybody except our president, who (as we all know) knows nothing whatever, is not learning anything, and has made it his goal to stay that course.
It looks like we’ve got a new category here. One too many political rant filed under “miscellaneous” made me make a category just for political rants.
