Radicalisation is not the problem .
The ideas you radicalize are the problem . ( These maybe examples but its the words in their books that you can criticize - not their radicalism )
If you have
- radical peace activists you have nice love ins with no violence expected
- radical secularists you have government keeping us in order - someone has to ?.
- radical materialists you will have constant reminders that only money matters in life
- radical secular materialists think that everyone will be happy if they have enough money and cushions supplied by government .
- radical pragmatists think we should not allow any idealism to enter our heads , we should all do what we like
- radical progressives trust the future to be better whatever the past .
- radical anti Christian says that morality is bunk self justification ; (very closely aligned with reactionary postmodernism which because it reacts to everything that is , doesn't know what is or is not - To be or not to be is not a question - one be's )
Its says that all this stuff around us is just mind games and therefore we shouldn't think at all - just act on our natural feelings. Its a very quiet life because as soon as you say something you could be accused , under your own idealism, of word and value constructing to justify yourself . - radical optimists usually have a good bank balance
- radical christians support much more grace ,love forgiveness and freedom for everyone ,
- radical greens think nature should rule and we should live in caves and eat berries
- radical racists solve all environmental problems by getting rid of the neighbours.
- radical non idealists fit in wherever they like at the time ( read Susan Neiman) They make the false claim that you can still be human even if you do not have ideals. Not sure I have met anyone who really lives that way - simple and appealing idea when you don't want to think ? . .
So where does all that leave most of us?. Its well known that many of us start radical and end up less so - is that a good thing ?
Would the world be a better place if we abandoned idealism - If we saw ourselves as pure pragmatists . Would it say something about intellectual confusion ? If we we were all just nice people , maudlin soft and pliable , forever elastic, if not resilient from home base.
I don't think so .
Let's be really clear about one thing ( the above list is indicative not complete ) . Its not just young people's problem, Older Australians Europeans and Americans have a problem too in particular - they may not be radical enough to resist the ideas they don't like .
Kids just simply do not respect the wishy washy talk that can summarize those who talk radicalization without talking to the substance in each case .
