Quote of the Day: Treachery in Our Times

 

“Destiny is a good thing to accept when it’s going your way. When it isn’t, don’t call it destiny; call it injustice, treachery, or simple bad luck.” –Joseph Heller

As Progressives continue to march forward and steamroller Leftist ideas onto the nation, they believe as they peer out from their enclaves that they are empowered by their zealotry and passion and their ability to silence the Right. Looking out from their bubbles, from coast to coast, they can ignore most of mainstream America and the mainstream media, and they have ignored, discounted, or covered over the cracks in their plans. From their standpoint, nothing and no one will stop them from meeting their agenda.

Until now.

Suddenly their powerful destiny has hiccupped. Their plans have morphed into rising inflation; grocery prices are climbing; gas prices are soaring. Crimes in our cities can no longer be ignored. Cities are being overrun by illegal migrants, not only on the border but across the country.

And, of course, they blame the racist, white supremacists who have taken aim at them by challenging the education system monolith and teachers’ unions, and a depraved curriculum; although Progressives are trying to deny these accusations against them, parents are discovering first-hand how they have been deceived and manipulated. The Left blames Vladimir Putin for our dire straits, the war in Ukraine, the MAGA crowd, and anyone else they can find in their sights. The Progressive passionate defense of legalized abortion has taken serious damage as well, as they try to defend killing babies, even at birth.

I have no doubt that the Progressives will continue to grab at excuses to justify their failed efforts. They are unwilling and unable to reflect on their actions because they believe their aims are noble and beyond refutation. They lie to themselves that they are working for the American people. The time is coming, especially as Republicans begin to push back, that the Progressives will need to find new excuses for their failures.

Will they call it the treachery of the Right, injustice playing out, or simple bad luck?

Or will they realize that they are facing a doomed destiny?

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  1. DaveSchmidt Coolidge
    DaveSchmidt
    @DaveSchmidt

    Stad (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Percival (View Comment):
    We Christians are supposed to. Some of them present greater challenges than others.

    I’m going to look into the “loving your neighbor”; I’m not sure that we (Jews) are literally called to love someone, especially if that person is evil.

    You can still love someone, but hold them at arm’s length . . .

    . . . under water? 

    • #31
  2. Doug Kimball Thatcher
    Doug Kimball
    @DougKimball

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Doug Kimball (View Comment):
    In America, you can be a nutcase and call us names if you want. We will still love you and protect your right to protest. But don’t be surprised when we disagree and vote to move our country in another direction.

    Saying we love them might be a stretch for me. But I will protect their right to protest.

    Love, as in protect individual rights, so long as they reciprocate.

    • #32
  3. Ray Gunner Coolidge
    Ray Gunner
    @RayGunner

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Ray Gunner (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn: I have no doubt that the Progressives will continue to grab at excuses to justify their failed efforts. They are unwilling and unable to reflect on their actions because they believe their aims are noble and beyond refutation.

    There is an analytical defect built into Progressivism that blinds the Progressive to viewing the negative effects of his policies (overdose deaths; open borders; inflation; collapsing middle class; geopolitical vulnerability) as failures of progressive policy. It is right there in their self-flattering slogans: “We are on the Right Side of History,” “the Arc of History Bends Towards Justice.” That leaves Progressives without the capacity to self-correct. So, to the progressive, progressive policy failures are never really “failures.” They are just so many broken eggs going into the Great Progressive Omelet they promise is coming up if only we lousy conservatives would get with the program and hand them total, uncheckable power to regiment our lives. So the way they see it, until we conservatives hand them total power, everything is our fault.

    And if they were given total power, what excuse would they give for continuing to fail?

    The classic excuse is variation on the “No True Scotsman” fallacy.  Tell me if this rings a bell:  “That wasn’t true [Whatever]ism!” Or, “[Whatever]ism has never truly been tried.” 

     

    • #33
  4. Rodin Member
    Rodin
    @Rodin

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    And if they were given total power, what excuse would they give for continuing to fail

    They’d just keep blaming us.

    Oceania is at war with Eurasia. Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia.

    • #34
  5. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Ray Gunner (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Ray Gunner (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn: I have no doubt that the Progressives will continue to grab at excuses to justify their failed efforts. They are unwilling and unable to reflect on their actions because they believe their aims are noble and beyond refutation.

    There is an analytical defect built into Progressivism that blinds the Progressive to viewing the negative effects of his policies (overdose deaths; open borders; inflation; collapsing middle class; geopolitical vulnerability) as failures of progressive policy. It is right there in their self-flattering slogans: “We are on the Right Side of History,” “the Arc of History Bends Towards Justice.” That leaves Progressives without the capacity to self-correct. So, to the progressive, progressive policy failures are never really “failures.” They are just so many broken eggs going into the Great Progressive Omelet they promise is coming up if only we lousy conservatives would get with the program and hand them total, uncheckable power to regiment our lives. So the way they see it, until we conservatives hand them total power, everything is our fault.

    And if they were given total power, what excuse would they give for continuing to fail?

    The classic excuse is variation on the “No True Scotsman” fallacy. Tell me if this rings a bell: “That wasn’t true [Whatever]ism!” Or, “[Whatever]ism has never truly been tried.”

    Not sure how they can have that excuse if they have total power.

    • #35
  6. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Ray Gunner (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn: I have no doubt that the Progressives will continue to grab at excuses to justify their failed efforts. They are unwilling and unable to reflect on their actions because they believe their aims are noble and beyond refutation.

    There is an analytical defect built into Progressivism that blinds the Progressive to viewing the negative effects of his policies (overdose deaths; open borders; inflation; collapsing middle class; geopolitical vulnerability) as failures of progressive policy. It is right there in their self-flattering slogans: “We are on the Right Side of History,” “the Arc of History Bends Towards Justice.” That leaves Progressives without the capacity to self-correct. So, to the progressive, progressive policy failures are never really “failures.” They are just so many broken eggs going into the Great Progressive Omelet they promise is coming up if only we lousy conservatives would get with the program and hand them total, uncheckable power to regiment our lives. So the way they see it, until we conservatives hand them total power, everything is our fault.

    And if they were given total power, what excuse would they give for continuing to fail?

    In the CCCP, it was saboteurs, wreckers, British intrigue, and Trotsky.

    • #36
  7. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Ray Gunner (View Comment):

    The classic excuse is variation on the “No True Scotsman” fallacy.  Tell me if this rings a bell:  “That wasn’t true [Whatever]ism!” Or, “[Whatever]ism has never truly been tried.” 

     

    • #37
  8. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    kedavis (View Comment):
    Not sure how they can have that excuse if they have total power.

    Why would that stop them?

    • #38
  9. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    Not sure how they can have that excuse if they have total power.

    Why would that stop them?

    I suppose if you have total power, you can make up any excuse you like, even if it contradicts having total power.

    • #39
  10. Ray Gunner Coolidge
    Ray Gunner
    @RayGunner

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Ray Gunner (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Ray Gunner (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn: I have no doubt that the Progressives will continue to grab at excuses to justify their failed efforts. They are unwilling and unable to reflect on their actions because they believe their aims are noble and beyond refutation.

    There is an analytical defect built into Progressivism that blinds the Progressive to viewing the negative effects of his policies (overdose deaths; open borders; inflation; collapsing middle class; geopolitical vulnerability) as failures of progressive policy. It is right there in their self-flattering slogans: “We are on the Right Side of History,” “the Arc of History Bends Towards Justice.” That leaves Progressives without the capacity to self-correct. So, to the progressive, progressive policy failures are never really “failures.” They are just so many broken eggs going into the Great Progressive Omelet they promise is coming up if only we lousy conservatives would get with the program and hand them total, uncheckable power to regiment our lives. So the way they see it, until we conservatives hand them total power, everything is our fault.

    And if they were given total power, what excuse would they give for continuing to fail?

    The classic excuse is variation on the “No True Scotsman” fallacy. Tell me if this rings a bell: “That wasn’t true [Whatever]ism!” Or, “[Whatever]ism has never truly been tried.”

    Not sure how they can have that excuse if they have total power.

    I suppose not.  But if they ever do have TOTAL power, there won’t be anyone they need to make excuses to, will there? 

    • #40
  11. Cassandro Coolidge
    Cassandro
    @Flicker

    Stad (View Comment):

    Rodin (View Comment):

    Sadly I think things will get even uglier. Resolve. We must have immovable resolve to meet this.

    It’s already happening, as shown by the “mostly peaceful” protests outside the conservative Justices’ homes . . .

    And sanctioned by governmental leaders, even in the White House.

    • #41
  12. Cassandro Coolidge
    Cassandro
    @Flicker

    This sounds like a heathen, pick-your-cause, pick-your-society, and enleague yourself with those who use the same demagogic words, for the same destructive end, for a seat at the same anarchic table.

    I’m reminded of Bligh’s account of the Bounty mutiny.  They wanted their little paradise.  And they eschewed all social and governmental control.  And they won their paradise.  And then they fought amongst themselves until only one of them was left standing.

    And the winner, the survivor, looking back at what he’d been through, what he had been a part of, and what he had done, repented and became a Christian.  He returned to England and submitted to the social and governmental control that he’d once fled from and thought his paradise would surpass.

    • #42
  13. Skyler Coolidge
    Skyler
    @Skyler

    All I know is that those of us who have been watching these communists transforming our country have been playing by the rules.  Again and again we put a president in office that we expected to nominate sensible justices to the Supreme Court only to be betrayed over and over by O’Connor, Kennedy, Souter, Roberts, Scalia, (yes, Scalia who never saw a federal power he didn’t prefer over an individual right, thank goodness Bork never got on board), Stevens, Powell, Blackmun, and Burger.  All of them forgetting individual rights and states’s rights and pushing the ever growing power of the federal government, making the three branches a cabal for federal power instead of checks and balances.

    I think Thomas was an accidental blessing, I’m sure that Bush the First never would have considered him had he been able to perceive how Thomas would be a paragon for strict interpretation.   If I didn’t think that Alito was also an accident, I would forgive Bush the Second for inflicting Roberts on the court.

    We, the opponents of communism (I won’t say republicans because that party is showing that it has been led by too many who mouth nice things and then failed) have played by the rules and have finally prevailed and now the Court is seemingly going to revert to supporting a less powerful federal leviathan.  

    It would likely take a couple generations to re-implement Roe, let alone what my optimistic hopes lead me to think might be coming.  Unless, of course, the communists don’t follow the rules.  They need the court to give them untrammeled power, rip the states and the people of self-determination, and ensure that their perverse, murderous, and communist tools resume their efforts to destroy our way of life and implement a world wide marxist power.

    This leaked opinion has gotten me to be more hopeful for our future than I have been in many years.  

    • #43
  14. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    People support and vote for Democrats solely to feel good about themselves. That’s it in a nutshell. Vote Democrat so you can be on the side of angels not like those Republicans who are all evil racist.

    I primarily blame the Republicans for doing a poor job of playing The branding game.

    • #44
  15. Skyler Coolidge
    Skyler
    @Skyler

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    People support and vote for Democrats solely to feel good about themselves. That’s it in a nutshell. Vote Democrat so you can be on the side of angels not like those Republicans who are all evil racist.

    Many do.  Others are full-throated supporters of communism.

    I primarily blame the Republicans for doing a poor job of playing The branding game.

    Oh, the party does a great job branding itself.  That’s why they are dominated by never-trumpers and tea party squashers.

    • #45
  16. hoowitts Coolidge
    hoowitts
    @hoowitts

    Skyler (View Comment):
    Unless, of course, the communists don’t follow the rules.

    Ummm…really?

    Axiomatic.

    • #46
  17. hoowitts Coolidge
    hoowitts
    @hoowitts

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    And if they were given total power, what excuse would they give for continuing to fail

    They’d just keep blaming us.

    Nope. They’d eliminate the opposition.

    Not hyperbole but historical (RE: Percival’s ‘toon)

    • #47
  18. hoowitts Coolidge
    hoowitts
    @hoowitts

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Jim McConnell (View Comment):
    I love them because I am commanded to do so, but in some cases I must do it through clenched teeth.

    Jim, I checked with @ iwe for this thoughts on the subject of loving your neighbor, particularly if the person is a bad person, even evil, and here’s his answer to me:

    “You try to understand them. That is the goal – understand them as you understand yourself. If you can see things from their perspective, it helps bridge the gap.”

    I think if someone has hurt you personally, you can choose to forgive and eventually love that person again, but that is a process. (I do realize you were presenting the Christian perspective, and thanks!)

    Also, I think the questions @ bobthompson asked on this post–why the Left acts as they do–moves us in the direction of trying to understand them.

    It isn’t minimally a call to love a neighbor but to even love our enemies (Luke 6:27-36; Matthew 5:43-48 ). And that (I think) is uniquely found in the Christ. Why? The Christ’s nature concerns redemption and it is available only through grace. If those that follow Christ can not find the grace to love those that do us wrong, then what hope is there for us?

    Seems platitudinal? Not really. Part of the application is understanding evil. Yeah I know, good luck with that. But the person should not be considered evil but ‘filled’ with evil. We often say “he’s a good person” when in reality that person is doing good. But if we consider a person as evil, there is no possibility of redemption. And this runs contrary to Christ’s nature.

    I find benefit from the ‘yielded vessel’ metaphor. I think it originally was Spurgeon or Schaeffer? The vessel (person) can be filled with good or evil. Probably both. But can continually be refilled. What is it that will overflow from it? Well, whatever you put more of, into it. Of course maybe the vessel is broken. Is it beyond repair?

    This love isn’t thoughtless acceptance or approval. It begins with an appreciation of G-d’s handiwork: we are all created in His image. It is the essence of Agape. I think SQ  + iwe are getting a lot right by expressing we try to understand ‘them’ first (as difficult and hair-pulling as it may be).

    • #48
  19. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    hoowitts (View Comment):
    This love isn’t thoughtless acceptance or approval. It begins with an appreciation of G-d’s handiwork: we are all created in His image. It is the essence of Agape. I think SQ  + iwe are getting a lot right by expressing we try to understand ‘them’ first (as difficult and hair-pulling as it may be).

    Thanks, hoowitts.

    • #49
  20. CarolJoy, Not So Easy To Kill Coolidge
    CarolJoy, Not So Easy To Kill
    @CarolJoy

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):

    I keep coming back to this post because I’m really trying to get to an understanding of how the Left can achieve the power base they seem to operate from when so many positions they support have such weak or non-existent foundation. I do have a sense that much has been achieved by the takeover of our public education system the expansion of that effect into our higher education components including the financial aspects and Democrat Party dominance in major urban areas. Has the Left just basically been successful during this time convincing our young that all government controlled outcomes are good and that corruption does not affect that essence?

    The Left has not only convinced the young about government being the best way to solve all problems, but older people as well.

    After all, debate never happens.  A dictate, announced as a pleasant solution to one of humanity’s most serious problems, comes about. If you don’t agree, in total, you must be a low down white trash hater: a White Supremacist.

    There must be  some inherent factor of personal glorification  that is involved in shutting down debate. There is a glory to knowing you are on the side of virtue, and of educated wisdom, for ignoring any primal needs or human demands that might require investigating some of the dictates.

    I have been hired to sit at the bedside of frail elderly in  nursing homes. When the family was there to be with their loved one, I used to broach the subject of why should a family be paying 4,000 to 6500 dollars each month to a health care facility and additionally be needing a private duty nursing assistant there as well?

    Often the family would be in dismay over their plight.

    But other times, I’d be subjected to the libs’ version of reality: “Okay the personnel are not trained well enough to do even basic personal care duties. But it is important to understand they need the jobs to pay for their family’s housing and food. They come from harsh backgrounds and so we shouldn’t expect much from these new arrivals.” Of course I realized arguing with the family would not change their minds.

    So I’d politely murmur, “Maybe I should consider that.”

    What I really wanted to say was “What of families who don’t have the extra money to go the route of private caregivers? Should their relatives remain unbathed, unfed, lacking companionship as contrary to state law, the employees know so little English? And this should be okay even though this substandard care comes with the price tag of at a minimum, some 48,000 a year?”

    Only all that would have fallen on deaf ears. Now it is worse. These days immigrants have been joined by people of color & transgendered, as being America’s victimized children whose needs are the only ones in society that matter.

    • #50
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