Its trickling down from the great issues of the day to more mundane matters has further weakened it, probably to the point of uselessness. Read Jonah Goldberg on the fallacy of the “right side/wrong side of history.”, By attributing the outcome of today’s actions to the inevitable will of “history” or “fate,” politicians and pundits attempt to reject the power of an individual to change that outcome, and to avoid taking responsibility themselves. Karl Marx argued that socialism was inevitable according to scientific principle, thus objections to it were immoral, anti-intellectual, and unscientific. Against pot legalization? This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.

You're on the wrong side of history. … Whenever things haven’t gone his way on the international scene—i.e., on days that end with a ‘y—he or his spokespeople have wagged their fingers from the right side of history.” (Goldberg didn’t mention it, but Republicans have invoked WSOH as well. ", In other words, when used at home "the wrong side of history" is a sign of strength -- our activism is vindicated; things are going our way! For generations those on the right side of slavery and civil rights were told that they were on the wrong side of history, but proved history wrong by refusing to surrender to it. We need look no further than any nation that has committed genocide based on their twisted “morals” (think of the Holocaust caused by Nazi Germany or the Armenian Genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Turks). But being nicer doesn't make it any more true (and, to be honest, many people have died in service to this idea as well).

If anything, the opposite. In life, but particularly in a democracy, defeat only comes when the losing side accepts defeat. They will be more likely to take their fate into their own hands. on the wrong side of history A phrase usually used to describe outdated political decisions or practices. In their defense, many of them believe they’re genuinely doing what’s best for their children, giving them a world worth inheriting. But one thing is certain: when people come to believe that they are not masters of their own fate -- because history is not on their side -- they will be less likely to take their fate into their own hands. Famed historian Robert Conquest said the phrase “the wrong side of history” has a “Marxist twang” to it because it assumes history is moving in an inevitable direction, independent of human action. ", "Keep fighting the good fight. All rights reserved. Someone needs to tell the president that his sexist statements put him on the wrong side of history. When a politician uses the phrase “wrong side of history” against a bad-acting regime, he’s asserting that he somehow knows how history will turn out, and uses this as a convenient excuse not to have to take meaningful action. They will be less likely to take their fate into their own hands. ", "I'm powerless to stop you, but one day, long after I have any responsibility to do anything at all, someone else will say you were wrong.

They believe they are on the wrong side of history. When Vladimir Putin seized Crimea, President Obama said, “Russia is on the wrong side of history on this.” Secretary of State John Kerry concurred, using exactly the same phrase. Someone needs to tell the president that his sexist statements put him on the wrong side of history. On the question of gay marriage, this Pope may someday prove to have "been. He writes of “Nachbi, whose grandson, like Setur’s was destined to make a name, though not on the right side of history.” Later incarnations show up in the 1930s, as in this from a left-wing journal called Equality: “Of course the people on the wrong side of history suffer! It's used a lot in foreign policy, too. Accusing others of being on “the wrong side of history” is a way of dismissing their arguments without really considering their validity. "You're going to lose eventually, so why don't you give up now? Domestically, telling someone they are on "the wrong side of history" means "You're going to lose eventually, so why don't you give up now?" What unites both terms is arrogance -- actually, arrogance and cowardice. He's not alone, of course.

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