RE: Fred Reed - The Dave Barry of Racists

From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Wed Aug 01 2001 - 18:35:39 MDT


Alex Bokov on the whole has some excellent advice
for everyone:

> * Above all, let's recognize what we all have in common-- reliance on
> rational thought, a fascination with science and technology, and a
> conviction that they will redefine our lives and our reality... for
> the better. All other issues are secondary to that. Even the wrongest
> list regular probably still 'gets it' more than your typical
> phone-psychic user... or your typical elected official for that
> matter.
>
> * Perhaps the reason there is so much backlash against concerns over
> discrimination and economic inequality is that Libertarian thinkers
> have been asleep on the job. We're letting the Democrats and
> Socialists own human rights and anytime somebody raises a legitimate
> concern, we respond to them as if they have already shown themselves
> to be a PC meme-bot.

Alas, this process is called "political polarization", and proceeds
as follows. If you lean somewhat slightly in any direction, then
you see it as your job to pull (just as if it was the rope game
"tug of war") towards the side the opposite to where most people
seem to be. Thus, if you are rather left of center, you will be
entirely silent on matters that right-wingers are noisy about,
since you figure that they're already doing the job. In the same
way, libertarians are less prone to speak out against pollution
and racism, because they figure that environmentalists and liberals
are speaking out about it, and too loudly, all the time.

You're not going to succeed in trying to stop polarization, but
it is important for someone like you to speak up occasionally
and remind everyone of what's going on.

> * Those who do have liberal/statist leanings are not blameless
> either. Some of the most virulent opposition to technology is coming
> from the radical left. Why is it that every environmental and
> civil-rights activist I run into has the same ignorant, simplistic
> view of science, progress, and economics?

To take this last question literally, it is because you do not
know enough environmentalists nor enough civil-rights activists.

Lee



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