From Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951), Austrian-British philosopher who worked primarily in logic, the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of language, On Certainty (1969):
Where two principles really do meet which cannot be reconciled with one another, then each man declares the other a fool and a heretic.
From Ann Landers, a pen name created by Chicago Sun-Times advice columnist Ruth Crowley in 1943 and taken over by Esther Pauline “Eppie” Ledererin 1955. For 56 years, the Ask Ann Landers syndicated advice column was a regular feature in many newspapers across North America. Owing to this popularity, “Ann Landers”, though fictional, became something of a national institution and cultural icon.
Don’t accept your dog’s admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.
From Voltaire (1694–1778), French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher:
“Now, now my good man, this is no time to be making enemies.”
(Voltaire on his deathbed in response to a priest asking him to renounce Satan.)
From Will Self (born 1961), English novelist, journalist, political commentator and television personality:
A creative life cannot be sustained by approval any more than it can be destroyed by criticism.
From Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882), American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century:
The best lightning rod for your protection is your own spine.
Regardless of who’s spouting socialism, its unworkable, tyranical, antithetical to human life fundamentals never change. From José Niño at mises.org:
After pulling off a major upset in the Democratic Primary for New York’s 14th congressional district, 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is now being touted as the new face of the Democratic Party.
Ocasio’s victory has rejuvenated the Democratic Party and liberals naitionwide. For many on the Left, Ocasio’s recent victory is a breath of fresh air after putting up with Hilary Clinton’s failed presidential campaign in 2016.
Beyond the typical R vs. D analysis that continues to grab headlines, what is most troubling about Ocasio’s meteoric rise to political fame is her complete disregard for basic economics.
A brief look at her platform is enough to realize that the ideas of socialism are alive and well in American politics.
Her platform is centered on the following policy planks:
The common denominator of all her proposals is the amount of faith placed in the State to conduct private affairs. Channeling the spirit of failed presidential candidate Bernie Sanders , Ocasio describes her program as democratic socialism .
Leftists have tried their best to re-brand and obfuscate socialism to make it palatable to the misinformed masses.
No matter how many times socialist experiments have failed—from the Soviet Union to present-day Venezuela —many naïve leftists continue their never-ending goose chase for a socialist experiment that works.
The casual mention of socialism in political discourse is troubling.
When countries like Venezuela are crumbling before our very eyes it is astounding that many elected officials continue to flirt with the idea of implementing socialism.
In the Left’s imagination, Scandinavia is the silver bullet to the capitalist model.
This tired trope ignores several crucial details about the Nordic countries’ prosperity:
1. They are among the freest economies in the world (which admittedly may not be saying much), according to various economic freedom indices. At worst, they are mixed economies.
2. As highlighted in works like Scandinavian Unexceptionalism, Nordic countries first became rich through capitalism well before the welfare state was established.
Facts notwithstanding, the political Left continues to doze off into economic lala land and relies on raw emotion to draw conclusions on political economy.
To continue reading: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Was Predictable
Posted in Economics, Government, Philosophy, Politics
Tagged Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Socialism
Doug “Uncola” Lynn takes a journey from fatalistic pessimism to the wisdom and cautious optimism of an author (who nevertheless killed himself) he’s never read. From Lynn at theburningplatform.com:
When I first had the idea to write this piece, it was going to justify my own overwhelming sense of foreboding regarding future events that, to me, seem as inevitable as gravity drawing water down a drain. I wanted to defend my perspectives against those who still have hope. First, I would parse the meanings of pessimism, fatalism, and realism, and then use persuasive language to show how I was merely being honestly realistic because math.
I was going to entitle the essay “Embracing Realism with an Attitude of Pessimism and a Foreboding Sense of Fatalism” and demonstrate how I was not a pessimist or a fatalist per se, but rather a realist. I would then use that construct to demolish any remaining hope still aflame within the hearts of the readers; as a favor to them.
In fact, I even conducted an informal poll to sample the perspectives of awakened and like-minded online travelers. Like the flicker of lanterns in a dark wood, the glint of moonlight from metal on a mountain trail, or a midnight campfire tossing sparks into heaven – I was surprised to see that hope still shined for 6 out of 10 red-pilled wanderers traveling through the entropic cosmos, beyond the great digital divide.
I actually speculated the Skeptics would outnumber the Believers, but that was not the result.
Therefore, this essay will be different than what I had originally envisioned. It will, instead, be a tribute to a brilliant Pulitzer-nominated novelist who hung himself in 2008.
Definition of pessimism
1 : an inclination to emphasize adverse aspects, conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome
2 a : the doctrine that reality is essentially evil
b : the doctrine that evil overbalances happiness in life
Whereas Merriam-Webster’s first definition of pessimism regarding “an inclination to emphasize adverse aspects” would seem indicative of attitude, or personal perspective, the secondary definitions appear to actually flirt with fatalism:
Definition of fatalism
: a doctrine that events are fixed in advance so that human beings are powerless to change them; also : a belief in or attitude determined by this doctrine
Consequently, if I were to be completely honest in my consideration of future events, I would say my fatalistic mindset was a result of realism:
Definition of realism
1 : concern for fact or reality and rejection of the impractical and visionary
2 a : a doctrine that universals exist outside the mind; specifically : the conception that an abstract term names an independent and unitary reality
b : a theory that objects of sense perception or cognition exist independently of the mind — compare nominalism
3 : the theory or practice of fidelity in art and literature to nature or to real life and to accurate representation without idealization
To continue reading: Pessimism, Fatalism, Realism, Optimism, Hope
Posted in Collapse, Government, Literature, Morality, Philosophy, Psychology
Tagged David Foster Wallace
