The right's stupidity spreads, enabled by a too-polite left

[corksean]

Self-deprecating, too liberal for their own good, today's progressives stand back and watch, hands over their mouths, as the social vivisectionists of the right slice up a living society to see if its component parts can survive in isolation. Tied up in knots of reticence and self-doubt, they will not shout stop. Doing so requires an act of interruption, of presumption, for which they no longer possess a vocabulary.

Perhaps it is in the same spirit of liberal constipation that, with the exception of Charlie Brooker, we have been too polite to mention the Canadian study published last month in the journal Psychological Science, which revealed that people with conservative beliefs are likely to be of low intelligence. Paradoxically it was the Daily Mail that brought it to the attention of British readers last week. It feels crude, illiberal to point out that the other side is, on average, more stupid than our own. But this, the study suggests, is not unfounded generalisation but empirical fact.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/feb/06/right-stupidity-spreads-enabled-polite-left

[Summer Hathaway]

1. This site is full

of progressives - and to describe them as "self-deprecating people who are standing back and watching, with their hands over their mouths" is downright laughable.

I don't always agree with the self-identified "progressives" here - but describing them as "tied up in knots of reticence and self-doubt" - well, all I can say is

[Skittles]

3. I think they're saying the left in general

we are very politically aware / active, which separates us from "the left in general"

[Fumesucker]

6. It's fairly common for me to hear right wingers talking politics in public..

Giving their unique spin to current events..

I almost never hear left wingers doing the same thing countering the right wing spin out in public.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

9. My wife and I enjoy countering the right wing spin.

Works best in checkout lines.

[chervilant]

15. Ibid...

here in Houston.

[kenfrequed]

10. If anyone speaks publically about politics around me

I take it as an open invite to start putting out my own progressive arguments and ideas. A lot of conservatives have uncomforatbly moved away from me or gotten angry but because it is Minnesota they don't know what to do when they are challenged.

[Populist_Prole]

13. My observation as well. Opinionated and loud. More so these days

To pushy type-A right-wingers, it seems the relative quiet reflectiveness of progressives is seen by them as a weakness of sorts and encourages them to constantly spout.

[dimbear]

2. Holding your hand over your mouth does nothing for constipation.

I admit that I'm quiet and shy, like the article says, otherwise I would occasionally give those rightwing MFs whatfor.

[Obama3_16]

4. well, why should they interrupt? the right are going farther and farther

down some crazy road at the moment, and far be it for those who would benefit from the right's fall to stop them from hopping off the cliff.

[Obama3_16]

5. fascinating read, though. I'll be linking to other sites I frequent! :D

[xchrom]

7. very true. nt

[LiberalLovinLug]

8. Once in a while the obvious should be stated

But its difficult to win with this approach of course.

People don't like being accused of being stupider (?) than you, no matter what the context. Even if they actually ARE stupider than you. Accusations like this only makes their stupid little brains get all flushed with blood drowning out whatever intelligence is left in there.

Don't forget another study revealed by none other than John Dean. A 40 year study that showed that Conservativism and Authoritarianism are interrelated. That is that conservative voters are much more likely to be followers (ie. sheep) who do not question the decisions of those above them.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Video_50_year_study_says_conservatives_0711.html

[txlibdem]

11. +++

Thank you for posting this.

[butterfly77]

12. And...

some fake Democrats.

[Pakid]

14. It would help

if we had more than a couple of real voices in the news media. Lets face it the rich own the media and they want to give voice to only stupid people. After all how else can they win and lay waste to America for there own benefit!

[chervilant]

16. hmph

Last edited Wed Feb 8, 2012, 10:14 AM - Edit history (1)

I think this "too polite left" is a red herring. Just because the left pursues social change through non-violence, using Satyagraha, does NOT mean that we are any less courageous or assertive or adamant than the divisive, judgmental, fear-mongering, hate-mongering bullies on the right.

They can take their bullying--and their anti-intellectual bigotry--and stick it where the sun doesn't shine.