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James Mills's avatar

I have come to believe that the true enemy of Critical Theory/social justice isn't individualism or rationalism or classical liberalism... it's nuance, and complexity. On every issue (gender identity, anti-racism, Israeli land disputes, economic policy) their ideology is essentially the presumption of some HUGE and simplistic moral axiom-and then the ignoring or erasing of every complicating detail or contravening fact. Look at their policies on homelessness and law and order and border policy and education (etc.). None of them work because they are simple and moralistic and ignore vast swathes of human psychology and social science and economics. Don't even get me started on history!

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Steersman's avatar

Rage is all the rage these days. Dies Irae and all that. But the first is a phrase that goes back at least 25 years though I remember a usage from much earlier:

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1999/04/24/dictionary-chic/62245167007/

Though this comment of yours is, as Canadian author and Substacker Jonathan Kay puts it, "deeply problematic": "... Kahanists held real estate sales at synagogues featuring companies selling occupied territory in Judea-Samaria ..."

Not looking for an "ego hand job" -- as you so "delicately" put it -- but more than a few reasons to think the Jews are, to a not inconsiderable extent, the proverbial "authors of their own misfortunes" -- genocides tending to promote long memories:

Wikipedia: "Because of the orders to completely destroy the enemy, many scholars have characterized these as divine commands to commit genocide.[53][54][55] Other examples include the story of the Amalekites (Numbers 13,14),[56] the War against the Midianites (Numbers 31),[57] and the battle of Jericho (Joshua 1–6)."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bible_and_violence

Maybe the Jews have gotten some "bad press" there, but it is, after all, presumably their own.

Not to say that there aren't some positive elements therein ...

"It also mandates the stoning to death of grown rebellious children who are gluttons and drunkards to 'purge the evil' from among the people." [ibid, as they say].

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