MasonM MasonM

The Real Problem With The World in General

The Real Problem With The World in General

Extremist Ideas Are Not a Good Thing

These are just some ruminations of my own on the sad state of affairs around the world. World-wide we have war, terrorist attacks, genocide or attempted genocide, civil wars, and general conflict in some form or another. There are times when the entire world seems bent on destruction.

What is at the root of all of this hate and discontent? What is it that causes an otherwise intelligent and graceful species capable of creating beautiful art, literature, science, and poetry to turn on itself in such a destructive and irrational manner? The answer can be found on a small scale right here at Joe User just by reading some of the artcles and ensuing discussion, particularly in the Political threads.

It doesn't take long to discover that many people hold to very extreme schools of thought and philosophy and are extremely agressive and irrational at times in defending or propogating their ideals. At times apparent open hatred can errupt between opposing extremes of thought with neither side acknowledging the other's thoughts or willing to concede on even the most reasonable and rational suggestions of a midle ground.

Sadly, many world leaders and people in power often also subscribe to these same extreme ways of thinking. But intead of fighting each other with words on a thread they utilize guns, bombs, and people's lives to propogate their extremes of thought. The cost of such extremist thought is high in natural resources, environmental damage, and most importantly human lives.

Entire groups of people are often targeted for destruction due to real or imagined political differences, religious differences, race, or other factors. This destruction may take the form of enforced extreme poverty, starvation, terrorist attacks, or open warfare. Examples of all of these are readily available world-wide and not restricted to any particular flavor of extremist ideals , race, nation, or political agenda.

The only thing all of these extremists have in common are that they are unreasonably extreme in their thought and philosophy, irrational in the defense and propogation of their ideas, totally dedicated to the idea that they are right and justified, are incapable of seeing or considering any middle ground, and they are human beings.

While human beings are the most intelligent creatures on our little planet, possessed of the ability for abstract thought and amazing creativity, we are also by far the single most agressive and destructive creature on our little planet. So much so that we turn on our own species in an attempt to destroy any members of our species that may be somewhat different in ideals or beliefs.

I find it interesting that the very thing that makes us the dominant species on the planet, our intellect, is also the thing that makes us the most danergous not only to other species and the planet itself, but to ourselves. Perhaps, in the end, we really aren't as intelligent as we would like to believe.
11,178 views 31 replies
Reply #26 Top
How is that for PC?


Artfully done.
Reply #27 Top
MasonM -

I think you've touched on several chords that resonate with many people here at JU. The title, alone, will attract most JU bloggers to read your thread ( even if they don't respond ). Everyone wants to identify that singular problem at the root of all evil in this world in the hope of finding a serum for it. Past that, these are garden - variety thoughts every person indulges in - it's just that some fail to articulate it.

I'll tell you what, the PM (Political Machine) or even JU ( Joe User ) forums are simply a narrowcasted sample of Americans ( very little foreign input, but what is there is very good ) - particularly those of strong opine and the will and time to actually type it out. Though I fight vociferously ( even a bit below the belt at times ) with some of my fellow bloggers I recognize that we all belong to the same JU or PM community by choice for indulgence sake. We like it here. Sometimes we get a bit caught up and seem hateful, inconsiderate, or even spiteful - but those are just the conveniences of the internet we sometimes take advantage of.

Please don't judge all humanity by these standards - you will find yourself incorrect.

Reply #28 Top
Mason, just another thought on your article.

While extremism among us has caused a lot of terrible things to happen, there are a lot of wonderful things that never would have occured without it. Would there have been a "Renaissance" if a few extremists hadn't have questioned a few things, and acted on them? Would slavery in industrialized nations ended, if a few extremists hadn't have questioned the practice?

As a matter of fact, I can't think of one "moderate" that ever became the catylist for change. Extremism, for both the good and bad of it, is what fuels changes in any society. The major difference having more to do with the result than the extreme acts themselves.
Reply #29 Top
Thanks Deference, well said. I used the JU "warriors" as an example but seriously there is a vast difference between people engaging in spirited and sometimes heated debate on a forum and the attempted genocide of a group of people. As you said, these really are the generalized thoughts many people entertain from time to time. Thanks for the input.

ParaTed: I'm really not sure that the Renaissance was a result of extremism as it wasn't as much a sudden revolutionary explosion as it was a more gradual change of thinking society.

While I agree that change requires often radical thinking and actions, I am not certain that I would agree that this is the same as extremist thinking. The radical, in my humble opinion, sees problems in their society or culture and actively seeks change in order to improve the society or culture, often through compromise and seeking a middle ground, through revolution if that middle ground just can't be achieved. The USA was founded by such radicals but I am not sure I would call them extremists as they demonstrated quite clearly the ability to negotiate and seek compromise when possible.

The extremist on the other hand has no capacity for compromise. In their mind their way is the only way and they are totally incapable of seeing anything from the opposing perspective. It is a lack of rationality that marks the distinction. Thanks for your imput.
Reply #30 Top
Hmmm. I think it's just a matter of connotation of the terms then. You know, the whole "One man's extremist is another man's radical" thing.

True, Renaissance wasn't a single miraculous event, but it was brought about by extremists. As a matter of historical fact, so was the United States.

In the case of the Renaissance, a series of events brought on by people who risked life, limb and the label "Heretic" just so they could express themselves more freely seems like that acts of some pretty extreme folks.

As for the U.S. founding fathers, let's really look at those radical extremists and their ability to "comprimise".

They forcefully take a ship, and throw it's cargo overboard.
They engage in a revolution from King George, when only around 1/3 of the colonists wanted independence.
They have absolutely no open public meetings while discussing the details of what this new country will be about.
There are no attempts to negotiate or any other "diplomatic" means to overt war.
They dared to create a government system where the individual citizen was above any member of the government.

Yeah, their comprimise was held to be self evident! ;~D
Reply #31 Top
Radical: One who advocates fundamental or revolutionary changes in current practices, conditions, or institutions

Extremist: 1)a person who holds extreme views. 2)One who advocates or resorts to measures beyond the norm, especially in politics.

For the purposes of my article I use the term extremist as I defined in the article as some who holds to extremes of thought without acknowledging the other's thoughts or willing to concede on even the most reasonable and rational suggestions of a midle ground.

Basically someone who is totally unreasonable and irrational in their ideals.