This image is now my profile header because the moral, ethical & logical superiority of leftist values, along with the clarity & righteous indignation that go along with it are exactly what is so desperately needed.
Let’s move left. #leftisbest
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This will be a long-running thread on what it means to be a leftist within the context of traditional leftist values & ideals.
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Before discussing each leftist value there are three important points that should be highlighted:
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1. These are values & ideals to strive towards. We are not arguing that any society will ever attain 100% perfection in any of these. We are arguing that all-things-equal, the closer we can move our society towards these ideals, the better & the further we move away, the worse.
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2. All-things-being-equal, the more left we go, the better. Is there really such a thing as being too fair? Too equitable? Etc... ‘Too far left’ is only a problem if we are going the wrong way. If getting closer to an ideal is problematic, then it means we have the wrong ideal.
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3. It is important for us to state our values clearly & often. Being able to clearly articulate what we stand for is a large part of winning a better world precisely because the moral, ethical & logical high ground of leftist values are so self-evident.
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Let’s start with the first set of values: Freedom & Democracy. Leftists want to maximize BOTH freedom AND democracy.
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We want to be liberated & free to live our lives in fulfilling ways. But we want the same for others too. We want to have a real say in the decisions that affect our lives. But we want others to have a say in the decisions that affect their lives as well.
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We reconcile these two & maximize both freedom and democracy by saying we want people to have a say in the decisions that affect them proportional to how much the decision affects them.
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If a decision only affects me, then only I should have a say in that decision (freedom). However, if a decision now affects other people, then they too should be allowed a say in that decision (democracy). Please see the below thread and then continuehttps://twitter.com/ArashKolahi/status/1125471207086649346?s=20 …
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Let’s take a moment to ponder the wisdom of leftists wanting people to have a real say in the decisions that affect them, proportional to how much the decision affects them.
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The intellectually vacuous & pea-brained philosophy of the ‘libertarian right’ is to maximize personal freedom. But what does that even mean without real democracy? Should I just be able to do whatever I want? Should I be ‘free’ to punch a random person walking down the street?
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Should a corporation be ‘free’ to dump toxic waste into your backyard? The left’s answer: No! because these decision are affecting others & they too should have a say & presumably they will decide to not be punched in the face or have toxic waste dumped in their back yard.
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I’m taking the time to point out the idiocy of the ‘libertarian right’ because it highlights the importance of the left to be able to clearly & effectively articulate the moral, ethical & logical superiority of our values: to maximize BOTH freedom AND democracy.
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The fact that such stupidity as ‘libertarian right’ is passing as anything but a joke in our society is partially a testament of the left’s failure in being able to clearly articulate our own values with regards to freedom & democracy.
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The left wants to maximize both freedom & democracy: We want people to have a say in the decisions that affect their lives proportional to how much the decision affects them.
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So why do we include ‘Participation' as a leftist value along with Freedom & Democracy?
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Because ultimately the left is about improving social institutions in order to maximizing human fulfillment & potential, while minimizing oppression & suffering. Actively engaging & participating in the decisions that affect us is a source of human fulfillment. (book topic)
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What this means is that even if there could be some ‘all-knowing’, ‘god-like’ entity that could always make the ‘best’ or ‘correct’ decision for us, it would severely limit our fulfillment and lead to alienation.
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Of course, such an entity could never & will never exist – but the example is important to highlight the importance of active participation in democracy.
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Compared with the right’s Authoritarianism & Elitism, the moral, ethical & logical high ground of left values of Freedom, Democracy & Participation are self-evident. In fact, so self-evident that the right mis-frames & obfuscates rather than engage in the substance of our values.
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The second set of left values we will discuss are: Justice, Equity & Fairness. These terms generally refer to two overarching concepts:
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1 We should not be institutionally rewarded or punished for things we have no control over, like race, nationality, gender, genetic lottery, etc. 2 For the things we do have control over, the benefits & burdens of our relationships should be equitably distributed.
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In our social relationships/roles: political, economic, kinship, or cultural if the lion's share of benefits of that relationship goes to one person or group, while the lion's share of the burden goes to another person or group, we say that relationship/role is inequitable.
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Please consider reading the below thread on equity & fairness & then continue below...https://twitter.com/ArashKolahi/status/1146165768356270086?s=20 …
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For leftists, we view equitable & fair social outcomes as a central value to strive for. This is for two primary reasons: 1 Injustice, inequity & unfairness is felt by those affected as painful oppression. 2 It robs those affected of their full potential & fair outcome.
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And as leftists, we ultimately want to maximize human fulfillment and potential while minimizing suffering and oppression.
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But why even care? Why not just allow a libertarian-right pipe dream where the only rule is that power & wealth rules? Besides being a nightmarish hell that would end the human race in a short period of time, it would go against our very own humanity.https://twitter.com/ArashKolahi/status/1124346180366823424?s=20 …
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Slavery is one of the most inequitable, abhorrent & despicable of human institutions. Within the context of our two reasons above, slavery is experienced oppression of the slave and it robs the slave of their dignity, freedom, potential & equitable remuneration for their labor.
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Women earning 80 cents on the dollar compared to men or POC earning 70 cents on the dollar for comparable work is unjust.
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