Seems to me that the principal source of intellectual apostasy, aside from personal opportunism (which is a biggie), is failure to see past the failure of left projects. To understand the way they fail in such a way as to see how they could succeed.
Why not just be a contented elitist? It works for me.
mbs
> Its part of the process of molting that turns one into a
> neoconservative. First one finds the attempted implementations of
> "non-hierarchical participatory democracy" (i) boring. Then one finds
> them (ii) counterproductive and time-wasting. Then one finds them
> (iii) culturally offensive. Then one finds them (iv) manipulative and
> deceitful. Then one finds them (v) totalitarian.
>
> Nathan is still at stage (i). I am at stage (ii). Cooper is clearly
> sliding from stage (iii) into stage (iv). And by the time one reaches
> stage (v), one starts writing for _Commentary_ and the _National
> Review_.