Sort of, at least in the short term yeah, but it's the kind of self-interest that can easily turn self-destructive. Which is why I don't think I will comprehend it fully.

[–] TreadOnMe@hexbear.net 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

To rephrase how @RedSturgeon@hexbear.net put it, the through line is an 'idea' of self-interest.

Specifically, if they recognize it or not, the liberal idea of self-interest is wrapped up in their idea of 'natural rights'. In the past, liberals recognized the need to physically revolt, fight and defend themselves from those in the state that would deprive them of their 'natural rights'. However, now that they are the hegemonic ideology, the liberal sees their self-interest not in defending 'natural rights', but containing it from spreading to others who would defend themselves from the predations of liberal empire. Those 'natural rights' can never be truly universal, because the liberal truly only cares about one thing, and that is their personal ability to excersize power in their domain. And if they cannot excersize power over you (through money, rhetoric or public pressure) then you are an ideological extremist and must be brought to heel within their domain. To them crimes done for ideology are more sinful than crimes done for money.

It is a self-interested rational nihilism that seeks to annihilate all other ideologies by positing itself as logical, universal and scientific, but cannot actually accomplish that because it is none of those things.

Edit: if some of this sounds like American conservative talking points, this is because American conservatives can often identify the flaws in the liberal ideological construct (albeit they think themselves to be the universal, logical, and scientific portion, they are also liberals after all), but they think the way to solve the incoherence is by being more racist, sexist and homophobic.