Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield
You realize that to bring mood affiliation into a discussion here basically blows up the place. Seventy percent of what people put here is cherry picked to suit their narrative of the world.
I could cite an article by Ta Nehisi Coates or Krugman in which they advocated cannibalism and it'd be lauded here. There are darlings of this place, exclusively progressive or liberal, whose works are treated with reverence. Murray deserves no quarter, but Harris? I think Harris' body of work on varied topics, most of which I've read, evidences a strong, open-minded intellect. And yet because he offended GGG's sensibilities (er, narrative) in his exchange with a buffoon like Ben Affleck, and chose to touch the third rail of censorship of Murray, he's a "bigot," a "racist."
Who's observing mood affiliation there?
Somebody needs to be the skeptic here. Because from what I see, there's an enormous amount of mood affiliation on this board.
Not so much from you. You're a son of a bitch to debate with, but you don't seem to have a strong ideology (or at least not one that isn't subject to change). So this is not in any way aimed in your direction.
"Don't you dare take shots at a view that I hold sacred" is never a wise posture. That's passion eclipsing clinical examination of issues. Klein would support this by the way, as he believes we should consider feelings. I'm not unsympathetic to that view. But facts are facts, and however deeply held a position might be, if there are holes in it, it should be criticized. I think identity politics is one of those areas. Generalizations are like abortion. Needed, but best avoided, and used rarely.
It's telling so many people here would happily call themselves progressive, as they have. Maybe you think you're one (your affection for free markets renders this impossible, by the way). I think myself one in some regards. But I'm conservative in other regards (like you). I know I'm socially liberal. But on fiscal policies, I go policy by policy. Sometimes, I like liberal ideas, sometimes conservative. My mind changes from day to day.
With the exception of a few bedrock concepts regarding individual freedom, I'm pretty much a relativist on everything, viewing theories and policies like a buffet. I think everyone is secretly the same. And yet here, to disagree with often doctrinaire liberal sacred cows earns one a massive pile-on.
I'd be careful discussing mood affiliation here. You are correct that I have knee jerk impulse to want to tell Klein to shut up. And that's perhaps unfair. But it's the same knee jerk reaction one receives here when questioning certain strident liberal or progressive opinions, or the darlings who offer them -- "I'm right, dammit... You're trolling!" Neither is true.
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