We can all more or less imagine the world the Puritans and other Christianists were trying to bring into being (or at least posit as a North Star): a community of believers united by God and their love and obedience toward God, a single organism guided by Scripture, a world defined entirely by Christianity as they interpreted it etc...
But what is the world trying to be midwifed by our progressive clerisy, this odd ruling caste of performative ethnomasochists and punitive moralists, who are deeply Puritan Christian heretics, whether they know or admit it or not? What would their Promised Land look like?
A society of permanent atonement and livestreamed Struggle Sessions? An Animal Farm where the white animals get to enjoy a life of "self-reflective collective fasting” while the sacred brown cows bask in the joys of Justice aka revenge? A society nailed to the cross of demography, where the first priority of every endeavor is ensuring it has proper levels of "representation" that include "diverse voices"?
I'll admit to being uncharitable here, but I think we all know the difference bw the Puritans on fire for the love of God and the Puritans on fire for "Social Justice": the former wanted us to bend the knee to the Lord, the latter want us to bend the knee to THEM. Both groups wanted to create a theocracy where they were considered holy and infallible and their enemies considered heretics who deserved a nice warm auto-de-fe.
Times and dogma may change, but fundamentalists are forever!
Happy Thanksgiving, Brad, hope you have a great holiday...
Just like those anxious Soviet apparatchiks who refused to be the first one to stop clapping for the Great Leader Stalin (even if it meant physical collapse), their Social Justice descendants can't be the first ones to say "Our representation compensation may have veered too far in the opposite direction!" For a loyal obedient true believer, too much is never enough.
Also, Social Justice simply means taking the most extreme conception of the social hierarchy of say 100 years ago and just flipping it upside-down...thus until the evil white man has no rights, no voice and only comes on stage to shine the shoes of his betters, Justice will not be achieved.
Thanks for your posts Brad, you capture the zeitgeist so well. Along with an impressive attention to truth and detail. A real pleasure to read. Happy Thanksgiving.
This year I am thankful that the covid vaccine has not yet been withdrawn from the market so all of these whiny Progressives can get another shot of virtue into their tiny, struggling hearts. Sad.
Yeah, but if they took the vaccine, chance es are those nuts don't work anymore, anyways. Besides, looking at a lot of these Progressives their balls haven't dropped yet.
It's great if you don't have to reconcile the competing ideas you hold in your head, something to be thankful for. For example, you can claim colonization is bad and the root of all evil but then support open borders and unlimited immigration. Also great to have found a way to feel virtuous while acting like a total arsehole spewing highly enriched, weapons-grade horseshit to try and ruin other people's holiday.
I also love the performative self-flagellation without taking any consequences, just acknowledging you're on land stolen from the native Americans without perhaps concluding that you should piss off back to Europe and give your cushy writer job away to someone more deserving. Otherwise it's just doing a victory lap and rubbing it in at every opportunity: "we're really sorry that we won so hard. So sorry my ancestors were stronger than your ancestors".
as i said above - whatever happens the people at the top of the pyramid will look remarkably familiar. They will enforce this others to the benefit of their own power. Li th private jet flying "climate activists," the rules are to be enforced by them not followed by them.
Shared holidays promote national unity, which is of course verboten. I've had the pleasure of hosting Thanksgivings for American and local friends in several countries, and it was nice to have something not tied to religion that we could all celebrate. (Fun fact: nobody liked pumpkin pie except Americans.) Imagine explaining to anyone from anywhere else that we're now giving up our national holidays as atonement! It's absurd but also an extremely effective tactic. Grateful for patriotic voices of sanity like Brad. Happy Thanksgiving!
I don´t think progressives are wrong to point out the less than hunky-dory aspects of American history. We weren´t perfect in the past and we´re not perfect now. That´s the truth. But they go too far when they say that we should cancel Thanksgiving. There is so much good in the holiday -- families and friends coming together, the gentle nudge to focus on the good in life, pumpkin pie. We need more of that good stuff, not less.
Maybe the lesson is that we don´t have to be perfect to eat mashed potatoes. We can look at ourselves with clear eyes and accept the good and bad in each of us. In the past, the new Americans and the Indians fought. Today many families fight, sometimes around the thanksgiving day table. We´re all a little bit oppressed, a little bit oppressor. Human nature hasn´t changed and here we are. But if we can bring in a little more acceptance, a little less judgment, perhaps we can find a way to get along and even love one another. There´s a lot of light in the good and in the seemingly bad too, a lot to be thankful for after all. Despite all the ways we´ve hurt each other and will, no doubt, continue to hurt one another. We´re just human, good and bad. And we deserve to eat, together.
Correct - if we spend every day boasting of our superiority, they might have a point. But they miss the whole thing and its in the title THANSGIVING for Pete's sake. It is a show of gratitude which is an act of humility. Th people who do not understand generally lack those qualities.
Happy Thanksgiving, Brad! 🦃I'm thankful that there are people like you who can express so well the challenges we face in this world. Keep up the good work!
Native Americans are a case study in why it is foolhardy to hide from a virus.
They were often treated unfairly, just as they treated their neighbors and those who occupied land before them.
In reality it wasn't the white man who was responsible for the genocide; its the viruses they carried which they had either natural immunity to or cross-over immunity.
But the Native Americans did not because of their unfortunate encounter with history after millenia of de facto isolation.
If the so-called progressives truly cared about Native Americans, they would address the corrupt and inept Bureau of Indian Affairs. This agency has acted as their "caretakers"- providing Native Americans with substandard education and health care (including a child abuse scandal), while managing to " lose" billions owed to various tribes for mineral rights associated with the natural resources of tribal lands. The Federal Government, via this agency, has harmed our indigenous population as much, if not far more, than our forebearers so despised by these progressives. The treatment of the Osage after the discovery of oil on the land they OWNED is one example of the disgusting paternalism. Yet so goes the learned expert class.
Started early. 30 people over last night for dinner, and wine...lots wine. Mostly family but a couple of friends. Included were gun toting Texan conservatives, woke Jews from Highland Park IL who were directly impacted by the July 4 shooting one Catholic guy (me) and a bunch of other representatives of political thought, including apathy.
A good time was had by all, all of whom genuinely enjoyed each other company. We have far more in common then difference. don't let these bitter miserable "thought leaders" teat us apart.
One, unfortunately serious, observation before the hangover from last night sends me too the couch*
The process you describe is generally referred to "dismantling" and "de-colonization." The dismantling is well underway and can be seen in every aspect of society these lunatics touch. From defunding the police to allowing deranged men to invade women's specs the march through the institutions continues. the dismantling of the Holidays is a prime target because these moments bring us together in in ways that unify us. That will never do.
However, the events of October 7 show us what de-colonization is. And the progs have made it clear, it is not just the Israelis who are to be on the receiving end of this, It is all of us. There is a blood lust here and as sue as Stalin slaughter the Kulaks, the progs want to do the same to us, (and their own as is inevitable in all of their revolutions.) LEts not kid ourselves, they want us read, believe them when they say it,
We can all more or less imagine the world the Puritans and other Christianists were trying to bring into being (or at least posit as a North Star): a community of believers united by God and their love and obedience toward God, a single organism guided by Scripture, a world defined entirely by Christianity as they interpreted it etc...
But what is the world trying to be midwifed by our progressive clerisy, this odd ruling caste of performative ethnomasochists and punitive moralists, who are deeply Puritan Christian heretics, whether they know or admit it or not? What would their Promised Land look like?
A society of permanent atonement and livestreamed Struggle Sessions? An Animal Farm where the white animals get to enjoy a life of "self-reflective collective fasting” while the sacred brown cows bask in the joys of Justice aka revenge? A society nailed to the cross of demography, where the first priority of every endeavor is ensuring it has proper levels of "representation" that include "diverse voices"?
I'll admit to being uncharitable here, but I think we all know the difference bw the Puritans on fire for the love of God and the Puritans on fire for "Social Justice": the former wanted us to bend the knee to the Lord, the latter want us to bend the knee to THEM. Both groups wanted to create a theocracy where they were considered holy and infallible and their enemies considered heretics who deserved a nice warm auto-de-fe.
Times and dogma may change, but fundamentalists are forever!
Happy Thanksgiving, Brad, hope you have a great holiday...
It's quite interesting to watch the phenomena of proper levels of representation turn into the inverse of what the actual proportions are.
Go to a movie or watch a tv series or a series of commercials and you'd think the progressive "puritans" had committed genocide against the majority.
They'd probably try until they figured out, by their own definitions, they'd have to eliminate themselves.
Just like those anxious Soviet apparatchiks who refused to be the first one to stop clapping for the Great Leader Stalin (even if it meant physical collapse), their Social Justice descendants can't be the first ones to say "Our representation compensation may have veered too far in the opposite direction!" For a loyal obedient true believer, too much is never enough.
Also, Social Justice simply means taking the most extreme conception of the social hierarchy of say 100 years ago and just flipping it upside-down...thus until the evil white man has no rights, no voice and only comes on stage to shine the shoes of his betters, Justice will not be achieved.
Sounds like it ends well
lolol
Tue but it is critical to note that the very top of the pyramid is monochrome.
Thanks for your posts Brad, you capture the zeitgeist so well. Along with an impressive attention to truth and detail. A real pleasure to read. Happy Thanksgiving.
This year I am thankful that the covid vaccine has not yet been withdrawn from the market so all of these whiny Progressives can get another shot of virtue into their tiny, struggling hearts. Sad.
The only shot they need is a good, hard one to their nuts.
Yeah, but if they took the vaccine, chance es are those nuts don't work anymore, anyways. Besides, looking at a lot of these Progressives their balls haven't dropped yet.
Happy Thanksgiving Brad! Always love reading your articles.
"The fact that no one outside the progressive tribe listens" to them (at least not on this one day).... Let's Give Thanks for that
It's great if you don't have to reconcile the competing ideas you hold in your head, something to be thankful for. For example, you can claim colonization is bad and the root of all evil but then support open borders and unlimited immigration. Also great to have found a way to feel virtuous while acting like a total arsehole spewing highly enriched, weapons-grade horseshit to try and ruin other people's holiday.
I also love the performative self-flagellation without taking any consequences, just acknowledging you're on land stolen from the native Americans without perhaps concluding that you should piss off back to Europe and give your cushy writer job away to someone more deserving. Otherwise it's just doing a victory lap and rubbing it in at every opportunity: "we're really sorry that we won so hard. So sorry my ancestors were stronger than your ancestors".
as i said above - whatever happens the people at the top of the pyramid will look remarkably familiar. They will enforce this others to the benefit of their own power. Li th private jet flying "climate activists," the rules are to be enforced by them not followed by them.
Rules for thee but not for me.
yeah that was in my head but decided I wanted to put a different wist on it.
Shared holidays promote national unity, which is of course verboten. I've had the pleasure of hosting Thanksgivings for American and local friends in several countries, and it was nice to have something not tied to religion that we could all celebrate. (Fun fact: nobody liked pumpkin pie except Americans.) Imagine explaining to anyone from anywhere else that we're now giving up our national holidays as atonement! It's absurd but also an extremely effective tactic. Grateful for patriotic voices of sanity like Brad. Happy Thanksgiving!
Such a great read! Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃
Progressives mistake their own self loathing for virtue.
they hate Thanksgiving precisely because it connects others with the past, which they have determined to be 'Non Grata'.
a religion of hate and a culture of death...no wonder they like radical Islam so much...
I don´t think progressives are wrong to point out the less than hunky-dory aspects of American history. We weren´t perfect in the past and we´re not perfect now. That´s the truth. But they go too far when they say that we should cancel Thanksgiving. There is so much good in the holiday -- families and friends coming together, the gentle nudge to focus on the good in life, pumpkin pie. We need more of that good stuff, not less.
Maybe the lesson is that we don´t have to be perfect to eat mashed potatoes. We can look at ourselves with clear eyes and accept the good and bad in each of us. In the past, the new Americans and the Indians fought. Today many families fight, sometimes around the thanksgiving day table. We´re all a little bit oppressed, a little bit oppressor. Human nature hasn´t changed and here we are. But if we can bring in a little more acceptance, a little less judgment, perhaps we can find a way to get along and even love one another. There´s a lot of light in the good and in the seemingly bad too, a lot to be thankful for after all. Despite all the ways we´ve hurt each other and will, no doubt, continue to hurt one another. We´re just human, good and bad. And we deserve to eat, together.
Correct - if we spend every day boasting of our superiority, they might have a point. But they miss the whole thing and its in the title THANSGIVING for Pete's sake. It is a show of gratitude which is an act of humility. Th people who do not understand generally lack those qualities.
Happy Thanksgiving, Brad! 🦃I'm thankful that there are people like you who can express so well the challenges we face in this world. Keep up the good work!
Native Americans are a case study in why it is foolhardy to hide from a virus.
They were often treated unfairly, just as they treated their neighbors and those who occupied land before them.
In reality it wasn't the white man who was responsible for the genocide; its the viruses they carried which they had either natural immunity to or cross-over immunity.
But the Native Americans did not because of their unfortunate encounter with history after millenia of de facto isolation.
If the so-called progressives truly cared about Native Americans, they would address the corrupt and inept Bureau of Indian Affairs. This agency has acted as their "caretakers"- providing Native Americans with substandard education and health care (including a child abuse scandal), while managing to " lose" billions owed to various tribes for mineral rights associated with the natural resources of tribal lands. The Federal Government, via this agency, has harmed our indigenous population as much, if not far more, than our forebearers so despised by these progressives. The treatment of the Osage after the discovery of oil on the land they OWNED is one example of the disgusting paternalism. Yet so goes the learned expert class.
Exactly. The expanse of the scam is breathtaking.
All of it. Every facet of government...all the way down to a school board.
Happy thanksgiving Brad!
and to Brad' fans!!
(Wrote this on Racket too.).
Started early. 30 people over last night for dinner, and wine...lots wine. Mostly family but a couple of friends. Included were gun toting Texan conservatives, woke Jews from Highland Park IL who were directly impacted by the July 4 shooting one Catholic guy (me) and a bunch of other representatives of political thought, including apathy.
A good time was had by all, all of whom genuinely enjoyed each other company. We have far more in common then difference. don't let these bitter miserable "thought leaders" teat us apart.
Cheers!!
You have inspired me to repost one of my early posts, Purple Martian females.
One, unfortunately serious, observation before the hangover from last night sends me too the couch*
The process you describe is generally referred to "dismantling" and "de-colonization." The dismantling is well underway and can be seen in every aspect of society these lunatics touch. From defunding the police to allowing deranged men to invade women's specs the march through the institutions continues. the dismantling of the Holidays is a prime target because these moments bring us together in in ways that unify us. That will never do.
However, the events of October 7 show us what de-colonization is. And the progs have made it clear, it is not just the Israelis who are to be on the receiving end of this, It is all of us. There is a blood lust here and as sue as Stalin slaughter the Kulaks, the progs want to do the same to us, (and their own as is inevitable in all of their revolutions.) LEts not kid ourselves, they want us read, believe them when they say it,