Tuesday, July 01, 2014

Dissident Liberal

This is apparently a new phrase gaining traction, which I should probably consider embracing in preference to "Postliberal."

It has significant PR advantages over the approaches I have been using.  However, I suspect it is not quite honest in my case.  I might culturally feel at home with liberals, but I long ago rejected not only their rude and dishonest argumentation, but some of their core principles as well.  While I am neither conservative nor libertarian, I agree with those from first principles at least as much as I do progs.  Denying that for the sake of a more successful sales pitch, though perhaps politically defensible, does not seem morally defensible to me.

It might, however, apply quite accurately to any number of you, and I admire its style.

Interestingly, there is a natural counterpart to that. Dissident conservative might apply quite nicely to many of my friends and relatives.

1 comment:

james said...

Is there a handy name for "I am the cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me"?

It isn't really accurate either personally or politically, but it annoys people pleasingly.