tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post6604117775086473141..comments2024-02-21T08:52:55.878+00:00Comments on Your Freedom and Ours: A great piece from James TarantoHelenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13799545178433498944noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-79505035763228393952012-01-09T00:33:28.069+00:002012-01-09T00:33:28.069+00:00I am fascinated by the implications of your conclu...I am fascinated by the implications of your conclusion, that ‘[t]here is something utterly insane about the left.’ One of the standard methods of distinguishing the left from the right is that the former believes in utopian projects of human perfection, whereas the latter, sceptical of human perfectibility and humble before the obstacles of human nature, eschew large programmes of improvement — especially by the government — and prefer to allow individuals and civil society to grope their way forward as best they can.<br /><br />There are flaws in such a sweeping statement, particularly for the right, when one considers the neo-con aims of imposing liberty upon the world and social conservatives who dedicated themselves to making the world (usually others) more virtuous, whether we like it or not.<br /><br />A good portion of my research revolves around this topic: from the right, there are such authors as Thomas Sowell who wrote <i>A Conflict of Visions</i> and <i>The Vision of the Anointed</i>; other texts include <i>The Liberal Mind</i> and <i>The Servile Mind</i> by Kenneth Minogue, <i>The Perfectibility of Man</i> by John Passmore, <i>The Ruling Class</i> by Angelo Codevilla, <i>The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality</i> by Ludwig von Mises, and two famous essays by Friedrich von Hayek, ‘The Intellectuals and Socialism’ and ‘The Use of Knowledge in Society’. Perhaps the precursor of this literature is Burke’s own <i>Reflections on the Revolution in France</i>, where he wrote, respectively of the left and right, that ‘Men of Letters, fond of distinguishing themselves, are rarely averse to innovation’ and that ‘we suspect that the stock [of reason] in each man is small, and that the individuals would do better to avail themselves of the general bank and capital of nations, and of ages.’<br /><br />Granted, there are those who are not so pessimistic — thinking along the lines of Frank Furedi’s <i>Where Have All the Intellectuals Gone?</i> — who do not necessarily disagree with the dangers of ideological absolutism (as against what I call ‘principled realism’), but who do see <b>the need for intellectualism against obscurantism</b>. For what are Sowell, von Mises, <i>et al.</i> if not ‘conservative’ intellectuals? Suggestions of other authors to consult are appreciated.Stephen MacLeannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-781919225089535202012-01-07T11:44:08.485+00:002012-01-07T11:44:08.485+00:00Lol. I has kenco coming out of my nostrols when I ...Lol. I has kenco coming out of my nostrols when I read that! <br /> <br />That Frankie Boyle is a funny guy although I thought that what he said about Jordan's son was a bit OTT (the last sentence).Marknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-50473484703070343582012-01-07T02:12:03.745+00:002012-01-07T02:12:03.745+00:00Nigel. Of all the names in the world none could so...Nigel. Of all the names in the world none could sound more tribally tory than Nigel.Adrian Butterworthnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-10314389628411489162012-01-07T01:57:53.454+00:002012-01-07T01:57:53.454+00:00Have you had put-downs here, Nigel? I don't re...Have you had put-downs here, Nigel? I don't recall particularly. Shall have to check back. Mr Butterworth is beginning to bore me. Henceforth he will be ignored. Silly little troll.Helennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-59666055513721934062012-01-06T21:17:57.472+00:002012-01-06T21:17:57.472+00:00Thank you, Mr Butterworth. You have just proved t...Thank you, Mr Butterworth. You have just proved the point I was making precisely, as well as some that I wasn't attempting to just now!Nigelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-5588143088433188232012-01-06T19:49:58.454+00:002012-01-06T19:49:58.454+00:00That's absolutely brilliant. Love it!That's absolutely brilliant. Love it!Guestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-69876122510250055752012-01-06T18:29:59.154+00:002012-01-06T18:29:59.154+00:00I agree. £3 million they'll be spending on Tha...I agree. £3 million they'll be spending on Thatcher's funeral. As Frankie Boyle rightly pointed out, for £3 million you could give everyone in Scotland a shovel, and they could dig a hole so deep she could be handed over to Satan in person.Adrian Butterworthnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-13148035589130974122012-01-06T18:05:49.986+00:002012-01-06T18:05:49.986+00:00Was having supper round at some friends the other ...Was having supper round at some friends the other night. I try very hard not to get onto politics these days knowing that the argument is impossible to win with unquestioning socialists. However I do think I scored once. Maybe I am learning from the put downs I receive here?<br />The friends were extolling the virtues of various anti Thatcher theatrical productions they had seen at Edinburgh and elsewhere. The chap concluded by saying that there was an epetition on line saying that Mrs Thatchers funeral should be totally privately funded. I said, "yes, I think Mrs Thatcher would agree with that."<br />Before you lay into me, Helen, I know it's not much but I am doing my best.Nigelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-20437232985709271402012-01-06T18:04:36.888+00:002012-01-06T18:04:36.888+00:00The above was my post.The above was my post.renminbinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-64207991376826408962012-01-06T18:03:27.039+00:002012-01-06T18:03:27.039+00:00Tinfoil hats protect the fillings in ones teeth fr...Tinfoil hats protect the fillings in ones teeth from CIA generated microwaves. The science on that is settled.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-64859808985749628762012-01-06T16:39:10.638+00:002012-01-06T16:39:10.638+00:00Oh dear, little troll. You are a little overwrough...Oh dear, little troll. You are a little overwrought, I'd say. Got your tinfoil hat on?Helennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057487038565855826.post-8500708943073910672012-01-06T15:55:03.469+00:002012-01-06T15:55:03.469+00:00"There is something utterly insane about the ..."There is something utterly insane about the left."<br /><br />Tell me about it. That would of course include people like Taranto who are neocons and therefore part of the Left (though they imagine otherwise)Adrian Butterworthnoreply@blogger.com