In the beginning…
Once upon a time I considered myself to be “liberal.” I hung posters in the neighborhood for John Kennedy. But slowly, over time, a realization dawned on me. I was liberal because my political and moral philosophy was based on freedom, the rule of law, property rights, respect for life and equal rights. Those things were what America was to me.
The word liberal was being shanghaied by a movement that used the word liberal a lot. But its words and actions were, in fact, increasingly intolerant. It forced me to check the content of my character, to choose to become intolerant in order to remain “liberal” or to choose to call myself something else.
Faux liberals… Leftists, Progressives
A recent Prager U video describes the results we see today from that faux liberal movement. The video asserts that, “…If what I am about to tell you is true, almost everything we most treasure; freedom, beauty, reason, the family, economic well-being, and even goodness is in jeopardy…” We are threatened by the most powerful ideology of the last hundred years: Leftism. Pay attention to what Prager just said, “… Not liberalism; leftism, or, if you prefer, progressivism. Leftism destroys everything it touches…” It exists in both political parties, in all branches of government, the media and academia. It is as ubiquitous as it is pernicious.
Prager then goes on to provide some examples:
1. The universities: The left’s has nearly destroyed most universities as places of learning. In the words of Harvard professor Steven Pinker, an atheist and a liberal, because of the left, “universities are becoming laughing stocks of intolerance. “…At almost every university and increasingly now high schools and even elementary schools; students are taught to shut down, not debate, those who differ with them. They are taught to rely on feelings rather than reason…”
2. The arts: Throughout history, the primary purpose of art was to elevate people through beauty, artistic excellence, and emotional depth. To the left, the primary purpose of art, sculpture, and music is to shock. That’s why so much contemporary art is meaningless, and involves the scatological, meaning urine and feces. To give one of countless examples; in 2016, the Guggenheim Museum in New York featured a pure gold working toilet, which visitors were invited to use. The name of the exhibit was “America” so one could literally relieve oneself on America..
3. Literature: The English department at the University of Pennsylvania replaced the portrait of the greatest English language writer who ever lived, William Shakespeare, with a picture of a black lesbian poet. Why? Because he was a white European male. Leftist professors have replaced the pursuit of excellence with the pursuit of diversity.
4. Late-night television: In America, late-night television shows were completely apolitical. The hosts believed their role was to entertain viewers, to offer them relief and laughter after a difficult day. No longer. You cannot watch late-night television if you just want to be entertained. Late-night TV is now left-night TV.
5. Religion: The left has ruined much of mainstream Protestantism, Catholicism, and non-Orthodox Judaism. Those organizations are now little more than left wing organizations with religious symbols. In many churches and synagogues, one is more likely to hear the clergy talk about political issues than about any other subject, including even the Bible.
6. Free Speech: If there was anything virtually every American considered a bedrock value, it was freedom of speech. Yet, the left is destroying even this unique American achievement. Almost half of America’s young people say they believe in free speech. But they do not believe in freedom for “hate speech.” The whole point of free speech is that it allows all people the right to express any political or social position, including what any one of us considers “hate speech.” “Hate speech” now means “any position the left differs with.”
7. Race: America has become the least racist multi-racial society in world history. On a daily basis, Americans of every race and ethnicity get along superbly. The left constantly poisons young minds with angry diatribes about “systemic racism,” “micro aggressions,” and “white privilege.”
8. The Boy Scouts: The left is destroying the Boy Scouts. They’re not even the Boy Scouts anymore; they’re just the Scouts. The left forced them to admit girls. Here’s the thing about the left: it only destroys. It doesn’t build. The Boy Scouts have helped shape tens of millions of boys into independent, strong, good men. So where is the left-wing version of the Boy Scouts? It doesn’t exist. There is none.
9. Male-female: In some ways scariest of all, the left is committed to ending male and female as distinct categories. Children are increasingly raised not to think of themselves as a boy or a girl. Teachers are told not to refer to their students as “boys” or “girls,” just “students.” In New York City, parents do not have to check off male or female on their newborn’s birth certificate. They can check off “x.” All this imposed gender confusion can only end up producing confused people and a confused society.
I will add number 10. Capitalism: to Prager’s list. Over the last approximately 25 years more than a billion people have been raised from poverty through capitalist free markets. That’s a huge improvement in the quality of life for about one in every seven people on the planet. The leftists ignore actual results and to assert socialism, which has never been demonstrated to produce a positive result anywhere ever, is the future.
Conclusion:
So why does the left engage in so much destruction? Because it thinks America is essentially a bad country. But America is only bad compared to Utopia. The left is utopian. Perhaps we should consider these points when we are making decisions. What do we want for our children and grandchildren? What is the best path to get there? Shall we work together to build or shall we simply destroy what has been built?
Ref:
https://www.prageru.com/video/the-left-ruins-everything/