Blog Week in Review
This week was a two-podcaster for me. I was kindly invited by writer, Colonel, and all-around Renaissance man Austin Bay to be on the Blog Week in Review along with the insightful and articulate Jeff Goldstein of Protein Wisdom (yes, Jeff, you’re a Renaissance man, too, and yes, Austin, you are insightful and articulate!).
We talked about identitarianism, otherwise known as identity politics, as well as how the truth in the Wilson/Plame/Libby case looks quite different to people on opposite sides of the political spectrum. Twas ever thus.
Concerning the topic of religion and identity politics, I tend to think that when people tried to rebel and purge religion from their hearts and minds, they sort of suffered a backlash internally. Because as you say, the need to feel part of a group is global and basic to human nature. If you get rid of the need to get religion… then what will fill the gap? And here comes the identity politics. If you can’t identify with a religion, a god, or a savior, then obviously you identify with environmentalism. Or a political side.
I don’t think the Left ever was interested in facts, so obviously the branch off will occur eventually after people notice. They had their own interpretation of what Cheney did (outed Val vindictively to punish dissenters and those who use free speech), and that was from day one, Neo. It’s like saying Jesus wasn’t holy. When you hit one of the central beliefs of any belief system, you can’t convince them without converting them. And conversion isn’t just normal “argument”.
How can you interpret the fact taht Plame wasn’t covert as Cheney outing Val to punish her and her husband? how can you possibly interpret such a fact in such a manner? You can’t, unless you just make things up. The people I’ve seen comment on this say that Cheney lied, that Wilson exposed those lies by telling the truth. What kind of interpretation of which facts are those?
That’s just the thing, people don’t need to follow the details. All they have to do is to analyze the character, psyche, and behavioral patterns of Wilson, Val, Cheney, and Bush without partisan cataracted eyes. Or they need to gather data like a scientist forever.
I’m not sure if it was “created around” the Val exposure issue. Because I think when this started, it started as an attempt by Wilson to paint his wife and himself as victims of the Bush administration. It is like the narcissist aggressor is accusing his victim of being the aggressive one.