Beware of “Social Justice” Virus in Political Discussion

We are all on the lookout for viral keywords that signal a catastrophic breakdown in interpersonal communications, Internet and otherwise.   One malignant phrase that come up repeatedly is social justice.  The emotional appeal is always to lightweight thinkers who skim various guilt hot buttons and social trends.

        Of the thinkers on the right who’ve gone farthest to articulate the cognitive virus surrounding “social justice,” few have surpassed Jonah Goldberg (watch video), the author of Liberal Fascism, a book that tells television viewers to start getting up to intellectual speed to avoid being trapped in status quo mindsets.

       Goldberg shows how the term “social justice” infects people who want a sense of do-goodism, but who don’t have enough commitment to evaluate.  The term is meant to have a charismatic effect on want-to-be liberals who can’t find the time to sort things out.  He cites Friedrich Hayek ‘s objection to the term.  Using the term “social justice” certainly points to a moral cancer that needs to be documented.