Originally Posted by
erikd
Having a different opinion or plan to deal with complex social, economic, or foreign policy issues is not delusional. Implementing a higher minimum wage may or may not ultimately benefit poor people, but it depends on a myriad of other factors as well. It isn't a cut-and-dried situation.
Likewise, the gun control issue. While there is strong evidence that gun control laws can work to decrease violence [[see Australia), it is not completely delusional to assert that a similar program would not yield the same results in America.
Foreign policy is another example. There is some delusional thinking by the right-wing crazies who claim that liberal/Democrats "Think that avoiding the term Islamic Terror can save us from it." Nobody has ever said that not using the term "Islamic Terror" will "save us from it." That is ridiculous. What has been said and advocated, most notably by President Obama, is that labeling our fight against terrorism as a fight against "Islamic Terrorism" only helps to reinforce the propaganda and recruiting tactics employed by ISIS and other terrorist organizations who position America as an anti-Islamic enemy. Taking the religious aspect of the terrorism fight down a notch won't "save us from terrorism", but it will certainly increase our ability to gain support and allies from the Muslim world.
None of these are examples of crazy or delusional thinking. They are all well-reasoned concepts that are supported by logic, rational thinking, and evidence. That is not to say that they are perfect or flawless ideas, which they really can not be, as they deal with very subjective and complex grey areas of the social construct.
Most importantly, these examples of "delusional" thinking on the left are simply not equivocal to the actual delusional thinking now promoted by the right.
Saying that the effective Australian-style gun control should be implemented in America is not delusional. Saying that climate change is just a lie, promoted by global conspiracy of scientists and foriegn governments, is delusional.
Saying that increasing the minimum wage will benefit poor people is not delusional. Saying that evolution is not real is delusional.
Do you see the difference?