Wednesday, March 26, 2008

How the Word is Flushed When the Weird Becomes Flesh

In The Religion of Eternal Racism and Eternal Sexism, Bruce Walker addresses a sort of paradox, that is, the left's embodiment of "eternal" principles, when the whole point of the left is that -- in the turgid but accurate phrase of Eric Voegelin - it "immamentizes the eschaton," meaning, in plain Raccoon lingo, that it collapses the vertical into the horizontal, which dispenses with the "permanent things" of the transcendent realm altogether. As a result, all that is left for the bereft left is a horizontal, temporal, and material struggle "below," which necessarily pits one group against another, based solely upon the lust for power. Any cynical "humanist" will tell you that this is simply the way of the world.

This is because, in the absence of absolute principles to guide them, humans are reduced to something slightly below the animal kingdom, in that we have their form but not their nobility, restraint, and common sense. Rather, we are like "animals gone wild," somehow liberated from our genetic program to undo nature's delicate balance and wreak havoc on the planet. Any good "environmentalist" will tell you this.

My point is that the left can have no "eternal principles" on pain of immediate and final self-refutation. Therefore, it must obscure its absence of principles with constant tactical maneuvers that change from day to day, week to week, and year to year. Obviously, if you deny what Schuon calls the higher "principial" realm -- which contains the absolute and eternal metaphysical principles of which this lower world is an instantiation -- you can only live in a kind of "absolute relativity," which, if you give it a moment's thought, is intrinsically absurd. Frankly, it is metaphysically impossible, as relativity would then be absolute, thus negating itself. Obviously, cultural and moral relativism are intrinsically absurd and self-negating as well.

Walker highlights this absurdity of the left, in that it hews to faux-eternal principles which can never change irrespective of what actually happens in what they ironically call "reality," being that reality for them is reduced to the flatland, material world. For example, Walker asks, "How many 'civil rights' leaders talk as if racism is an immutable, eternal characteristic of American society? How many feminist leaders talk as if sexism is an immutable, eternal characteristic of American society? The mere passage of years, the mere enactment of statutes or adoption of polices, the decades long public relations campaign against bigotry -- none of this can be allowed to make a difference" (emphasis mine).

But why does the left embrace a kind of bitter and reactionary anti-theology, in which they hold to such a negative view of the world despite what actually occurs here? As Walker writes, "the sins of America are a religious article of faith to self-appointed black leaders and to self-appointed representatives of the female sex."

But here again we can see that the left is not guided by true principles, for example, the truly eternal principle that "all men are created equal." Rather, for the left, "it is crucial that the sin is not racism or sexism, but specifically American (or, perhaps, Western) racism and sexism." If the crimes aren't committed by white Westerners, feminists aren't interested. They will yawn "when told about honor murders, female circumcision and the imprisonment of rape victims," so long as non-Christian people of color are responsible. "The catechism of the Left is that America is evil," not that rape or honor killing are evil.

So the true motive that animates the left is not a "positive" principle such as equality, much less liberty, but an anti-principle. And this is why it takes such diverse forms, as the leftist must always fool you (and, more importantly, himself) into believing that he is defending eternal principles, principles in which he doesn't actually believe. For example, the left universally believes that it is proper for the government to discriminate on the basis of race, "gender" and "sexual orientation", and that failure to do so should be illegal. Not surprisingly, the party of trial lawyers loves these kinds of laws, because trial lawyers are the group that most benefits from this crass power grab in the guise of a principle.

The left once unanimously maintained that we should judge people by the content of their character, not the color of their skin. But the fact that they so readily abandoned this principle shows how they are always rooted in tactics, not principles. Likewise, up until the late '60s and early '70s, the left was a vocal supporter of Israel, whereas now all of the wholesale anti-Semitism in the world emanates from the left (including, of course, the Obama campaign (cf here).

America's founders were (among other things) political mystics, in that they did not "deduce" the spiritual principles upon which the country was founded, but saw into the realm where they eternally abide. The intellect "sees" these principles with absolute certainty, "light to light," so to speak. As Schuon explains, "Metaphysical truths are by no means accepted because they are merely logically clear, but because they are ontologically clear, and their logical clarity is only a trace of this imprinted on the mind." Here again, this kind of higher truth is "not held to be true -- by those who understand it -- because it is expressed in a logical manner, but it can be expressed in a logical manner because it is true, without -- obviously -- its truth ever being compromised by the possible shortcomings of human reason."

As further explained by Oldmeadow, metaphysical truth "has nothing to do with personal opinion, originality, or creativity -- quite the contrary. It is directed towards those realities which lie outside mental perimeters and which are unchanging. The most a metaphysician will ever want to do is reformulate some timeless truth so that it becomes more intelligible in the prevailing climate." Indeed that is the whole purpose of my book and this blog -- it's why I tried to make the book a metaphysical joyread, and to make cosmic truth fun for the whole family!

Thus, when the Founders said, "we hold these truths to be self-evident," they were not appealing to mere logic, but to something much higher -- something eternal, axial, and principial, in this or any other cosmos. They were not conveying to King George what they "thought" about reality, but they were disclosing and imparting this transcendent reality to the monarch. These principles would still be true if not a single human being were aware of them -- which, strictly speaking, is impossible, being that the human, qua human, is the being that is by definition conformed or "proportioned" to the absolute. Humans and humans alone are the cosmic mediators between time and eternity, God and creation, vertical and horizontal -- which is why we may know eternal Truth and conform ourselves to it. Or not.

In short, because we possess free will (freedom being one of the Divine attributes reflected in the human being) we may incarnate Truth or uncarnate the Lie. It's all up -- or down -- to you.

*****

Dr. Sanity brings attention to the same unprincipled leftist principles in her post Morally Twisted, which gets into the question of why the worthless Palestinians get so much more attention than the worthy Tibetans. Read the whole thing, as it really lays bare the broken moral compass of the left:

"In the holy book of leftist belief, 'victimhood' is the most celebrated quality deserving of attention and pity. This is in part because many on the political left have a pathologically narcissistic need to see themselves as 'champions of the oppressed', hence the constant need to find and maintain an oppressed class of people to champion. But it also dovetails nicely into the the Marxist dialectic that underlies that ideology. The world is divided up into two groups, you see: the oppressors (i.e., white, male,heterosexual, Republican, Americans or Israelis) and the oppressed (everyone else)....

"Now compare and contrast the Palestinians with the relatively gentle culture of Tibet and the non-violent philosophy of its spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. You can also compare and contrast the deliberate brutality of China and its Communist leadership with Israel. China's brutality and oppression is almost always given a free pass by the left in much the same way they have extended to Fidel Castro and other despotic totalitarian and authoritarian regimes their devoted loyalty and sympathy. Israel, as a Democratic and morally conscious nation actually works hard to spare innocent human life is automatically condemned whenever they respond to Palestinian provocation simply because it represents Western values and is by definition of the neo-marxists of our day, an 'official' oppressor. The left always calls Israel's response to the provocations 'disproportionate'; but in reality, it is the left's moral equivalence that is so disgustingly disproportionate."

18 comments:

Warren said...

"If the crimes are not committed white Westerners, feminists aren't interested."

And even then, certain white Westerners are exempt - witness the feminists' defense of a known rapist, Bill Clinton.

julie said...

More wisdumb from Rev. Wright (via Insty).

Anonymous said...

People of color have a free pass because of past white offenses against them. They'll continue to have it for another 75 years.

Whites will be the criminals for another 75 years, until the onus wears out.

So, whites, quit your whining and your time.

walt said...

The Left's non-response to the Chinese actions in Tibet is curious. The DL has influential friends the world over, and is BIG in Hollywood -- and the Buddhists return the favor, supporting Algore and his theories, and engaging in all sorts of "social action." But hey: China is the "new" Russia, and so not much will be said.

Bob wrote,
"Humans and human alone are the cosmic mediators between time and eternity, God and creation, vertical and horizontal -- which is why we may know eternal Truth and conform ourselves to it. Or not."

I was studying some particularly juicy bits of metaphysics yesterday, and came away from it with my mind all atwitter, and a "clean" feeling. Obviously, some types of conformity pay big dividends!

Bob also wrote,
"I tried to make the book a metaphysical joyread, and to make cosmic truth fun for the whole family!"

I say: Success is yours!

Anonymous said...

"If the crimes are not committed white Westerners, feminists aren't interested."

Touche! There are a few exceptions but, generally, this seems to be the case with dishonor killings.

Ellen R. Sheeley, Author
"Reclaiming Honor in Jordan"

Anonymous said...

Re: Your comment, "up until the late '60s and early '70s, the left was a vocal supporter of Israel, whereas now all of the wholesale anti-Semitism in the world emanates from the left."

I read somewhere that the left abandoned Israel because the Israelis began abandoning the Kibbutz model (socialism) and moved towards capitalism.

Gagdad Bob said...

That and the fact that they became a much stronger ally of the U.S. after the '73 war, i.e., "the friend of my enemy is my enemy."

Anonymous said...

Also, while the Vietnam War was in progress in the 60's, the left could point to Israel and say, see, unlike S. Vietnam, that's a nation worth our efforts to defend. Of course,as soon as the Nam war was over, leftist support for Israel began to dry up.

For a time, Israel was the left's moral fig leaf.

Rick said...

RE the Founders and what they were imparting to the monarch, I don’t have it handy (shame on me) but if you read Thomas Payne’s “Common Sense” toward the end of I believe he was in so many words actually making a case for separation of church and state. Place aside for the moment that it is not in our founding documents – we know that. However, Payne does not argue the way it is characterized today by the left. His reason is he didn’t want the state messing with a man’s religion, not that a man should not have one. The Founders were not escaping from religion, only from a state established one.

Anonymous said...

>>metaphysical truth "has nothing to do with personal opinion, originality, or creativity<<

I think it might be said that creativity in its fullest scope does allow for a "creative consciousness", which in turn allows for recognition of metaphysical truth. Creativity isn't always manifested as an action or endeavor - it's a state of being, a clarifying of being, an aliveness.

Thus a fully creative individual need not be doing, but simply being. The atmosphere around the fully creative individual is, I think, cleansed of the usual statics that obscure metaphysical truth. Consequently, not only the creative individuals themselves, but those around them, can more readily access truth.

To be sure, this is not making up a truth ex nihilo, but a creative "seeing".

Anonymous said...

What I learned recently and found interesting is that after its founding and for the next 20 to 30 years, Israel relied on Czechoslovakia and then Russia to supply their weaponry to fend off the constant onslaughts from the surrounding Arab states.
I guess Israel was acceptable to the Left when they had the commie stamp of approval.

mushroom said...

Just as we were contemplating yesterday that the demonic can infect by proximity, so the radical secularist fears the proximity of those who get the occasional vertical download. They dread the holy and flee the Absolute. It’s understandable.

An individual under the spout as O pours out does purify – “you are the salt of the earth”. Abraham, pleading for Sodom and his nephew, Lot, got the Lord to agree to spare all the wicked if only ten righteous could be found. It didn’t work out, but God would not have gone back on the bargain. What we do is not just an adventure, it’s a job – a duty implied by a recognition of the reality of God Onboard.

USS Ben USN (Ret) said...

Excellent post, Bob!
"As further explained by Oldmeadow, metaphysical truth "has nothing to do with personal opinion, originality, or creativity -- quite the contrary. It is directed towards those realities which lie outside mental perimeters and which are unchanging. The most a metaphysician will ever want to do is reformulate some timeless truth so that it becomes more intelligible in the prevailing climate." Indeed that is the whole purpose of my book and this blog -- it's why I tried to make the book a metaphysical joyread, and to make cosmic truth fun for the whole family!"

And you have done this in a remarkably effort(less) way,
puttin' the gnewtrition in the bosom of metaphysics, so we don't hafta scrounge for our daily broad. :^)

For that I say mugs up to Bob! A toast of epic proportions as we celibrate the simplistic slackability that Bob wields so seemingly effortlessly!

Anonymous said...

Sorry if this has been covered. I've been away and haven't yet caught up. But this is an interesting Belmont Club piece on a Coptic priest who is apparently taking on Islam successfully and bringing about "mass conversions" to Christianity over there.

Gagdad Bob said...

I heard about that. It's a regular Copts & Wahabbers story.

Anonymous said...

>>It's a regular Copts & Wahabbers story<<

Sir, you have finally gone too far! At long last, have you no decency, sir???

(deep laughter from behind the curtain)

Anonymous said...

"The left always calls Israel's response to the provocations 'disproportionate'; but in reality, it is the left's moral equivalence that is so disgustingly disproportionate." Bob

“If I were an Arab leader, I would never sign an agreement with Israel. It is normal; we have taken their country. It is true God promised it to us, but how could that interest them? Our God is not theirs. There has been Anti - Semitism, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that their fault? They see but one thing: we have come and we have stolen their country. Why would they accept that?” Ben-Gurion



"When we say that the Arabs are the aggressors and we defend ourselves ---- that is only half the truth. As regards our security and life we defend ourselves. . . . But the fighting is only one aspect of the conflict, which is in its essence a political one. And politically we are the aggressors and they defend themselves." (Righteous Victims, p. 652) Ben-Gurion

“We must use terror, assassination, intimidation, land confiscation, and the cutting of all social services to rid the Galilee of its Arab population.” Israel Koenig in The Koenig Memorandum

"The Arabs cannot accept the existence of Israel. Those who accept it are not normal." Ben-Gurion

"The only thing that surprised me, and surprised me bitterly, was the discovery of such moral failings among us [Jews], which I had never suspected. I mean the mass robbery in which all parts of [the Jewish] population participated." (1949, The First Israelis, p. 69)
Ben-Gurion

SC&A said...

Funny 'quotes,' anonymous.

What Teveth really said and wrote can be seen in the following:

http://www.amazon.com/Ben-Gurion-Holocaust-Shabtai-Teveth/dp/0151002371

"When we say that the Arabs are the aggressors and we defend ourselves ---- that is only half the truth. As regards our security and life we defend ourselves. . . But the fighting is only one aspect of the conflict, which is in its essence a political one. And politically we are the aggressors and they defend themselves."

That is true, of course. The Arabs were and still are defending some of the most dysfunctional regimes and failed states in recorded human history.

Context and reality are bitter pills, anonymous- and no amount of fake quotes can change that reality.

Know what I mean? Sure you do.

Of course, I'm sure you MEANT well.

Theme Song

Theme Song