Why Lefties Are Ideologues And Righties Are Not

 Greetings and felicitations!  May the spirit of the season seize upon your heart and bring you and yours a cornucopia of joy!

Today we shall examine the reasons why the mean "lefty" is an ideologue and why the mean "righty" is not.  To begin, note my reference to "mean", as in the "average".  This should indicate to you that I now intend to speak in statistical terms, which is to say to the average case.  This further implies that there are examples of such people who lie to either side of the mean, meaning most relevantly that there are those lefties who are not so much ideologues and righties who are, but that each represents a distinct minority of each population.

Let us begin with some definitions.  Firstly, what is an "ideologue"?  One online dictionary gives a succinct summary:

noun

1. a person who zealously advocates an ideology.

Historically, "ideologue" was defined and intended as a disparaging moniker.  Labeling someone as an ideologue was quite the insult.  It implied a brand and degree of willful, functional imbecility on the part of an individual, attributable to his blind and intransigent clinging to an idea whose merits have been securely demonstrated as void.  It originates ca. 1815 in scathing reference to French Revolutionaries.  It is this sense of "ideologue" that we use today, rather than any of the more modern distortions of the original which carry less damning tones.

My thesis is as the title encapsulates: lefties tend to be ideologues, while righties tend not to me.  How is this so?  When confronted with conclusive evidence that an idea to which a lefty has wed himself, he will most typically reject the contrary evidence, with rather predictable and greatly overwrought displays of vituperative expressions whose sentiments live in the ultra-violent end of the spectrum.  Such drama-queen productions are the rule for such people, rather than the exception.

Typical contemporary scenarios where such qualities are made manifest by lefties include:

1. Climate Change Debate: In spite of hugely conclusive evidence that torpedoes the basic tenets of so-called "climate change", those who strongly advocate for climate action (they overwhelmingly lean hard-left, though not universally) habitually discount scientific studies and data from reputable sources that so much as suggest alternative views on climate policies or the effectiveness of certain interventions. They overwhelmingly focus instead on data that aligns with their perspective, even if the counter-evidence substantially demolishes the validity of their views.

2. Economic Policy: Similarly, advocates of bankrupt economic models such as those of typical socialist/communist schemes that include wildly wrong-headed notions such as universal basic income and heavy taxation on the wealthy, predictably reject empirical studies or economic analyses that highlight potential negatives or the unintended consequences of such policies. They almost universally insist that any negative findings are biased or misinterpreted, supporting their beliefs despite contradictory evidence. So thoroughly dislodged from truth are such people, they reject the readily observable real-time negative results of those things with which they agree, as well as the good results of those things to which they reject with such raw violence.

3. Health and Nutrition: In discussions about health diets and nutritional guidelines, individuals of a left-bent unsurprisingly and almost without variance cling to specific diets such as veganism and dismiss anything that suggests the benefits of a more varied diet, especially those that include animal products. They tend to argue that any research contradicting their view is funded by industries that benefit from these dietary choices. This from the people who so habitually accuse of those whom they view as their enemies as "conspiracy theorists". The complaint here against such people lies not in their choices of diet, which as a matter is one solely of their own discretion and choice, but of the fact that while they demand their views and choices be respected, they resolutely refuse to afford others likewise courtesies. Not only must their choices be seen as right for them, but for all humanity and may fie and biblical misfortune descend upon any and all who disagree, no matter how slight and oblique the contention.

4. Social Justice Issues: The generally accepted positions of lefties in the fooleries of so-called "systemic racism" in America and "social justice" sees such people rejecting with their usual violence any and all evidence that so much as suggests that conditions may not be quite as apocalyptic as their grand-mal fits of shrieking rage would have the world believe. For instance, the generally ignore contrary data because it doesn’t fit the narrative of systemic oppression and victimhood that they peddle with such untiring dedication and force.

These are but four examples from the mountainous heap of similar ways in which those who identify themselves as "left" or "progressive"† ignore reality for the sake of the visions of sugar plums which dance in their heads.†† And to reiterate, this is the trend. My assertions are in no way to be taken as any sort of universal claim against all individuals. In a similar way, we see that those who self-identify as "right" or "conservative" tend to accept properly constructed arguments that disprove any given ideas and beliefs they may have held. Examples include:

1. Criminal Justice Reform: There has been a growing recognition among conservatives of the need for criminal justice reform, particularly concerning issues like mass incarceration and the war on drugs. As evidence mounted about the ineffectiveness of certain policies, many conservatives began advocating for changes to sentencing laws and rehabilitation programs.

2. LGBTQ+ Rights: Over recent years, many conservatives have changed their views on issues like same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ rights. This shift often occurs as individuals come to understand the implications of their previous beliefs, leading them to support more liberty-oriented policies, even though the specific life choices may otherwise chafe or even disgust. This is a fundamentally different approach to things from that of the so-called "left", whose opinions tend to advocate for the sanction of anyone whose views wander from their impossibly narrow path of rectitude, a "sin" of which they so loudly and obstreperously accuse their perceived enemies, calling for punishments such as prison time, and for their own views to be foisted upon all by force.

3. Marijuana Decriminalization: When confronted with new evidence, conservative politicians and voters have begun to support the decriminalization or legalization of marijuana. Some have shifted their stance due to realizing the financial benefits of tax revenue and reduced law enforcement costs, all in the face of not just the lack of evidence to support end-of-civilization predictions, but also as people have become better educated in terms of the basic principles of liberty and all that they imply regarding this long standing issue

4. Technology and Privacy: Some conservatives have also had to reassess their views concerning privacy and technology, especially with the rise of social media and concerns about surveillance. Some have shifted toward advocating for stronger privacy protections in response to growing awareness of data misuse and the implications of technology in modern society. Lefties have taken the diametrically opposed position, that "government" needs to ban speech and spy on people who might be posting mean words.

The data to which anyone with the inclination is free to access on manifold fronts demonstrates the validity of my assertions. Those of the left persuasion tend to intransigency even in the face of evidence that overwhelmingly destroys their positions, whereas those of a right inclination are far more likely to alter their views in light of evidence that calls into question their beliefs on any given issue. Clearly, lefties tend to be ideologues, whereas those whom they view as their most bitter rivals tend to be far more open to persuasion, given the right arguments, data, and other evidence. These differences reflect a fundamental dissimilarity of character between the two populations, and further cast a very clear picture as to whose general demeanor comports itself to the higher standard of behavioral ethics. To my way of thinking, those who ID as "left" have a deep and dangerous problem not only of the ethic to which they have chosen to ally themselves, but of a moral fabric that would prompt them to choose such an ethic. And if their individual issue lies not in their moral choices, but rather in their capacities of intellect, more's the pity. The one leaves choice as an option, whereas the other closes that door for want of ability. Let us hope that our brethren who have by their will chosen a bereft ethical standard will one day see the light and set course in its precise direction. As for the rest, they must be relegated to the silence of irrelevancy. It is a choice I do not relish, but such people do pose non-trivial threats to the rights and freedoms of all men. They must not be allowed to bring to the world tyranny any greater that that to which they have already so generously treated us. Indeed, the time is nigh that we begin rolling back the clock on all the perditions that have been foisted upon us. The age of instant information cross-loading holds out to humanity the promise of breaking the Tyrant's hold on our throats.

Mors omnibus tyrannide!

Death to all tyranny! 

We no longer need it, nor do we accept it.

Be well, and may God bless us, each and every one†††, even you lefties out there. We may yet become friends, or at least friendly with one another. Let us not be enemies, for that is exactly what the Tyrant wants. So long as we fight one another, we're not fighting him. Think on that awhile.

Until next time, please accept my best wishes.

† Oh, the irony.

†† Apologies to Clement Clarke Moore ††† And now I find myself obliged to apologize to Charles Dickens as well. Oh, the humanity!