Misplaced Leftist Outrage
“You conservatives are all happy the unemployment numbers are up because it makes the president look bad.” Heard that one before? I have.
There’s a certain type of outrage particular to leftists which is reserved not for the political authorities responsible for economic failure, scandal, or corruption, but for the political opponents of the culpable politician who are assumed to be rejoicing over their opponent’s latest failure.
We saw it with Solyndra: great howls rose up from the left over the supposed political opportunism of the GOP. According to the common narrative, Republicans were merely exploiting the Solyndra story to make the president look bad because they hated him so much.
It’s misplaced anger. Leftists should be angry with President Obama for his failures in handling the economy and for his administration’s exposed habit of corruption that continues to come to light. Instead they’re angry at anyone who might benefit from the revelation of dark truths.
This characteristic of the left is nothing new. Writing in 1976 on European “Leftism” (in an essay included in Ricochet Member Flagg Taylor's The Great Lie), French thinker Raymond Aron described the same peculiar trait among European Leftists.
… “Leftism” is, so to speak, the elaboration of the principle according to which everything is measured by two different scales. It matters little what a man of the Right actually says, his views will be rejected in advance. If he mentions Soviet concentration camps, then it is not because he loves freedom and loathes the repression of one man by his fellows, but because for reasons which he cannot admit he has chosen the camp of the “Rightists” (or the conservatives, or the reactionaries)…
And of Leftist poster boy Jean-Paul Sartre, Aron wrote:
At a time when people in the West were discussing the fact that there were concentration camps in the Soviet Union, [Sartre] directed his anger not so much against the Soviet authorities who had established these camps, nor against the Communists who had denied their existence, but against the anti-Communists and the so-called Rightists who were suspected of rejoicing in the fact.
I find some strange, perverse comfort in learning that there are substantial precedents for the seemingly irrational behavior of American liberals. Though leftist ideology may be thoroughly unreasonable, at least it's completely consistent.
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Jul '11
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
Diane, don't you remember being angry with your parents for pointing out that something you were doing was your own fault? You know, when you were two or three.
The left has to attack us for saying, 'we told you so' because we did tell them, we have told them and we will continue to tell them. The left cannot accept its own culpability in our present circumstances and as such can only attack us for pointing out that we saw it all coming.
Mar '11
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
“You conservatives are all happy the unemployment numbers are up because it makes the president look bad.”
Absolutely true... every last member of Ricochet is doing his best to post, comment, and podcast his way to the unemployment line. We'll show them!
Jul '11
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
The leftist media seemed giddy enough to report casualties from our military actions during the Bush years. Much like homelessness, those numbers rarely get discussed when one of their own is in power.
Dec '10
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
Adam Savage puts it this way: "I reject your reality and substitute one of my own!"
Years earlier, Ashleigh Brilliant expressed it as: "I have abandoned my search for truth, and am now looking for a good fantasy."
Jun '11
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
Diane Ellis, Ed.:
I find some strange, perverse comfort in learning that there are substantial precedents for the seemingly irrational behavior of American liberals. Though leftist ideology may be thoroughly unreasonable, at least it's completely consistent. ·
Careful, Diane. If you find perverse comfort in learning that the Left's irrationality has a long and consistent precedent, you risk having them attack you for taking pleasure in their irrationality...which would be irrational; but I repeat myself.
Sep '10
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
Casey: “You conservatives are all happy the unemployment numbers are up because it makes the president look bad.”
Absolutely true... every last member of Ricochet is doing his best to post, comment, and podcast his way to the unemployment line. We'll show them! · Dec 6 at 11:26am
That's two funnies, two consecutive days. Clearly, you are a threat to my self esteem and I must find a way to distract you.
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
J.Voss: Diane, don't you remember being angry with your parents for pointing out that something you were doing was your own fault? You know, when you were two or three.
The left has to attack us for saying, 'we told you so' because we did tell them, we have told them and we will continue to tell them. The left cannot accept its own culpability in our present circumstances and as such can only attack us for pointing out that we saw it all coming. · Dec 6 at 11:17am
Often, the flaws of the left are mirrored in the right. Denial, complacency at corruption, excusing bad behavior, etc etc. But this peculiar habit of expressing outrage at political opponents for the flaws of one's own guy seems to me to be unique to the left. And I think it stems from something beyond the impulse to behave like children. But precisely whence it stems, I can't quite figure out.
Nov '11
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
Very well put..
The Left seem to project themselves (and their own traits) onto others all the time. They automatically assume everybody would rejoice in pointing out others´ failings because they themselves would do so.
Aug '10
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
Can we establish whether the left are destroyers and the right builders ? If that were so, then there would be little further need for explanation of their ways. If men build things of their own free will , do states build things or force men to ? States don't possess free will ,but rather the collective momentum of those who willingly give up their free will.
Are all leftists statists ?
Jun '10
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
If there's any satisfaction, it's of the "we told you so" variety.
Nov '11
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
"Mistakes can be corrected by those who pay attention to facts but dogmatism will not be corrected by those who are wedded to a vision." - Thomas Sowell
Jul '11
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
Diane Ellis, Ed.
And I think it stems from something beyond the impulse to behave like children. But precisely whence it stems, I can't quite figure out. · Dec 6 at 11:31am
I think you may be trying to give the other side too much credit where the origin of their behavior is concerned. But that is just my two cents.
On the other part, you are absolutely right! We are not without our own 'warts' on the right. The difference between the liberals and the conservatives in my life is that the conservatives are generally more aware of where their biases are.
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
Yes, you're right.
This reminds me of an exchange I had with a liberal friend of mine who asked me if it's indeed true that "conservatives prioritize defeating Obama in the next election over the well-being of the country."
I responded that a) defeating the incumbent is always a top priority for the challenger because b) it's a prerequisite for changing the policies of the country, such that it can once again flourish.
My friend thought that response really greedy of me...
Jun '11
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
Diane Ellis, Ed.
Often, the flaws of the left are mirrored in the right. Denial, complacency at corruption, excusing bad behavior, etc etc. But this peculiar habit of expressing outrage at political opponents for the flaws of one's own guy seems to me to be unique to the left. And I think it stems from something beyond the impulse to behave like children. But precisely whence it stems, I can't quite figure out. · Dec 6 at 11:31am
Could it from a frightening suspicion that lurks in the back of their heads that the entire leftist worldview is, indeed, flawed? Like a game of pickup sticks, our pointing out any individual flaw risks bringing the whole clump off the floor.
Nov '11
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
Daniel Perez: Very well put..
The Left seem to project themselves (and their own traits) onto others all the time. They automatically assume everybody would rejoice in pointing out others´ failings because they themselves would do so. · Dec 6 at 11:33am
I think this is the biggest part of what motivates the behavior in question, together with angry resistence toward anything that might cast doubt on their self-image (which is tightly bound up with their political outlook).
Sep '11
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
Daniel Perez is right. It's classic projection. But those doing the projecting are wrong. I would venture to guess that not a one of "us" is happy that "unemployment numbers are up." High unemployment makes Obama's reelection less likely, but I hate that people I know (and don't know!) are struggling mightily because they don't have a job.
May '10
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
Conducting politics without parties is like trying to make Jello without a bowl. Conducting politics with parties is like reducing governance to a sporting event where you cheer your opponents mistakes as lustily as your own successes.
It was ever thus and always shall be. (Amen)
Nov '11
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
Colin B Lane
Could it from a frightening suspicion that lurks in the back of their heads that the entire leftist worldview is, indeed, flawed? Like a game of pickup sticks, our pointing out any individual flaw risks bringing the whole clump off the floor. · Dec 6 at 11:52am
Excellent. I believe that to be precisely the case.
In my opinion, the entire basis of their whole argument is "We know what is best for you, even though you would think otherwise." Show them the flaw in this idea, and they have nothing else on which to stand.
Edited on Dec 6, 2011 at 12:28pmJul '11
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
The issue I find so abhorrent from the left is their inability to analyze situations and reach appropriate conclusions or the definition of stupidity if you will as it applies to nearly all leftist government actions.
Take a lousy economy victimized by crony capitalists, career politicians, entitlements, and most of all Keynsian lunacy. The left sees the right as happy the economy is poor and the right sees the flawed policies come home to roost and hopefully the opportunity to fix the situation. The left sees more government regulations and money as the fix and the right sees freedom and liberty as the answer to most issues.
Dec '11
Re: Misplaced Leftist Outrage
At the risk of sounding like a leftie, I remember when this lamentation came from Republicans early on in the Bush years, and during the wars.