Who Cares: Not the Psychotic Left!

by Tim Haydon.

As described in the earlier article on this site, ‘The Psychotic Roots of Leftism’, it is a characteristic of liberals / leftists that they tend to profess love for humanity in general but care little for the people around them, if they do not actually detest them. That is, their ‘caring’ for others tends to be theoretical rather than practical.

That this is so is a function of their narcissism. Rampant liberal  individualism  may well be an efflorescence of narcissistic tendencies, at least in part, but whether or not this is so, it must encourage them to flourish.   Being ‘caring’ for these  self-absorbed people  who are otherwise engaged in ‘doing their own thing’ regardless of their effects on others, is more  about feeling good about themselves than about  helping  the less fortunate. It’s about feeling morally superior, righteous, politically correct. It’s linked to the intellectualism to which leftism is prone, which drives towards the theoretical and universal rather than the actual and particular –  to the state rather than the family; to ‘humankind’ rather than one’s own people ; to the denial  of difference in everything  in fact; race, religion, culture…all in the assertion of the  ‘oneness’ of everything and everybody.

In amusingly stark contradiction of the assertion by leftist /liberals that their behaviour is their own business and that the injunctions ‘Do your own thing. Do not be judgemental’ should be adhered to, for the leftist / liberal, feeling good about oneself means that one’s actions and attitudes must ideally be authenticated by other, right-thinking,  leftist/ liberals.   That’s  why ‘caring’ for them is often a group, public activity involving activities which the ‘carer’ enjoys doing anyway. So the ‘carers’ will go on demonstrations or to rock concerts arranged by Bob Geldorf in aid of Africa where  ‘caring’ involves donating a few pounds. Or they will wear badges or bits of ribbon proclaiming their support for this or that charity, especially politically correct ones like Breast Cancer or Aids. Or they will climb mountains or run in marathons on the promise of donations from as many people as possible.

Real caring  though is not theoretical and showy  and about politically correct or far-away people  one does not know. It is personal, practical, hands on, local and private.  Rather than running in marathons and climbing mountains in aid of Africa, real carers use the same amount of energy in weeding the gardens of local pensioners who are too frail to do it themselves and can’t afford a gardener.  Real caring is about regularly getting the shopping for an elderly neighbour, or taking him or her to appointments at the hospital or visiting the neighbour or having the neighbour  around  for company for an hour or two. Our country has untold thousands of very lonely elderly folk who never see a friendly face  (apart perhaps for the postman) from one week’s end to the other, especially now that day centres for them run by local councils are closing down to save money.

And do you know what? Who is it who actually does this  hands on, genuine, active caring?  Contrary to what the left likes to think; that they are morally so noble and of superior virtue, it is the right who do.  It is the right who are truly generous in giving time as well as money, not the left. Unlike liberals and leftists, the right does not believe that it is always someone else’s responsibility  – the  government,  a charity  – to alleviate misfortune and that merely by voting for a party or giving money one has done one’s bit.

In an American Benchmark study, residents of San Francisco, possibly the most ‘liberal’ / left city on earth were measured as to how much time they volunteered for charity and how much money they donated. With 100 being the average national score, San Francisco received a 79, Boston and equally liberal Cleveland a 77. In the twin cities of Minnesota, liberal north Minneapolis received a slightly below average 95 while more right -wing St Paul was rated at above –average 112.  Boulder, Colorado,  home of prominent ‘progressives’ received a below average 90 while more right-wing Winston- Salem, North Carolina and Greensboro received a 123.  Right-wing South Dakota scored 127 while right-wing Charlotte got 123. (The Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey, Cumulative Datafile)

The fact is that left / liberals think that their individual efforts will be of no great use and that only large organisations; charities but especially the state, can be effective. The world must be reorganised to eliminate poverty and suffering. (Just reshuffling the ‘World Order’ will somehow produce   a Utopia of plenty and peace for all).  Right wing people on the other hand have no such Utopian fantasies. They do believe that they can and should make a difference individually and that indeed this is the way, perhaps the only way, that help can and should be given. But then left liberals are leftists who believe in collective action, even if in total contradiction they manage to believe in individualism also. Right wing people believe in getting things done and that they can do it.

Right wing attitudes to caring are about other people. They are personal and about neighbourliness,  genuine  community in a traditional, local sense and hands -on practicality.  Left wing caring isn’t about caring for others. It’s about caring for oneself.   It’s about talking about caring rather than doing. It’s about outsourcing caring to others – charities, the state, so that the liberal /leftist can get on ‘doing ‘their own thing’ without the bother of too much personal involvement.