Comments on: Realism vs Idealism

By: JakeGint

JakeGint — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:51:24 +0000

Interestingly, those were mostly old people! Alexander Hamilton and Tommy Jeff aside, most of the “revolutionaries” were learned older men with “cooler heads” (contrast the bloody French Revolution's Jacobins with our Republicans) who synthesized the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Adam Smith and Burke to synthesize a rights based natural law oriented constitutional republic. They did not take from a singular ideology like most utopians and fascistic movements tended to.

The Abolitionists were guided by the Bible — they were for the most part evangelical Christians with a relatively well tested philosophy to guide their actions. Woman's suffrage was a multi-generational transformation, not a sudden change, and it used persuasion (like the non-violent civil rights movement) over coercian. Maybe patience is the key to peace?

By: landonswan

landonswan — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:43:59 +0000

You forgot Hitler. All good points. In the same boat however are the many people who are responsible for Women suffrage, black rights, and our country's independence. I guess it works both ways. I def agree that not all new bold ideas are good ones–Obama policies serve as good evidence.

By: JakeGint

JakeGint — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:26:53 +0000

As for this:

"Because while experience and realism will always be a smart safe choice, its always the young, idealistic and foolishly overenthusiastic idealists that make real and lasting change for the better."

I can't help but think of the youthful Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Fidel, Che, Hugo, etc, etc.

Maybe if we can keep these youthful idealists in private enterprise, we can accomodate an agreement somewhere....?

By: JakeGint

JakeGint — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:25:27 +0000

I don't want to advance quickly. I want to move along incrementally using all the accumulated knowledge of past generations to make (and keep) human life increasingly better.

The problem with advancing too quickly is it leaves your flank exposed to a counter maneuver.

Hence, Pelosi, Reid, and the Obama Slammah.

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