on moderation

Dkon here!

Like Chuck D I got so much trouble on my mind
All these no-talent artists gettin' signed -
they can't rhyme!
-A Tribe Called Quest

My illustrious co-blogger broached the political topics of American foreign policy, right-wing economists' opposition to a minimum wage, etc. I'm largely on board with all the bleeding-heart, Kossian agenda. Hell, I supported various netroots candidates in the midterm election, and was ecstatic watching the returns on Fox news (the sour look on Brit Hume's puss was instantly gratifying). So why is my reaction to a lot of left-wing rhetoric, whether in the blogosphere or in person, somewhere between boredom and irritation?

Two reasons:
1. Nothing is simple.
2. Groupthink never leads to a glorious workers' paradise.

It would be nice if all large corporations were inherently evil capitalistic enterprises, and we just had to smash them to achieve peace and justice. In fact, working for a large company usually provides better benefits, less stressful working conditions, and more job security than work in a mom-and-pop store. I don't believe in the libertarian phantasmagoria, either, where the only problem is the evil government imposing its onerous regulations on hard-working businesses (see Somalia, Afghanistan).

It would be fabulous if the world were full of nice, loving and rational people whose only problem is oppression by the neo-colonial powers. Development and even intervention by the derided West can lead to very positive results (is Bosnia better off now or in 1994? How about India with all the evil globalization?). It can also be royally FUBAR-ed (duh).

These points are so boringly obvious, they're easily ignored. It's much more intellectually and morally satisfying to be either a virtuous, compassionate socialist/anti-globalist, or a clear-eyed, rational libertarian/free-trader. Or to think that America is either an evil parasitic tick (hello, Noam) or a beacon of democracy and freedom fries (hi, Condi). And you do have to take a clear stand sometimes. But when these folks coalesce into groups, publish magazines (right-wing or left-wing) and start duking it out for ideological purity merit badges, truth is inevitably replaced by truthiness. And I respect and fear the truth, because you can't run away from it, like you can from a smelly hippie or a chainsaw-wielding tax-cutter. If you run, it'll just bite you in the ass.