"What I lack in political sophistication I make up for in moral clarity." - OPOL
"You're just as bad as George Bush, leading from The Gut!" - various respondents paraphrased
The worst OPOL is guilty of is Echo Chamberism.
We all "know wrong when we see it." No matter who you are, one thing is certain: Something, somewhere, is wrong and Something Must Be Done About It. It doesn't matter what's wrong, we all have the capability to learn about some event or condition and simultaneously judge it.
George Bush is one such person.
I am one such person.
OPOL is one, and so are you.
The difference here is that George Bush thinks that he can lead from the gut, while I haven't seen OPOL try to incite anyone to do anything except sit up straighter in their chair and raise a fist. Hell yeah. Georgie is also comparatively more reticent when asked to reconsider his opinion, I've noticed.
Anti-intellectualism? No. OPOL is not hostile to those of us who might claim greater political sophistication.
Moral Clarity? Yes. I can feel it in my gut. heh.
Redundantly self-masturbatory? Maybe ;) It is a well-beaten drum that we are hearing but many have played it before and I wouldn't be the one to silence it.
So what makes our moral compass different from others? Ours is based on a deep and unwavering respect for basic human decency.
That's why this atheist looks forward to reading and participating in discussions from people of any faith who are committed to the same.
That's why we got that nauseating cold-sweat anger when the Abu Ghraib pictures broke.
That's why we want our descendants to have a planet with clean air and water and undeveloped wild areas.
That's why we're unwilling to take sides against underdogs and minority groups for a quick ego fix.
Maybe OPOL believes that his place is to react and comment on events, rather than to theorize and plan and network. Maybe he's downplaying his skills for poetic impact. Who cares.
Sometimes I feel like Doing Something About It. Sometimes I need to have my faith buoyed by someone else's enthusiasm. Sometimes we all do.