How to get it so wrong
The response to the Trump victory is déjà vu all over again. In an interview with Ann Coulter, Peter Mansbridge, the chief correspondent for CBC news asked the question that is the source of never ending puzzlement for the left and the main stream media: How did we get it so wrong? How did we miss it?
While Ann gave an answer about the details, explaining what was missed, she did not actually answer the essence of the question even though the problem is obvious:
They missed it because their heads were too far up in their asses. We can understand why Ann Coulter could have been reluctant to point something to this effect out in public. Unlike this writer, she is too classy to do that. The same question was asked by Rita Celli (also of the CBC) in a show after the Brexit vote.
The most amazing aspect of the Trump victory, just like the Brexit vote before it, was not the fact that it succeeded; not the fact that it did despite the smug, condescending assurances of the media and the political classes that it will not; not even the hissy fits that took the leftists over when they had to face the reality of it, but their utter inability to understand it. I could see how now, with the presidential election, as then, with the Brexit vote, their world fell apart. They KNEW that they were right; they KNEW that they were good; they KNEW that they are on the ‘right side of history’; they KNEW that they will win; and when they did not, they started to question everything except the one thing they should have: THEMSELVES.
Because that is the essence of the left: blind faith in their own righteousness. When they lose, it is clear to them that the problem must be somewhere else. It must be their opponents, the world, the universe that is conspiring against them. Instead of reviewing and questioning their own beliefs, every loss is turned into an affirmation of their righteousness. They see themselves as the victims of those they disagree with; as victims of the system; as victims of society. Losing a battle, wrecking havoc or creating misery just reinforces their determination to do more of the same. Because next time it will be different.
The question after the Brexit vote was "How can 52% get it so wrong?" followed by "Is it possible to have too much democracy?" They seriously argued that something is wrong with the system since it ‘allowed’ a result they disagree with.
We can never see any honest self reflection. It was absolutely without question in their mind that it was the 52% that got it wrong, it couldn’t possibly have been them. The arguments never met. The protesters on the streets after the US election are shouting “Not my president!” The question of Peter Mansbridge was not “what did we do wrong” but “Where did we all get it so wrong? What weren’t we seeing out there?” He later says: “……. So it’s a puzzle that it’s kind of went by unnoticed, if it was that kind of rage ….. [that led to the Trump victory]” It wasn’t their fault, really. They were expecting something better from their opponents. They just did not expect that degree of ‘rage’. The answer, the fault is always outside. I could argue along the lines of the ‘head in the ass’ metaphor, pointing out the narcissism, the hypocrisy or the aggression of the left, but I will limit myself to the biggest problems:
The refusal to communicate
The right has a number of legitimate concerns which the left refuses to talk about:
That Global warming politics causes more harm than global warming itself
That multiculturalism is a failure
That Islam is not compatible with Western values
That uncontrolled immigration can produce negative results and ignoring some laws will weaken the rest of them
That identity politics is divisive
That welfare policies actually hurt the poor, as does class warfare
That redistribution does not work
That public education does not work
That political correctness makes the honest exchange of ideas impossible
…….and I could continue with a long list of issues where the left chooses to shut down the debate instead of participating in it. The left will never understand its failures if it is not willing to discuss them.
The denial of reality
The left is avoiding debates because they can never win them. Most of the leftist ideas represent wishful thinking and an active denial of reality. They cannot accept facts and evidence that may contradict their ideology based delusion. They cannot accept simple, verifiable facts such as:
Men and women are not the same
It is not possible to turn a man into a woman or vice versa
Intelligence is measurable and it has a range
Cultures have different values and those differences matter
Humans are not responsible for climate change
You cannot mold human nature at will
You cannot screw with the economy
What goes up must come down
Printing money will not get you out of debt
…… and again, I could go on.
The left will never understand its failures as long as it refuses to accept reality, as long as it refuses to understand that not everything can be subjected to its will.
The refusal to take responsibility
Leftist ideas and policies have an awful record from the Gulags and the cultural revolution to Greece, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Detroit and so on ad infinitum. Leftist policies invariably produce poor to disastrous results for which the left never, ever takes responsibility. They never look at themselves or examine the policies that led to the failures. They just restate the idea and believe without any doubt that it will work next time. The failures never count. The left will never understand its failures until it is ready to take responsibility for them.
The last question should be: is it possible to change this? Can the left grow up? Can they ever have an honest discussion of ANY subject, of ANY of their policies. My answer is: HIGHLY UNLIKELY.
The ideas of the left, all of them, are hopelessly stupid, immoral and emotional. The moment a leftist grows a brain, discovers true morality and stops being hysterical, he ceases to be leftist. We cannot hope to change them, only to convert them.
As for now, what do you think? Can any of them understand these points?