05-02-2020, 06:26 PM
(05-02-2020, 10:09 AM)Bob Butler 54 Wrote:(05-01-2020, 11:09 AM)Bob Butler 54 Wrote:(05-01-2020, 04:35 AM)Blazkovitz Wrote: Though I doubt if the term progressive is useful, since the Left has abandoned the idea of progress. Richard Dawkins is probably a proper progressive Leftist. In general the sceptic community stands for progress as it was understood in the previous saeculum, and as I still understand it, but most of them criticise the Left quite harshly like Sam Harris.
I would consider the arrow of progress to be alive and well. Do you oppose autocracy? Seek equality? Favor human rights? Some do. The left has not abandoned striving towards progress, though from Nixon to Trump at least they have been fighting an up hill battle.
I prefer meritocracy to equality. Human rights are fine, though the Left seems keen on expanding the list endlessly, so that they start restricting other people's freedoms.
If I thought the elites had much merit I might sympathize a bit. As is there is too much 'he who has, gets.' The elites have so much that protecting a floor below which one does not sink seems possible. I would suppose equality of capital is more than one should expect, but equality under law is worth aiming for. Tribal thinking overcoming minorities is not right.
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One accepts equality in politics because anything else gets absurd results. In economics, meritocracy must prevail so that things work. A sound economy rewards competence and discourages inadequacy.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated Communist but instead the people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists -- Hannah Arendt.
