I mostly try to avoid politics here, preferring other platforms for that. But I do have to comment here on some particular phenomena I’ve noticed that endlessly amuse me.

Our 2016 election is over, and Donald Trump won the presidency of the United States of America. I couldn’t care less whether you love him or hate him, and you’re welcome to protest as you like. First Amendment and all that. However, there is a special class of people, coming to be known by the pejorative “snowflake” (“an overly sensitive person, incapable of dealing with any opinions that differ from their own”) who are showing up these days in protest of Donald Trump, who advocate for media control or the like, in favor of their political positions. They tend to be whiners about sex, gender or racial bias. They want “safe spaces” where they don’t have to listen to differing opinions from their own (this is because they can’t actually intellectually defend their ideas and don’t want that burden). They will calmly contend that they support the First Amendment, and vehemently oppose any attempt to shut them up, using the First Amendment as their argument.

The problem is that when it comes to anyone else’s political opinion, they believe that should be shut off and not heard. It would appear that they believe that their opinions are the only reasonable and humane ones, and anything beyond that is some horrid perversion of goodness or rightness or justice or whatever.

A lot of these people will come out (even now) in favor of candidates like Bernie Sanders (the socialist candidate for the presidency this year). The theory, I suppose, being that Bernie would be on their side, and not some vile creature like Donald Trump. Of course, in a world or nation run by Bernie (that is, socialism), media control would be a key component. And of course, Bernie would control the media in such a way that snowflakes would be protected from differing opinions and the like.

Which would be all well and good up to the point where the opposite party won. Somehow this outcome escapes their notice. They fail to think the thought through (which isn’t surprising, considering the clearly shallow depth of their political thought). With the government in control of the media, whether you consider that a good thing or not depends entirely on which side of the political spectrum you’re on. And it tends to be fine as long as your side of the political spectrum’s in power. But all of a sudden, it may become a nightmare when the other side wins.

But these people continue to believe that if we turn control of the First Amendment, or the Internet or the Press or whatever over to the government or some other Authority, all will be well. Because we can now all be protected from whatever it is that seems to be aggravating these people to death.

Snowflake: an overly sensitive person, incapable of dealing with any opinions that differ from their own. Social Justice Warrior: often a snowflake, but definitely someone who loudly complains about conditions which have nothing to do with them. Virtue signalling: the practice of loudly complaining about issues which have nothing to do with you. Such complaining gives these people more credibility among those who are like minded.

Snowflakes typically believe that words can hurt them, and are “social justice warriors”, who are usually aggrieved about something (or a lot of things), often in areas where they have no stake (like the naming of sports teams after aboriginal Americans). (Note: I will use the term “aboriginal” here as needed to refer to anyone already here when the white man from Europe showed up. Don’t hassle me about it; it is an accurate and precise term.) Incidentally words cannot hurt you, unless you’re so psychologically damaged in the first place that you really should be in a rest home or insane asylum. And if they do, perhaps you should get help for that, rather than trying to bend the rest of society to your will. And to be brutally honest, I don’t believe that very many people at all are truly offended by the speech of others, much as they might protest otherwise. I believe it’s become more or less a “fashion choice” in our current age. In fact, for the young, I think it’s become more or less like the unwritten rule for show business– you gotta have some cause you can promote and donate to.

Snowflakes are a brand of human which is a subset of the politically shallow, which include most voters in the United States (and, I dare say, elsewhere as well).

People who are politically shallow tend to remain ignorant and politically shallow because all or almost all the people they associate with agree with them. So they’re never forced to argue their points, really. They have little or no knowledge of civics in the first place. And everyone they know agrees with them, so they tend to believe that the real “everyone” (all the people they don’t know) believe the same way. And because their political knowledge is so shallow, they also tend to believe anything the media (or anyone else) feeds them that supports their view of the world, even if it seems completely illogical or outlandish.

Incidentally, this is an object lesson in why it’s important to get a good education (particularly in civics). Without it, your understanding of any given aspect of life is liable to be exceptionally shallow. You will be easily lead in almost any direction and happily trail the rest of your friends and relations (who are similarly shallow) over the cliff or into the ovens.

And by the way, although political shallowness is characteristic of most people on the left, it is also true of a lot of people on the right as well.

Political parties seem to be made to appeal to the politically shallow, and there may be purposeful, historic reasons for this. Many people get their political party affiliation from their parents or their friends, and never actually examine the roots of why they vote as they do or believe what they believe. They simply go forward based on something like political inertia. Just start digging around for why they vote or think as they do, and you’re sure to get that “deer in the headlights” look.

I’ve been called out for using the term “snowflake” as I (and many others) do. I think it’s a wonderful term. I think it perfectly describes and pokes fun at pantywaist dilettantes who have decided they simply can’t live in the world the rest of us do. (And so the rest of us– all 95%– should change.)

And here’s another interesting point to consider. The “social justice warriors” and snowflakes rarely target one of the loudest sources of misogyny and other similar attitudes: rap/hip hop “music”. They howl at the moon when a white male billionaire like Donald Trump gets elected. And they insist on “safe spaces” where people don’t have to listen to people who disagree with them. But strangely, you don’t hear a peep about rap music, which is full of hateful, racist and misogynist speech. You don’t suppose it’s because they actually like rap music, do you? Another example of the hipocrisy of these people. Fortunately, I grew up in an era where real music was playing, so I don’t even consider rap particularly “music”. Unlike my daughter, and those going forward, who grew up on a diet of the stuff.

By the way, there is another ailment called “Trump Derangement Syndrome”, which differs slightly from the above, but appears to involve frothing at the mouth and seizures. But that’s a discussion for another essay.