# As a Progressive, I am throwing in the towel

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-progressive-i-am-throwing-in-the-towel/924912>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [November 6, 2020, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-progressive-i-am-throwing-in-the-towel/924912 "2020-11-06T18:31:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 190

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**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2020, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-a-progressive-i-am-throwing-in-the-towel/924912/190 "2020-12-06T06:13:18Z")

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> [@Sherrerd](#):
>
> The far left and the far right have one crucial trait in common: they’ve constructed worldviews that depend on _ignoring human psychology_ .
> 
> And that’s why no government based on either far-left ideas or on far-right ideas has ever succeeded. Pretending that human beings think and act in some way that they never do, some way that they “should” think and act—but do not—is a recipe for failure.

Yes, this ^

There _is_ such a thing as ‘human nature’ - whether we like it or not, and whether we believe it or not.

We can’t change human beings by imposing an abstract ideology, any more than we can make cats act like dogs because we think dogs are better. But we can make a lot of unhappy cats by trying.

However, we _can_ create societies that channel human nature in a better direction or a worse direction. This happens mainly by trial and error, hard experience, and small steps.

@Boudicca90, you can see the kind of pushback you’ve been getting on this board, which is mostly leftish, and with far above average education and intelligence. What kind of pushback will you get in the broader society, even in social democratic countries?

What will you do about people who disagree with you and don’t like your system? Re-education camps?

If you’re going to persuade people to accept your ideas, you’re going to have to do a much better job.

First, you’re going to have to find an example - in any human society, in any culture, and at any time - where this kind of system has worked. And worked for more than a tiny self-chosen group for a short period of time.

If you can’t find an example of cats living like dogs, maybe there’s a reason for it.

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