:: Wog Blog ::

:: WHAT AM I THINKING ABOUT? ::

:: Saturday 12 April 2003 ::

Interesting post about lefties

By a leftie.

Seems to me that this is the big deal philosophical debate or argument or whatever, for this year and probly well into the future - on what basis does the left, say a Gary Sauer-Thompson or a Tim Dunlop, purport to be more caring and rational that the right, say a Tim Blair or Prof Bunyip, when the left resolutely makes its stand against things, rather than for things? I did a post about Seamus Heaney a bit below and how he is motivated by his dislikes and hates and not by his likes and loves. That is the crux of the matter for me - who could you actually rely on to help you out of a jam - a leftie? Or a rightie? Who is into actually doing something instead of just whining about why it's better not to do anything.

I believe deep down at the very root of my being that Dunlop and Thompson and Gianna and Kelly and Corr and Carita and Adams and Ramsey and Rundle, Toohey and Kingston and Lane and Horin and Wilkonson and Fiztsimons etc etc are all exactly the same - "What do we hate? USA. When do we hate it? Now."

Well, you can see the pointlessness of that, can't you?

I mean. Can't you?

Zif a position like that will change anyone's life one iota.

And yes, I am including the UN weapons inspection regime in the 'doing nothing' category. Blix just would not admit Iraqi leadership failure to comply in strong enough terms to actualy cause real change to occur. His first report started out strong but he back tracked a beaut from every report thereafter. He did. "The current activity of giving us letters could be evidence of compliance..." that is a phrase I will not forget in a hurry. I mean, it could be evidence that the regime has a great recipe for Pasta Carbonara too. But I do not think we need to hear about all the things it could be. Hows about telling us what it is? Non-freakin' compliance. Urgh.

It is not going to lead to actual action, actual activity through which improvement will come.

As I type this I am wondering if the anti-war marchers are at it in Sydney. God. I mean, I cannot think of another way to describe those folks other than delusional. Every step a step against removing Hussein, every step a step in favour of leaving Hussein alone from real consequence. Military consequence. And very step a step too too late - so, at the end of the day, every step a step of ego, self-satisfaction and utter pointlessness.

I had a beer on Friday with a Russian woman. Talked a bunch about the war. The Russian described how her thoughts changed from its all about oil and its not our business and the US armed him anyway...you know the drill. But she changed when she saw folks on the ground in Iraq, from Iraq, declaring they were glad to be rid of the brutal despot jackass Hussein.

I described my own journey from real ambivalence to general disgust with the French routine in the US Security Council and ultimately to a Jose Ramos Horta position - sometimes war is a good thing. Good can come of war.

The Russian described older folks in Russia who would honestly assess that things were better for them under Communism than now. But then again, she said, she could probly find some really old folks who would argue things were better under the Csars. And of course today many folks are young and simply do not really remember the communist regime of the Soviet Union, so they will not even bother to wax nostalgic.

The point?

You can find folks who will complain about stuff, even objectively good stuff like democracy, everywhere. They have a point of view and you have to learn to live with it. It might, to your mind, be a point of view which is as stupid as the day is long, but whatever. If someone wants to hold it, they can.

Same goes for the marchers.

But what is going to happen from now on, and I reckon September 11 is the true start date, is that people who disagree with the left, who previously have just not gotten into it, are going to stop hold their tongues. I reckon real disagreement will flow and will continue to flow in the most robust way. It is already starting and the weakest link - celebrities - are feeling the discomfort, constantly complaining of censorship when in reality what they are engaged in is a hostile reception to their points of view - and they have to justify themselves, instead of just presuming their view is agred. Real robust debate.

This weekend's SMH is a full on bile driven anti-war tract. The Aus editorial grapples with this. There is an example of the debate right now here in Oz in our own newspapers.

Good stuff.

This is big picture stuff. And I find I am really unwilling to sit idly by while idiots come into range and spout their nonsense.

Which is a good thing. Cos if all I did was sit and gripe to folks who agree with me, that would not get us anywhere, now would it? Just like being a leftie.


:: WB 7:17 pm [link+] ::