quick thought on nihilism

by · July 15, 2009

Erik Kain

Erik writes about video games at Forbes and politics at Mother Jones. He's the contributor of The League though he hasn't written much here lately. He can be found occasionally composing 140 character cultural analysis on Twitter.

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12 Responses

  1. Jaybird says:
    July 15, 2009 at 2:51 pm

    Whatever does not kill you will make you stronger.

    That is why I named you “Sue”.Report

  2. Jaybird says:
    July 15, 2009 at 3:50 pm

    A non-flippant answer:

    I used to think similar things but I had it pointed out to me that I was conflating “Socially Conservative” with “Theocon”.

    Socially Conservative folks may be Theocons… but the overlap isn’t absolute. I mean, folks who are opposed to, say, illegal immigration, the failure of the schools to teach civics, the coarsening of the culture, the effect of drugs on Our Children, the effect of welfare on the culture… well, those are all “socially conservative” worries. Some of the overlap is Theoconnish, some of it likely to end up on the other side of the Theocons.

    A Theocon spitting invective and bile and all that is a bad thing, sure. It’s like someone who supports “protecting marriage” who is on his or her fourth marriage.

    But a Social Conservative doing it? The Socon ain’t necessarily a Theocon.Report

  3. Nob Akimoto says:
    July 15, 2009 at 4:45 pm

    I think it’s simply a sign of hypocrisy and lack of imagination, rather than nihilism. That or an extreme lack of self-awareness. It might, perhaps be uncharitable to consider such actions a lack of self-awareness, but I think it’s preferrable to ascribing motive and belief beyond what said people to profess a belief in.Report

  4. Michael Drew says:
    July 15, 2009 at 6:41 pm

    E.D. just skyrocketed in my estimation with the Rancid link. Not that it’s incongruous in any way, just didn’t realize the affinity.Report

  5. Kyle Cupp says:
    July 16, 2009 at 5:28 am

    It would depend on whether the professed social conservative actually believes he’s a social conservative or desires to be one. Then again, I have noted the presence of nihilism, or at least relativism, among people who honestly call themselves social conservatives.Report

  6. Bob says:
    July 16, 2009 at 6:34 am

    Tool does nihilism much better.

    (Even though this song was written long before W. became president I can’t help but think of W. when I hear, “Followed by millions of dumbfounded dipshits.”)

    Tool – Aenima Lyric

    Some say the end is near.
    Some say we’ll see armageddon soon.
    I certainly hope we will.
    I sure could use a vacation from this

    Bullshit three ring circus sideshow of
    Freaks

    Here in this hopeless fucking hole we call LA
    The only way to fix it is to flush it all away.
    Any fucking time. Any fucking day.
    Learn to swim, I’ll see you down in Arizona bay.

    Fret for your figure and
    Fret for your latte and
    Fret for your lawsuit and
    Fret for your hairpiece and
    Fret for your prozac and
    Fret for your pilot and
    Fret for your contract and
    Fret for your car.

    It’s a
    Bullshit three ring circus sideshow of
    Freaks

    Here in this hopeless fucking hole we call LA
    The only way to fix it is to flush it all away.
    Any fucking time. Any fucking day.
    Learn to swim, I’ll see you down in Arizona bay.

    Some say a comet will fall from the sky.
    Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves.
    Followed by faultlines that cannot sit still.
    Followed by millions of dumbfounded dipshits.

    Some say the end is near.
    Some say we’ll see armageddon soon.
    I certainly hope we will cuz
    I sure could use a vacation from this

    Stupid shit, silly shit, stupid shit…

    One great big festering neon distraction,
    I’ve a suggestion to keep you all occupied.

    Learn to swim.
    Learn to swim.
    Learn to swim.

    Mom is going to fix it all soon,
    Mom is coming round to put it back
    the way it oughtta be…

    Learn to swim.

    Fuck L Ron Hubbard and
    Fuck all his clones.
    Fuck all these gun-toting
    Hip gangster wannabes.

    Learn to swim.

    Fuck retro anything.
    Fuck your tattoos.
    Fuck all you junkies and
    Fuck your short memory.

    Learn to swim.

    Fuck smiley glad-hands
    With hidden agendas.
    Fuck these dysfunctional,
    Insecure actresses.

    Learn to swim.

    Cuz I’m praying for rain
    And I’m praying for tidal waves
    I wanna see the ground give way.
    I wanna watch it all go down.
    Mom please flush it all away.
    I wanna see it go right in and down.
    I wanna watch it go right in.
    Watch you flush it all away.

    Time to bring it down again.
    Don’t just call me pessimist.
    Try and read between the lines.

    I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t
    Welcome any change, my friend.

    I wanna see it all come down.
    suck it down.
    flush it down.Report

  7. Dave says:
    July 16, 2009 at 1:08 pm

    Is it me or is it open season on our favorite asshole straw man?Report

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