With no respect, I suggest Mr. Scott Alexander does not have a clue what he is talking about… and what he knows of classical culture is derived from the history channel.

Would it be too jarring for his compromised intellect to know that it was republican virtues and the warrior culture which first introduced what he would, in his left/right schizophrenia, call ‘leftism’, or ‘socialism’?

No, because that would require study of source documents and actually knowing what he is talking about… and my guess is ‘knowing what he is talking about’ would be in conflict with his world view… which is to spout universalistic bromides to a barely literate audience who like things left/right, yellow in front/brown in back… for how to put on their underwear type simplicity.

How about it was Bismark, the most conservative of all 19th century statesman who first instituted old age pensions, unemployment insurance, welfare, etc. in modern Europe, in concert with the industrial cartels, (who actually did care for the good of the polis…imagine that?) in one of the most conservative, dynamic and far seeing cultures the world has yet known, and still lives by it’s innovations?

This similar to the many times I’ve read bloggers comment on how good things were in the 50’s… ‘the masculine society’… eventually capping off the force of their argument by showcasing ‘Madmen’…a television show written mostly by women, that is… (wait for it)… a fucking television show. Why not Spiderman… or ‘Game of Thrones’… That’s my type of history, lot of teenage girls.

I read these I just shake my head. They confuse the purpose of constructing a model, a ‘theory’ with marketing an agenda.