This article helped me understand the intense dislike some have for Jordan Peterson.
I read that entire article and still have no idea what this Peterson guy is on about or why people dislike him.
Also, and sort of a tangent, what’s this about Leftism being like the final days of the Roman Empire? It’s an overly ominous attitude about the Left that has seemed to grow on the Atlantic these past few years. I’ve noticed it especially in their pieces on Trump, where the authors write as if his policies and tweets are couched in some form of intelligent strategy or overriding ideology instead of what they almost always are - an attempt to distract from the latest scandal and/or channel the media’s attention. This means that the Atlantic, and many other publications, play right into his hands when they ought to know better, and in fact they often do. When you read right to the end of the pieces, the authors often admit that they know just how cynical his ploys are, but the impression I get is one of defeat from the authors in their assumption that their article will not change anybody’s mind so why bother.
This is from the same publication that wrote this when supporting a presidential candidate for only the third time since 1857:
“In its founding statement, The Atlantic promised that it would be “the organ of no party or clique,” and our interest here is not to advance the prospects of the Democratic Party, nor to damage those of the Republican Party. If Hillary Clinton were facing Mitt Romney, or John McCain, or George W. Bush, or, for that matter, any of the leading candidates Trump vanquished in the Republican primaries, we would not have contemplated making this endorsement. We believe in American democracy, in which individuals from various parties of different ideological stripes can advance their ideas and compete for the affection of voters. But Trump is not a man of ideas. He is a demagogue, a xenophobe, a sexist, a know-nothing, and a liar. He is spectacularly unfit for office, and voters—the statesmen and thinkers of the ballot box—should act in defense of American democracy and elect his opponent.”
This is why the Atlantic infuriates me. If they are convinced that Trump is such a danger to the Republic, they should fight him regardless of how partisan it makes them look.
I like the Atantic’s stance here if I understand it right. Give me the news straight. Don’t slant it or make it too slippery to catch. Let me see what’s really going on as best as possible. Then I’ll decide what I like and what I don’t from there.
I don’t want to be forced to swallow stuff that’s not clean and true. The world’s complicated enough without added smear. Just do your job the best way possible. Just tell us the actual fucking news. Not your opinion of the news. Not what you want us to believe happened. Not some polished off version. Not some clever exaggeration. Just clear facts. And give us a goddamn Joe Friday to read it to us too.
It’s so simple.