Information AboutIdiotarian |
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The term was initially directed against "idiotic" behavior by figures on both the political left and right, however, it has come to be associated much more strongly with its use by Warblogger s, right-leaning, and libertarian bloggers in criticism of the Political Left . It is sometimes employed in the service of Ad Hominem rhetorical attacks, but may also be used as a Pejorative Political Slogan or label, and the meaning and usage of the term itself is a subject of politicized debate. ORIGIN AND DEFINITIONS On January 5th, 2002, Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit wrote "What bloggers are more than anything, I think, is anti-idiot. That makes life tough for Noam Chomsky , Cornel West , and the Revs. Falwell , Robertson , Jackson , & Sharpton , for reasons that transcend traditional partisanship and ideology. Responding later that day, Johnson wrote, "That’s it exactly! I really don’t care to affiliate myself with any of the current political parties. But if there were an Anti-Idiotarian Party™, I’d be a member for life." From this early usage, the term spread through the Blogosphere . Australian warblogger Tim Blair later refined the term by referring in April of 2002 to an interview with Lyndon LaRouche, and commenting on what he claimed was: ...the ongoing process by which the world's multiple idiocies are becoming one giant, useless force (suggested slogan: "United, Retarded, We'll Never Be Defeated!") This, and the original inspirations, were picked up and developed by Eric S. Raymond in a widely-linked piece entitled the "Anti-Idiotarian Manifesto," explicitly criticizing political viewpoints held on both the left and right. Definition in "Anti-Idiotarian Manifesto" In the background to the original version of the Manifesto in 2003, Raymond wrote, "The implicit meaning of the term was clear from the beginning; it was a condemnation directed both at the dogmatic Right and the doctrinaire Left, both of which proved so preoccupied with their own parochial concerns and historical baggage that they neither anticipated the monstrous threat of Islamo-fascist Terrorism nor were able to come to grips with its implications after the fact."[http://catb.org/~esr/aim/background.html] Raymond [http://armedndangerous.blogspot.com/2002_10_13_armedndangerous_archive.html prepared five drafts] with public comments on his blog, and published version 2.0 in December 2003. In the same background document, Raymond also noted "Previous definitions of `idiotarianism' have been implicit and extensional, requiring the reader/hearer to construct a model from examples. I have attempted to supply an Intensional definition. I hope this will be useful in framing future debate." According to the ''Anti-Idiotarian Manifesto''': :"WE DEFINE IDIOTARIANISM as the species of delusion within the moral community of mankind that gives aid and comfort to terrorists and tyrants operating outside it. :WE REJECT the idiotarianism of the Left — the moral blindness that refuses to recognize that free markets, individual liberty, and experimental science have made the West a fundamentally better place than any culture in which jihad, ‘honor killings’, and female genital mutilation are daily practices approved by a stultifying religion. :WE REJECT the idiotarianism of the Right — whether it manifests as head-in-the-sand isolationism or as a a {Link without Title} Christian-chauvinist political agenda that echoes the religious absolutism of our enemies. :WE ARE MEMBERS OF A CIVILIZATION, and we hold that civilization to be worth defending. We have not sought war, but we will fight it to the end. We will fight for our civilization in our thoughts, in our words, and in our deeds." {Link without Title} Subsequent definition cited by Johnson The : "''Idiotarian'' noun. A term of abuse for an advocate of what are deemed to be irrationalist and subjectivist values that have very little reference to the workings of the real world. Idiotarians are often Socialist (quintessentially Noam Chomsky ), but can also be Paleo-libertarian or Paleo-conservative . The defining phrase of idiotarianism is "it is all the fault of the United States": this is usually applied to geopolitics but is sometimes encountered with regard to cultural issues, economic issues, environmental issues, the weather, socks lost in the laundry etc. Definition further debated Bloggers at ''Setting the world to rights'' debated the meaning and application of the term "Idiotarian" in June, 2003 , prior to the Raymond "Manifesto," noting the disadvantages that "It is inherently insulting... "the fact is, there is a huge and influential segment of Western public opinion which systematically sides with evil without itself adopting the evildoers’ objectives...as with other terms such as ‘left-wing’, ‘right-wing’ or ‘anarchist’, there are about as many definitions of ‘idiotarian’ as there are users of the term. But there can be no doubt that idiotarianism is a distinctive political stance playing a major role in contemporary politics. As we have said before, it is mind-boggling that such a significant strand of political thought did not even have a name before 2002 when Charles Johnson coined the term ‘idiotarian’."[http://www.settingtheworldtorights.com/node/135] USAGE AND COMMON ELEMENTS Figures named as "Idiotarians" by the term's initial users are noted to have a range of social, economic and geopolitical positions and philosophies, including:
On the political Left , these have included such figures as: "Idiotarians" on the political Right have included:
Others such as Lyndon LaRouche remain unclassifiable. Because of the wide range of incompatible political ideologies among the so-called "Idiotarians," certain common elements have been suggested to explain the defining characteristics of "Idiotarianism." Views on personal and ideological liberty To some extent, alleged "idiotarians" on both sides of the ideological spectrum are perceived by fans of the term as unfriendly to personal or ideological Liberty and reliant on repetitive dogma rather than Reason . The term thus bears the distinct flavour of Rationalist Libertarianism . At the same time, however, the premises of popular "anti-idiotarianism" are neither confined to libertarians nor universally accepted within that group; rather, its use appears to reflect the growing split between the Interventionist policies promoted by modern " Liberventionists " (e.g., the Bush Doctrine ) and the traditionally Non-interventionist positions taken by the Libertarian Party itself (e.g., the Libertarian Party Pledge ). Idiotarianism and a Left/Right/Islamist Conjunction The perception among some bloggers of a confluence of opinion among groups opposed to the exercise of American power abroad and to the success and dissemination of liberal democratic values remains a part of the core usage of "Idiotarianism," at least with respect to issues surrounding the Global War On Terror and the United States. Like many of his peers, Tim Blair (see above) believed that he was seeing growing commonalities of agenda and rhetoric between the Anti-globalist and/or Anti-American left, the isolationist and/or theological right, and what is sometimes called Islamofascism ; this alleged convergence is sometimes known as "the Red-green-brown Alliance ." While "Idiotarian" is usually employed as a synonym for "anti-American," fans of the term have also increasingly begun using it as a synonym for "anti-semitic." Note, however, that perceived anti-semitism and/or anti-Americanism are only part of the term's usage, not a requirement for inclusion. For instance, figures like Jerry Falwell do not share these characteristics, but have often been tagged with the "idiotarian" label because they showed some of the common characteristics noted in earlier sections. Idiotarian of the Year Little Green Footballs polls its readers to award an annual "Fiskie" award for the Idiotarian of the Year. The "Fiskie" is derisively named for columnist Robert Fisk , whose infamous December 10, 2001 Independent article about his own beating by Afghan refugees stated that "if I were the Afghan refugees of Kila Abdullah, close to the Afghan-Pakistan border, I would have done just the same...."
Note that LGF is a single blog, and its readers' votes are not considered dispositive in any way by others. CRITICISMS Many have criticized the use of the term "idiotarian", arguing that self-proclaimed "anti-idiotarians" are often people who put forward discredited arguments themselves, and are in fact using the word "idiotarian" only as a means to tar those who disagree with them with a Pejorative Political Slogan . Alternative terms Some commentators uneasy with the "idiotarian" label have suggested meaningful alternative terms:
These terms have largely failed to catch on, however, in part because many figures labelled as "idiotarians" do not comfortably fit into the molds suggested by Villepin or by the Cold War definitions of "useful idiots." "Anti-Idiotarianism", Critics of the term "Idiotarianism"
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