Joe has an observation about our favorite Brady Board member, which makes him ponder:
If the lack of critical thinking skills was something that common it makes me wonder how we ever made it out of the dark ages. And much more important is the answer to this question, “Is the prevalence of Peterson Syndrome evidence we are headed into dark age?” Freedom and enlightenment may have been just a short twinkle in the big picture of human history.
It really is kind of amazing. How many Jeffersons, Madisons, or Adamses were there ever in the world? Clearly not enough, and I don’t think our elite today can even live up to their example. I don’t think people’s lack of critical thinking skills is harbinger of a dark age, because I’m not sure your average people had much in the way of that even in the age of enlightenment.
Ultimately, we still aspire to critical thought in the sphere of the public debate. If this were not the case, the Brady folk wouldn’t need to do studies, or publish papers in an attempt to convince the greater public to accept their political agenda. Instead they’d be doing things like performing exorcisms in houses they’ve recently removed guns from in order to get rid of the evil spirits that inhabit them. While I think many of our opponents certainly have the menality that would enable such thought, when it comes to convincing others, they know they have to go the way of reason and data, which probably has something to do with why they lose today… modern means of horizontal communications has allowed many of their assertions, accepted as truth by dead tree media, to be challenged and swept away as weak arguments.
What became evident in my reading of pre-Christian, Euro-pagan societies (the Vikings anyhow) was that their system of law, jurisprudence, and social organization (council meetings and collective assembly) relied heavily on that form of logic known as circular logic.
The bad news: the number of people capable of, and prepared to do careful, logical analysis and thought, is vanishingly small, in every society throughout history.
The worse news: many of those capable of it quickly develop an arrogance because of their great intellectual superiority over the unwashed masses.
Mencken’s description of democracy as “jackals leading jackasses” has much to recommend it.
That’s why I can’t relish the fact that we have 10,000 people counter-boycotting compared to their 200-ish boycotters.
Has protecting civil liberties really come down to who has a bigger mob? If it has, do we all have the foresight and courage to speak up for the powerless minority the crusaders will pick on next?
It’s just school bully democracy. Be too big to pick on, or part of a gang.
ecurb: It’s not who has the Bigger Mob, it’s just using the same tactics as the opposition. The Anti-Gun Boycott also said that Starbucks MUST make a “Donation” to their Anti-Gun Group, or the Boycott will hurt Starbuck’s bottom line. The Buycott says to Starbucks that they don’t need to worry about being “Shaken Down”by the Mafia tactics of the Anti-Gunners, the Buycott will more than make up for any lose of Revenue.
But as a 53 year old Gunner who’s been shooting since I was 8, it’s always the Anti-Gunner who’s done the Bullying. I can’t carry a Gun for Self Defense in NYC, or I’ll go to Jail. For 10 years, I needed permission from the State to own a magazine that holds 11 rounds, or I’ll go to Jail. The Navy let me have a 1911 at age 20, yet today, a 20 year old Disabled Vet is Prohibited by Law from purchasing a lousy High Point for protection in his Wheel Chair when he got his legs blown off by an IED planted by some of the Biggest Bullies on the Planet. And now they say that a 18 year-old Widow who did everything by the Book and was RECORDED following the Police Instructions while waiting over 20 MINUTES for help to arrive is told she “EXECUTED” the Thugs who she was defending herself and her Baby against their evil intent? And that we MUST lit a Candle in Memory of those same Thugs whom she killed “because they were Victims of Gun Violence!?”
Who’s the Bully? An Armed Citizen doesn’t need a Gang or a Mob or a State-Run Police Force using GUNS to force you to Obey. Only Bullies use Force to get their way. That’s why they are CALLED Bullies. Figure it out.