Os Estágios do Domínio do Mal.

O filósofo Edward Feser tem um texto muito elucidativo sobre como o mal avança entre aqueles que defendem o mal (em geral, esquerdistas), e também entre aqueles que são (inicialmente) contra (conservadores).

É um texto para ser lido na sua totalidade, aqui vão apenas os estágios do avanço do mal entre esquerdistas e conservadores.

Os esquerdistas vão de "é apenas uma pequena mudança, não sejam paranóicos, não queremos  nada disso (aborto, eutanásia, casamento gay)" para "qualquer um que rejeite isso, deverá ser silenciado".

Os conservadores vão de "nós devemos nos opor a todo custo" ´para "Eu sempre fui a favor disso (aborto, eutanásia, casamento gay)".

Acho que estamos no estágio 5 (último) para esquerdistas e 4 para conservadores e até dentro da própria Igreja Católica. Feser considera que estão no estágio 4 para ambos.

Vejamos cada estágio descrito por Feser:

To the charge that liberals are (or, given their principles, should be) in favor of X [where X = legalizing abortion, liberalizing obscenity laws, banning smoking on private property, legalizing “same-sex marriage,” outlawing the public advocacy of traditional sexual morality, etc. etc.], the standard liberal response goes through about five stages (with, it seems, roughly 5-10 years passing between each stage, though sometimes the transition is much quicker than that).  Here they are:

Stage 1: “Oh please. Only a far-right-wing nutjob would make such a paranoid and ridiculous accusation - I suppose next you’ll accuse us of wanting to poison your precious bodily fluids!”

Stage 2: “Well, I wouldn’t go as far as X. All the same, it’s good to be open-minded about these things. I mean, people used to think ending slavery was a crazy idea too…”

Stage 3: “Hey, the Europeans have had X for years and the sky hasn’t fallen. But no, I admit that this backward country probably isn’t ready for X yet.”

Stage 4: “Of course I’m in favor of X - it’s in the Constitution! Only a far-right-wing nutjob could possibly oppose it.”

Stage 5: “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law…”

…

Fortunately, though, we can rely on conservatives to hold the line, and indeed to turn back liberal advances. Right?

Well, no, of course not. (You can stop rolling your eyes, I was being facetious.) For conservatives - or maybe I should say “conservatives” (since there’s very little that they ever actually manage to conserve, unless money is somehow involved) - seem to go through five stages of their own. Here they are:

Stage 1: “Mark my words: if the extreme left had its way, they’d foist X upon us! These nutjobs must be opposed at all costs.”

Stage 2: “Omigosh, now even thoughtful, mainstream liberals favor X! Fortunately, it’s political suicide.”

Stage 3: “X now exists in 45 out of 50 states. Fellow conservatives, we need to learn how to adjust to this grim new reality.”

Stage 4: “X isn’t so bad, really, when you think about it. And you know, sometimes change is good. Consider slavery…”

                                                

Stage 5: “Hey, I was always in favor of X! You must have me confused with a [paleocon, theocon, Bible thumper, etc.]. But everyone knows that mainstream conservatism has nothing to do with those nutjobs…”