It’s been another one of those weeks, and will continue to be, so light posting. But here are some interesting things I’ve found recently.
Certain? Not so fast
I think that an essential part of the liberal worldview is its attitude toward certainty. I am suspicious of people who just know they’re right, and I think this suspicion is encapsulated in liberalism. Distrust of unexamined and untested knowledge is a central tenant of science. I think liberals also, as a general rule, want people to understand one another, and to try to understand carries the risk that you might be wrong in your attitudes, perceptions, etc. All that said, here’s a great article in Salon on certainty and the scientific study of it.
What’s with that word “progressive” anyway?
A writer talks about the historical definition of the word “progressive”. He says it initially was used by the leftist (his word) element of liberalism. Later it was taken over by the centrists. Now, it’s kind of up for grabs. As for me, I think “progressive” does indicate a more moderate – or yes, centrist – model of liberalism. Perhaps you could call it “classical liberal” or just “traditional liberal”. It’s an interesting article. The author himself contrasts leftist and/or radical with liberal. This article is one of a series, and I spotted in the comments of one of those articles someone who said that the leftists should call themselves “neo-communists” and leave liberal and progressive alone.
Liberal youth
An interesting article here on how the liberal movement needs to connect with youth. Also take note of how “bootstrap” Republican operative wannabe’s have an entire gravy train laid out before them. If only there was a fraction of that for liberal writers.
Security uber alles
Some thoughts on how the recent emphasis on physical security – to the detriment of personal liberties, etc. – is downright un-American.
Bill Poorman 