Victor Davis Hanson continues his conversation with Dan Mahoney of Assumption College. He explains the disease of unelected bureaucrats and the equally destructive globalization.
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5 thoughts on “The Classicist: "The Dying Citizen" Part 2”
Dan Reinhart
Dr. Hanson, Please share your thoughts about this Theodore Dalrymple observation from one of his books. It would mean a great deal to me to understand if this process is really irreversible? I find this a revolutionary concept. But is is really irreversible?
“Political correctness is communist propaganda writ small. In my study of communist societies, I came to the conclusion that the purpose of communist propaganda was not to persuade or convince, not to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better. When people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity. To assent to obvious lies is in some small way to become evil oneself. One’s standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed. A society of emasculated liars is easy to control. I think if you examine political correctness, it has the same effect and is intended to.”
The limitations placed on you by the Standford faculry on the various topics you named, (climte change, etc.) are nothing less than an admission that those topics are simply politically useful narratives that cannot be justified on a logical or “scientifiic” basis. How pathetic it is that Stanford has collapsed so completely. Free speach is not “hate speech”, it is an avenue to the truth. Our arrival in this desert of intellectual accomplishment is so sad.
This is a great interview. You are hammering on the things that can bring our complacent citicenry to action. Good job!
Dr. Hanson, Please share your thoughts about this Theodore Dalrymple observation from one of his books. It would mean a great deal to me to understand if this process is really irreversible? I find this a revolutionary concept. But is is really irreversible?
“Political correctness is communist propaganda writ small. In my study of communist societies, I came to the conclusion that the purpose of communist propaganda was not to persuade or convince, not to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better. When people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity. To assent to obvious lies is in some small way to become evil oneself. One’s standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed. A society of emasculated liars is easy to control. I think if you examine political correctness, it has the same effect and is intended to.”
This interviewer needs to talk less
Agee! Jack please get your voice back!
Victor: U R probably one of the most intelligent living Americans. Please learn to pronounce “ etcetera” and “ nuclear “.
The limitations placed on you by the Standford faculry on the various topics you named, (climte change, etc.) are nothing less than an admission that those topics are simply politically useful narratives that cannot be justified on a logical or “scientifiic” basis. How pathetic it is that Stanford has collapsed so completely. Free speach is not “hate speech”, it is an avenue to the truth. Our arrival in this desert of intellectual accomplishment is so sad.
This is a great interview. You are hammering on the things that can bring our complacent citicenry to action. Good job!