Thanks Brandon. Leaving the always troublesome matter of political labels to one side, it does seem to me that the people you describe as progressives can sometimes be as much a hindrance as a help for liberal causes.

Take what’s going on at the moment on the Mexican border — here we have evidence of unalloyed evil being perpetrated by the American government. The vocal left are rightly enraged, and it should be the sort of issue that rallies ordinarily more passive liberals into action. But the wellspring of protest isn’t happening. Why?

I’m increasingly convinced that at least part of the reason is that people have grown numb to the endless exhortation to rage. In the ultra-progressives’ world, everything is so irredeemably broken all the time. They are always angry about something, and so when a genuinely critical issue arises, it no longer matters to many that their anger is righteous and reasonable, because people have already switched off from the incessant negativity and censure.

I don’t know that there are any easy solutions. There is a lot to be pissed about, and society needs its activists and motivated citizens to lead the charge. But the disaffection is observable and troubling. Plus ca change.