Collective Tyranny and the modern Intellectual

Journal antirelic's Journal: Collective Tyranny and the modern Intellectual 2

Journal by antirelic on Thursday November 05, 2009 @10:38PM

As a conservative and a Christian (two very unpopular things to admit on Slashdot) some would probably be shocked to hear that I am not against collectivism. In fact, I believe collectivism fills some very key deficiencies in society, such as caring for the less fortunate who are our brothers and our sisters, our neighbors, and our fellow countryman. Personally, I participate in several "collectivist" types of activities, such as distributing food to the unemployed, and repairing the homes or providing services to the elderly. The human affinity for community is an undeniable driving force of our psyche. Yet, collectivism can only go so far, as has been proven time and time again throughout the 20th century. Once collectivism becomes a tool of the state, a compulsory system, its sinister side appears and the result is human disaster in both death, destruction, and poverty that is unrivaled by any other system of governance.

Despite the apparent deficiency of societies based on collectivism (either in the form of high tax society or direct redistribution of wealth), the western Intellectual is still disturbingly enamored with the struggle to implement collectivism on a grand scale. Having been a "liberal" myself in my formative years, I can identify with these academics and intellectuals. I think Jamie Glazov put it succinctly when he wrote in his book United in Hate, "Convinced that it is incumbent upon society, and not him, to imbue his life with purpose, the believer becomes indignant, he scapegoats society - and ends up despising and rejecting it." It is fairly simple to see why the need for "Change" is so readily accepted by those who benefit so greatly from the system in place.

The problem I run into, is that I am still pretty bad at dealing with people. So when talking to other people who are bad with people, I often end clenching fists than extending hands.

I'm not sure how to change hearts and minds of the disenfranchised, because they live in a society that feeds off of its own. The liberal world is full of unachievable goals of strength, beauty, intelligence and success which ridicules those who have it for being greedy, mocks those who attempt to become the things they are told they should be, and scorn as low lives, geeks, nerds, or other stigma's those who do not even try. On top of it, the liberal eco system cuts off the outside by presenting the other side of life, the conservative side, by presenting it in every possible negative stigma possible, from racists to zealots to homophobes or bible bangers intolerant of everything that moves. If I lived in a world that gloomy, I think I would "Hope" for "Change" too.

Yet the promised social utopia never appears. We never get any prettier, smarter, stronger or faster. Our food doesnt get healthier, the governments never get less corrupt, people dont welcome you with open arms... instead the exact opposites occur.

It was a hard and isolating road to escape from the liberal double think thought trap. Talking with the religious types at church wasnt as harsh as I thought it was. Reaching out and helping the homeless wasnt so bad. Advising teenagers against premarital sex, not to do drugs, and to sacrifice for the future didnt oppress them (though, it probably didnt do much good either). I've grown happier with the world around me, I've accepted that I have problems socializing, that the world doesnt suck, and yes, it is probably me that is the one out of place. So I look for people like me, even if they are liberal, to befriend on common interests and leave the politics out of it. Perhaps if they learn to love the world they are in, they wont have any more "hope" for "change".

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