Comments on: Pluralism Bites Liberal

By: Jack

Jack — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 18:13:30 +0000

nice catch! this is excellent.

By: Pete Spiliakos

Pete Spiliakos — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 14:25:06 +0000

DJF, I think that you are right about some folks and maybe Marshall is one of them. I do think there is this sense among one of them.

Michael, no on several levels.

By: Pluralism Bites Liberal | CATHOLIC FEAST

Pluralism Bites Liberal | CATHOLIC FEAST — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 13:58:15 +0000

[...] Josh Marshall writes: But a huge amount of the current gun debate, the argument for the gun-owning tribe, amounts to the gun culture invading my area, my culture, my part of Source: Postmodern Conservative [...]

By: Michael Robinson

Michael Robinson — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 11:15:41 +0000

Indeed, Pete.

If the liberals had more familiarity with accidental discharges in their own neighborhoods, they might start to respect life more and rethink their stand on baby-killing.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/five-accidental-shootings-at-gun-shows-mark-gun

By: djf

djf — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 08:09:23 +0000

Pete, I wasn’t arguing against pointing out the inconsistencies in the arguments of Marshall and others of his ilk in the hope of winning over some people in the middle. By all means, do that; knock yourself out. My point was that informed conservatives should by now realize that the “liberal” component of the American “liberal Left” is window-dressing. Glad you agree, Pseudoplotinus.

By: Pseudoplotinus

Pseudoplotinus — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 06:52:13 +0000

djf,

I think your instincts are right. I believe the professed sentiment on the left in support of pluralism falls into that category of Cliche of which Jonah Goldberg discusses in his book Tyranny of Cliche’s. The left is pluralistic when pluralism suites them, and never otherwise.

By: Pete Spiliakos

Pete Spiliakos — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 04:15:15 +0000

DJF, maybe I am, but maybe he also has a blind spot, and if he is cynical, pointing out the seeming inconsistency seems worthwhile in any case as some people who are liberals or who don’t have strong ideological identities do take pluralism, diversity etc. as having more than tactical political value and there is probably some real common ground to be found with them. And in any case, I still think that the post is based on an error. Marshall isn’t entitled to have public spaces any more gun-free than the combination of constitutional and local laws demands. He isn’t allowed to ban disputes over the extent of gun ownership in the parts of the country he thinks of as his own (and we are debating federal gun legislation.) The same obligation to tolerate pluralism is true for pro-gun owner’s-rights activists in areas where gun ownership is more prevalent and popular.

By: djf

djf — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 04:08:23 +0000

Pete, aren’t you being a bit naïve in taking seriously the left’s talk about “pluralism,” “tolerance,” and “diversity”? I don’t think that they are sincere about any of those concepts. They just find them useful for bringing about the cultural, political and economic changes they want.