Authoritarianism

Alright, then. Good luck with all of that. Vote harder, maybe.

 

I'm not into conspiracy theories.

 

How do you explain the vast majority of the prison population identifying as Democrats? Do you think under representation of atheists in prison is anything like under representation of atheists in fox holes? Have you ever heard the term “jailhouse” conversion?

 

Cool, so you don't wish to exert authority over your fellow man and force them to pay taxes? You're an awesome anti-authoritarian!

 

Um no. Because the state creates corporations. No state, no corporations.

 

Good point.

 

I grew up in a Catholic community and even attended a Catholic school. I always thought they were a bit off, but not as looney as most Protestant religions. When I left that environment, I left quite confident that a life without religion would be a life well lived

I taught my children well. Growing up, I thought my authoritarian parents were bad parents, but then many of my friends had parents that were just as bad. But every so often I saw parents who I thought were really good. I watched them and took mental notes. By time my daughter was born, I knew full well how to be a good parent. I didn't raise my children to be obedient robots, I taught them to think for themselves, and encouraged their creativity and pursuits.

Christians would say, "spare the rod and spoil the child". I know they meant the opposite, but I spared the rod and spoiled my children. I wasn't about to hit them as many do, as I don't hit those I love. Instead I spoiled the hell out of them. What children need most is love, understanding, and attention. It is rather hard for one to enjoy freedom or even know what it is, if one is forced to grow up obedient.

Anyhow my children haven't had the problems consevative are always pretending the children of liberals have.

 

You read it.

 

If one looks at the data, red states tend to have a rate of incarceration that is twice that of blue states. But then I had kind of known that all along, having been in a traveling band during the summer during my college years. In some areas cops are bad news.

 

Because they are authoritarian. No surprise there.

 

But they are still mostly Democrats in red state prisons. Explain please. In fact, incarceration rates seem more regional actually. And there are too many exceptions to your “rule”. For example, I live in one of the reddest states in the country, yet Colorado has a much higher incarceration rate.

And you’ve failed to answer any of my questions. Only restated one of your incorrect beliefs.

 

Where does term “cultural marxism” originate? I do not undeserving what it means. Would you like to define it? Or will you accept what ever definition i can find?

 

for those uncertain what is cultural Marxism

— in common usage in the wild — "Cultural Marxism" (both uppercase) is a common snarl wordused to paint anyone with progressive tendencies as a secret Communist. The term alludes to a conspiracy theory in which sinister left-wingers have infiltrated media, academia, and science, and are engaged in a decades-long plot to undermine Western culture. Some variants of the conspiracy allege that basically all of modern social liberalism is, in fact, a Communist front group.​

 

Facts not your thing?

 

For the benefit of causual passers-by...

Relevant reading - What Is Cultural Marxism?

Thank You, ARDY! I'm glad you asked. I provided a brief overview of introductory points here. Mind you, these are introductory points meant to solicit lively discssion o nthe topic. If you'd like to continue or elevate discussion with regard to it, say so, I'll hang around the neighborhood for a while longer.

 

Oops, your link was not highlighted as I viewed it so I did not understand that you provided a link

that said, I also did some research
What do you think?

in common usage in the wild — "Cultural Marxism" (both uppercase) is a common snarl wordused to paint anyone with progressive tendencies as a secret Communist. The term alludes to a conspiracy theory in which sinister left-wingers have infiltrated media, academia, and science, and are engaged in a decades-long plot to undermine Western culture. Some variants of the conspiracy allege that basically all of modern social liberalism is, in fact, a Communist front group.​

 

That is an interesting story, similar to mine, being the oldest of 5 and having been raised Roman Catholic.

Though the "conservative/liberal" paradigm can be useful, I find it very inadequate to describe people completely.

But your point about authoritarianism is spot on. It is a curse upon humanity, mostly brought by organized religion.

Having lost my religion many years ago, I consider myself a "Free Thinker" as described in the book of the same name by Susan Jacoby in 2004.

 

I don't think all liberals have the same characteristics, nor the same motivations- and especially, not the same definition of what liberal means. Teaching self-discipline and respect does not require beatings, nor blind obedience- but it does require a consistent structure, consistent rules, and consequences. I believe most people are doing the best they can with what they have at most times, but often what they have to work with as a moral foundation or behavioral base is either non-existent, or terrible. All that comes back to people, not conservatives or liberals. It's one thing to be critical, it's another to be abusive- and when I see adults that prefer to use abusive over rational and subjective criticism, I know I'm seeing a person who lacks that stable moral base. Every family is a sort of microcosm and different, but the result needs to be kids who can cope the world outside the family. Some know they have the right, even the duty to revise and improve what they were taught; some simply never do. But I form my opinions of people based on their own behavior first. I may look to where they came from to help understand why they are as they are, but I still hold them responsible for it, good or bad.

If you are able to raise sound, well-grounded kids your way- then you make the grade. But we have a lot of kids who are adults today, whose parent did not raise kids, they just let them grow up. When they had behavioral issues, they gave them drugs instead of guidance, and that is quite visible in the number of people today that don't have a stable, reliable base within themselves- a moral compass, a solid self-image they know and trust. The reason to use discipline in a structure in not to rule the child, but to teach them to discipline themselves, rule their own thinking and behavior to make them productive and capable in adult life. The whole job of parenting is a sort of construction- you are building an adult, that if built right, will not need you by the age of maturity, but will be strong enough to stand alone.

I'm not a psychologist, although I have done a lot of work involving it. I've had many psychologists in my lifeskills classes, spent quite a bit of time discussing in particular what influences children and how it affects the adults they become. While love is high on the list, most think too much attention, especially attention in the absence of structure and discipline, creates a child unprepared for the adult world. Grown children who are likely to feel dependent on the attention and approval of others, rather than the approval of themselves. I've seen this all my life- people who define peer esteem as self esteem and never develop the real thing. They lack the ability to be their own best friend or to trust themselves, they are dependent on the opinions of others because they cannot nurture themselves. Those people have no real self-control, they are never secure in themselves, and that leads them to be both critical of others who do not supporting what they want or the way they see things, and at the same time feel they must agree and follow others who do. There is a void in such people, they do no feel whole and usually do not know why. That tends to make them very poor parents.

Discipline is a necessity in the process- but that does not necessarily mean it must be physical. That depends on what the parent has, because when they run out of options to regulate a child's behavior, they will turn to more physical processes. Thus, the parent who lacks self-discipline and solid personal structure themselves is more likely to use physical discipline- or, lacking self-confidence... have no discipline at all, and the child winds up in charge of his upbringing. There are consequences for not being able to keep order, and whether they fall to the left or right is almost irrelevant.

I think the test of parenting comes not in the process, but in the product. People who can cut it, can stand alone and live with strength and courage as well as kindness- had parents that gave them the fundamentals to do that. That is rarely from an ideal situation, but regardless, what needed to be there obviously was there. Many kids who felt they hated their parents as a teen find that they owe them a great debt of gratitude at age 40, and rely on the things they learned from those parents every day.

My parents are buried side by side, with one headstone. Dad died at 76, and well before that we had come to understand each other, which took about 35 years. Mom died at 97. A couple years after her death, I felt somehow compelled to express the gratitude I felt for what they gave me, which was so much more important and part of me than any of the things they did not. On either side of the main headstone now is a granite block, each with the heading "She taught us" and "He taught us". with a list. I was thanking them for those things well before they were gone, but needed to somehow mark their existence and passing with the acknowledgement of their gifts that gave my brother and I the ability to be all we could be- and excel. If your children can think this way of you when you are gone- you will have done well.

 

I think you're useful.

 

It is interesting how the conspiracy theories morph over time. It may have begun with the Jews infiltrating the media, educational system, and government. Not to mention controlling the banks. Somewhere along the line it started to become Rockefeller and other such wealthy Industrialists who were infiltrating. It was even said they had secret ties with the Russians, that Rockefeller was profiting off of Russian oil. It was about the time the Heritage Foundation popped up that the boogie man shifted to liberals, which was echoed by Reagan and the right wing radio fare. I'm sure some listeners have heard it said so many times, that they can not imagine it another way.

 

Decriminalizing crime is the leftist game plan.

 

The modern liberal may not be authoritarian by nature, but his methods of imposing his morals on others are decidedly authoritarian. It is why I chose to go the libertarian route. I want the same thing that liberals want, but only if it's done peacefully. The state is not peaceful; government is violence institutionalized. Conservatives naturally favor using that violence. Liberals, these days, are in a hurry to get things done so they have adopted the authoritarianism of conservatives to move things a long.

Lao Tzu had a great line about that:

The Master doesn't try to be powerful;
thus he is truly powerful.

The ordinary man keeps reaching for power;
thus he never has enough.

The Master does nothing,
yet he leaves nothing undone.
The ordinary man is always doing things,
yet many more are left to be done.
The kind man does something,
yet something remains undone.
The just man does something,
and leaves many things to be done.
The moral man does something,
and when no one responds
he rolls up his sleeves and uses force


Modern liberals have gone from being the kind type to the moral type and never has enough power.

 

Both sides have authoritarians. Look at the whole "cancel culture." That's as authoritarian as it gets, and it's not conservatives doing it. Look at Bloomberg's anti-soda taxes. If that wasn't authoritarian, I don't know what is. I won't pretend that authoritarianism isn't part of conservatism at times, but you need to wake up and look at your own side realistically.

 

Yes yes, we know - ubermench > untermensch.

In before the Rule 11 closure

 

Kinda actually yeah. Conservatives tend to have authoritative tendencies, while liberals do not. The only problem is giving this a normative value. It's not that one model is better than the other, it's about understanding one another and how we think together. To say conservatives who have authoritative tendencies are wrong, or as I think you're suggesting to some extent unamerican is simply wrong. It's about understanding each other and how we fit together that makes us all better off.