January 26, 2003

She thinks she's the passionate one

I've been skimming the blogs and other commentary re last weekend's anti-war fizzlefest. We already know that much of it was coordinated by the Papa Joe fan club that is A.N.S.W.E.R. So of course the proceedings were hijacked from the beginning by people who went into mourning the day the Berlin Wall was torn down. But criticism of this is met with the usual defense of communists and their sycophants: they might be wrongheaded, but they're passionate about social justice!

Well BFD. Excuse me if I seem underimpressed by that argument. "Passionate" people are a dime a dozen, and the most cursory skimming of any history book will reveal that passion has never been in short supply in the entire course of human interaction. You can be "passionate" about anything. As I recall, I was once really passionate about staying up late on a school night to watch tv. What has always been a meager, easily depleted, and rare commodity is cold, boring old reason, the application of which has led to more advances in "social justice" than any shrieker carrying a sign or throwing a rock through a window. Emotions are easy; solutions are hard.

Posted by Andrea Harris at January 26, 2003 03:38 AM
Comments

Or, as Boss Kettering used to say up Detroit way, "You can be sincere and still be stupid."

Posted by: CGHill at January 26, 2003 at 10:17 AM

"The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity."
Yeats

Posted by: jenn at January 26, 2003 at 11:29 AM

you can pick your friends

you can pick your passion

you just cant pick your friend's passion

Posted by: mr. helpful at January 26, 2003 at 11:41 AM

Unfortunately for the Papa Joe fan club, their ultimate version of "social justice" is not justice in any sense of the word. They have to substiute passion for reason because their principles will not stand up to the demands of reason.

A shared passion run amuck is the genesis of a mob. Reason places limits on that passion and will be tossed overboard as quickly as possible by the mob.

Posted by: Tobacco Road Fogey at January 26, 2003 at 12:37 PM

I was going to mention that Stalin's nickname was Uncle Joe, but I had second thoughts. ANSWER really seems to feel close to that butcher. "Papa Joe" probably captures their tender feelings more accurately.

Posted by: Dave Himrich at January 26, 2003 at 02:50 PM

So, would it be fair to say that you are passionate about reason?

Posted by: Angie Schultz at January 26, 2003 at 08:29 PM

I would say rather that I am serious about it.

Posted by: Andrea Harris at January 26, 2003 at 10:19 PM

Ok, again offtopic.

Is the "She thinks she's the passionate one" another obscure song reference (Ballroom Blitz?).

The "Came the Dawn" and "Too much to dream" is Webb Wilder I'm pretty sure.

And my take on most of the new wave of protestors is that they really don't care what they are protesting they just want to be protesting something. And I hear it's a good way to pick up chicks.

Posted by: Michael Stamps at January 26, 2003 at 10:55 PM

Ready, Steve?

Posted by: Dave Himrich at January 26, 2003 at 11:19 PM

Andy? Mick?

Posted by: Michael Stamps at January 26, 2003 at 11:45 PM

I dunno, all those protest chicks looked pretty skanky to me.

Posted by: Andrea Harris at January 27, 2003 at 12:23 AM

It also just begs to be pointed out that Nazis and Klansmen are just as rabid passionate about "social justice" as ANSWER.

Posted by: Ken Summers at January 27, 2003 at 09:31 AM

One stupid celeb down... so many more to get.

Posted by: Aaron's Rantblog at January 27, 2003 at 10:41 PM