The Politics Of Blood (The Left's Descent Into Total Derangement Alert)

First Things ^ | 9/1/2008 | Joseph Bottum

[goldstategop]

Film-maker Michael Moore has apparently praised the gulf weather for its chance of disrupting the Republican convention: “This hurricane is proof that there is a god in heaven.” Another low point in politics, though possibly one that could be passed off with a laugh—a partisan irony, rather than a serious derangement.

But over on the leftist Daily Kos website, there is a post that sinks much lower—so low that it caused many of the commentators to denounce it. Which led another commentator to make this remark:

I am prepared to do whatever is necessary to destroy the Republican Party as it exists today as well as everything it stands for.

If health insurance for all, an end to the Iraq War, an end to torture and illegal wiretapping, and a sane energy policy can be obtained at the price of destroying one teenage girl, her family, and the surrendering our self-respect I see that as a cheap trade.

Go talk about nobility of purpose to those 4,000+ dead American soldiers in Iraq.

Indeed, as another comment added:

This is about Power . . . How it is obtained—and how it is wielded in ways that affects all of us.

Are you telling me that you would not use character-destroying lies to ensure a war against Iran does not occur?

Are you telling me you would not spread lies about a man’s integrity, even if it defeated a candidate who take away the right to choose?

Are you telling me you would not destroy the love a family holds for one another, even if it meant letting someone who would destroy the constitution become president?

None of use would use these tactics in a perfect world. It is not a perfect world. It is a fallen world. We have to judge costs and benefits, not moral absolutes. I know this is the way to fanaticism and destruction—believe me I do. But, when we face opponents such as the ones we face . . . what else is there for us to do?

What choice do we have? When faced with monsters, we have to be monstrous ourselves.

“When faced with monsters, we have to be monstrous ourselves.” Well, no, but even if it were so, think one step deeper: What happens when the monsters are merely in your mind? When they are ordinary politicians whose views you so strongly reject that you have to elevate them into monsters to explain to yourself why they could hold such mistaken views?

This is the blade by which politics turns to bloodshed.

[Billthedrill]

I’m in denial. We’ve had this conversation before, both face to face and over the ‘net, and you’ve been right most of the time. I don’t like it when you’re right.

[Centurion2000]

Gentlemen, if it's time ... it's time to be quiet.

I truly hope and pray that it never comes down to it, but I fear you all may be right.

[Lurker]

Without mercy.

It would be a mercy to.

L

[Noumenon]

I'd prefer not to be right about this. We've skirted the edge of the all-out before, but it's never been this close. How much more will we tolerate? How much more can we tolerate?

Or will we look back and say, "There's where we missed our chance?"

[arthurus]

Big government liberalism or outright socialism.

[infowarrior]

Only somehow the omelet never shows up, only the broken eggs.

Ah, yes, the famous "Omelet ala Marx" recipe... Millions of "eggs" broken, worldwide, hundreds of "kitchens" ruined, AND NOBODY HAS EVER SEEN ANYTHING EVEN REMOTELY RESEMBLING A FREAKIN OMELET, to date!!

Isn't it past time for this tired, old, worthless recipe to be discarded?

the infowarrior

[infowarrior]

We’re closer to Claire Wolfe’s Time than we think.

Undoubtedly. I don't expect to see the other side of it, but I've had a good run, fall fair, or fall foul. My one last hope is "to pay ferryman's fee"...

the infowarrior

[Jim Noble]

It's comments that make me wish for four years of Augusto Pinochet to clean out the trash.

Whenever the Left gets too much power, it always ends as Indonesia 1965, or Cambodia 1975.

The Left in this country would be very, very lucky to provoke a Pinochet. A Suharto is much more likely.

[infowarrior]

I'd prefer not to be right about this. We've skirted the edge of the all-out before, but it's never been this close. How much more will we tolerate? How much more can we tolerate?

Any sane man would prefer that you not be right in your assessment, Noumenon, but the commentary from these fools demonstrates that sanity is a commodity in very short supply, and dwindling fast. What is going to happen, will happen, and when that final line is crossed, then we know what our response must be.

When "the Day" dawns, and there's no other possible response, I will have to gird my loins, pick up that which is necessary for that Day, and go forth, with the words of Martin Luther on my lips...

"Here I stand, for I can do no other, and may God help me!"

the infowarrior

[ought-six]

“I truly hope and pray that it never comes down to it....”

So do I.

[thesearethetimes...]

“We win this one or we have a civil war. It’s as simple as that.”

We may have a civil war either way.

Tatt

[thesearethetimes...]

“This is nothing new for that ilk...”

What is new, is the complicity of the media. News is no longer reported. Instead, agendas are advanced, and the masses are only told what the media wants them to hear.

The Palin family is viciously attacked, the media covers it 24/7, and then asks wide-eyed, just what kind of woman would “invite” this kind of treatment for her children.... Surreal.

Tatt

[alarm rider]

“keep poking the bear idiots and one day you will get the backlash from the American people that you deserve”.

You know, I have tried my best to remain above the anger and disgust I feel for the left. I actually believe in a two-party system, and I have always thought myself tolerant of the differing political opinions of my countrymen and women. We are all Americans I thought, so no matter our differences, we will always put our country first, because if we lose our country nothing else matters. All our arguments are for naught. We disagree, but we agree that we are Americans, that's the thing. We work to make our country better, and we never lose our love of country, or our optimism that the better days are yet ahead.

Over the last few years, I have changed my mind. I now believe that the left has gone too far, and that there is no leadership on the left that understands that this whole “America is bad” deal CAN get out of hand. And that if the pressure grows beyond a reasonable meter reading, something really nasty is likely to happen. Too many people are getting fed up with the constant tearing down of our country by our left leaning countrymen and women.

I think that we need to understand that those that play with fire often get burned. And I recall a Thomas Jefferson quote about the Tree of Liberty.

These are dangerous times we are living in Ladies and Gentlemen, not only in the larger world, but perhaps in our own backyards.

I see a bit of danger is the climate does not calm down a bit.

Am I wrong?

[ChildOfThe60s]

With McAmnesty, if it comes with McCain, we can win this one and we are still gone.

That is entirely possible. However, with McCain we have at least the possibility of blocking amnesty. Barry comes with that and much, much more. And BO won't get any resistance from congress.

LBJ's Great Society was rubber stamped by congress as fast as he could propose it. I believe we can expect similar collusion with BO in the White House.

One other very important thing we should remember. There will be a serious upswing in terrorist activity soon as Obama is inaugurated. Guaranteed. And a damn good chance of a major hit on a US target early in his administration. Electing Obama is an ironclad guarantee of dead Americans. You can make book on that.

[archy]

Damn. Another CWII ping.

The late Science and Social Fiction writer Robert Anson Heinlein refered to the present and coming period as *The crazy years.* It appears that his prognostication was spot-on.

Interestingly, he saw it coming as far back as the early 1940s and predicted it as beginnings in the early 1960s.

Mr Heinlein was a real keen observer, of his fellow humans and other things.

[FreedomPoster]

Agreed. Read all his stuff as a teenager. Jerry Pournelle is at some level a Heinlein protege, runs what was arguably the first Internet blog, and brings to light many news items that tend to document Heinlein’s accurate prognostication.

[Charlespg]

These are dangerous times we are living in Ladies and Gentlemen, not only in the larger world, but perhaps in our own backyards. I see a bit of danger is the climate does not calm down a bit. Am I wrong?

Unfortunately not

I'm a bit of a reactionary.But the left has waged war on the very fabric of american society.When groups like the ACLU use their undue influence in the courts and pervert the Constitution to get child molesters and rapists ect off.
When the media deliberately disclose classified info that could get US troops killed and deliberately dissimulate enemy propaganda and call it free speech.

When you have left wing Timothy McVeigh types like William and Ward Churchill, as tenured professors in major collages and protesters like the so called RNC welcoming committee using violence to prevent the right of political assembly and calling that and destruction of property and domestic terrorism "free speech".
we are heading toward the breaking point
I won't go into CAIR or George soros and his deliberate attempts to undermine our democracy or our efforts against terrorism . But such things as all the above could eventual lead to a civil war and military takeovers

[DuncanWaring]

I wrote a couple of things for her back in the day....

You did?

So did I. ;-)

Cognitive Dissonance

Thank You Al Gore.

[alarm rider]

BTTT

[archy]

Jerry Pournelle is at some level a Heinlein protege, runs what was arguably the first Internet blog, and brings to light many news items that tend to document Heinlein’s accurate prognostication.

Yep. Do NOT miss Pournelles anthologies There Will Be War, of which there were around 10 volumes. See also Spider Robinson's material, his most recent compilation of essays is entitled...The Crazy Years.

The idea of what sort of blog or other internet presence Robert Heinlein might now be producing had he survived into his centennian years he was born in 1907 so would now be 101 years of age] is fairly awe-inspiring. But I suspect it would sound quite a bit like Jubal Harshaw, Lazarus Long, Bernardo de la Paz and Colonel DuBois from Starship Troopers all rolled into one. As it of course should.