What defines a leftist? An inability to separate logic from emotion, for starters, followed by the gales of abuse that typically follow any challenge to the nostrums that make so-called progressives feel so very good and virtuous How TRUE
Like others, I therefore kept an open mind and a watching brief. But then, around 15 years ago, temperatures stopped rising even while atmospheric carbon continued to increase. As a result, my scepticism grew and has been maintained — and I think such scepticism fully justified. Yet I do not know of a single person of the green persuasion who has taken note of the fact that temperatures have not risen as predicted and come to the conclusion that, perhaps, they might have been wrong?
Now take another of my areas of interest, Keynesian economics.
I have strong doubts about modern macroeconomics and its focus on aggregate demand. In my view, Say’s Law is valid, while the whole of modern macro is built on a well known classical fallacy. And what is the the fallacy? That increases in public spending will increase aggregate demand and, therefore, return an economy to low unemployment and faster growth.
This brings me to my central point: arguing with people on the left is not the same as debating. Rather, it is more like talking to a wall. As the blogger Captain Capitalism points out, a proper debate demands both sides commit to advancing the truth, whereas dealing with the left more often than not generates abuse but little advance of knowledge. It is a long post but here is one part which makes the whole well worth the effort: Not a truer word has been said a WALL
The majority of people are weak-minded. They are also lazy. However, they are also egotistical . . . and so their mind reaches for something that will not only allow them to claim some kind of intellectual “superiority” or “achievement,” but also allow them to do so with no work.
Going green. Protesting. Claiming they’re a caring liberal. Joining a religion. Going vegan. Becoming a professor, etc.
This not only results in them living in a delusional, non-real world, but also makes them emotionally and egotistically invested in keeping up their ideological facade. Thus, when you make passionate, logical, stoic arguments of fact, math, and statistics you (consciously or not) pierce their ego, expose their charade, and therefore trigger a visceral, emotional, and often hate-laden response.”
The left tend to deal in feelings rather than facts and proof, which seem to be no part of anything they propose. It believes what they wish to believe because it makes them feel better, not because it is actually valid or demonstrable to reason and common sense.
