Thanks Chelsea

I never thought I would have any reason for quoting Chelsea Clinton.

“We have to realize, especially at this moment, that sexism is not an opinion. Islamophobia is not an opinion. Racism is not an opinion. Homophobia is not an opinion. Jingoism is not an opinion. So I think that in our posture of listening, we also have to get comfortable with standing up and speaking out.”

But, here I am. She has articulated the answer to a puzzle I have been thinking about for some time.

I have mentioned before that the left is not interested in debate. They just want us to shut up and sit down.

Their method is shaming. But that is only the surface. The tactic underpinning that method is much more insidious.

Racism, sexism and homophobia are well defined terms. We all understand what they mean and none of those ism's are anything any of us would want to be identified with. The last 60 years of Western Civilization have proven that decisively. 

Might any of us, in his heart of hearts be any or all of those things? Emphatically yes. We cannot however, indulge those opinions in any way meaningfully detrimental to the objects of our prejudices. Not only are all of those real ism's against the law with respect to all commercial transactions and government interactions, they are abhorrent to most of those we want and need to interact with daily. Expression of these ism's in their real form finds one immediately ostracized except at the very fringes of society where few of us want to reside and fewer still actually reside.

In order to continue to impose their beliefs on us the left has expanded the definition of those ism's beyond recognition, but they still get to use the words.

Racism now means criticizing the opinions of black people (see any opposition to Obama), not lynching or otherwise illegally discriminating against them. Homophobia means opposing same sex marriage, not arresting, beating, ostracizing and otherwise illegally discriminating against homosexuals. Sexism now means being opposed to the distribution of tampons to women at no charge to them, paid for by men, not keeping women from voting, out of higher education and the professions, not paying them less than men for the same work.

Islamophobia? Well what is it? It is whatever they say it is at the moment. I oppose Islam for what it has always been, a superstition (like all the religions, only worse) and what it has become, a murderous and triumphal anti-democratic ideology. I am powerless to adversely affect proponents of that religion for the reasons described above, in  any meaningful way. According to Clinton and her ilk I am not even allowed to hold this opinion. 

Jingoism? Good grief. That she would confuse renewed American confidence with jingoism is hardly surprising given her adherence to the modern leftist notion of America's awfulness.

None of the things in the previous paragraphs have anything to do with the real definitions of those ism's. Nothing. Do not sit down and shut up!