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Is this surprising? These are people who believe in the morality of the state. Of course they believe in this, because their government is moral and of course w

Is this surprising? These are people who believe in the morality of the state. Of course they believe in this, because their government is moral and of course would never do something unfairly or politically motivated like those goddamn caveman Republicans would they? Remember where the neocons originated: these were Democrats who became frustrated by the post-Vietnam anti-war sentiments in the Democrat party (the 5 minutes that the Dems were an anti-war party). Let's not forget that guys like Hitchens were some of the biggest cheerleaders for war post-9/11. Fake "liberal" and "conservative" labels that are more about Jesus and abortion than real politics are almost entirely meaningless. When someone says they are a liberal nowadays, it means nothing more to me than if they said they were a Yankees fan. I know it's going to be yet another indoctrinated statist.

kbenson 13y ago
Isn't it more likely that you don't understand their views and the process by which they plan to enact them than that you fully understand them, better than they understand themselves? Perhaps their driving motive is not politics at all, but something else (such as social change or well-being) and the politics required are simple a means to an end? Perhaps it's just that you don't understand their motives, or any number of other possibilities? Your off-hand dismissal does nobody any good.
- cpursley 13y ago
  "Perhaps their driving motive is not politics at all, but something else" Yes, it's called narcissism. Having been involved in politics at one point and being around elected politicians and aspiring politicians (at least at the state level), I can tell you with absolute certainty that the overwhelming motivation for public office is narcissism. This is also the reason I abandoned my interest in politics - some of the worst human beings I've ever been around.

kbenson 13y ago

Isn't it more likely that you don't understand their views and the process by which they plan to enact them than that you fully understand them, better than they understand themselves? Perhaps their driving motive is not politics at all, but something else (such as social change or well-being) and the politics required are simple a means to an end? Perhaps it's just that you don't understand their motives, or any number of other possibilities? Your off-hand dismissal does nobody any good.

cpursley 13y ago
"Perhaps their driving motive is not politics at all, but something else" Yes, it's called narcissism. Having been involved in politics at one point and being around elected politicians and aspiring politicians (at least at the state level), I can tell you with absolute certainty that the overwhelming motivation for public office is narcissism. This is also the reason I abandoned my interest in politics - some of the worst human beings I've ever been around.