tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8304928500646903522.post9192438019802541654..comments2024-03-18T15:45:32.866-04:00Comments on bensozia: Predicting Trumpism in 1998Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037215533094998996noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8304928500646903522.post-9618187623254487192020-12-19T12:27:18.537-05:002020-12-19T12:27:18.537-05:00@David
Hear, hear.@David<br /><br />Hear, hear.G. Verlorennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8304928500646903522.post-4942996741664892412020-12-19T11:55:28.846-05:002020-12-19T11:55:28.846-05:00Yes, this is a great quote that has been making th...Yes, this is a great quote that has been making the rounds, and has given Rorty legitimate fame as something of a prophet.<br /><br />One finds a similar analysis of the Israeli right described in a recent NYT article, worth reading: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/18/world/middleeast/israel-mizrahim-netanyahu.html.<br /><br />The problem is that too often the solution offered is, "when they act like bigoted assholes, liberals should respond with oodles of kindness and patience, and try to understand instead of condemn." This amounts to one of two things: either we're saying that bigoted assholes is just what they are, and we're going to have to let them be themselves (because how far are we really supposed to go in "understanding" what even Rorty calls "socially accepted sadism"?); or we're admitting that, well, we really aren't ever going to let ourselves be taxed to provide social benefits for anyone else, so we might as well let them have their sadistic fun so we can keep our money.<br /><br />Based on the Wikipedia synopsis of his book, Rorty's own solution seems to be that liberals should stop reading Thomas Pynchon and Neal Stephenson, and instead bring back the hopeful rhetoric of Whitman and the pragmatism of Dewey. Which, if it actually means raising taxes and redistributing some wealth, might do some good, but sounds in itself like weak sauce.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14456987412710878404noreply@blogger.com