[2Wycked]

(07-26-2013 03:28 AM)Wutang Wrote:  

I think you might be interested in this post that was made on another forum I frequent. It's barking up the same tree that you were going up on:

http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/?go=foru...9&forum=86

"I consider myself somewhat left leaning, but it's almost impossible to discuss this historical influence with my fellow left wingers. If I say to them, "You know that American progressivism is the memetic offspring of North-Eastern American puritanism and you can trace the same ideas and themes all the way back to the heretical sects of the Protestant reformation?"

"It's also made me see that when the right wing of American politics calls the left "Anti-American" the left's behavior really isn't Anti-American per se. American progressivism is ULTRA American, in the sense they want America to live up to it's original Puritanical values. It's also the most successful non-theistic Christian sect on the planet at the moment, if you want a real mindfuck, ask yourself how many of these progressives are also *atheists* and generally disdain their more neanderthal-esque evangelical cousins on the right and wish they'd be thrown out of politics. In a sense they are prosecuting right wing Christians because of the remnants of their crazed puritanical religion that has turned secular, more than for any atheistic reasons. It's more crazy than any fictional story someone could come up with. "

It's interesting how so many of these progressive SWPL types have WASP backgrounds and the explanation for this in both your post and also the one that I just linked to sounds very plausible.

I didn't respond to you last night because I was only on mobile in a hotel and that link only dumped me to the main page, so let me give a brief response.

That roly poly puppy guy is right in many ways, but he omits the psych analysis.

The problem is they attribute it to a religion, instead of a mindset. Certainly American Puritanism descended from Christianity, but it was the radical form brought from England by the, aptly named, Puritans.

Roly Poly guy doesn't talk about the inability to see moral ambiguity that plagues puritanism - which haunts accusations of racism, sexism, etc.

I will be addressing puritanism in my next RoK post on Sunday - about the porn wars of the 1980's. I am still refining my thoughts, though.