Before continuing, I want to acknowledge fully anyone on this thread who thinks she is not likely to be that leopard that changes its spots. I understand that. But at the same time, if this country is to go on, we NEED people on the Left to undergo the same thought process that Naomi Wolf has apparently undergone. And when we do, we need to welcome them and give them a fresh evaluation. Naomi Wolf may be like the alcoholic who swears off, then the first time a Manhattan Cocktail party is dangled in front of her face, she reverts to form. But if we want to save this Republic, and have any future, we need to hope more and more people like her have the scales fall from their eyes, and see the incoherence and deceptions of the Left, and engage in, as she apparently has, a valid introspection.
That said, folks...this is about as close to a real apology as anyone is ever likely to get from any Leftist anywhere, so in that sense, I applaud her and accept it. I think we all should.
I doubt she is a dummy to have come this far before feeling compelled to write this. What is more likely is that she is a poster child for that dynamic of Leftists who live within that “bubble”, and they assume that any piece of information that penetrates the soapy membrane of that bubble to reach them is the truth.
We, as Conservatives, are largely different in this respect.
We are absolutely susceptible to being inside the same soapy bubble that insulates us, but there is a difference:
First, Conservatism by its nature tends to be more reality based. It just is. We are less driven by unhinged (from reality) emotion and sentimentality. It is why, you would probably have to classify most of the founders as conservatives, with a few exceptions. The believed in the inherent evil that exists in Man, and that it must be fought on an ongoing basis.
Second, Conservatives HAVE to engage in introspection. We have to, and most that I know, do to varying degrees. I say we have to because we are vilified in the media, entertainment, educational, and government spheres. We are put into a point where we, as conservatives, must examine our beliefs, because so many societal forces out there tell us that not only we are wrong, but we are evil.
Conservatives have more solid foundational principles that we build our ideological house on top of. Often we don’t have to go back and re-examine our principles on many of those things, because we have already thought them through. Principles such as valuing the individual over the collective. Opposition to wholesale and unlimited slaughter of the unborn. Adherence to the laws of a Republic. The concept that personal liberty and economic liberty are inextricably intertwined, and you cannot destroy one without destroying the other.
And so on.
It also means that we tie back any new issues to those we have thought through in the past to ensure they are as consistent as can be going forward.
That is why I view much of this coming from Naomi Wolf as significant. She is engaging in candid introspection, which is wholly a Conservative value. The Left is totally, completely, and utterly devoid of introspection. They KNOW in their hearts they are right, but their river of intellectual coherence being a mile wide and a nanometer deep (as most emotionally based people are) once you scratch the surface, their intellectual coherence is non-existent.
In summary, I welcome hearing a Leftist icon speaking the unspeakable aloud. She may have reservations. But we need to welcome people who manage to stick their heads through that soapy bubble and hear something that challenges their beliefs.
Great post. I agree.
There was a time in my younger years that I thought the government and the media wouldn’t really deceive people intentionally, and certainly not on such a wide scale.
Certain events that happened in the last 25-30 or so years changed my mind about that.
Once those scales fall from your eyes, you see subsequent events through a different lens. You question far more than you used to.
Ms. Wolf is going through this process now, and we should not shun her. I want to engage people who are genuine and sincere. We will be better for it when we do so.
Wow, that’s quite a tome. Guess I should’vs just GTS.
Well said.
Word!
Good post, and fair enough.
applause
applause
However, I have watched conservatives rush to embrace any number of liberals and/or perverts , Russell Brand, Mahr, Stewart, Williams (Juan), Tate, Rowling, Jeffree Star and so fourth, who said something slightly less crazy then their current insanity. Then they act all surprised and hurt when they get bit.
So my answer is, before you let her in, a full body search, complete decontamination and she can sit where I can see her with both hands clearly in view.
You go give peace a chance. I will be up in the sniper's nest covering you in case that does not work out.
I agree with your take. IMO she’s showing some real character here, especially in the humility and bravery departments. I say bravo to this lady.