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On Condescension

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UVa Prof. Gerard Alexander has this op-ed in the WaPo. He does not address the debate over crime specifically, but the overall problem he addresses is quite consistent with what I have experienced debating crime issues over the years:

Every political community includes some members who insist that their side has all the answers and that their adversaries are idiots. But American liberals, to a degree far surpassing conservatives, appear committed to the proposition that their views are correct, self-evident, and based on fact and reason, while conservative positions are not just wrong but illegitimate, ideological and unworthy of serious consideration.
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This condescension is part of a liberal tradition that for generations has impoverished American debates over the economy, society and the functions of government -- and threatens to do so again today, when dialogue would be more valuable than ever.

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