The left has become a status game based upon privilege (and shame) hierarchies. They really need to stop with the self-flagellation. It is morally and logically incoherent.
And this is why I pay for my subscription to your Substack. You apply logic and common sense to all of your research. THEN, you don’t hold back! Opposing opinions = cancellation for half our country. Speaking your mind has the potential for costing you half your revenue from this platform. Your thoughts and logical opinions challenge us with something to think about rather than just being entertained. Thanks David, keep it up!
Your historical methodology is flawed and your tone screeches "I'm a pedantic dick" so I'm going to ban you now. You might be right, but you're quite unprofessional and read like a Redditor who knows a few things about history. Drop the demeaning, commanding tone in the future.
This article has a kind of schizophrenic quality where it's both trying to disavow the "privilege hierarchy" moral framework, but also still trying to score grievance points within that framework. If the whole system is invalid what different does it make that low level neurodivergance doesn't get weighted highly enough within the system? This kind of thinking has become so pervasive now that even when trying to argue against it people can't help playing the game.
I see you're point. You're fundamentally saying "you're trying to fight fire with fire and that's incoherent" but my point is simple: the left's grievance games are alienating people. My recommendation is to play a different game or keep alienating people. Make of that what you will. The empirical evidence is overwhelming - the Republicans control the House, Senate, and Presidency right now. Clearly, the grievance games are not really working.
This seems like a bad faith interpretation of my writing, or perhaps a strawman argument.
I would say that treating anyone, with any amount of "impeccable privilege" like shit - bullying, ostracism - strictly on the sake of their superficial privilege traits is idiotic and counterproductive. Anyways, it's very clear that you're not going to engage on the substance of my article and are twisting yourself into rhetorical pretzels to prove... something. So I'm going to ban you now for wasting my time and bad faith comments.
Clear articulation. Something I am trying to do is listen openly to the grievances of the right, by which I mean real people. Yes, there is a lot of noise, but honestly I find it more challenging and rewarding than listening to "my" side air their grievances. Additionally, if you consider yourself a leftist and the low information working class have complaints, uh, that's where you gotta be.
“Those with more grievances should have more power, even when they use those grievances as a cudgel.”
This is the key - it’s about getting access to resource distribution. Those who decide who to label worthy of resources and who needs to give away what they earned for “being privileged” will get economic wealth they would never be able to achieve through meritocracy. Basic marxism. Played out so many times and yet again…
The rise of this ideology forced the emergence of villains, as balanced response. What needs to happen next I think is the emergence of new heroes, because neither side produced any heroes in a classical sense so far. Someone who will show how to become grand, standing on his own vs being small and scared, hiding in the protection of the group. Any group.
I think this is what David is doing in his way, and not just in this article.
“”I’m defecting and switching conservative!” I am still a progressive, albeit a disappointed one.”
This is how I feel about being a conservative since Compassionate Conservatives. I am also disappointed because of, everything not compassionate happening.
I find it amazing how often people say wildly racist and sexist things to me. In public too, and no one seems to care! Things that if I were to say and replace “man” with “woman” or “white” with “black”, I would be completely ostracized from everyone I know, and rightly so.
It’s just so normalized to say bigoted things against white men that someone can say it to me in a friendly group conversation without anyone blinking an eye. Apparently I’m supposed to just take it and pretend it’s ok because of my “privilege”.
I’m not going to vote for the other party just because of being irritated at the abuse, but I definitely get the urge.
Thoughtful piece, makes me recall Paul Bloom's "Against Empathy", and the argument that no particular political group has a claim to superior empathy that stacks up against research. Only with the kinds of people and groups they tend to empathise with (who they think "deserves empathy", and under which circumstances they think of the collective over the individual.
The media has polarized everyone and it’s difficult to be moderate now. But with all things we need balance, compassion, and patience. Stereotypes, labeling and pointing fingers needs to stop but unfortunately that is what our small minds are programmed to do. The way to break out of it is to be self aware and treat each other with respect. Many people are unable to do that but it doesn’t help to start accusing them and pointing out their flaws. Non-violent communication is the key to any sort of useful discourse.
Here's my suggestion from the right (I am an American conservative politically, but on technology, I'm a hard-core radical, I believe it will lead us to the kind of glorious promised land never envisioned in the Bible or in government):
Scrap equality as a value. As you've learned the hard way, equality can never be achieved, it can't even be envisioned. It's a false value. Replace it with individualism. Valuing each and every single one of us as individuals with our own combinations of strengths, weaknesses, and history. It's a far better value than equality. Why? Because it reflects human reality.
I assume you wouldn't support any form of welfare. Apart from that, what you describe is compatible with what the left call "fully automated luxury communism".
I hear you, but I think you're fundamentally misunderstanding what "equality" means in liberal democracies. Equality before the law is the root of it. I do agree that "equality in all things" is an unrealistic - and undesirable - overreach. We should strive for equality before the law and fairness in our systems. But total equitability is a nonstarter, I agree.
Individualism is predicated upon equality, though.
Ai could be a great equalizer, assuming everyone has access. Ai has the potential to provide everyone with the technology, knowledge, intellectual and artistic skills to be as equal as they want to be. Which means we all can be special. And when everyone is special, no one is. Except for those who potentially control the ASI.
Want to create great art, your Ai assistant can do it. Want to create great music, your Ai assistant can do it. Want to make great financial decisions, your Ai assistant can do it. And it goes on and on.
In the Outliers book we are presented with examples of world class professionals that stood out after dedicating an average of 10,000 hours to perfecting their skills.
We are entering an era where technological and biological advancements could allow anyone to be world class if they so desire it.
What do we become when no one is special because of the time and effort they put into it? Privilege, money, resources will still play a roll for a while. But what if we get to a point where everyone is provided the opportunity to be whatever they want at the flip of a switch? Maybe we never will get there. But if we do, and all the skills that made someone special is now mundane, what’s next?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It's interesting read.
I get your frustration, but if I may, I would propose two points of consideration that I use when talking to my other liberal cohort.
IMO -
One - People are people. Conservative and Liberal people are *people*. They are not monsters. Don't dehumanize them. They are just like you in capacity for love and hate, but with a different idea of things. You, I say when speaking to liberal leftist people, complain that "they don't listen," well conservatives have been saying that for years about liberals! So yeah, we're the same. The far Left and far Right basically end up in the same place - "we're correct and everyone else is wrong. Just do what we say." Both are bad.
Which leads to two...
Two - You, Mr. Shapiro, wrote: *Finally, I would suggest “maybe fairness is the new central value.”* I would humbly suggest a change to "...maybe *kindness* is the new central value."
It's my POV, that a lacking in kindness, a compassion and patient understanding of other persons and their opinions and human value, is the missing aspect. I also often struggle to hold to that at times - and seems, imo, to be the real challenge for us all.
Sadly, that makes it a human problem. It seems to be in our nature.
Religions have been trying to teach that for thousands of years and yet here we are.
This is a very thoughtful and well-intentioned response. However, I do feel that appealing to "it's just a human problem" fundamentally misses the point. The woke and DEI narratives were very deliberately constructed and centered by the liberal left.
Just as us progressives value fairness, many conservatives will say "life isn't fair, get over it" and their moral view is equally valid, and perhaps more pragmatic. Your response seems to just want to wish away all these problems to "it's just human nature" - and while I don't disagree (humans are always the weakest link in any system) that absolves the left of responsibility for constructing narratives that were ultimately self-defeating.
"All generalisations are false, including this one" - Mark Twain
And this is why I pay for my subscription to your Substack. You apply logic and common sense to all of your research. THEN, you don’t hold back! Opposing opinions = cancellation for half our country. Speaking your mind has the potential for costing you half your revenue from this platform. Your thoughts and logical opinions challenge us with something to think about rather than just being entertained. Thanks David, keep it up!
Good direction. For myself, I yearn for the confident and kind center where respect is acknowledged and given. Both “sides” are unuseful.
If we fight, let’s fight against cruelty and unfairness.
Your historical methodology is flawed and your tone screeches "I'm a pedantic dick" so I'm going to ban you now. You might be right, but you're quite unprofessional and read like a Redditor who knows a few things about history. Drop the demeaning, commanding tone in the future.
This article has a kind of schizophrenic quality where it's both trying to disavow the "privilege hierarchy" moral framework, but also still trying to score grievance points within that framework. If the whole system is invalid what different does it make that low level neurodivergance doesn't get weighted highly enough within the system? This kind of thinking has become so pervasive now that even when trying to argue against it people can't help playing the game.
I see you're point. You're fundamentally saying "you're trying to fight fire with fire and that's incoherent" but my point is simple: the left's grievance games are alienating people. My recommendation is to play a different game or keep alienating people. Make of that what you will. The empirical evidence is overwhelming - the Republicans control the House, Senate, and Presidency right now. Clearly, the grievance games are not really working.
This seems like a bad faith interpretation of my writing, or perhaps a strawman argument.
I would say that treating anyone, with any amount of "impeccable privilege" like shit - bullying, ostracism - strictly on the sake of their superficial privilege traits is idiotic and counterproductive. Anyways, it's very clear that you're not going to engage on the substance of my article and are twisting yourself into rhetorical pretzels to prove... something. So I'm going to ban you now for wasting my time and bad faith comments.
Clear articulation. Something I am trying to do is listen openly to the grievances of the right, by which I mean real people. Yes, there is a lot of noise, but honestly I find it more challenging and rewarding than listening to "my" side air their grievances. Additionally, if you consider yourself a leftist and the low information working class have complaints, uh, that's where you gotta be.
Everyone has grievances, that's fine. Political parties run the risk of alienating voters by ignoring such grievances. That's all.
“Those with more grievances should have more power, even when they use those grievances as a cudgel.”
This is the key - it’s about getting access to resource distribution. Those who decide who to label worthy of resources and who needs to give away what they earned for “being privileged” will get economic wealth they would never be able to achieve through meritocracy. Basic marxism. Played out so many times and yet again…
The rise of this ideology forced the emergence of villains, as balanced response. What needs to happen next I think is the emergence of new heroes, because neither side produced any heroes in a classical sense so far. Someone who will show how to become grand, standing on his own vs being small and scared, hiding in the protection of the group. Any group.
I think this is what David is doing in his way, and not just in this article.
🎯 !!!
My personal summary of what has unfolded in the last 9 years:
"Politically speaking: We are now a country of resentment and grievances ...."
and
"“Moral Status: Privilege looks in the mirror and sees nobility".
The Left has pulled the DNC so are to the Left that registered Democrat voters find themselves in the Center or leaning Right.
You can thank Steve Colbert and his cohort for that result ....
“”I’m defecting and switching conservative!” I am still a progressive, albeit a disappointed one.”
This is how I feel about being a conservative since Compassionate Conservatives. I am also disappointed because of, everything not compassionate happening.
I find it amazing how often people say wildly racist and sexist things to me. In public too, and no one seems to care! Things that if I were to say and replace “man” with “woman” or “white” with “black”, I would be completely ostracized from everyone I know, and rightly so.
It’s just so normalized to say bigoted things against white men that someone can say it to me in a friendly group conversation without anyone blinking an eye. Apparently I’m supposed to just take it and pretend it’s ok because of my “privilege”.
I’m not going to vote for the other party just because of being irritated at the abuse, but I definitely get the urge.
Thoughtful piece, makes me recall Paul Bloom's "Against Empathy", and the argument that no particular political group has a claim to superior empathy that stacks up against research. Only with the kinds of people and groups they tend to empathise with (who they think "deserves empathy", and under which circumstances they think of the collective over the individual.
The media has polarized everyone and it’s difficult to be moderate now. But with all things we need balance, compassion, and patience. Stereotypes, labeling and pointing fingers needs to stop but unfortunately that is what our small minds are programmed to do. The way to break out of it is to be self aware and treat each other with respect. Many people are unable to do that but it doesn’t help to start accusing them and pointing out their flaws. Non-violent communication is the key to any sort of useful discourse.
Here's my suggestion from the right (I am an American conservative politically, but on technology, I'm a hard-core radical, I believe it will lead us to the kind of glorious promised land never envisioned in the Bible or in government):
Scrap equality as a value. As you've learned the hard way, equality can never be achieved, it can't even be envisioned. It's a false value. Replace it with individualism. Valuing each and every single one of us as individuals with our own combinations of strengths, weaknesses, and history. It's a far better value than equality. Why? Because it reflects human reality.
I assume you wouldn't support any form of welfare. Apart from that, what you describe is compatible with what the left call "fully automated luxury communism".
I hear you, but I think you're fundamentally misunderstanding what "equality" means in liberal democracies. Equality before the law is the root of it. I do agree that "equality in all things" is an unrealistic - and undesirable - overreach. We should strive for equality before the law and fairness in our systems. But total equitability is a nonstarter, I agree.
Individualism is predicated upon equality, though.
Ai could be a great equalizer, assuming everyone has access. Ai has the potential to provide everyone with the technology, knowledge, intellectual and artistic skills to be as equal as they want to be. Which means we all can be special. And when everyone is special, no one is. Except for those who potentially control the ASI.
Want to create great art, your Ai assistant can do it. Want to create great music, your Ai assistant can do it. Want to make great financial decisions, your Ai assistant can do it. And it goes on and on.
In the Outliers book we are presented with examples of world class professionals that stood out after dedicating an average of 10,000 hours to perfecting their skills.
We are entering an era where technological and biological advancements could allow anyone to be world class if they so desire it.
What do we become when no one is special because of the time and effort they put into it? Privilege, money, resources will still play a roll for a while. But what if we get to a point where everyone is provided the opportunity to be whatever they want at the flip of a switch? Maybe we never will get there. But if we do, and all the skills that made someone special is now mundane, what’s next?
David you put into words what I have been feeling for awhile.
Thanks, glad it resonated. This is my job... articulating things.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It's interesting read.
I get your frustration, but if I may, I would propose two points of consideration that I use when talking to my other liberal cohort.
IMO -
One - People are people. Conservative and Liberal people are *people*. They are not monsters. Don't dehumanize them. They are just like you in capacity for love and hate, but with a different idea of things. You, I say when speaking to liberal leftist people, complain that "they don't listen," well conservatives have been saying that for years about liberals! So yeah, we're the same. The far Left and far Right basically end up in the same place - "we're correct and everyone else is wrong. Just do what we say." Both are bad.
Which leads to two...
Two - You, Mr. Shapiro, wrote: *Finally, I would suggest “maybe fairness is the new central value.”* I would humbly suggest a change to "...maybe *kindness* is the new central value."
It's my POV, that a lacking in kindness, a compassion and patient understanding of other persons and their opinions and human value, is the missing aspect. I also often struggle to hold to that at times - and seems, imo, to be the real challenge for us all.
Sadly, that makes it a human problem. It seems to be in our nature.
Religions have been trying to teach that for thousands of years and yet here we are.
This is a very thoughtful and well-intentioned response. However, I do feel that appealing to "it's just a human problem" fundamentally misses the point. The woke and DEI narratives were very deliberately constructed and centered by the liberal left.
Just as us progressives value fairness, many conservatives will say "life isn't fair, get over it" and their moral view is equally valid, and perhaps more pragmatic. Your response seems to just want to wish away all these problems to "it's just human nature" - and while I don't disagree (humans are always the weakest link in any system) that absolves the left of responsibility for constructing narratives that were ultimately self-defeating.