Hmmm. I don’t understand why you would find it “discouraging” to know that once you are dead, the group of people who killed you will then start killing their own team members ?
Not even a hint of schadenfreude ? Just a little ? No ?
But of course, that’s still far too late to think about adopting “being discouraged” as a useful tool in thinking about things ? “They killed me, and I must say, I found it quite disappointing at the time ?”
Perhaps, you will find it more invigorating than you expect when they do knock on your door ?
It’s the reason that “the rule of law” paired with a commitment to defend the rights of individuals is a good idea, and one worth preserving, even fighting for... because others ARE confused, and ARE willing to commit to and fight for other things ?
You must become the alternative to that which you seek to destroy... and prove to be the vastly better alternative.
If your brand is the same as the other guy... there’s no reason for confused people to want to choose yours over his.
See what happens, instead, when he does value power over people, and in that error, turns the world upside down:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilien_Robespierre
In his Report on the Principles of Political Morality of 5 February 1794, Robespierre praised the revolutionary government and argued that terror and virtue were necessary:
If virtue is the spring of a popular government in times of peace, the spring of that government during a revolution is virtue combined with terror: virtue, without which terror is destructive; terror, without which virtue is impotent. Terror is only justice prompt, severe and inflexible; it is then an emanation of virtue; it is less a distinct principle than a natural consequence of the general principle of democracy, applied to the most pressing wants of the country ... The government in a revolution is the despotism of liberty against tyranny.[336]
The word I should have used was "disillusioned". That fits more what my sentiments and are. And I most certainly appreciate the message that you took the time to communicate to me, because with all the anger, alienation, and disillusionment I have felt this past year...it is posts like yours that keep my head above water. And I mean that.
In my time as a living human in this Republic, I first became politically aware at a pretty young age (Goldwater vs. LBJ, and not thinking, mind you...simply aware). I have seen us go from a country where there could be common ground that defined us all as Americans to currently where people who identify themselves as "Americans" simply choose to accept perverted and untethered "realities" and "truths" based on emotion. They simply make "reality" what they want it to be, and that is that, and the same with morality. The stink of relativism permeates nearly everything now.
I have many people I draw on to augment my intrinsic affinity for conservative principles ranging from F.A. Hayek to Thomas Sowell on the economic side, to currently the likes of views of Thomas Sowell (again) Victor Davis Hanson and Bill Whittle on the cultural and political side. (I also like Dan Bongino from a culture/current events side and informational side)
I admire Bill Whittle greatly, and I feel he is an under appreciated conservative voice on our side. I think he is one of the most eloquent But I bring him up in the context of our discussion, because I heard him say something on this video on his website beginning about the 9:40 mark:
I found that extremely uplifting, and accurate. For many people like myself, seeing this election and realizing that there are no depths of perfidy too deep for the Left to plumb...well, that is like like the visceral kick in the gonads that I can imagine a cancer diagnosis must be like. And I appreciated the upbeat diagnosis.
If you haven't had any exposure to Bill Whittle and you view yourself as a conservative, I highly recommend this series of videos. When I joined his site as a member, I got a DVD titled "What We Believe", composed of seven 10 minute episodes. I was so enthusiastic, I was all set to buy about 20 or 30 copies (at around $20 a copy) to send to people, but I found out shortly thereafter that he had made them all available on the Internet for free...:) I believe this was filmed back in 2015 or so, but I think it is spot on.
My brother and I watched the last one on American Exceptionalism, and we were both cheering by the end of that section!
Bill Whittle's Seven Part Series: What We Believe
Part 1: Small Government and Free Enterprise
Part 2: The Problem with Elitism
Part 3: Wealth Creation
Part 4: Natural Law
Part 5: Gun Rights
Part 6: Immigration
Part 7: American Exceptionalism
Point is...I am more disillusioned than discouraged.