If this brain fog would only lift, I'd love to have more to contribute to the ongoing conversation. As it is, here's my affirmation that you're still fighting the good fight, Mike, and I still love the way you think.
There are various types of intelligent person. The ones who are skilled at justifying their priors are my least favourite. The originals, those who tend to have something less predictable to say - those are my favourites. I've pigeonholed you in the latter category and so I'm just happy that you're enjoying this stuff.
That's the trouble, it seems--that I tend to look in on what you're doing here and find myself with little to add, except to nod along and give a thumbs up. "Well-said! Keep it up!" And that kind of thing is nice to hear but it isn't the level of engagement I would like to be able to offer in exchange for your hard work.
The brain fog is a little better now; I've got a half-formed idea about the renunciation of leftism being more or less a voluntary forfeit of cultural clout, which many people aren't willing to make until they've hit a critical point of having given up on the culture itself. It's still easier to get people (by which I mean other leftists; you know, the people whom the zeitgeist actually cares about) to listen to you if you can plant your flag in the Dirtbag Left rather than standing as an uncategorized entity, or God forbid some kind of *libertarian.*
Yeah, it's just a half-formed idea, like I said. No thesis forthcoming, no call to action. But I think I can at least identify why I admire your stance, and also don't feel ready to follow your example yet.
That's well spotted. It fits with a thing I've been vibing on in my head, recently. Can't figure out exactly how to write it, but it's to do with becoming an ex pat and having breathing space.
Anyway, that's the kind of engagement I value, so thanks!
"The moment you think of yourself as a liberal or a conservative you’re done for. It is as simple as that." Alasdair Macintyre (and he was specifically referring to philosophers, teachers, anyone claiming to be any kind of "thinker").
Love that line, which I've never seen before. For a while now I've been thinking that being an *anything* requires so much filtering and rationalising that it necessarily precludes you from being really considered a 'thinker'. It makes you an arguer, but that's entirely different from intelligence because it's just a sport. Thanks for being here to make these points.
A salon - that's how it's starting to feel to me too, now you mention it.
The only thing I sense a need to guard against is reading only people I agree with 100% of the time. I'm quite careful not to do that. So I'll look forward to something of Michael's that doesn't chime with me, almost as much as I'll enjoy his resonant thoughts. Happy days, eh.
If this brain fog would only lift, I'd love to have more to contribute to the ongoing conversation. As it is, here's my affirmation that you're still fighting the good fight, Mike, and I still love the way you think.
There are various types of intelligent person. The ones who are skilled at justifying their priors are my least favourite. The originals, those who tend to have something less predictable to say - those are my favourites. I've pigeonholed you in the latter category and so I'm just happy that you're enjoying this stuff.
That's the trouble, it seems--that I tend to look in on what you're doing here and find myself with little to add, except to nod along and give a thumbs up. "Well-said! Keep it up!" And that kind of thing is nice to hear but it isn't the level of engagement I would like to be able to offer in exchange for your hard work.
The brain fog is a little better now; I've got a half-formed idea about the renunciation of leftism being more or less a voluntary forfeit of cultural clout, which many people aren't willing to make until they've hit a critical point of having given up on the culture itself. It's still easier to get people (by which I mean other leftists; you know, the people whom the zeitgeist actually cares about) to listen to you if you can plant your flag in the Dirtbag Left rather than standing as an uncategorized entity, or God forbid some kind of *libertarian.*
Yeah, it's just a half-formed idea, like I said. No thesis forthcoming, no call to action. But I think I can at least identify why I admire your stance, and also don't feel ready to follow your example yet.
That's well spotted. It fits with a thing I've been vibing on in my head, recently. Can't figure out exactly how to write it, but it's to do with becoming an ex pat and having breathing space.
Anyway, that's the kind of engagement I value, so thanks!
"The moment you think of yourself as a liberal or a conservative you’re done for. It is as simple as that." Alasdair Macintyre (and he was specifically referring to philosophers, teachers, anyone claiming to be any kind of "thinker").
Thanks, Mike!
Love that line, which I've never seen before. For a while now I've been thinking that being an *anything* requires so much filtering and rationalising that it necessarily precludes you from being really considered a 'thinker'. It makes you an arguer, but that's entirely different from intelligence because it's just a sport. Thanks for being here to make these points.
A salon - that's how it's starting to feel to me too, now you mention it.
The only thing I sense a need to guard against is reading only people I agree with 100% of the time. I'm quite careful not to do that. So I'll look forward to something of Michael's that doesn't chime with me, almost as much as I'll enjoy his resonant thoughts. Happy days, eh.