It happened Wednesday.

Liberals are showing new strains of ignorance, hitherto uncharted intensities of it. Yes, I’m fully aware that they’re saying the same thing about people who see things my way.

But once again, I see their own ignorance is unique because it mixes in apathy in equal parts. When you blame Republicans for the shutdown, for example, which we’re repeatedly told most people do — this comes at the end of not any kind of critical analysis, but mere word selection. This side is “holding out” or “refusing to budge” on something; the other side is “blocking” a continuing resolution. So-and-so is “standing firm”; the other guy is “holding government hostage.”

People don’t dissect these word-choice burbles. For the most part, they think what they’re told to think. Then, if there are any doubts, they might ask people like me “What news sources should I watch/read?” Watch or read? You mean, follow? Believe uncritically? None of them, of course.

I notice a lot of people can’t even process that.

Another thing I notice, since this shutdown began, is that there is a whole array of topics on which liberals display a special ignorance. Ronald Reagan was quoted as saying “The trouble with our Liberal friends is not that they’re ignorant; it’s just that they know so much that isn’t so.”

That’s because a lot of it is not based on fact. I say something like “The mainstream media is biased, to the left” — a leftist liberal might hear me say this, and figure, incorrectly, that I’m saying this just because I lean the other way. So he’ll retort “No, the mainstream media is biased, if in any way at all, to the right.” Just like returning a volleyball serve. But, no. If he bothered to discuss and debate, we’d get into some of the examples I might have to offer, and then he’d be obliged to come up with his own. But we don’t get that far. Such an exchange devolves into a shouting match, just like a volleyball match, or a racquetball match, or a ping pong game. I serve, you return, I return the return, etc.

They don’t argue to learn. They argue to win.

So they end up not knowing very much. About a great variety of topics that are supposed to be interesting to them.

It occurs to me that if you make a list of such subjects, and then make another list of subjects on which they want the final word…refuse to take no for an answer. Subjects on which you must must must, do it their way their way their way…

…or else like a socially arrested eighth grade schoolgirl they’ll just hate you for-EVER!! Can’t be friends! Because you didn’t do it their way…

The two lists would be exactly the same.

The economy.

The presidency, Congress and the judicial branch.

The rest of the U.S. Constitution.

Rights.

Privileges.

Responsibilities.

God.

Guns.

Hunger, famine, poverty.

Capitalism.

Socialism.

Education.

Bigotry.

Tolerance.

Civilization.

Societies.

Cultures.

Defense.

Immigration.

War and peace.

Surpluses and Deficits.

Marriage and family.

Work and play.

How pretty sexy blonde girls sell blue jeans and what we are to think of that.

And, discussing any of the above.

In fact, out of the many things on which liberals maintain an ignorance, there is only one item that does not appear on the list of things over which they demand control, and that is: The motivation of their opposition.

This is something they don’t understand, and at times, it seems they know they don’t understand it. They don’t care to learn about it. They’re proud of not knowing and they’re proud of not caring.

But at least, on that one particular thing, they’ll allow us to do as we will. It’s part of their final dismissive gesture as they shut us out of the village gates to starve in the winter. Or, to modernize the metaphor, intone to us that we can’t sit with them at lunch.