On "The Thought Criminal"

Deleting through my old e-mails, I found one that informed me that I have no right to call myself "The Thought Criminal".   Of all the things I do that I expect will be annoying to my opponents, that wasn't what I thought would be one of them because, you see, they were the ones who, continually, over the course of my public writing have told me that I'm not allowed to think the things I think. When I wrote for Echidne's blog that was a constant feature of my challenges to the orthodoxy of the alleged left which, whatever else you might say about it, was so demonstrably not a political success.  Despite everything else, there has been one constant in my blogging and that is I am a political blogger.  My first and foremost goal is the transformation of lives for the better through political action.  No, come to think of it, that's not true, not mere "action" but political SUCCESS!  Winning elections, changing laws, sustaining them through the opposition of the Supreme Court and other inbuilt obstacles and their implementation to make the lives of the poor, the destitute, the haggard and harrassed lower and middle classes better and, since all of them depend on that, the preservation of the environment.

When I began almost nine years ago (May 13, 2006) I didn't know how deep the problem went, how entirely my own assumptions and beliefs would have to change in light of the evidence I would discover and through learning how basically wrong the common received wisdom of the alleged left was.  I didn't expect to ever confront the issues of atheism, materialism, scientism, etc.  I did think I knew that confronting the conceit and snobbery of so many of the left would be necessary - for some reason those folks who never tire of declaiming their brilliance didn't realize you had to win the most votes to win an election - but I didn't realize how addicted to self-congratulation the alleged leftists would prove to be.  

All through that, continuing today, I have constantly been told that what I say is not allowed to be said, what I think is not allowed to be thought.  Which I have to admit, hasn't made it any less fun to think and say those things.  In doing the necessary reading and consideration of these issues, I have come to a far, far deeper appreciation of a genuine leftist tradition that actually was able to accomplish things, largely through a far greater appeal to the very people on whose behalf the left is alleged to exist.   In that I have to say I have come to respect the thinking and the sincerity of many unstylish and unfashionable people and to reject the condescending model of top down leftism, the defeated and conceited "left" that it was inevitable that I would leave even if I were not actually kicked out of it.   I don't regret that in any way.

Update:  Ah, well, yes, I'm always told that "winning elections isn't the point" that "changing the 'discussion,' the 'debate', etc is the goal" or some such other tripe.   I strongly suspect those ridiculous political formulations are a necessary ruse to rope in the dupes when the ones sloganizing thus have no hope of ever winning an election, gaining office and actually changing reality.   Any "left" which includes counting on not winning elections is a "left" that is left behind, left out and better left for dead.

Update:  I could care less about what is said there but it would be more work than it is worth.

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