Liberal Compassion
by Jeff OBryant
Ralph Alter explains in Idiot Compassion how liberals confuse the real thing with what Ken Wilber refers to as “idiot compassion.”
I particularly enjoyed the example he included from one of the legends surrounding Buddha. In one of his early incarnations, the Buddha supposedly met a mass-murderer who had killed thousands of men. “Acting correctly and with compassion for all sentient beings, the Buddha’s incarnation killed the murderer to prevent additional suffering.” As Alter explains, “That is true compassion!”
A real must read…
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June 7th, 2007 at 2:39 am
Ralph Alter’s item is nothing but a scurrilous misrepresentation of liberal values. It seems that honesty and accuracy are not standards for these kinds of attacks. But of course it is always easier to attack “straw men.”
For example, out of whole cloth he makes the accusation: “The ‘compassionate’ left would rather have us believe that the detainees at Guantanamo, the murderers and rapists in our prisons, the violent Palestinians and other Islamo-fascists are the rightful and primary objects of our care and concern.”
There is exactly zero truth to that accusation.
It is hardly a liberal versus conservative issue that one of the pillars of our legal system is the principle that one is innocent until proven guilty. What needs to be remembered when discussing habeas corpus, Miranda rights, and similar issues is this: Being accused of a crime is not at all the same as being guilty of that crime.
It would take an entire article to refute Alter’s ludicrous smear. Perhaps you should just name him “Columnist of the Week” the way you did Vasko Kohlmayer for his ridiculous article that suggested the problem with the left is that they suffer from “madness” because they are rabidly atheistic (despite the fact that according to a recent Newsweek Poll 91% of Americans believe in God!).
It boggles my mind that there are people who take this type of buffoonery seriously.
June 7th, 2007 at 7:30 am
Then what are liberal “values?” Just wondering what a “value” is to a liberal? Murder of the unborn, that’s surely one of many. Thing is, what liberals call “values” are not values- they are, in many cases, just excuses to do whatever it is the liberal wants to do. Abortion is only the best example out of many.
No, anyone who understands what true values are cannot be a liberal.
June 7th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
You err being out of touch with the American people, the majority of whom clearly oppose the overturning of Roe v Wade.
So a measure of latitude with regard to a woman rights over her body during pregnancy is an American value. If you also want to call this a liberal value, that is fine with me.
Murder — i.e., the UNLAWFUL taking of human life with MALICE AFORETHOUGHT (which abortion as performed under Roe v Wade clearly is not) — is NOT a liberal value.
You haven’t the proper grasp of liberalism to be making the sweeping judgments which you make.
June 7th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
I’m sorry- I cannot help it if the American people are out of touch with reality- as are any who support Roe v Wade. Murder is the taking of innocent human life. Abortion is murder - there is no doubt.
And I grasp the evil, destructive, vile movement that is liberalism just fine- that’s why I fight it.
June 8th, 2007 at 2:44 am
You don’t “fight” liberalism. You misrepresent it. You slander it.
I fail to see how the freedom espoused by liberalism (from liber, free) can be considered “evil,” “destructive” and “vile.”
You also seem to have a disdain for the principles of democracy.
June 8th, 2007 at 7:14 am
Democracy is good; I do not disdain it. I just feel only responsible people should take part in it. And I do not misrepresent liberalism. Liberalism supports the murder of the unborn. If you don’t like the term, okay, liberalism supports the killing of the unborn. Same thing. It says government has the right to take from me what is mine and give to somebody else. It defends terrorists, weakens our national security, thinks those who believe in God are ignorant fools, fears religion and the practice of it(except the one religion that wants to kill Americans), believes even child rapists have rights, and on and on and on. That is what liberalism is.
June 8th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Your very words indict you concerning your misrepresentation and misunderstanding of liberalism.
Liberals do NOT support the murder of the unborn; they support the freedom for women to decide for themselves (under the confines of the law) concerning the very personal matter of their pregnancies. (And if you think murder is the same thing as killing, I think you need a good dictionary.)
Your position on taxation is inconsistent. Even you believe there are at least a few legitimate reasons for which government should use tax money. Many of us believe there are more than that. Either way, if government has no right to take our money in taxes, how much or how little is taken is a moot point. Of course our government would not exist at all were it not for the support of the American people through taxation.
Liberalism does NOT defend terrorists. It IS committed to fair trials for those who are accused of crimes. Again, there is a difference between being accused of a crime and being guilty of having committed a crime.
Liberalism does NOT hold that those who believe in God are “ignorant fools.” Liberalism stands for the freedom of each individual to decide for himself the matter of religious belief. Inasmuch as 91% of Americans believe in God, there obviously must be many, many liberals who believe in God also.
Conservatives can and do contribute much to our country’s political landscape. I read this blog and many conservative newspapers, magazines and web sites in order to gain fresh perspectives. I am a firm believer in challenging the limits of one’s thinking. But I am much opposed to unjust, inaccurate, and paranoid attacks such as you regularly feature.
June 8th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
Mincing words means nothing. “Freedom for women to decide for themselves” and if they choose killing their child that equals murder. I’m sorry you fail to understand the obvious.
As to taxes, are are only a few “legitimate reasons for which government should use tax money.” Those that believe government enforced charity is one of them are wrong. Those that believe in government enforced retirement are wrong.
Liberalism does defend terrorists- there is simply too much evidence to claim otherwise.
As to “ignorant fools,” that is the impression I get from many. Perhaps not all feel that way, but many do.
And of course Conservatives contribute much to our political landscape- bad as many Republicans are they at least keep the liberals from utterly destroying our country.