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The Progressive Gamble
As I watch the growing chaos, I am beginning to conclude that progressives are making a big bet that the best way to lever President Trump out of the White House and seize power for themselves is to promote anarchy. They seem bent on achieving the two-way win: if they succeed — great; if they fail, they are simply creating evidence for their true believers that even more chaos is required.
I hope the NeverTrumpers now see what it is that they are aiding and abetting by making common cause with progressives in wishing that President Trump was not … well … President. No, I am not asking that NTs swear fealty to President Trump; I have not so sworn. But civil society requires that people abide by our public compact. And progressives have no desire to do so and are pleased to make law fit desires rather than make desires fit law.
I am not a conspiracy nut. I tend to think things happen based on opportunity. Progressives have been sowing discontent for decades because that gave them political power. Creating identities and division was the path. In the process they were able to cover their actions with Newspeak, making words mean the opposite of what they had always meant. So today “riot” means “protest” if it is for a progressive cause, and “protest” means “riot” if it is for any other cause.
From this toxic brew, discontents can flare, as they are doing now in Minneapolis and several other places, as they did in Ferguson, as they did in Detroit, as they did in LA. Bad things are going to happen, and when they do, it takes good faith and common decency to sort through it, assign responsibility, and make changes as required. But when an opportunity for progressive power is to be had, good faith and common decency become the enemy, not the pathway.
The danger here is not simply the property damaged, lives taken, or disrupted. It is the sense that problems can only be solved by central authority and not local resolutions. And that is the goal of this latest chaos: to promote violence that local and regional authorities cannot deal with, to promote a heavy federal hand. If the heavy federal hand does not come, progressives will claim that, just like with the pandemic, President Trump is not up to the job. If it does come, progressives will claim that their persistent labeling President Trump as an authoritarian was correct. Either way, according to progressives, President Trump must be removed. If this were just about President Trump, that would be all fine and good. But it isn’t.
I wish I knew what to do. I am glad it’s not my call. But “law and order” will come into fashion again, because the alternative is just not acceptable. The only question is who will be holding the reins. Pray it is not the progressives.
And Nixon was forced to resign.
Not if I can help it. All four members of the Squad are in bullet-proof Democratic districts. I contributed yesterday to candidates running against Rashida Tlaib, and AOC who appear to have a chance to primary them.
Stop digging.
Really? What evidence, if any, do you have that Karen (?) and Karen French (David French?) are all in with Antifa? Are you arguing that I am in league with Antifa? Please show your evidence.
There is a video out there (can’t link to it) of a Dallas shop owner trying to defend his shop and being attacked, stoned and beaten by the riot mob. All those in that mob need to be arrested and tried for attempted murder if the shop owner lives, murder if he dies. Right now.
And if any have any ties to Darth Soros, his whole organization should be indicted.
Only certain and swift prosecutions is going to stop the violence.
After watching the videos, I hope that you would not describe an acquittal as “wishful thinking.” If so, I fear that the Republican Party of Reagan, Goldwater and Eisenhower is almost unrecognizable.
Absolutely they need to be arrested, and prosecuted.
If you can prove a connection, yes.
Agreed. Including the prosecution of the rogue officer.
I don’t know how much of this is true or not:
@unsk
I do know that so many of the women I knew went out and marched around in the anti-Trump Women’s Marches in Feb and March of 2017. They all came back from the marches wearing the 7 to 8 dollar pink vagina hats, which were rather well made and looked like plush toys. (Of an X-rated variety.)
This struck me as odd, as Trump had been in power for days when these marches first started. The hats were handed out for free! What group of college aged feminists or even older well to do feminists would have known ahead of time to manufacture these hats? Plus if it had been individual women citizens, I think they would have charged for them.
I attended Vietnam protests for years, and the most that was ever handed out for free were the ubiquitous buttons of “War in not healthy for children and other living things.” Total cost to market? Probably 35 cents.
I would greatly appreciate it if you would not respond to anything I write. If it were possible on this site I would put you onto an ignore list. Let’s both treat it as if that were possible.
I have a right to be here and to comment. A depiction of an an acquittal as “wishful thinking” causes me grave, grave concern, and demands an answer.
Many Trump-Skeptic Republicans have left Ricochet, such as George Townsend, HeavyWater, and The Gold Tooth, as Ricochet has been drawn deeper and deeper into the Trumpist point of view.
It appears that I may be a canary in the coal mine of an openness to a non-Trumpist point of view.
Yes, you do. And you exercise it frequently and repetitively.
This is a good time to remind everyone that I “like” all comments on my posts in appreciation for your willingness to read, consider and comment. A “like” in this context is not necessarily an endorsement of a comment and I do not deny a “like” even if I disagree with a comment in content or tone.
Maybe Max could change “like” to the expression: “Point noted!”
Some good news. Black protesters calling out white Antifa thugs and telling them to leave. From “The Right Scoop,” https://therightscoop.com/wow-black-leaders-call-out-antifa-and-other-extremists-hijacking-peaceful-protests-to-destroy-their-neighborhoods/
This is a really good sign for positive change – some black leaders and other Democrats are calling out the extremists of Antifa and other anarchist groups for hijacking peaceful protests and making them riots:
…
And look at this thread with many examples of extremist liberal white kids being confronted by peaceful black protesters:
“Entitled white kids appropriated our fight…”
I’m not paying enough attention to French enough to know what you’re referring to; is there a useful link?
You made the compact by living here. Part of the compact is to abide by the results of elections. I wasn’t happy with Obama, but he was duly elected, so I bitched and moaned, but abided by the results of the election because it’s part of the social compact. If you don’t like our social compact, go somewhere else that has one you prefer.
That’s it in a nutshell. A shell, one that contains at least one nut.
Clearly, can’t have it both ways. Arresting citizens for the crime of barbering. Not doing a damn thing when riots break out.
Hey everybody! Gary doesn’t like Trump.
Let me write that down.
I hope so, too, but an alternate lesson they may learn is that violence works. That would lead to truly terrible places.
That is an outrageous comment. Is this a place for civil debate or an echo chamber?
Good show! More polite that deserved…but you are relatively new here and have much to learn. (P.S. In this case it won’t take all that long.)
Your post Rodin is so spot-on! I feel deeply sad, sorry and pissed that this is happening. Have not communities, law enforcement, firefighters and medical personnel, along with business owners suffered enough with this virus???! We don’t need this. Law enforcement still has bad people within its walls that need to be rooted out. It seems today everyone is cowering – where is the leadership of the black communities, the clergy and governors? They should have bullhorns, calming the storm. Yet it is spreading like the Arab Spring, and the anarchists are setting the example. The messages of MLK are lost on this generation.
Gary: Agreed. Including the prosecution of the rogue officer.
You betcha. In fact I am a thinkin’ the officers just standing around ( or as some say also with their knees also on the guy) while the guy is dying need to be prosecuted too.
All that said I think something smells in Minneapolis .
and another for you Gary, from your good buddy the Big Orange himself:
“I want to say a few words about the situation in Minnesota. The death of George Floyd on the streets of Minneapolis was a grave tragedy. It should never have happened. It has filled Americans all over the country with horror, anger, and grief.
Yesterday, I spoke to George’s family and expressed the sorrow of our entire nation for their loss. I stand before you as a friend and ally to every American seeking justice and peace. And I stand before you in firm opposition to anyone exploiting this tragedy to loot, rob, attack, and menace. Healing, not hatred; justice, not chaos are the mission at hand.
The police officers involved in this incident have been fired from their jobs. One officer has already been arrested and charged with murder. State and federal authorities are carrying out an investigation to see what further charges may be warranted, including against, sadly, the other three.
In addition, my administration has opened a civil rights investigation, and I have asked the Attorney General and the Justice Department to expedite it.
I understand the pain that people are feeling. We support the right of peaceful protesters, and we hear their pleas. But what we are now seeing on the streets of our cities has nothing to do with justice or with peace.”
Well said, Mr. President
Well, we know from the Noor case that their police department is hopelessly progressified.
Whether Officer Chauvin’s knee helped kill Mr. Floyd or not, it was fantastically out of line. I’m waiting for a prison professional to weigh in here but my brief and long-ago training specifically warned against any restraint involving the neck, especially with the knee. The MPD had several officers on hand and Mr. Floyd was already in handcuffs; there isn’t even the bad excuse that they were overwhelmed.
It seems likely that Officer Chauvin was carelessly trained, if at all.
You’re off by 4 years. Nixon didn’t “crush” Humphrey and Humphrey wasn’t super-progressive, he was just your run of the mill FDR liberal.
in 72 riots were past but now we had a super-progressive (McGovern) who Nixon crushed.
In short I think you’re alluding to ‘68 and I would agree this feels like 68.
Stocking up now on popcorn for the Democratic Party Convention.
Oh my goodness. The mind boggles…
“Here?” Where am I a part of a social compact? The United States where I am a citizen due to birth in Syracuse New York in July 1952, or the Ricochet Website where I have been a subscriber since July 21, 2011?
The United States.