Students and leftism

[Pekka]

What is it with students and leftism? I'm not talking about some slight leftist taste, but more like to the other side of the court type of leftism?

It's all ideology driven. It's all about these thoughts, that are kind of neat, but the world isn't working like that so you have to be passionate about the ideology.

To me, it's nothing but another religion, a political one. It's about rebellion. Rebellion against the adult world. I think, however, that when you're 17 or older, why does it still appeal to so many students?

Often I avoid debates of any political nature in real life, just because they won't go anywhere. But, since I bump into passionate socialists often, so we're not just talking about a little collectivism never hurt anyone, but socialists deep down in heart, I always have a problem with their BS of 'I know what is best for you' type of mentality. Then I usually intervene and ask, why don't you give me the respect, as a citizen, to make up my own mind?

Then it gets to 'ooh, so you're an individualist'. **** yeah I am. What's wrong with that? Since we are talking about things in very high abstract level, what's wrong with that? So what, I can't know what's best for me, but you know what's best for ALL of us? That sounds kind of arrogant.

So there's no way to work around that, and it gets 'oh so you're a right winger' and the automatic 'you hate poor people and love the rich'.

Right. And you suck balls for free, because you like to make other people feel nice. Why don't you get a job, I mean, I know it's easy to get hyped about nice theories, because you're a student. You are privilidged!! You don't have a family to support, you don't have a lot of life experience to begin with, so it's easy to say, hey, you're wrong, I'm right, and I know best, even though my only experience is passing few courses on wtf is life about.

And to stress the point, it shows in fashion, as in no one can wear anything but rugged clothes. Not comfortable, but straight out something from the bay of pigs battle. Is that like intelligent? Are you now progressive? Are you making a point? The best part is, the type of clothes are trendy, so they are also the most expensive.

Get a ****ing haircut, grow up and stop wasting the tax payers money on your trip. Do it with your own money. OOopps that's right, your daddy doesn't want to pay for that now does he?

Students sucks.

[Provost Harrison]

Ah yes, the champagne socialist...they are quite annoying I must admit.

I've always been pretty lefty in my opinions, probably not quite so militant now, but my main objection now is that it is vested interest that rules capitalism, and not really an egalitarian 'free market' model...cartel, protectionism and imperialism seem to be the main problems here.

Truth is, no system is perfect, but I still think governments could do far more to level the playing field - progressive taxation and a good welfare state. Decent social housing and educational opportunities for those less fortunate, otherwise, poverty becomes a trap despite noble words of upward mobility. Come to the UK and look around, the divide is growing more and more vast all the time...London being a prime example of such...

[Pekka]

Right, but the problem isn't the leftism in this picture. You've seen the Southpark episode where they get the hybrids? That's the problem I'm trying to describe. It makes you want to kill someone, because it's just so stupid.

I wonder why it appeals to students so much though. For males, obviously to score more of those chicks, but for girls? I don't know.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Pekka
You've seen the Southpark episode where they get the hybrids?

Smug

What tends to be wrong with student leftism is that it's about a percieved morality (smug), rather than a genuine coherent plan to advance the forces of production. Real marxism aims to construct a bigger cake, rather than just redistributing the existing cake, but fashionable lefty outrage tends not to realise this.

[Provost Harrison]

That is very true...

[Kidlicious]

I seem to remember a lot of anoying student Libertarians and Conservatives. Wait. They still anoy me. So maybe that's no the same.

[Pekka]

Cort Haus, well, in most cases, do you think they have read Marx? More than just few quotes from the internet?

I really don't have a problem with leftism most of the times, it's the smugs are you call it. Surely they exists in all sides, but at least in here, they tend to be more quiet. That is, if you speak against the smug, you'll become the poor hating, society destroying racist. Yeah, that will be your new image.

You can destroy the ideology driven discussion by saying 'OK so what do you suggest we would change, concrete suggestions, don't give me your values, just tell me what we should do?'. It always starts with 'well, we don't do it like in the USA..' and after that it's mostly anti-American rants. Then you point out that a.) you wanted to know what THEY would do, and not what they wouldn't do and b.) if they want to go on about with their anti-Americanism, I'm really not interested hearing what the Americans do or won't do.

So then you're pro-America, pro-Iraq, pro-killing babies and raping the world, pro-evil and anti-good.

And all you wanted was to hear the real measures, avoiding the values and ideologies. But that's all you got, except now YOu are the ******* as well. Job well done

Never engage with the smug. It would be like engaging with neo-nazis, trying to tell them that interracial marriage is OK.

[Kidlicious]

Pekka,

You know a little about what it is like to be a socialist. I never bring up politics with strangers. If they bring it up I try to stupidly nod, because if I engage in conversation they will go on blah blah blah sure as hell that they will change my mind because there must be something wrong with me. It isn't just smug leftists that are anoying it's smug people period that are anoying. Don't force your opinion on people who aren't interested.

[Pekka]

Kid, of course. I never argued otherwise.

You also have to understand, that in here, you have 4 conservatives, 1 libertarian and 09450 million lefties, and about 4000 anti-foreign-scum who call themselves the right wing.

So, at any given day, I will only meet one side of the story. I have to go online to see anything else.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Pekka
Kid, of course. I never argued otherwise.

You also have to understand, that in here, you have 4 conservatives, 1 libertarian and 09450 million lefties, and about 4000 anti-foreign-scum who call themselves the right wing.

So, at any given day, I will only meet one side of the story. I have to go online to see anything else.

Do they have nude ins?

[Pekka]

nude ins? what's that?

But the difference is, I live in a place where you have to be on the other side strongly. So, if I would live in a place where it is more balanced, or one sided to the other side, it would be very different of course. And given that I'd see more of other kinds of people, the density of jerks with those beliefs would intensify rapidly.

I just don't like people who come and sell religion to me on my door, I don't like people who come and sell other ideologies on my spare time, such as political ideology, if it is very driven and one-dimensional.

[Kidlicious]

If they are stupid they would probably anoy me too. There was this one chick who was trying to tell me that economics was just a bunch of BS because all they have to do is print more money and give it to the poor. Sure thought that inflation was just a lie and a conspiracy.

Anyway she was really hot, but I could hardly stand to talk to her and she wouldn't shut up about it.

[Kidlicious]

Oh, and I was just wondering it they all get together and hang out without any clothes on.

[Nikolai]

I'm a student and I'm no leftist, more of a somewhat conservative guy really. I probably am a communist by American standards though, but then again all Europeans except the ones to the right of Marie le Pen is that over there...

[Fake Boris]

I don't understand the epidermic reactions against alleged "patronizing". It's not like our conducts aren't being "patronized" by economic "necessities". I take it this is what you call "real life", Pekka?