Dr. Frank's What's-it

Stephen Pollard makes an excellent

Stephen Pollard makes an excellent comment on "Cherie-gate":

The real point about Cherie Booth is what her comment reveals about the left-liberal, chattering class mindset. They have opinions which are, to them, so deep-seated that they don't even think they are controversial.

To the liberal-left, it’s a given that Israel is some kind of terrorist state and that the Palestinians are entirely victims. That she should have made her remarks at a Medical Aid for Palestinians do says it all.

There are a host of other unstated assumptions which the likes of Ms Booth make about life and which they consider above argument: the view that somehow they do things better in Europe; that anyone who opposes greater european integration is a xenophobe; that it is our role to 'civilise' the hick Americans; that selective education is somehow morally inferior to comprehensive education (even if they have to resort to it for their own kids); and that the NHS is the only morally respectable form of healthcare provision.

Much of this holds true for the "left-liberal, chattering class mindset" in the US as well. This inability to concede any validity to opposing points of view seems to result, as Pollard intimates, from a kind of "failure of imagination." It's the chief reason the congregation has been shrinking so rapidly these days.

(I found out about Pollard's excellent blog from Iain Murray, by the way. Pollard has little numbers by his posts, but they're not hot links and if there's a way to link to these individual posts, I can't figure it out. Just go to the top and search for "Cherie Blair." Then search for "Welcome to planet Europe, Jacques." Then go back to the top and read the rest: good stuff.)

Posted by Dr. Frank at June 23, 2002 02:16 PM | TrackBack