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by ericmay 1162 days ago
Then this comment doesn't make any sense

> > The DPRK is probably the most collectivist (least individualistic) large society on the planet, so much so that it terrifies bleeding heart liberals.

1 comments

I'll break it down for you.

Liberals are individualists. It's at the foundation of their worldview and philosophy. This is basic stuff.

DPRK is highly illiberal, un-individualistic. Engaging with DPRK culture in good faith means questioning the universality of the Western, liberal worldview. For most people, this is a non-starter (just look at this thread).

> so much so that it terrifies bleeding heart liberals

Can you break this term down for me then?

"bleeding heart" wasn't the best choice of adjective there, I meant "passionate".
Sure, but you have to be careful with the terms you use! :)

AnimalMuppet gave a good explanation there IMO.

Yeah, not the best choice, then. "Bleeding heart" has been used as a slur by (US political) conservatives[1] to attack (US political) liberals. It implied that the liberals suffer from an excess of empathy to the point that it clouds their judgment, or something. Nowadays it's just a slur.

You're using "liberal" in a way that differs from standard US political usage, which is all right, especially since you clearly defined what you meant by the term. But "bleeding heart" sounds very US-politics, and seems really weird with your not using liberal in the US politics sense.

[1] These "conservatives" would count as liberals by your definition - they still believe in individual rights.

Frankly, I have only heard liberals self-identify as "bleeding heart", and misunderstood its definition. Then again, I don't consume US conservative media.

> These "conservatives" would count as liberals by your definition - they still believe in individual rights.

Of course. Virtually every faction of US politics is philosophically liberal.

>Virtually every faction of US politics is philosophically liberal.

Based US politics :sunglasses: