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June 29, 2004
WORDS ARE NOT TRUTH!
As Varius Crispinus reminds, the idea that anyone's mind can be changed by an illogical slogan on a bumpersticker is astonishing. Yet people obviously believe in the power of nonsense slogans, proudly displayed. One of my favorites: "POVERTY IS VIOLENCE." A demonstration that the driver of such a car does not think logically (something I don't need to be reminded of while driving). Then there's the girl who hectored James Lileks about how the money that he earned should not be his: Well, why is it your money? I think it should be their money.Doubtless, she'd nod in absolute, profound agreement if she saw the "POVERTY IS VIOLENCE" sticker. Not because the metaphor makes sense logically, but because such metaphors are self-apparent to people who don't think (or who'd rather not). Along this line of thought (?), the best bumpersticker I saw simply read, "WORDS ARE NOT TRUTH!" The problem was, it wasn't the only bumpersticker on the driver's car, which made me wonder whether the driver was lost in a sea of useless, lying words. One thing is certain: there is no winning or losing an argument with someone who believes (er, claims to believe) that words (er, some words) are not truth. (An old Lewis Carroll idea....) Some words? Never mind which words! You wouldn't understand! We'll just call you names if you try! I try to avoid accidents, so I try to stay several car lengths behind.
We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good. (Via Glenn Reynolds.)She's telling the truth. But I don't think she's quite ready to go door to door. posted by Eric on 06.29.04 at 07:38 AM
Comments
The woman who shouted at Lileks showed more honesty in her advocacy of looting than is common among a lot of collectivists these days. She even asked, "why is it your money?", but sadly, I don't imagine she would have stayed for an answer about private property rights, self ownership, and the like. Johnathan Pearce · June 29, 2004 03:02 PM The Lileks thing was really dumb. He ripped some naive kid, so now he's a big, big man. (Not really. He's a shrimp. Short guys are always ready for a fight, huh?) Whoopee. I wish she would have brought up the gargartuan deficit which will make Lileks' own retirement hell and his daughter's future uncertain. Or the lies about WMD and Iraq. Or the incompetence of his cabinet. Or Bush's attempt to thwart the Constitution. Lost opportunity. SixFootPole · July 1, 2004 09:22 PM ...and the Clinton quote was taken totally out of context. Irony and sarcasm, people! SixFootPole · July 1, 2004 09:23 PM The height of a person making an argument is about as relevant as his race or sexual preference. But I'm glad you think the girl is naive. Eric Scheie · July 2, 2004 10:06 AM I think she's a thug. Steven Malcolm Anderson (Cato the Elder) the Lesbian-worshipping gun-loving selfish aesthete · July 2, 2004 12:32 PM In what universe are teenage girls thugs? SixFootPole · July 2, 2004 05:44 PM |
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"POVERTY IS VIOLENCE" -- yes, that well summarizes one of the basic premises of the Left. So many of them are born in affluence that they assume that that is the natural human condition, and that, therefore, if other people are poor, something or somebody must have _caused_ them to be poor. The Evil Dead White European Male Jewish Capitalists.
It's the other way around. Poverty is man's natural, default state. Wealth doesn't just drop from trees, it has to be created. Creation presupposes a Creator, and in this case it is precisely those Evil Dead White European Male Jewish Capitalists who are responsible for everything we have. Until Atlas finally decides to shrug, that is. Which he is already starting to do.