Sunday, January 19, 2020

The left took “1984” not as a cautionary tale, but as a guidebook....

Democrats And The ‘Reeducation’ Of The American People      Derek Hunter Posted: Jan 19, 2020
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Democrats And The ‘Reeducation’ Of The American People

Leftists love the concept of “reeducating” the public, the idea that we, the great unwashed, are too simpleminded to understand both complex issues of policy and what is best for ourselves in our own lives. (See this Bernie Sanders campaign employee advocating Gulags and reeducation camps for conservatives.) They have the answers, we’re just too stupid to allow them to impose those solutions. It’s the cornerstone of the progressive political philosophy – our moral and intellectual betters need to be empowered to shape our lives so they can make the world a better place. Hitler believed this, as did Stalin, Mao, and every other left-wing dictator who helped rack up 100 million dead human beings in pursuit of this Utopian ideal in the 20th century.
You’d think 100 million dead would give some people pause, but you’d be wrong. Modern progressives deflect the reality of their philosophical forefathers with answers like, “Stalin wasn’t a real communist, they should’ve followed Trotsky!” and “Hitler was a right-winger. Answers of this sort demonstrate an elementary school-level understanding of politics and history.

First, the idea that Stalin’s Russia wasn’t “real communism” ignores human nature and history. No totalitarian regime is about equality, be it under the banner of any progressive flag – communism, socialism, fascism, etc. The “leaders” always receive special treatment.


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