Comments on: Change, the Mind and Vietnam

By: Kyda Sylvester

Kyda Sylvester — Sat, 14 May 2005 03:01:45 +0000

As I’ve made my way through Neo’s posts, I’ve felt like the proverbial stranger in a strange land. So interesting, these tales of awakened enlightenment. I’ve been a conservative all my life and never considered myself heartless (although I admit it seldom bleeds). Pragmatic, yes, often, but never heartless. Conservativism just always seemed so…logical.

By: Steve J.

Steve J. — Sat, 14 May 2005 01:09:00 +0000

YEHUDIT:”In fact, Bush increased his % of the vote over 2000 a lot in Manhattan.”

2004

MANHATTAN

KERRY 81% BUSH 17%

By: Yehudit

Yehudit — Fri, 13 May 2005 11:23:48 +0000

“This is why I suspect areas of the country like Manhattan are going to get a lot bluer. It is no accident that many of these folks can legitimately claim that ìeverybody I know voted for Kerry.î”

I live in Manhattan and I disagree. I have met many who underwent 9-11 epiphanies. In fact, Bush increased his % of the vote over 2000 a lot in Manhattan. It is still overwhelmingly blue, but slightly less so. Guiliani is still popular even with liberals.

By: Wallace

Wallace — Fri, 13 May 2005 04:31:36 +0000

Speaking of books on the subject. Two I recommend for a better understanding of our tortured trail in Vietnam are:

“A bright Shining Lie”, by John Paul Vann

“Vietnam, A History”, by Stanley Karnow

By: thedragonflies

thedragonflies — Fri, 13 May 2005 02:29:29 +0000

“Never underestimate the fact that so many of these individuals are now financially comfortable.”

You’re right. Denial is a lot easier when you live in a bubble of sameness.

By: David Thomson

David Thomson — Fri, 13 May 2005 00:50:54 +0000

Do you really want to understand the differences between the red and blue states? If so, I highly recommend viewing the 2002 film, Tadpole, staring the late John Ritter along with Signourney Weaver and Bebe Neuwirth. This movie is about about wealthy liberals living in Manhattan. These people are elitist weirdos and the ìTadpoleî is a 15 year old precociously brilliant male who sleeps with a friend of the family, a 40 something woman. This relationship is considered ho-hum by the teenage boyís allegedly sophisticated parents. They could care less. A red state family, needless to add, would minimally put an end to such nonsense. Calling the police might even be seriously considered. Seeing Tadpole might be more useful than reading 20 books devoted to explaining how blue staters differ with families living in the predominantly red states.

“All they seem to really care about is maintaining the rigidity of their belief systems.”

And living the good life. They also want fat wallets. It helps to be very affluent if you wish to maintain the rigidity of your belief system.

By: photoncourier.blogspot.com

photoncourier.blogspot.com — Fri, 13 May 2005 00:31:57 +0000

“Any man who is under 30, and is not a liberal, has not heart; and any man who is over 30, and is not a conservative, has no brains.” (quote has also been attributed to Clemenceau)

This may have been true at one time…but I see very little evidence of “heart” in many of today’s self-defined “liberals” or “progressives.” They care neither about Kurds gassed by Saddam Hussein or about generations of children who missed out on education due to a dysfunctional public school sysem. All they seem to really care about is maintaining the rigidity of their belief systems.

Neither heart *nor* brains.

By: Lan Nguyen

Lan Nguyen — Fri, 13 May 2005 00:00:09 +0000

Good for you and yes, that’s her.

By: David Thomson

David Thomson — Thu, 12 May 2005 23:52:52 +0000

ìAnd they are thus impervious to reason and fact, clinging instead to the comfort of their emotion based “faith.”î

Never underestimate the fact that so many of these individuals are now financially comfortable. Their affluence allows them the luxury of creating a social milieu reinforcing the bovine excrement. This is why I suspect areas of the country like Manhattan are going to get a lot bluer. It is no accident that many of these folks can legitimately claim that ìeverybody I know voted for Kerry.î

By: thedragonflies

thedragonflies — Thu, 12 May 2005 23:34:42 +0000

I think that neo-neocon accurately describes the emotional intensity of liberals who became obsessively attached to the new narrative of the times – don’t trust the government, do trust the media, America’s power is suspect and should be limited, blame America first, etc.

I think she does a good job of pointing out that since their world-views were based on emotional trauma, they adopted a kind of new “faith” that gave them comfort. And they are thus impervious to reason and fact, clinging instead to the comfort of their emotion based “faith.”