George Barnes wrote an interesting piece in the Telegram and Gazette on Jan 27th. 2018 on welcoming the world to our melting pot. He opines on the altruism of unfettered immigration to our country. He employs the commonly used Conviction of Position that the United States is "..a nation of immigrants.." This is an utter falsehood.
First of all, we are a Sovereign nation. As far as our history of immigration is concerned we are NOW the descendants of immigrants. Actual documented and adjudicated 'immigrants' who take the Oath and join as Citizens number only a few hundred thousand a year. This hardly qualifies in a country of 350 million (or so) as a nation of immigrants.
So, what we are?
What we are is a Sovereign nation with a serious border control issue!
This is the reality; but Leftists are convinced of their position, outraged at the idea of any discussion on this issue and accepting the absurdity that we actually ARE a nation of immigrants.
Dictionary.com defines 'Conviction' as;
noun.
1. a fixed or firm belief:
4. the act of convincing a person by argument or evidence.
5. the state of being convinced.
First of all, we are a Sovereign nation. As far as our history of immigration is concerned we are NOW the descendants of immigrants. Actual documented and adjudicated 'immigrants' who take the Oath and join as Citizens number only a few hundred thousand a year. This hardly qualifies in a country of 350 million (or so) as a nation of immigrants.
So, what we are?
What we are is a Sovereign nation with a serious border control issue!
This is the reality; but Leftists are convinced of their position, outraged at the idea of any discussion on this issue and accepting the absurdity that we actually ARE a nation of immigrants.
Dictionary.com defines 'Conviction' as;
noun.
1. a fixed or firm belief:
4. the act of convincing a person by argument or evidence.
5. the state of being convinced.
I left out definitions 2-3 because it dealt with criminal convictions.
Bing.com does it one better.
a firmly held belief or opinion:
synonyms: belief · opinion · view · thought · persuasion · idea · position · stance ·
the quality of showing that one is firmly convinced of what one believes or says:
synonyms: certainty · certitude · assurance · confidence · sureness ·
Notice none of these definitions have anything to do with facts. Re-read the definitions. Words such as, belief, persuasion, position, stance. Even the Dictionary.com definition uses the term "a state of.."
The ability to convince someone of something is a lot easier than you would think. All it takes is a day to day, slow, methodical inserting of words and phrases over a period of time and soon it becomes a social lexicon.
The use of the term 'American Democracy' is now rooted in our lexicon.
We are not a Democracy.
Every time we have a heat wave, hurricane, blizzard it is now the absurdly accepted Conviction of Position that it is all because of Anthropogenic Climate Change.
It is simply weather.
These are just small examples. Just perk up your ears and listen to the way people and pundits maximize the use of such phrases. It matters not the presenting of alternative facts. Conservatives are always held to facts. Leftists have the finger on the emotional pulse of society.
Leftists want to segregate and define our individualism. It is the only way to steal that last vestige of our intrinsic and birthright as Americans.
By accepting the absurd that we are a 'nation of immigrants' Leftists can further define us and label us as separate. African -American, Asian -American, Muslim-American. This divides us and allows for multi-culturalism instead of assimilation.
So, how is it Leftists are so easily convinced of their positions?
Pete Townsend of The Who once wrote; ".. cuz ya know that the hyptnotized never lie.. Do-Ya!"
It comes from indoctrination. It comes from years of the same metaphors, worn out songs on the Hit Station! Teachers using textbooks written by Howard Zinn revisionists. Eventually we get masses of millions completely devoid of critical thinking and easy, empty vassals (not vessels). And they all just agree on the Absurdly Accepted mantra.
Mark Dice does great video expose's where Liberals pontificate on positions they know nothing about. They do so because they are taught to regurgitate predetermined answers to everything and anything. Ami Horowitz did the video blowing the lid off the myth of voter ID being racist. Here is the link;
The sad part is the soft bigotry of lowered expectations. The white Leftists are convinced of their positions on Voter ID being racist. The Cognitive Dissonance surfaces when presented with evidence of other nations using Voter ID.
Convictions are difficult to alter. There are entire safeguards in place to reinforce these convictions in the minds of people. Television plays an important role and is an important tool. What we see and hear is carefully choreographed to fit a narrative, promote that narrative, even justify it's existence. The talking heads of most major networks are the mouthpieces of an editorial board that hands them the talking points. This, in turn, is read from the teleprompter to an eager audience. The advent of internet media and alternative news sources would make one think that the likes of CNN or MSNBC would alter their tactic or risk losing more of their audience share.
But no! Instead, they double down on the narrative. This is purposeful.
Tactically this is Ingenius. Reinforce a narrative to a specific audience receptive to said narrative. An audience convinced of their position and unlikely to be swayed from that conviction.
Unfortunately, conviction of position stymies growth. Having a set idea of something that is unwavering shuts out the ability to see and understand a position that differs from your own. This is separate from a 'principle' because a principle is based on a foundational truth.
This is why the 'tolerant' Left tends to become very intolerant when faced with opposing viewpoints. The rioting at Berkely over Milo Yanopolous, the recent ANTIFA crowds at the two Boston Free Speech Rallies, the shouting down of speakers at college events. There is no lack of examples.
More of the lexicons used to reinforce the conviction of position are the 'phobics'. Homophobic, xenophobic, transphobic. Every description under the sun to showcase an imagined unreasonable fear of one group or another.
When the principle that children should not be exposed to homosexuality the term homophobic is thrown at you. When the principle that no matter how many body parts you alter you cannot change the X or Y chromosome is presented the term transphobic is thrown at you. It is all well and good that a person feels this way or, believes these things it is just a position that is being taken and has no impact upon the facts presented or the fact that these facts don't care how one feels.
Finally, one last thing that is hardly mentioned anymore is the old adage that one person's rights end where another person's rights begin.
The conviction of position throws this out.
Positions become lexicon and therefore any one who disagrees with lexicon must have something wrong with them.
I am convinced of it.
.... And That Is The Diatribe....
