Alienist claims that out-groups cannot have the same condemnable attributes as their in-group rivals because they are out-grouped is irrelevant. The moral force of their arguments lies in condemning conduct regardless of position, alienists consistently excuse strangers.
If the society already has significant groups of outsiders, which isn't uncommon, the impulse can begin the other way. Imagine it's 1830 and you're in a region that's 80% black folks. You could easily say, "look what happened in the Haitian revolution!" - quite a voter turnout.
-
-
In the absence of democracy, this impulse still exists but is much less profitable on both ends. Whigs still could import foreigners to work cheaply in their factories, but the impact on their political power isn't immediate.
Show this thread -
One way to look at the nativist/alienist angle without polluting your mind with skin color heebie-jeebies is to think about Roman Patricians vs. Plebians.
Show this thread -
The patricians potentially form a distinct "us" - they had their own marriage rituals, special powers and privileges, etc. But in the balanced state, notable plebian families were incorporated into the class gradually.
Show this thread -
This prevented Patricians AND Plebians from forming a highly distinct "us vs them" while still maintaining the thick barrier in fact between the two classes. Neither the nativist nor the alienist impulse could take hold,
Show this thread -
In the latter era, the plebians counter-organized. As I understand it this is because they stopped incorporating them. Now this counter-organized group forms a potential political bloc for weaker Patricians to use against their stronger rivals.
Show this thread -
Clearly, a state in which a significant portion of *highly distinct* foreigners is imported cannot easily incorporate this "other" and retain the character which allows it to do so. Instead, the failure mode will present itself.
Show this thread -
That is, the nativists will rightly see that assimilation is infeasible and wall themselves off, creating a previously unrealized level of real antagonism against the "other".
Show this thread -
This antagonism, generally unrepresentative of the magnanimous character that the powerful ought to show, is then easily used against them by the counter-party, who will seem to be targeting "themselves."
Show this thread -
But note that the whole conflict here is happening within the group. The risk here is twofold 1. The nativists manage to create a permanent enemy of some group resulting in war 2. The alienists manage to his themselves anyway, causing massive damage to their society
Show this thread -
These tend to happen because the successors of these two original movements, because these movements are saying one thing but really mean another, tend to forget the joke and take the rhetoric completely seriously.
Show this thread -
A funny example of Alienist hypocrisy is that MP from Britain who supposedly took in foreign refugees but it was really the diplomat from some country (for a lot of money) but ended up somehow losing their house because of diplomatic immunity or something of this sort.
Show this thread -
We all know of the person who notoriously had their child killed by illegal aliens but justified it because of the good food trucks. When you are starting to annihilate yourself for the sake of your politics take a pause, ladies and gentlemen!
Show this thread -
The counter example of this, which has no doubt happened, would be a person justifying the loss of all their sons in war because they managed to kill a few of the hated out-group. The French pretty much depleted their society's great force and character this way.
Show this thread -
rather than claiming, as some men do, that these choices were necessary to be made and thus nations are trapped into degeneration, I'll note, evolutionarily, that the nations that survive are those who were able to produce and elevate leaders able to undertake other options.
Show this thread
End of conversation
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.
