This is a great question. I'm sure there is better historical research, but my sense is that the rhetoric of the Left has a sympathetic element—the utopian, egalitarian frame is persuasive to many people; and intellectuals were able to downplay the historical atrocities of the Left.
This is a great question. I'm sure there is better historical research, but my sense is that the rhetoric of the Left has a sympathetic element—the utopian, egalitarian frame is persuasive to many people; and intellectuals were able to downplay the historical atrocities of the Left.
You are precisely correct. The way they describe it, it sounds lovely, utopian. Unfortunately, it inevitably creates a tyranny with a wealthy, elite ruling class crushing the working class into grinding poverty. Our 'education system' seems to have quit teaching honest history since the Soviet Union collapsed and the fear of nuclear war with the Soviet Union faded away. Thus the students never learn the other side of the story.
"Yes, Mao is the hippest, slickest, South Beach-iest joint to debut on the Denver restaurant scene in a long time"..."a restaurant dedicated to the happy memories of a murderous communist revolutionary."
Imagine that type of glowing write-up about a restaurant called 'Hitler.' Would never happen. Not an accident of our coordinated educational and media system.
I think to get any even deeper understanding of it, to get to the human root of it, you have to look at psychology. Jordan Peterson does a good job of exploring this.
Envious, coveting, narcissistic tendencies are very human and we all possess them. They can be exploited to great effect on a large scale. Narrative is central to this and as Chris noted the concept of elgalitarian is at the root. Fairness is something that gets everyones attention! Give me enough pwoer and I will make things fair! I think at some level its an indulgence of venegnece and sadism that exists within all humans and is very exploitable, especially in a social context. The left harnesses this masterfully and the right underestimates it's allure and power until it's too late. Both sides have their hubris.
Power of course attracts psychopaths and without checks and balances.. well everyone knows the rest... The point is, I sense the right has finally stopped underestimating the left and is finally waking up. Ironic that the wokedness was needed on the right. I thought the might not ever wake up, but am glad to see embers beginning to shimmer.
This is a great question. I'm sure there is better historical research, but my sense is that the rhetoric of the Left has a sympathetic element—the utopian, egalitarian frame is persuasive to many people; and intellectuals were able to downplay the historical atrocities of the Left.
You are precisely correct. The way they describe it, it sounds lovely, utopian. Unfortunately, it inevitably creates a tyranny with a wealthy, elite ruling class crushing the working class into grinding poverty. Our 'education system' seems to have quit teaching honest history since the Soviet Union collapsed and the fear of nuclear war with the Soviet Union faded away. Thus the students never learn the other side of the story.
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There was a high-end restaurant in the high-end Cherry Creek business district of Denver called 'Mao' in the 2000's.
https://www.westword.com/best-of/2004/food-and-drink/best-gratuitous-use-of-joe-pantoliano-in-an-asian-restaurant-5078235
"Yes, Mao is the hippest, slickest, South Beach-iest joint to debut on the Denver restaurant scene in a long time"..."a restaurant dedicated to the happy memories of a murderous communist revolutionary."
Imagine that type of glowing write-up about a restaurant called 'Hitler.' Would never happen. Not an accident of our coordinated educational and media system.
I think to get any even deeper understanding of it, to get to the human root of it, you have to look at psychology. Jordan Peterson does a good job of exploring this.
Envious, coveting, narcissistic tendencies are very human and we all possess them. They can be exploited to great effect on a large scale. Narrative is central to this and as Chris noted the concept of elgalitarian is at the root. Fairness is something that gets everyones attention! Give me enough pwoer and I will make things fair! I think at some level its an indulgence of venegnece and sadism that exists within all humans and is very exploitable, especially in a social context. The left harnesses this masterfully and the right underestimates it's allure and power until it's too late. Both sides have their hubris.
Power of course attracts psychopaths and without checks and balances.. well everyone knows the rest... The point is, I sense the right has finally stopped underestimating the left and is finally waking up. Ironic that the wokedness was needed on the right. I thought the might not ever wake up, but am glad to see embers beginning to shimmer.