A Pessimist Manifesto

Karl Smith writes one. He believes that "badness is the natural state of the world" and that "our proper mission is easing pain, where we can, to the extent we can, the best we can":

I think it is that many modern Conservatives intuitively base their analysis of the world on a philosophy that is anathema to my worldview. Their view is that if you take a responsible, measured, well-reasoned approach to the world things will work out. Failure is thus a sign that you have not done that.

My sense is that this is fundamentally crap.. [Many modern Conservatives believe] that everything would be okay if it were not for those meddling Liberals. Everything would not be okay. It never will be. If we do our best it might, and I mean might, be a little bit better.

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