September 01, 2009

Why Liberals Use Insults and Why Their Arguments Sound Illogical - The Final Answer

I think this may be the final answer to two questions that have appeared baffling for years, specifically: why do the arguments of Liberals appear to be so illogical, and, why do Liberals hurl so many insults? 

It's the same answer to both questions. Before we get to the answer, let's recap the background.

ILLOGIC, IN THE ARGUMENTS OF THE LEFT

You don't have to look far to see illogic in the arguments of the Left these days. A few examples:

• Obamacare will cover 46 million additional people, will include no rationing of health care, and will not increase the deficit. The illogic here is appalling.
• In order to improve the economy, it is essential to increase the national debt by $780 billion for a stimulus package; and by the way, one which isn't even intended to be spent in the first year of the "emergency" it is ostensibly intended to address.
• Government regulation will deliver timely health care, when the government can't even write cash-for-clunkers checks in a timely fashion.
• Obama argues that a tax policy that harms the economy and lowers tax revenues is preferable to one that raises revenues and strengthens the economy.
• Pelosi calls waterboarding torture after previously approving it.
• Cultures that bring health and prosperity are no better than those that bring death and misery.
• ...and on and on and on and on.

See especially Evan Sayet and Victor Davis Hanson on this.

THE USE OF INSULTS BY LIBERALS

If you read or watch Liberal media - Bill Maher, Keith Olbermann, Kos, and on and on and on, you can't miss the insults.  Olbermann is famous for having an actual section of his show titled "Worst Person in the World."

Under the radical leadership of Obama, top Dems have even been hurling insults, calling Americans - who are using their rights to free speech and free assembly to speak out against Obama's proposals - insulting names including, "un-American," "thugs," "racists," "nazis," "political terrorists," etc.

THE FINAL ANSWER

The reason Libs are using insults and illogic is to shut down public debate.  Insults are an attack on public debate.  The use of illogic is an attack on public debate. As I recently posted:

By intentionally using illogic in debate with the opposing side, meaningful debate is destroyed.  The public, unable to tell who's winning the argument, is puzzled.  The benefit to the left is that they are saying to all, "Join us and win power and money. Nothing else is relevant."

Yes, there are those who are fooled by the illogic of the arguments - e.g. many high schoolers and college students to whom these arguments have been preached by liberal teachers - and who fall for it. But that's not the case with the intellectual leadership of the left, many of whom are too smart to be fooled. The more profound thinkers on the left understand that the illogic is being used intentionally, to achieve a given goal, namely to confound all logical debate, and issue a siren call saying, "join us, and we will help you, and nothing else matters."

Public debate works. The truth defeats the purposes of the Left. Therefore the Left wants to shut down and destroy public debate. 

STRATEGY TO COUNTER THE LEFT'S ATTACK ON PUBLIC DEBATE

First, don't respond to insults with insults. That's exactly what they want. Then they can claim, "The argument broke down into name-calling, and nothing was proven on either side. " Ignore their stupid insults and clobber them with the facts. 

Second, bear in mind that most people in this country, regardless of political party, love America, and that civil public debate that communicates the facts to them will win, just as it has been winning on the health care debate throughout August. That's why the leadership on the left is trying so hard to shut civil public debate down.  Seek ways to communicate the facts to friends, neighbors, contacts on Facebook/Twitter, etc. etc., because the truth is massively on our side.