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In Groundhog Day, political left act as if humanity is stuck in a time trap
By Edward Turner
Posted: October 1, 2007
"Groundhog Day," the 1993 film, is an allegory for the political left. Egotistical television meteorologist (Bill
Murray) wakes up every morning to find it's a repeat of the same day. First, he exploits his knowledge of 2
February to his advantage, but later, frustrated at his time prison, realises only altruism will break him free.
The political left act as though it is Groundhog Day. Humanity stuck in a time trap that can be returned to
normal by adjustment of behaviour. Unlike the movie though, if humanity is to experience a new day, the left
has to change not just their behaviour but everyone else's. The central puzzle of the philosophical-ideological
left: how to compel behaviour?
Contrast with the material-physical political right. Those concerned with the "dark matter" of politics, ordinarily
invisible, knowable only because it is "Groundhog Day." Every day, every year, every century, every millennium
political events repeat as there is predictability in the world. While the left make political rules to escape reality
the right has accepted it and work with the reality ignored by the left.
The most important fact a political scientist must learn is that the common thread through all brutal
authoritarian regimes is the political left. Escape from "Groundhog Day" – the recurrence of war and
exploitation – is sacred to the discipline of politics. Politics is the one subject whose first objective is not to
understand the world but create one in Man's image.
How does the left compel behaviour to make us all altruists? Authoritarian government - through the word of
Intelligent Man can flow. Man is by necessity the conductor at the centre of the social orchestra. Only an
authoritarian state is able to regulate speech and behaviour of all, who can be guided, willing or unwilling, in
the direction of the highest goal.
Conversely, in the economics of Adam Smith and the liberalism of John Locke and Montesquieu the political
right is anti-authoritarian. The Rule of Man is removed to let intelligence within nature rule over man.
Government is limited to basic needs and people have the right to overthrow it; the people are protected from
the arrogance of Men with "checks and balances"; the "invisible hand" protects the economy.
In the various attempts to escape "Groundhog Day" in the 20th Century hundreds of millions perished.
Socialism bound to anarchism, communism, Buddhism, class, race, Maoism, nationalism in the attempt yet
still people woke up – if they were lucky – to find it was the same day. Under Hitler, Stalin, Idi Amin, Pol Pot and
Mao (among others) millions died because scholars lied. Today the oxygen of politics – socialism – binds
anew to Islamism, environmentalism, and trans-nationalism.
So central is Man in the world of the political left he even trumps the laws of physics. When best-selling author
and journalist Robert Fisk admitted in the Independent on 25 August he could not understand the physics of
the 9/11 attacks the natural reaction was someone should teach him so he could. Instead Fisk decided
because he couldn't, it had to be a "narrative" and encouraged readers to be sceptical.
Conspiracy theory – the plotting of Man over Man – is the framework of the political left literary corpus. The work
of Noam Chomsky focuses on propaganda, on "Manufacturing Consent," which takes power from him and
gives it to someone else, an elite of which he is not part. John Mearsheimer, with Stephen Walt, wrote "The
Israeli Lobby;" recycled Protocols of the Elders of Zion for the 21st Century. The structure of political left
thought is always the same; with a different Man responsible for "Groundhog Day."
While some political scientists do realise their work is not to compete for the best conspiracy theory, they are
not influential. For example, the findings of Robert Axelrod's book the Evolution of Cooperation were in 1981
published in the journal Science. Quarter of a century later there is no widely-cited politics journal for game
theory. Axelrod's significance is better known to computer scientists, economists and biologists than many
politics students.
To understand "Groundhog Day" requires understanding of disparate facts from all disciplines: from
education, engineering, biology, to computer science. To the extent the specialism of politics does not permit
investigation into the "dark matter" of politics it is an institution of the left intended to design an authoritarian
government that can break humanity free from "Groundhog Day."
Since there is no thrill of the discovery of truth as there is for the scientist, and authoritarian government leads
to mass murder, the academic of political left is a marvel to explain: what do they get out of their work?
Neuroscience has something to say about it.
Neuroeconomists have experimentally studied decision-making related to two brain regions – the limbic
system and frontal cortex. They found one area controls emotion, like fear and love, the other logical thought.
In the same individual neural activity will flip-flop between the two regions when posed a different question.
Question X: the limbic system is more active, the individual acts on short-term, emotional impulse – he grab's
Rousseau's "hare." Question Y: the analytic centre is in charge, the individual works with the group for higher
payoff, the "deer". This of course explains the different reasoning of policy-makers in situation of anarchy and
within hierarchy: the timeless junction of the international system and the state. It also explains the political
left's obsession with authority.
Steven Johnston in a New York Times article noted University College Los Angeles research that showed
their sample of Democrat voters were more driven by emotional subjectivism than the Republicans were. It is
likely the politics scholar who can completely ignore the laws of physics uses more of the emotional brain
region than an engineer. Indeed, memories of past events, especially emotional ones of interest to politics
students such as the 9/11 attacks, are dealt with by the amygdala and hippocampus, part of the limbic system.
Many professors then are too distracted by the hare of absolute power, through fear of Man and desire for
control over Man, to get to the deer of truth, which requires dispassionate, analytical thought. Their reward:
status, attention and influence on policy. Neuroscience may explain why noted scientists Richard Dawkins
and Noam Chomsky be logical in their day job yet are strongly on the political left after hours: they flip-flop use
between logical and emotional brain centres.
The science may explain how the political left can promote authoritarianism to escape reality; how did this
political left philosophy take over from the political right's acceptance of "Groundhog Day"?
First, Kant undermined the moral foundation of political philosophy. His categorical imperative "Act only
according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law"
activated the Bible's John 1: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," while deactivating Matthew
7:16 "You will know them by their fruits." Kant's deontological moralism divorced moral truth from observable
reality and became the foundation stone of contemporary moral relativism.
Where William Wilberforce, of the political right, successfully campaigned against slavery on Christian
morality – he spoke in Parliament on the "wretched" conditions of the slave ships today - on the political left
there is no influential abolitionist movement against slavery within Islam or the sex trade in the West. Kant's
influence over scholars is such evidence of suffering is inadmissible, because morality is invisible.
Second, Marx created an unfalsifiable nested theory and emotional addiction which directs the left toward
conspiracy theory. With a focus on emotional-empirical content Marxism worked around rational analysis of
"dark matter" to appeal to the heart: victims, wars, oppressors, exploiters, inequality. According to Marx, these
problems were due to the Man and his System an unnatural, contradictory condition would inevitably be
defeated by Man through History.
Popular Marxist essays do not compete with an audience on the political right that accepts "Groundhog Day,"
they compete with the deniers and conspiracy theorists who have to reinvent the narrative against the
timeless, unforgiving facts of reality. Those who can tell the best story of hope amidst the facts of despair are
showered with attention, which encourages more of the same.
Third, Nietzsche imbued the political left with an appreciation of the spirit of struggle. In the Übermensch he
founded the obsession with strong personality; the authoritarian Man of perfect morals who could win the
struggle to escape "Groundhog Day." And, in the Last Man Nietzsche seeded the obsession with the weak-
willed servant of imperfect social structures: Christianity, science and capitalism.
Exemplars of Men of Struggle would be praised (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Time Magazine's "global
everyman"), defended (Che Guevara on a T-Shirt) or excused (Saddam Hussein) and the Last Men justly
derided (George W. Bush and Tony Blair respectively dehumanised as a "Chimp" and "Poodle").
Kant, Marx and Nietzsche were together responsible for taking the study of politics from the Enlightenment
liberal (English) right to the Romantic authoritarian (German) left. Seven per cent into the 21st Century the
political left has almost completely broken from science and the politics of freedom in their extraordinary
pursuit to end "Groundhog Day."
### ### ###
Edward Turner is a Staff Writer, The Atlantic Affairs, London
By Edward Turner
Posted: October 1, 2007
"Groundhog Day," the 1993 film, is an allegory for the political left. Egotistical television meteorologist (Bill
Murray) wakes up every morning to find it's a repeat of the same day. First, he exploits his knowledge of 2
February to his advantage, but later, frustrated at his time prison, realises only altruism will break him free.
The political left act as though it is Groundhog Day. Humanity stuck in a time trap that can be returned to
normal by adjustment of behaviour. Unlike the movie though, if humanity is to experience a new day, the left
has to change not just their behaviour but everyone else's. The central puzzle of the philosophical-ideological
left: how to compel behaviour?
Contrast with the material-physical political right. Those concerned with the "dark matter" of politics, ordinarily
invisible, knowable only because it is "Groundhog Day." Every day, every year, every century, every millennium
political events repeat as there is predictability in the world. While the left make political rules to escape reality
the right has accepted it and work with the reality ignored by the left.
The most important fact a political scientist must learn is that the common thread through all brutal
authoritarian regimes is the political left. Escape from "Groundhog Day" – the recurrence of war and
exploitation – is sacred to the discipline of politics. Politics is the one subject whose first objective is not to
understand the world but create one in Man's image.
How does the left compel behaviour to make us all altruists? Authoritarian government - through the word of
Intelligent Man can flow. Man is by necessity the conductor at the centre of the social orchestra. Only an
authoritarian state is able to regulate speech and behaviour of all, who can be guided, willing or unwilling, in
the direction of the highest goal.
Conversely, in the economics of Adam Smith and the liberalism of John Locke and Montesquieu the political
right is anti-authoritarian. The Rule of Man is removed to let intelligence within nature rule over man.
Government is limited to basic needs and people have the right to overthrow it; the people are protected from
the arrogance of Men with "checks and balances"; the "invisible hand" protects the economy.
In the various attempts to escape "Groundhog Day" in the 20th Century hundreds of millions perished.
Socialism bound to anarchism, communism, Buddhism, class, race, Maoism, nationalism in the attempt yet
still people woke up – if they were lucky – to find it was the same day. Under Hitler, Stalin, Idi Amin, Pol Pot and
Mao (among others) millions died because scholars lied. Today the oxygen of politics – socialism – binds
anew to Islamism, environmentalism, and trans-nationalism.
So central is Man in the world of the political left he even trumps the laws of physics. When best-selling author
and journalist Robert Fisk admitted in the Independent on 25 August he could not understand the physics of
the 9/11 attacks the natural reaction was someone should teach him so he could. Instead Fisk decided
because he couldn't, it had to be a "narrative" and encouraged readers to be sceptical.
Conspiracy theory – the plotting of Man over Man – is the framework of the political left literary corpus. The work
of Noam Chomsky focuses on propaganda, on "Manufacturing Consent," which takes power from him and
gives it to someone else, an elite of which he is not part. John Mearsheimer, with Stephen Walt, wrote "The
Israeli Lobby;" recycled Protocols of the Elders of Zion for the 21st Century. The structure of political left
thought is always the same; with a different Man responsible for "Groundhog Day."
While some political scientists do realise their work is not to compete for the best conspiracy theory, they are
not influential. For example, the findings of Robert Axelrod's book the Evolution of Cooperation were in 1981
published in the journal Science. Quarter of a century later there is no widely-cited politics journal for game
theory. Axelrod's significance is better known to computer scientists, economists and biologists than many
politics students.
To understand "Groundhog Day" requires understanding of disparate facts from all disciplines: from
education, engineering, biology, to computer science. To the extent the specialism of politics does not permit
investigation into the "dark matter" of politics it is an institution of the left intended to design an authoritarian
government that can break humanity free from "Groundhog Day."
Since there is no thrill of the discovery of truth as there is for the scientist, and authoritarian government leads
to mass murder, the academic of political left is a marvel to explain: what do they get out of their work?
Neuroscience has something to say about it.
Neuroeconomists have experimentally studied decision-making related to two brain regions – the limbic
system and frontal cortex. They found one area controls emotion, like fear and love, the other logical thought.
In the same individual neural activity will flip-flop between the two regions when posed a different question.
Question X: the limbic system is more active, the individual acts on short-term, emotional impulse – he grab's
Rousseau's "hare." Question Y: the analytic centre is in charge, the individual works with the group for higher
payoff, the "deer". This of course explains the different reasoning of policy-makers in situation of anarchy and
within hierarchy: the timeless junction of the international system and the state. It also explains the political
left's obsession with authority.
Steven Johnston in a New York Times article noted University College Los Angeles research that showed
their sample of Democrat voters were more driven by emotional subjectivism than the Republicans were. It is
likely the politics scholar who can completely ignore the laws of physics uses more of the emotional brain
region than an engineer. Indeed, memories of past events, especially emotional ones of interest to politics
students such as the 9/11 attacks, are dealt with by the amygdala and hippocampus, part of the limbic system.
Many professors then are too distracted by the hare of absolute power, through fear of Man and desire for
control over Man, to get to the deer of truth, which requires dispassionate, analytical thought. Their reward:
status, attention and influence on policy. Neuroscience may explain why noted scientists Richard Dawkins
and Noam Chomsky be logical in their day job yet are strongly on the political left after hours: they flip-flop use
between logical and emotional brain centres.
The science may explain how the political left can promote authoritarianism to escape reality; how did this
political left philosophy take over from the political right's acceptance of "Groundhog Day"?
First, Kant undermined the moral foundation of political philosophy. His categorical imperative "Act only
according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law"
activated the Bible's John 1: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," while deactivating Matthew
7:16 "You will know them by their fruits." Kant's deontological moralism divorced moral truth from observable
reality and became the foundation stone of contemporary moral relativism.
Where William Wilberforce, of the political right, successfully campaigned against slavery on Christian
morality – he spoke in Parliament on the "wretched" conditions of the slave ships today - on the political left
there is no influential abolitionist movement against slavery within Islam or the sex trade in the West. Kant's
influence over scholars is such evidence of suffering is inadmissible, because morality is invisible.
Second, Marx created an unfalsifiable nested theory and emotional addiction which directs the left toward
conspiracy theory. With a focus on emotional-empirical content Marxism worked around rational analysis of
"dark matter" to appeal to the heart: victims, wars, oppressors, exploiters, inequality. According to Marx, these
problems were due to the Man and his System an unnatural, contradictory condition would inevitably be
defeated by Man through History.
Popular Marxist essays do not compete with an audience on the political right that accepts "Groundhog Day,"
they compete with the deniers and conspiracy theorists who have to reinvent the narrative against the
timeless, unforgiving facts of reality. Those who can tell the best story of hope amidst the facts of despair are
showered with attention, which encourages more of the same.
Third, Nietzsche imbued the political left with an appreciation of the spirit of struggle. In the Übermensch he
founded the obsession with strong personality; the authoritarian Man of perfect morals who could win the
struggle to escape "Groundhog Day." And, in the Last Man Nietzsche seeded the obsession with the weak-
willed servant of imperfect social structures: Christianity, science and capitalism.
Exemplars of Men of Struggle would be praised (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Time Magazine's "global
everyman"), defended (Che Guevara on a T-Shirt) or excused (Saddam Hussein) and the Last Men justly
derided (George W. Bush and Tony Blair respectively dehumanised as a "Chimp" and "Poodle").
Kant, Marx and Nietzsche were together responsible for taking the study of politics from the Enlightenment
liberal (English) right to the Romantic authoritarian (German) left. Seven per cent into the 21st Century the
political left has almost completely broken from science and the politics of freedom in their extraordinary
pursuit to end "Groundhog Day."
### ### ###
Edward Turner is a Staff Writer, The Atlantic Affairs, London
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