Oct 01, 2010
Without being entirely dismissive of the progressive response to the right's ascendancy it is painfully obvious that words, no matter how eloquent or apt, fall far short when arguing the progressive ideology. Republican sophists use rhetorical argument, albeit absence truth, to great success to refute the progressive left.
Progressives expend endless words making their case, and for any progressive who reads such words, they are a strong argument. But the right will always win any argument with the left because, as any story teller knows, rationality falls short of deception when it is assumed the reciprocate will suspend belief.
How, one may ask, do republicans connect so successfully with their southern and mid-western base, and independents whose luke warm considerations are easily swayed? Deceit is a powerful weapon and those who have no regard for morality wield it to their great advantage.
When one side adheres to the rules, and the other side is free of any ethical or moral boundary, the outcome is predetermined.
The Sophists, in the fifth century B.C. saw Socrates drink the Kool Aid. The Grecian aristocracy, aware of the Sophist's casual consideration of the truth, encouraged their young nobility to sophistry. Today, while progressives appeal endlessly to the questionable intellects of the masses, the right gives them distorted reasons of what could be except for the liberal enemy.
As deceitful as any Sophist the right never hesitates to employ any subterfuge, exaggeration, anecdotal license or bold faced lie to achieve its ends. Progressives, perpetually unable to respond in kind, resort to logic, rationalities and the ever popular excuse of forgiving themselves. The results are as predetermined as gravity.
The left, as always, is forced into a defensive position, which as any chess player or military leader knows, is the weakest of all possible positions. Cowardice fails to explain the mea culpa of the progressive left. If it were only a fault it would be correctable, but it seems to be a state of mind.
The Sophists spearheaded the attack against Socrates and finally, and in spite of "his" apology, he was put to death. The Socratic defense, constructed by his student Plato, nonetheless survives today as a procedural defense in product liability, tort defense and other disciplines of the legal process.
With such an historical precedent, that acknowledges deceit trumping truth, it is a wonderment that after 2400 years progressives remain defenseless in their refutation of the right's lies.
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Without being entirely dismissive of the progressive response to the right's ascendancy it is painfully obvious that words, no matter how eloquent or apt, fall far short when arguing the progressive ideology. Republican sophists use rhetorical argument, albeit absence truth, to great success to refute the progressive left.
Progressives expend endless words making their case, and for any progressive who reads such words, they are a strong argument. But the right will always win any argument with the left because, as any story teller knows, rationality falls short of deception when it is assumed the reciprocate will suspend belief.
How, one may ask, do republicans connect so successfully with their southern and mid-western base, and independents whose luke warm considerations are easily swayed? Deceit is a powerful weapon and those who have no regard for morality wield it to their great advantage.
When one side adheres to the rules, and the other side is free of any ethical or moral boundary, the outcome is predetermined.
The Sophists, in the fifth century B.C. saw Socrates drink the Kool Aid. The Grecian aristocracy, aware of the Sophist's casual consideration of the truth, encouraged their young nobility to sophistry. Today, while progressives appeal endlessly to the questionable intellects of the masses, the right gives them distorted reasons of what could be except for the liberal enemy.
As deceitful as any Sophist the right never hesitates to employ any subterfuge, exaggeration, anecdotal license or bold faced lie to achieve its ends. Progressives, perpetually unable to respond in kind, resort to logic, rationalities and the ever popular excuse of forgiving themselves. The results are as predetermined as gravity.
The left, as always, is forced into a defensive position, which as any chess player or military leader knows, is the weakest of all possible positions. Cowardice fails to explain the mea culpa of the progressive left. If it were only a fault it would be correctable, but it seems to be a state of mind.
The Sophists spearheaded the attack against Socrates and finally, and in spite of "his" apology, he was put to death. The Socratic defense, constructed by his student Plato, nonetheless survives today as a procedural defense in product liability, tort defense and other disciplines of the legal process.
With such an historical precedent, that acknowledges deceit trumping truth, it is a wonderment that after 2400 years progressives remain defenseless in their refutation of the right's lies.
Without being entirely dismissive of the progressive response to the right's ascendancy it is painfully obvious that words, no matter how eloquent or apt, fall far short when arguing the progressive ideology. Republican sophists use rhetorical argument, albeit absence truth, to great success to refute the progressive left.
Progressives expend endless words making their case, and for any progressive who reads such words, they are a strong argument. But the right will always win any argument with the left because, as any story teller knows, rationality falls short of deception when it is assumed the reciprocate will suspend belief.
How, one may ask, do republicans connect so successfully with their southern and mid-western base, and independents whose luke warm considerations are easily swayed? Deceit is a powerful weapon and those who have no regard for morality wield it to their great advantage.
When one side adheres to the rules, and the other side is free of any ethical or moral boundary, the outcome is predetermined.
The Sophists, in the fifth century B.C. saw Socrates drink the Kool Aid. The Grecian aristocracy, aware of the Sophist's casual consideration of the truth, encouraged their young nobility to sophistry. Today, while progressives appeal endlessly to the questionable intellects of the masses, the right gives them distorted reasons of what could be except for the liberal enemy.
As deceitful as any Sophist the right never hesitates to employ any subterfuge, exaggeration, anecdotal license or bold faced lie to achieve its ends. Progressives, perpetually unable to respond in kind, resort to logic, rationalities and the ever popular excuse of forgiving themselves. The results are as predetermined as gravity.
The left, as always, is forced into a defensive position, which as any chess player or military leader knows, is the weakest of all possible positions. Cowardice fails to explain the mea culpa of the progressive left. If it were only a fault it would be correctable, but it seems to be a state of mind.
The Sophists spearheaded the attack against Socrates and finally, and in spite of "his" apology, he was put to death. The Socratic defense, constructed by his student Plato, nonetheless survives today as a procedural defense in product liability, tort defense and other disciplines of the legal process.
With such an historical precedent, that acknowledges deceit trumping truth, it is a wonderment that after 2400 years progressives remain defenseless in their refutation of the right's lies.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.