That vibe isn't because of the clashes of baseball bat armed groups of opposing socialists, it's because of the paralysis of the major political parties. The Republicans seem terrified about this and are hastening to tar everyone up to and including the Tea Party as Nazis; the Democrats - at an historically low point in their power across the Republic - are gleefully throwing gasoline on the fire. Both parties are terribly weak, and everyone sees it.
But Nature abhors a vacuum, and the vacuum of political will is no exception.
It's not true that Voltaire said "If you want to know who rules over you, ask yourself whom you may not criticize." But it's a true statement nonetheless.
He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.Lenin once said that everything in politics is Who, Whom? Who rules, and whom do they rule? A conquered people are always deprived of their history, and especially their heroes. The statues are being removed, and so we can tell who is the victor and who is the vanquished. But only some heroes are being removed. Others are quite safe.- George Orwell, 1984
Meanwhile, the half of the country that voted for a change in last year's election is beginning to wonder if change will be allowed. I wonder what will happen when they learn the answer.
* The idea that Nazis are "right wing" is absurd.
The few NAZILarpers at that protest were asked to ditch WWII memorabilia, but refused.
ReplyDeleteThey need to be physically excluded, or the pro-trump crowd need to take a page from the old TEA Party rulebook, and have people standing near them with "Not with us" posters.
Kristophr, good advice. However, I don't expect it will change the discussion at all. Those advocating tearing down statues (who will soon advocate burning books) don't care about the great mass of the decent middle-of-the-road. In fact, they think the great mass of decent middle-of-the-roaders is in the way of their march to Year Zero.
ReplyDeleteAnd so the heroes will have to go. This will not end well when you consider that the great mass of decent middle-of-the-roaders is, well, a great mass.
It is a great mass, and armed... I'm to the point that there are going to be shootings, when the left pushes the wrong group of Red Staters... Like Texas...
ReplyDeletePres. Trump will be in Phoenix next Tuesday. The left is already mobilizing, and the Right response will not be far behind. God help us all!
ReplyDelete