General Discussion

David__77

(23,320 posts)

63. Modern "left" is mainly not leftist at all.

Thu Aug 16, 2012, 03:45 AM

Aug 2012

You have self-postured "post-ideologues" who dominate the post-Cold War "left." There is no soul or passion there at all. It's technocracy to the hilt, and class issues are thrown out the window. Who could not be cynical in the face of this? How can there be leadership and heroism?

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Why is there no liberal Ayn Rand? Conservatives have a canon, why don't liberals? [View all] salvorhardin Aug 2012 OP

Because you can't herd cats. hifiguy Aug 2012 #1

Ayn Rand hated conservatives. She fought Buckley and campaigned against Reagan. banned from Kos Aug 2012 #3

You have to remember, Ayn loved no one but herself! nt nanabugg Aug 2012 #68

I can agree with this. Lone_Star_Dem Aug 2012 #59

B. F. Skinner? KansDem Aug 2012 #2

Because it's always easier to focus on what you think is WRONG SoCalDem Aug 2012 #4

I was thinking about what you just said last few days NNN0LHI Aug 2012 #24

Noam Chomsky (nt) Shankapotomus Aug 2012 #5

No - you have to write fiction that millions will read. banned from Kos Aug 2012 #6

Ayn Rand also wrote non-fiction Shankapotomus Aug 2012 #9

True, but no one starts out reading her Objectivist manuals banned from Kos Aug 2012 #12

Well, one can say that first presenting her philosophy Shankapotomus Aug 2012 #18

I must disagree. People learn the Gospels and turn to the philosophy of Christ banned from Kos Aug 2012 #19

Yeah, him and about 3000000 others. Slate and Beverly Gage didnt do a lot of research here. stevenleser Aug 2012 #10

Another one I think who is slowly coming up the ranks is Shankapotomus Aug 2012 #32

D'accord.....Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn. marmar Aug 2012 #11

I wouldn't consider Chomsky a liberal, though. white_wolf Aug 2012 #46

they do. first of all, most great literature is liberal. Ever read any EM Forster? cali Aug 2012 #7

I agree with you that most great lit is liberal. Steinbeck and Orwell also come to mind. Chiyo-chichi Aug 2012 #44

True: "most great literature is liberal." The reason is... FSogol Aug 2012 #72

Jesus NightWatcher Aug 2012 #8

+1 How much more obvious could it be? nt DCKit Aug 2012 #66

+1 freshwest Oct 2012 #86

Pragmatism/doing what what works >>>> Rigid ideology reformist2 Aug 2012 #13

This is it. whatchamacallit Aug 2012 #33

I think Ayn Rand is close to satanic. Quantess Aug 2012 #14

“I give people Ayn Rand with trappings” Tom Ripley Aug 2012 #53

+1 freshwest Oct 2012 #87

I agree with you, but even DeSade was a better writer than Rand (n/t) Tom Ripley Oct 2012 #89

Oh, hell yes he was a better writer. Quantess Oct 2012 #90

because repubs welcome conservatives & dems do not welcome liberals these days? nt msongs Aug 2012 #15

the same reason there is no liberal Rush Limbaugh... Sen. Walter Sobchak Aug 2012 #16

Excellent! SheilaT Aug 2012 #23

Well Put. (nt) Paladin Aug 2012 #26

Donnie shut the fu..... DLine Aug 2012 #27

nicely stated. ChairmanAgnostic Aug 2012 #31

You said it far more economically than I did. hifiguy Aug 2012 #34

Money and coporate America DemocracyInaction Aug 2012 #17

Thinking that attempts a broader unifying picture of the Left sibelian Aug 2012 #20

'Ishmael' by Daniel Quinn. banned from Kos Aug 2012 #21

You mean why isn't there a psychopathic liberal writer who demands a cult like following? Tommy_Carcetti Aug 2012 #22

Post removed Post removed Aug 2012 #25

Apparently salvorhardin Aug 2012 #39

Your excerpt does seem to boil down to 'liberals don't read' muriel_volestrangler Aug 2012 #67

Thats what Star Trek is for TheKentuckian Aug 2012 #47

One knows they are searching and thinks; the other thinks they know and is finished searching. RadiationTherapy Aug 2012 #28

Find two DU members who agree. Speck Tater Aug 2012 #29

I suspect even the same person with two different usernames won't agree with himself. eom yawnmaster Aug 2012 #36

ROFL. The left hand sock puppet knows not what the right hand sock puppet believes. nt Speck Tater Aug 2012 #45

Liberal canons are rapidly branded as "radical" randr Aug 2012 #30

Does Bob Dylan count? Motown_Johnny Aug 2012 #35

Liberals are more musical! Tabasco_Dave Aug 2012 #42

We don't want one. Iggo Aug 2012 #37

So nice to see so many commenters illustrating the author's point salvorhardin Aug 2012 #38

Because liberals do not believe in fantasy bullshit when it comes to running the government. madinmaryland Aug 2012 #40

You mean a liberal who advocates extreme altruism, helping the poor and sick? NickB79 Aug 2012 #41

Haha! Nice one. joshcryer Aug 2012 #48

Jesus Christ - socialist upi402 Aug 2012 #51

+100,000! And Ayn Rand hates Him. Zalatix Aug 2012 #61

Because "liberalism" was the default position for most of the last century Spider Jerusalem Aug 2012 #43

Good post YoungDemCA Aug 2012 #49

Excellent post (n/t) Tom Ripley Aug 2012 #55

Why would we want a shitty novelist and pseudo-philosopher? Major Nikon Aug 2012 #50

Because we have read more than ONE book? Tom Ripley Aug 2012 #52

Fear pscot Aug 2012 #54

FDR (except 1937)? Jesus Christ? MannyGoldstein Aug 2012 #56

We find truth to be a continuously unfolding process, rather than an instantaneous single point. JFN1 Aug 2012 #57

We don't think in canon JCMach1 Aug 2012 #58

Charles Dickens maybe? limpyhobbler Aug 2012 #60

Steinbeck was the first one I thought of. LuvNewcastle Aug 2012 #64

Exactly. Steinbeck said everything that to needs be said, eloquently. LiberalAndProud Aug 2012 #69

Sinclair Lewis is another one. LuvNewcastle Aug 2012 #70

Mark Twain is the one I'd pick Major Nikon Aug 2012 #75

I agree. LuvNewcastle Aug 2012 #81

From the same era as Ayn Rand (textbook sociopath) lapfog_1 Aug 2012 #62

Modern "left" is mainly not leftist at all. David__77 Aug 2012 #63

David Simon, "The Wire." McDiggy Aug 2012 #65

Steinem, Baldwin, Carson BumRushDaShow Aug 2012 #71

Dickens, Twain, Steinbeck, Vonnegut FSogol Aug 2012 #73

Now we don't, its because Democrats think for themselves and don't submit to dogma 1-Old-Man Aug 2012 #74

Exactly. Repubs can't seem to function without listening to one source. Jennicut Aug 2012 #76

ayn rand was a liberal BOG PERSON Aug 2012 #77

The Right Claims Her Now Dirty Socialist Aug 2012 #80

then it's time to ask: BOG PERSON Aug 2012 #84

Stanley Milgram Dirty Socialist Aug 2012 #78

FDR WilliamPitt Aug 2012 #79

And his VP, Henry Wallace: freshwest Oct 2012 #88

ayn rand embodied the spirit of the 60s BOG PERSON Aug 2012 #82

What about Jack London Boxcar Willie Aug 2012 #83

Don't London's novels Shankapotomus Aug 2012 #85