(May 11, 2016 at 4:12 pm)Yeauxleaux Wrote: I know people who use it mean well, and I respect that, but can we please put this tired "on the wrong side of history" saying to bed?
It sounded silly even when it was new, and it's been used to death now.
I agree. Aside from its hackneyed overuse, the saying seems to imply that history has an irresistible flow and destination. I wonder sometimes if people who are fond of the expression really believe that their agenda can't be scuttled. The danger for progressives who use this expression, it seems to me, is the possibility of complacence. If you're on the "right" side of history, you might have an excuse to not get off your ass to advocate for the issues you care about. There is nothing certain about "progress". That's a hoary old 19th Century belief that should have been laid to rest around 1914.