Is there anyone on the Left with a following?
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Some.
Obviously, given the constant arguments between various leftists, there's many misunderstandings of theory to point to.
But nothing on the scale of those examples, that I've seen.
It'd be like a leftist calling Marx a capitalist.
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Leftist distortions are of different orders than those committed on the right.
It's a centrist fantasy that the distortions are *similar*, but it's a universal partisan fantasy that there aren't gross distortions on all sides.
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It makes sense..
To be a leftist in a neoliberal hegemony, you have to have either seek out and learn theory, or learn from people who learned theory.
To be a liberal or conservative, one merely needs to exist in your community and voice your opinion.
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M-hm. But death-by-theory isn't constrained to the left. You also see it with libertarians.
There's the same expectation that you have some perverse obligation to read X thinker before you can have an opinion.
Even if there is no reason at all to rate said thinker.
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Abstraction of a conversation I've had a few times too many in my life:
"This theorist, who only coincidentally happens to inspire/align with *my views*, is required reading."
"What is your proof that they're credible?"
"What is your proof that they AREN'T CREDIBLE?"
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But yeah, the alt-right and neocons are more po-mo.
There are a few scattered facts, a lot of definitely-not-facts, and a whole bunch of narrative reconstruction that relies on a smattering of shibboleths and in-group credibility.
It's not even wrong.
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"Soy boys", "NPCs" et al. are essentially fanfic. It has all the credibility of someone's headcanon of a fantasy setting.
But then, credible influence is not the goal - memetic appropriation and Overton-shifting is, as well as the ever-present intellectual inferiority complex.
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I have a pet theory (obviously, just a pet theory) that the alt-right "50 tweets about nothing"-style comes from a deep insecurity.
It's the fear of being caught with your pants down intellectually, a la Rand, Hayek and all the others. Rather make unfalsifiable non-statements.
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IRL? Please.
The "I am very intellectual" Twitter alt-righters and Nick Land-types are not out on the streets rioting.
They consider that stuff beneath them.
There is a lot of conceit (and factionalism). Nazi LARPers are considered bottom tier by the self-proclaimed kings.
If we're talking "Proud Boys" and "Jews will not replace us" types, then yeah, those guys are a bunch of wimps intermingled with petty thugs, and always have been.
The rest... I'm not so sure they have any real convictions at all, even hypocritical ones.
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I don't blame you. I learned much from developing a certain morbid curiosity.
I'm still learning new aspects of the vocab, since I don't actually interact directly. It changes every so often.
And yeah, it's mostly just bluster with an intragroup focus.
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