The Misplaced Hopes of Progressives

It's difficult for me to resist writing political articles because we live in such interesting times.  So, please forgive me if I offend at least one half of my readers with this post, but I must share this insight with you nonetheless.

The Progressive Democrats who are currently wresting power from America's traditional Democratic Party are, bless their hearts, way off base. No need for me to go into particulars; you can read other people's books and columns for details. 

Here's my take on it. The Progressives are mistakenly trying to usher in a Utopian society that is not possible to achieve in this fallen world. 

It appears to me that the Progressives are mistaking earth for heaven. History proves over and over again that the Progressive ideals, such as socialist redistribution of wealth, open borders, and "free" government programs never achieves its objectives. 

Hope springs eternal, yet those who forget the lessons of the past are condemned to repeat them.

Yes, the Progressive ideals are, for the most part, lovely thoughts. Yet, they are impossible to bring into reality. The reason is that human beings are too easily corrupted, and the politicians you trust today will become the dictators you fear tomorrow. Why? 

Because absolute power corrupts absolutely.

As I watch the promises pour out of the lips of the younger Progressives, I admire their egalitarian ideals. But, unfortunately, that is not the way the world works. It is the way heaven works. 

I believe the young Progressives are mistaking the hope for Utopia as something that can be achieved. It cannot. Again, the problem is not the ideals, for they are indeed heavenly. The problem is the fallen nature of humankind and the hard, sad fact that wealth and power corrupt those entrusted with ushering in Utopia. 

The older Democrats running for President who are now changing their stripes to appear more Progressive are not Progressives--they are politicians pandering to the youth vote. You young idealists are being played by the old men and women who pretend to agree with you. They do not. They only seek power and dominion over you. This is the sad the truth of the matter, and anyone who has been alive on this planet for any length of time knows it.

The Progressive ideals will quickly turn ugly as unintended consequences take over the agenda. Here's just a few off the top of my head--

I could go on. The point I am trying to make is that things don't turn out the way you hope they will. 

I used to teach college. I have a pretty good idea of your reasoning abilities. You are not smarter than the writers of the American Constitution, and neither are the politicians you trust. It's tragic. Your motives are noble, but the results are not achievable. 

No, it's not a good idea to try anyway, because civilizations do fail and governments do fall. It can happen here and then we will have the post-apocalyptic scenarios that are so popular on television and in the game worlds. Anarchy is not better than our Constitutional government; don't fool yourself.

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Below is a reprint of my article, "Live and let live is the Democratic Ideal," in case you haven't read it.

I am reprinting this column about tolerance of those with whom you disagree. "Live and Let Live" is a meme that is absolutely central to a functioning democracy. Every American citizen is entitled by the law of this land to hold and express their opinions. It is only through exchange of information and assistance that the big jobs get done. Read on for the why's and how's:

The Simple Explanation's theory of memes uses the term "meme" to stand for a belief or a tidbit of knowledge. These memes are passed around to our friends like trading cards--most of our close friends hold the same meme cards we do; that's why they are our friends. The more memes you hold in common with someone else, the more you like them. The opposite is also true--we have a difficult time relating to people who hold a different set of memes.

Here is the bottom-line of the previous Apocalyptic Visions article:

The Simple Explanation suggests that "live and let live" would be a great meta-meme for everyone to adopt. If we could appreciate the fact that each of us has a unique perspective, then perhaps we could allow each other to hold the memes that make the most sense for our lives. This is my meme chord; that is your meme chord. If I don't like your meme chord then I can talk it over with you and see if we can move our meme chords closer to one another in agreement. If neither of us is able or willing to swap memes with the other, then so be it. Either accept the other person, memes and all, or move on. Find someone else who more closely agrees with your memes. There is enough room in this world for each of us to hold our own chords, but only if "live and let live" is an overarching meme.

We are now in the midst of a social epidemic of intolerance. Intolerance is the opposite of "live and let live." When we are intolerant of others' memes, we are declaring that our memes are correct and their memes are wrong. And then we take it a step further--we refuse to "tolerate" the others' memes. We throw up resistance, we throw up roadblocks, we close our ears and refuse to listen to the other. We do not merely disagree, as reasonable people may do from time to time. When we are intolerant, we look for ways to force the other to abandon their memes and adopt ours. We shout them down because we feel we are shouting the right memes and theirs are not only wrong, they are evil and have no right to be heard. And once you declare the other "evil," it is no longer a disagreement in good faith, but a fight for the soul. "God is on our side, therefore we can do whatever it takes to crush the opposition," is a dangerous and usually delusional meme to hold. And if it entitles the holder to disregard rule of law, then it is not a democratic ideal and it has no place in American politics.

Once words can no longer be exchanged, frustration builds and violence follows. This is what we are seeing now in the U.S.  Free exchange of memes has been thwarted because of intolerance. 

Exchange of ideas is the key. You needn't agree with the other person, but you must hear them out. Because, once you agree to sit and exchange ideas and concerns, whether or not you adopt the other's ideas, the very act of hearing each other out creates a shared space that acts as a balm to soothe both your soul and theirs. When you are too angry, frustrated, or afraid to listen to the other, you perpetuate the intolerance that leads to violence. This intolerance is not helpful. 

 Maxine Waters calls followers to adopt intolerance of others' right to disagree. [cnn photo credit]

We hear a lot about the importance of "diversity" nowadays in America. True diversity can only thrive if we allow each other to "live and let live." When you seek to silence those with whom you disagree, you are not encouraging diversity; you are actually partaking in fascism. Fascism advocates the forced suppression of those who express opposing views. Disagreement, on the other hand, is not forced suppression, it is merely disagreement.  Shouting others down when they have the floor, shunning those with whom you disagree, refusing service in a restaurant to paying customers who voted for a different candidate--this is not the side of the angels, folks. This is not helping us come together to get the job done.