Comments on: Born At The Right(?) Time

By: Blue Crab Boulevard » “The Full Metal Deer Apocalypse”

Blue Crab Boulevard » “The Full Metal Deer Apocalypse” — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 13:19:43 +0000

[...] many of the people trying to make sense of the world around them. Riffing off the same topic that Peggy Noonan did a few days ago, Steyn points out that many people in America relate not to how the world is, [...]

By: Andrew X

Andrew X — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 00:34:42 +0000

It’s funny how topics that seem to have no realationship are in fact linked by their underlying philosophies. I posted this comment over at the inestimable Captains Quarters post on of all things, the ‘Jena 6′ case in Louisiana, but it seems just as appropriate here, in respect to the creation of conflict and the magnification of real or perceived problems only so one can “heroically” confront them on the side of the angels, done by those have “never been lonely, never been lied to, never had to scuffle in fear, nothing denied to” –

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I paraphrase from memory a statement made by a young black person who traveled to Jena (with thousands of others) for the Sharpton / Jackson rally etc etc.

He (basically) said: “I have only read about my parents and grandparents marching for civil rights. Now I have a chance to participate in something like that and experience what they did”. (Or words to that effect.)

This statement really rocked me, because of how much it illuminates the entire cultural divide over not just race, but politics, Iraq, everything.

Note that this was his “chance”. “Now is my chance…” means a GOOD thing. My chance for a promotion, my chance to get the girl, my chance to get rich, etc etc. No one speaks of my chance to get fired, my chance to break my leg…

For for this young man speaking about Jena… for him, these “racist” events, it was a GOOD thing, a wonderful opportunity, a chance to “experience” something….

Note this has NOTHING to do with what did or did not actually happen in Jena. Such things are in fact irrelevant. This rally may have FELT to him like it was about the black community confronting racism, but in fact it was ALL about him and how he “felt”.

Feeling good above all else, and I do mean all else.

How many march against Iraq for the exact same reasons? How many vote for the exact same reasons? How many rage against Bush / Cheney / Rove for the exact same reasons? How many journalists, in Jena, in Durham, in Baghdad, write and report what they do for the exact same reasons?

They don’t even make a better world, they just “feel” that they do, and that is not just satisfactory, but the entire orgasmic climax to what they do and why.

And so the “narrative” marches on, utterly oblivious and uncaring about the facts on the ground.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 23:20:00 +0000

Actually, I think it is the product of prosperity not earned, spoon fed high esteem and a failed education system. Having been taught to regurgitate rather than formulate, logical evaluation of liberal concepts are performed perfunctorily, satisfying an ideological criteria being the ultimate benchmark.

Life then becomes school writ large, and since the student was an observer rather than participant of his own success, he continues removed from any prejudice of self preservation, taking the side that will remove from him the wealth he so richly does not deserve.

By: Lars Walker

Lars Walker — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 20:47:22 +0000

I like this train of thought. Another thing to remember about “Animal House” (or most any other movie) is how one-sided it is. The Delta House boys were good, in every way that mattered to the viewer (who hadn’t come to the theater to think). The Omegas were purely evil. They couldn’t argue their side–they weren’t even given a side to argue. They were straw men, set up to give us somebody to hate, so we could rejoice in their demise.

Even a movie like “Braveheart” is the same. To judge from Gibson’s movie, the Scots were peace-loving people who would never have gone to war if it hadn’t been for the aggression of those evil English. The facts of history are far different, the actual issues far murkier.

The Baby Boomer thinks he’s broadminded, but he’s actually used to thinking in White Hat/Black Hat terms. The powerful are always evil. The poor are always good. The weaker side is always in the right. Because such thinking puts the Boomer in opposition to his own culture, he congratulates himself with his openmindedness. But being prejudiced against one’s own side is still a prejudice. His thinking ultimately springs from Marx, who had no concern for right or wrong, only the distribution of wealth.