"Seeking perfection in human affairs is a perfect way to destroy them." Jaron Lanier
We live perfection.
Right now. In this moment. No other humans in all of history can make a similar claim. Look about you. Everything is just as it should be. Even the tiniest change will derail spaceship Earth. The planet is over four billion years old, but now is its moment of perfection. How do I know this to be true? Leftists tell me. Incessantly.
- They harangue me that the temperature is just perfect, and it is worth trillions to keep it within a range of one half degree.
- I’m reassured daily that every little species and sub-species is precious and animal diversity is perfectly aligned for all of eternity.
- When I wander into the wilderness, I used to adhere to, "take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints." Now footprints are offensive … especially the carbon variety.
- Every ecosystem is tuned to perfection, and none can be disturbed.
- All native cultures are sacrosanct and must be preserved as is, with no pollution from Western culture.
- Food must remain unaltered by man.
- If a building gets older than fifty years, slap a brass plaque on it and committees will preserve it forever … for the well-to-do.
- Apartment rents are perfectly fair and must remain controlled into perpetuity.
- Do not even think about eliminating a government department or program because each and every one is desperately needed for eternity.
- Zero population growth assumes the Earth has just the perfect number of people.
Sustainability is the most powerful word in the English language, which means everything must go on forever and ever. Exactly as is. Want to destroy a movement, idea, or argument, just claim it’s none-sustainable. Want to deflect criticism of a movement, idea, or argument, claim it is vital to sustainability.
Why do Leftists worship the status quo? The simple answer is they’re control freaks.
In truth, Leftists don’t really believe everything is perfect. They just can’t abide change. Any change. Change is frightening … shake in your boots scary. An educated populous, free speech, social and geographic mobility, and competition cause change. Nasty and unpredictable change. And capitalism is the horror of horrors because it incents massive, continuous change. The uncertainty boggles the mind. Everything must be held in balance or Earth might spin out of control.
The rest of us might ignore these phobic busybodies except for their incessant need to control not just things, but people. People cause change, so uncontrolled people represent a threat. If the public does not submit to the approved theocracy, then the progressive vision might be stifled. That cannot happen, so speech must be policed using political correctness and more stringent means. Ideas need to be managed, debates closed, and science declared settled. Education must be carefully crafted to discourage deviations from the true orthodoxy. If Leftists could only control people, they will achieve stability in their lives and heck, save the planet to boot.
We may wish that they would retreat permanently to their safe spaces, but that will never happen. Safe spaces are used to discipline apostolates, plan insurgencies, and reinvigorate the psyche. After a respite, they re-enter our disorderly world to get people to think, speak, and behave properly. Progressives believe humans can be perfected. People just need direction. Oh, a few less of those pesky humans would help too.
Is it possible for Leftists to achieve their utopian goal of a safe and predictable life for all? Of course. The Dark Ages held change in check for centuries. All you need is enough political power to keep everyone in place. The entire planet can be fundamentally transformed into a safe space. Real perfection can be achieved. Our planetary thermostat will be regulated so that melting icecaps, severe weather, illegal migration, and sweat will become things of the past. Laws will ensure that humans eat only wholesome food prescribed by learned tribunals. Speech will be harmless, albeit boring. To keep the masses pliant, sex will be encouraged for any and all purposes except procreation. Every government bureaucracy will be self-perpetuating with independent funding with no oversight from spiteful elected officials. People in the hinterlands will be rounded up and stuffed into congested cities in order to regulate their daily lives. The remainder of our planet will be set off-limit so nature's critters can frolic unmolested.
It will all work perfectly. Leftists are confident because they have deemed themselves the very best specimens of humanity. They are wise, benevolent, and non-offensive. Besides, Native American reservations have given progressives almost two centuries of experience administering controlled safe spaces.
What could possibly go wrong?
