Sunday, September 23, 2007

Infants and Other Leftists

The unconscious doesn't relate to individuals, but to classes. To put it another way, to the extent that the unconscious perceives the individual, it does so in terms of the class (in the mathematical sense of a set) of which it is a member.

Right away you see a potentially vast difference between leftists, who tend to see only groups, and classical liberals, who value the individual. But because the leftist sees only groups and classes, he doesn't realize the extent to which his thinking is susceptible to, and determined by, unconscious influences. This is why it is such truism that virtually all of the wholesale racism in America comes from the left, since they openly admit to their prejudice, i.e., that they can't help categorizing people by race, gender, or sexual orientation. They then want to paradoxically enact discriminatory laws to keep them from discriminating.

But as Chief Justice Roberts recently taught all of us in a tautologous decision, the best way to end discrimination is to end discrimination.

Actually the best way is to end descrimination is to begin discriminating, since discrimination is the opposite of indiscriminately lumping individuals into groups. For a person with discrimination, Thomas Sowell and Cornell West belong to wildly divergent groups with virtually nothing in common. There is nothing similar about them -- that is, unless you are a leftist racist who notices only their skin color.

Not only does the unconscious categorize by class, but classes within classes within classes. For example, in the unconscious mind, a wife could be a member of the class of females, which could in turn be a member of the class of mothers. Have you ever started to call your wife by your mother's name when you were angry at her? I haven't. This week.

Furthermore, because of the symbolic nature of the unconscious, the breast can be a symbol of mother. But because of its symmetrical nature, mother could be a member of the class of bountiful -- or withholding -- breasts. In the unconscious mind, the part can equal the whole, and vice versa.

For example, whenever my two and a-half year old son gets into a tight spot, he immediately begins chanting like Dustin Hoffman in Rainman, "up on mommy... up on mommy... up on mommy." I am quite certain that in these moments of unbound anxiety or pain or fear, "mommy" doesn't just refer to Mrs. G. Rather, "mommy" is simply a signifier for the the Great Comforter in the Sky, the class of all objects that can transform pain into security or pleasure.

In other words, the actual mommy -- Mrs. G. -- is a member of a much more expansive class of the Magically Infinite Comforter, or Good Breast. No human could ever live up to those expectations, which the baby, to his dismay, eventually discovers. Or not. And if not, he may spend the rest of his life in search of the lost entitlement, that Great Breast in the Sky.

Again, liberals are tranceParently prone to this, what with their wild, utopian schemes to end all pain and want -- free housing, free college education, free healthcare. Once you are in the unconscious, its needs are naturally infinite.

You might say that Dennis Kucinich is the most capable articulator of the infinite needs of the infantile unconscious, but all leftist politicians are in the same mold. But they have to speak more in code, so as to not alienate the parents who will have to take care of all the hungry and whining infants. After all, someone has to do it. Babies can't take care of themselves. Free healthcare is obviously not free. To the contrary, it's actually more expensive than the kind you pay for, since it removes any disincentive to use it. And when you put a baby with infinite needs in a context in which he is infinitely ministered to, guess what happens?

That's right. Old Europe.

Young people are naturally drawn to leftism, since they are at a developmental stage in which their task is to go from being a member of a primitive group -- the family of origin -- to a mature individual. This provokes a tremendous amount of anxiety (remember?), anxiety which -- because of the structure of the unconscious mind -- resonates with every past maturational stage, in which one had to pull away from "fusion" with the group (which ultimately goes all the way back to the Omnipotent Cosmic Comforter alluded to above) and become an individual.

Wahhhh, Don't tase me, Dad!!!

Looking back on your own life, you can no doubt reconstruct when you were in these transitional phases between fusion and individuation. Robin spoke of one the other day, in his real-life sandbox allegory. There he was, caught between two worlds, the one of blissful primary fusion with the enveloping cosmos, vs. breaking out and becoming an individual in the decaying world of time and form. Growth can only take place by leaving the world of fusion, but it is fraught with anxiety and depression. In fact, the great psychoanalyst Melanie Klein called it the depressive position, not just because it is inherently depressing, but because one must master and assimilate the depressing loss of unity. One must contain it or be contained by it.

But many people obviously do stay behind. However, it is no picnic. It is what Klein called the paranoid-schizoid position, which has a whole array of specific (and more primitive) defense mechanisms to keep the reality of time, growth, and separateness -- and depression -- at bay. For example, one way to deny depression is through the "manic defenses," and again, we can see how leftism fits the bill, what with its manic utopian promises to end all pain and want.

The Buddha realized that attachment to our desires is the source of suffering. The left has a better idea: just make unfullfilled desire against the law.

A young adult will often embrace leftism as a form of pseudo-maturity. In other words, it gives one the appearance of strength, maturity, and adulthood, since you can be so freely aggressive, hostile, and belligerent. But this is entirely counterfeit, merely the weak man's impersonation of a strong man -- you know, "General Betray Us," and all that. Imagine General Petraeus -- who, among other inconveniences, took a bullet in the chest while training for the defense of his country -- being aggressively called a traitor by these infantile chicken doves!

Only in the unconscious, where heroes can be cowards and cowards can be heroes, where dissent is the highest form of patriotism and patriotism is the lowest form of treason.

18 comments:

walt said...

"A young adult will often embrace leftism as a form of pseudo-maturity. In other words, it gives one the appearance of strength, maturity, and adulthood..."

I can recall arriving in the Big City, fresh from the farm, and adopting all sorts of poses, attitudes, and mannerisms -- anything, to acquire the acceptance and some of the power that adults had! Interestingly, I found that when I did manage to act more maturely than I felt, various doors would open -- and pretty quickly, too!

But behind the "act," you are correct: "...this is entirely counterfeit, merely the weak man's impersonation of a strong man."

Ah, youth!

julie said...

Harking back to yesterday's thread, Ricky and Van mentioned the "big head" thing. I used to get that sometimes, too. The first time was when I came down with some kind of horrid stomach flu when I was about 7 or 8. It was a strange combination of feeling spinny-dizzy and also e-x-p-a-n-d-i-n-g. Reading your comment from yesterday brought it back, to a small degree, though these days I find it to be more of a curiosity than anything.

Stephen Macdonald said...

Some youth manage against all odds to become men (and women) despite it all. I always take solace in the hour long conversation I had at an airport lounge in San Diego last year with a returning Marine. He looked maybe 21 or 22, but was more of a man than the distilled masculine essence of 500 Mahers.

Anonymous said...

You mean women and Mahers are from Venus?

Anonymous said...

Off topic but maybe not

Bob, Do you believe that the righteous desires of person A addressed to God as prayer can find fulfillment in another third party person B who may not have the slightest inkling of the person A's interest?

Gagdad Bob said...

Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time. You know, with a little help from your friends.

Anonymous said...

In line with today's title "Infants & Other Leftist" NRO has two too-funny articles about Dan Rather/ Schadenfreude by Jonah Goldberg, for our enjoyment.

"The metastasizing clownishness of Rather’s entire persona is one of the most glorious and enjoyable spectacles of the modern media age."

Scroll to 'Media' section, they're entitled: “I’m Rather Grateful” (Ours is a just and decent God) & "Flashback: Oh Happy Day!”

Raccoon Alert: ISS material

Anonymous said...

"up on mommy... up on mommy... up on mommy."

Don't let Hillary get ahold of that one or we're all doomed!

She'll be looking up your son for more campaign slogans.

robinstarfish said...

Catch of the Day
baptized in the sea
antediluvian stone
day breaks at low tide

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

"The unconscious doesn't relate to individuals, but to classes. To put it another way, to the extent that the unconscious perceives the individual, it does so in terms of the class (in the mathematical sense) of which it is a member."

Hi Bob:
How does this relate to classes of people?
It seems that maybe certain aspects of our unconcious mean more or less, and have more or less impact as it relates to (and pertains to) one's class, be it negative or positive.

I know the class lines are intentionally blurry in the US and other Western countries, but the classes remain, don't they?

Well, except for maybe France, where the Warrior class is all but extinct.

This recent post by the Dissident Frogman shows some all time new lows, even for France:

http://www.thedissidentfrogman.com/blog/link/its-a-rat-nation-why-would-you-call-them-frogs/

Gagdad Bob said...

Good read: The Povery of Lberalism, by Roger Kimball.

Gagdad Bob said...

Ben:

Matte Blanco is talking primarily about mathematical classes, as opposed to socioeconomic ones. However, to the extent that a leftist sees the world in terms of socioeconomic classes, he is likely operating out of unconscious logic.

Likewise, the fact that the US is the one country that cares less about class than any other, accounts for its maturity. The left always wants us to see the world in terms of classes and groups, but most Americans don't fall for it.

Yet.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Bob-
I should've been more specific.
I was thinkin' more along the lines of Priest, Warrior, Artist, Merchant,...etc., type classes, and not in a socio-economic sense of the term.

Then again, there seems to be a mixture of those classes, or maybe a better term is "purposes" or professions, and perhaps you meant it's more mature to find all of these within?

The reason I ask, (well, one reason) is because I feel more "at home" or "natural" as a warrior than I would be as a merchant.

Anonymous said...

Bob writes:

"The left has a better idea: just make unfullfilled desire against the law."

There's something to this idea. For instance, if all men were assigned suitable sex partners if they couldn't find one, this world would be a better place.

Unfulfilled sexual urges are a bane on our society; we should ensure that everyone gets the physical contact units that they need to thrive.

It could be legislated; perhaps in the future it will be.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Waittaminnit.
After readin' adamna's comment, I have a sudden urge to sell guns.

WV: nuappy- yes, it is.

julie said...

"For instance, if all men were assigned suitable sex partners if they couldn't find one..."

Riiiight, because forcing women into sexual relationships with men they wouldn't have chosen for themselves is such a great idea.

Because unhappy women never make a man's life miserable, nor vice versa.

And happily married people have never been known to do horrible things to other people, thus arguably making the world a worse place.

Sheesh.

Anonymous said...

Adama:
You'd fit right in to the Imperial Japanese Army & Navy.

I'm very, very, tempted to add 'you ignorant slut', but that would date me.

Read up on "all men were assigned suitable sex partners if they couldn't find one,(this world would be a better place)"

Google 'Comfort Women' & read this Wiki entry as a start.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comfort_women

PS: rapt attention to SciFi channel Martial fantasies must be cramping your brain - redirect to The Hitler Channel or The War on PBS for clues.

Van Harvey said...

Ximeze said "I'm very, very, tempted to add 'you ignorant slut', but that would date me."

Jane! You ig... uh-oh... dated us both.

Hey! It's a date!

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