Politics, Partisanship, and Propaganda by jacobtothe

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· @jacobtothe · (edited)
$0.94
Politics, Partisanship, and Propaganda
I am growing weary of the "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is an idiot" memes from my right-wing acquaintances. If only the problem were so simple. AOC, Bernie Sanders,  Elizabeth "Fauxcahontas" Warren, et al. aren't dangerous because they're stupid, but because they're experts in things that are wrong, and they're willing to stoop to any fallacy or sophistry to defend their claims or attack their critics. If one disagrees with such "progressives," a moral, rational, compassionate basis for that disagreement can't be considered. The only allowable interpretation for dissent is either stunted capacity for empathy or malevolent disdain for others.

I'm sure any right-wing readers are ready to start celebrating this article after that paragraph, but hold yer horses. The right appeals to emotion, fallacies, and false premises for its arguments, too. This is a bipartisan flaw. The nature of politics turns any dispute into a zero-sum game, and drives disagreement into a perverse factionalism of extremes where sociopaths strive for power and will say *anything* to get the gullible public to support their ambitions. [Labels are used to obfuscate, not to inform.](https://steemit.com/language/@jacobtothe/the-ambiguity-of-labels) Sloganeering replaces sound arguments. The Green New Deal and "social justice" are no more or less a con job than "build the wall" and "make America great again."

Politicians in general suffer from the [Dunning-Kruger effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect) where they believe their usurped power gives them special authority and wisdom to guide society. They don't even know what they don't know. They firmly believe that any problems can be solved by writing more laws and enforcing them with violence. The partisan disputes are never over the legitimacy of this belief, only in how it should be applied against us. Bipartisanship isn't a victory for liberty, it is a victory for the iron fist of The State.

Freedom doesn't flow from seats of political power. Society isn't built on the foundation of sound government. The economy doesn't need to be restrained and managed by wise bureaucrats. These lies are inculcated by propaganda, and must be un-learned if we are to achieve real progress toward liberty, equality, and justice. neither Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez nor Donald Trump are idiots who got elected, they're false messiahs worshipped by the cult of politics. The cult is the real threat, not the figureheads it elevates.

Start building a voluntary society without their permission. They'll never grant it anyway. If you place your faith in silver-tongued politicians to provide peace and prosperity, that makes you the idiot, not the charlatans selling people the lies they want to hear.
πŸ‘  , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and 34 others
πŸ‘Ž  
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@matthewtiii ·
Idiots they are not, that is for sure. There is a genius in the way this web is woven.

Posted using [Partiko Android](https://partiko.app/referral/matthewtiii)
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@k0wsk1 ·
>β€œWhy are our pockets empty only when we are confronted with the morally right thing to do?”

~ AOC
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@jacobtothe ·
$0.12
Why does she assert that her proposals are morally right? They are built on a foundation of stolen money and usurped authority. It poisons the well to start the debate by condemning all opposition as based in immorality.
πŸ‘  ,
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@k0wsk1 ·
They are built on the idea that we can redistribute our fed assets in order to fully integrate renewable energy and fund the livelihood of the people. She is a welcome voice in this time that we live in, where a shift in our mentality about our environmental impact must be the foremost concern.
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@dullhawk ·
$0.02
She's an evil political predator, but she knows what she's doing. Just like all the rest of the congressvermin and presidents.
πŸ‘  
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@k0wsk1 ·
Lumping all politicians into one 'evil' group is an arrogant and dangerous attitude, that gets us presidents like DT.
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@jacobtothe · (edited)
$0.09
Claiming authority over the life, liberty, and property of strangers is an arrogant and dangerous attitude. That is what politicians do. There is no representation. There is no agent/principal relationship. Blaming a consistent philosophy of liberty for electing Trump is like blaming a consistent philosophy of peace for Al Qaeda.
πŸ‘  
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@dullhawk · (edited)
$0.04
"Evil": any act which intentionally harms any person who isn't currently initiating force or violating private property; harms someone who does not deserve to be harmed at this moment.

Philip Zimbardo, in *The Lucifer Effect*, defines it thusly: β€œ*Evil consists in intentionally behaving in ways that harm, abuse, demean, dehumanize, or destroy innocent othersβ€”or using one’s authority and systemic power to encourage or permit others to do so on your behalf*.” So he includes the use of (imaginary) political ["authority"](https://www.amazon.com/Most-Dangerous-Superstition-Larken-Rose-ebook/dp/B00UV41W2U/?tag=livifree07-20) to influence others to be evil under his definition of evil. I agree.

Do all politicians use politics? Yes. Then all politicians are committing evil.

Would you argue against lumping all rapists into one "evil" group based on the definitional act they commit? If so, why the inconsistency?

Recognizing reality isn't "arrogant and dangerous". Burying your head in the sand because it hurts your feelings is.
πŸ‘  
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vote details (1)
@steemitboard ·
$0.02
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