Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Labels can be useful, but on the other hand...

The subject came up earlier today of certain personalities, such as Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro.  Before it was said and done, I was reading about the so-called "alt-right".

My opinion of the "alt-right" was that it was a label meant to harm anybody who thought a certain way.  It turns out that certain parts of the what the self-described "alt-right" believe, are things that I would consider to be sensible.

For example, from the ubiquitous Wikipedia, I quote:

The 'alt-right' or 'alternative right' is a name currently embraced by some white supremacists and white nationalists to refer to themselves and their ideology, which emphasizes preserving and protecting the white race in the United States... [ beliefs section ]

Nothing wrong with that, in my opinion.  But then it goes on and says a number of other things which I don't agree with.

Generally speaking, I am not a "joiner".  I don't associate with many groups.  Maybe none at all, to be frank.  To lumped together with people who embrace Nazism and Fascism, well, that just isn't my way of thinking.  I am anti-ideological.  It was I who said on this blog that "ideology can make you stupid".

There's nothing wrong with protecting white culture in my opinion.  In fact, it is quite necessary, as there are those who seem bound and determined to destroy it.  But that doesn't make one a "white nationalist" or a "white supremacist".  Those labels only belong to those who openly join this group, and those people are unusual to say the least.

As a matter of fact, I have always had a problem with those who call themselves conservatives, and also call themselves "on the right".  But this seems to go over people's heads, as they look at the other things, and conclude you must agree with these other things.

As I continue to read about it on the Wiki, I can see why the left reacts so hysterically.  A lot of stuff gets "lumped in", that doesn't belong.  Perhaps they are all of the mind that there is this grand conspiracy of white supremacists who want to bring back Jim Crow or even slavery.  This is just paranoia.  I'm sure that there are more than a few wackos in this movement, but that doesn't mean that everybody who wants to "make America great again" has to be one of those people.

I've linked to Pat Buchanan's stuff, too.  But I don't agree with Buchanan all of the time.  I even wrote a negative review of one of his books.

People get hyper over the smallest details.  There is no conformity of thought in any of this.  The article shows that.  The alt-right is a myth that is being promoted for whatever reason and to whatever end.  But those promoting it may have little to do with what is supposed to be about, which isn't even clear.  There isn't any such animal as "alt-right", except for perhaps those who wish to call themselves that.



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