Did Intellectual arrogance lead to the murder of 100 million people at the hands of Stalin and Mao. Is that same arrogance alive today?

2015-10-26T03:15:02-04:00

The communist belief that their rational intellectualism is what should rule the world resulted in 100 million people murdered by Stalin and Mao. Is that same arrogance at work today in American politics and universities?
Lenin stated that if they had to wait for the population to get smart enough to recognize their communism as the only way… it would take 500 years… .so he had those who didn't ' get it ' killed.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Oct 26 at 2015 3:58 AM

2015-10-26T03:58:14-04:00

I don't think we're quite there yet, but if people keep on drinking the Hillary/Bernie/Donald Koolaid we will be!

Response by CW4 Juan Morales made Oct 26 at 2015 5:55 AM

2015-10-26T05:55:32-04:00

What is in display here is the Existential Fallacy that if our society is ruled by rational thought, that must mean that people will end up being murdered. That is a fairly large logical gap that we're jumping over. You are not taking into account the conditions that led up to genocidal rule in Russia, or the conditions in china where millions of people suffered under theocratic governments and the Japanese martial law before adopting communism. The importance as to why things happen or don't happen is cultural, and he political reflects the cultural. The way we prevent such a thing happening in our own country is by practicing compassion with our fellow citizens, rather than setting up our forts of mutual judgement. We should treat people not as Democrats and Republicans, but as fellow Americans whose opinions matter just as much as ours. Democracy works because of it's diversity, not despite it. Reason is something we should look to resolve things in our own lives and in our own governments. It is not the cause of genocidal dictatorships.

Response by Cpl Jeff N. made Oct 26 at 2015 5:58 AM

2015-10-26T05:58:15-04:00

There are a few other things Stalin and Lenin needed to make that work. They needed a largely undereducated, ill informed, unarmed populace as well as a strong internal security apparatus loyal to them (not the people) to execute the plan. Are we there, not yet. Have we been drifting toward a larger more powerful government, yes we have. Centralizing/consolidating power is essential. I think we all see the power in this country continuing to move to Washington DC further away from the people.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Oct 26 at 2015 7:57 AM

2015-10-26T07:57:45-04:00

Nooooooo... that Stalin and Mao were genocidal maniacs led to those deaths. Their stated beliefs in logic are superfluous... Might as well blame their shoe size..

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 26 at 2015 8:27 AM

2015-10-26T08:27:03-04:00

Always! This is part of human nature .... the greed and the power ... and the de-valuing life.

Response by SSG Michael Hartsfield made Oct 26 at 2015 8:56 AM

2015-10-26T08:56:26-04:00

So, according to your logic, I gather you won't be attending any college or university?

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Oct 26 at 2015 11:36 AM

2015-10-26T11:36:19-04:00

I think we've gone far beyond "arrogance". We are now in the land of "hubris". Remember that the murderers of the Twentieth Century didn't have their own failures to warn them that they were going to fail. The progressive/socialist movements currently ascendant in Europe and America today must ignore all those 20th Century failures of the communists and socialists to once again go down this road to rack and ruin. To think that you may succeed where so many have failed takes more than arrogance. It takes hubris...

Response by SSgt Christopher Brose made Oct 26 at 2015 2:36 PM

2015-10-26T14:36:36-04:00

Why do you call it "Intellectual arrogance"? What part of it was intellectual? It was arrogance, certainly, but it I had to attach a one word adjective to it, it would be "pathological".

Is that same type of pathological arrogance alive today? I think so. I think it can be seen in the absolute certainty some people have of knowing what is better for everyone else than everyone else, combined with the irrational anger and hatred of those who disagree with them. There is actually quite a lot of it. Fortunately, we have a system of government that makes it close to impossible for people like that to take control and cause much permanent damage.

Other countries, not so lucky.