Comments on: Conviction Without Compassion: The Left’s Love Affair With Tyrants http://12angrymen.wordpress.com/2007/10/04/conviction-without-compassion-the-lefts-love-affair-with-tyrants/ Sermo humanus per verba irata Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:31:33 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Ron Paul: Libertarianism’s Latest Love Affair with Insanity « The 12 Angry Men Blog http://12angrymen.wordpress.com/2007/10/04/conviction-without-compassion-the-lefts-love-affair-with-tyrants/#comment-6544 Ron Paul: Libertarianism’s Latest Love Affair with Insanity « The 12 Angry Men Blog Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:26:23 +0000 http://12angrymen.wordpress.com/2007/10/04/conviction-without-compassion-the-lefts-love-affair-with-tyrants/#comment-6544 [...] inflation suffices). If the money supply is being printed to the point of worthlessness (like Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe), inflation number should be high. In the US inflation numbers are low (and have [...] [...] inflation suffices). If the money supply is being printed to the point of worthlessness (like Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe), inflation number should be high. In the US inflation numbers are low (and have [...]

]]> By: mildlypiquedacademician http://12angrymen.wordpress.com/2007/10/04/conviction-without-compassion-the-lefts-love-affair-with-tyrants/#comment-3678 mildlypiquedacademician Fri, 05 Oct 2007 17:14:55 +0000 http://12angrymen.wordpress.com/2007/10/04/conviction-without-compassion-the-lefts-love-affair-with-tyrants/#comment-3678 If you go back to the 1930s, you definitely see extensive Right support for dictators above and beyond the "enemy of my enemy" type. I think one of the big differences is the fact that the totalitarianism of the Right was soundly eliminated in World War II. There was probably some closet positive support for the Latin American type dictators during the Cold War but I'd agree that the Right doesn't have much of an affair with dictatorship now. So I would guess that I agree with your observations but somewhat disagree with the implicit explanation, that there's something "inherent" to the left. IMO, it's primarily the lack of a model. That said, I don't understand the appeal of assholes like Chavez to leftists. I've certainly had conversations with people that said "at least he's helping the poor." That may be so in the short run, but systematically destroying the political institutions of the country, as flawed as they were, will cost it in the medium and long run. The data is quite clear on this. He's able to do that in no small part because of our thirst for oil. That said, I can attest, from having seen substantial survey data showing so, that the support for democracy in Latin America is thinner than many suppose (though we should be wary of binary thinking http://www.state.gov/p/wha/rls/rm/2005/q1/43221.htm or http://www.brookings.edu/views/op-ed/graham/20040802.htm). Many people don't care about democracy, they care about results making their lives better, by which they largely mean economically. To the extent to which democracy is viewed as not delivering the goods, alternatives become more attractive. Democracy is viewed---wrongly in my view but then again I don't live in a rathole with legions of thoroughly corrupt politicians---as being ineffective. (As bad as places in the developed world can get, they don't hold a candle to the Third World.) I know less about Africa but suspect the view is similar there. If you go back to the 1930s, you definitely see extensive Right support for dictators above and beyond the “enemy of my enemy” type. I think one of the big differences is the fact that the totalitarianism of the Right was soundly eliminated in World War II. There was probably some closet positive support for the Latin American type dictators during the Cold War but I’d agree that the Right doesn’t have much of an affair with dictatorship now. So I would guess that I agree with your observations but somewhat disagree with the implicit explanation, that there’s something “inherent” to the left. IMO, it’s primarily the lack of a model.

That said, I don’t understand the appeal of assholes like Chavez to leftists. I’ve certainly had conversations with people that said “at least he’s helping the poor.” That may be so in the short run, but systematically destroying the political institutions of the country, as flawed as they were, will cost it in the medium and long run. The data is quite clear on this. He’s able to do that in no small part because of our thirst for oil.

That said, I can attest, from having seen substantial survey data showing so, that the support for democracy in Latin America is thinner than many suppose (though we should be wary of binary thinking http://www.state.gov/p/wha/rls/rm/2005/q1/43221.htm or http://www.brookings.edu/views/op-ed/graham/20040802.htm). Many people don’t care about democracy, they care about results making their lives better, by which they largely mean economically. To the extent to which democracy is viewed as not delivering the goods, alternatives become more attractive. Democracy is viewed—wrongly in my view but then again I don’t live in a rathole with legions of thoroughly corrupt politicians—as being ineffective. (As bad as places in the developed world can get, they don’t hold a candle to the Third World.)

I know less about Africa but suspect the view is similar there.

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