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Truth and Reconciliation: An Orwellian Strategy
When I first heard the proposal of a “truth and reconciliation” process in the United States, I felt my hair stand on end. Robert Reich, formerly of the Clinton Administration, proposed this kind of commission be established, and I knew that he was up to no good. I actually felt outraged when he used the term because I knew that these commissions were established internationally to deal with the outcomes of devastating upheavals in 40 countries. I am very familiar with events in Rwanda:
The Justice and Reconciliation Process in Rwanda— During the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, up to one million people perished and as many as 250,000 women were raped, leaving the country’s population traumatized and its infrastructure decimated. Since then, Rwanda has embarked on an ambitious justice and reconciliation process with the ultimate aim of all Rwandans once again living side by side in peace.
Justice after the genocide—In the years following the genocide, more than 120,000 people were detained and accused of bearing criminal responsibility for their participation in the killings.
Following this kind of horror—one million people killed in one month—Rwanda knew that steps had to be taken in an effort to unify the country.
But Robert Reich’s proposal borders on evil:
‘When this nightmare is over, we need a Truth and Reconciliation Commission,’ Reich tweeted. ‘It would erase Trump’s lies, comfort those who have been harmed by his hatefulness, and name every official, politician, executive, and media mogul whose greed and cowardice enabled this catastrophe.’
Seriously? Does Reich truly believe that a commission of this type will unify the country? Do we need to execute people’s reputations or even lock them up because people’s feelings have been hurt? Not alone in his ruthless commitment to take revenge, he followed Chris Hayes’ recommendation at MSNBC who proposed a similar commission for those who questioned COVID-19 protocols.
It’s clear that Reich and other Trump-haters are determined to punish Trump and anyone associated with Republicans. All the positive outcomes of the Trump administration are irrelevant: improved foreign policy, a thriving economy, reduced regulations, energy independence. None of those achievements matter. The only goal that matters is destroying the political Right and the Republican party.
The columnist at the Chicago Tribune, John Kass, has taken the punishment for his positions as well. Here’s what he said recently about Reich’s proposal:
Among Republicans, the outraged hot take on all of this is to bring up George Orwell’s ‘1984.’
‘It’s Orwellian,”’ they say.
But Orwell’s ‘1984’ was a soulless world ruled by dispassionate intellects. Their terror was numbing and methodical. These Reich/Hayes Truth Commissions are tinged instead with the angry passion of the zealot seeking revenge. It’s rather French. No, not the France of today, but of the French Revolution, of tribunals and trials and the Reign of Terror, the France of the Jacobins.
That prominent Democrats feel free to propose a Truth and Reconciliation Commission is unnerving, even frightening. We must assume that they are deadly serious.
Let’s hope more than ever that November 3 is a Trump victory.
Published in Politics
These people are scared, mean, and hateful. They deserve their “Dark Winter” that Biden speaks of so ominously. We, OTOH, will continue smiling and livin’ the good life that Trump speaks of so optimistically.
I’m with you, @cdor. I keep reminding myself that the odds that they can do this sort of things are slim. I think.
And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him.
His rage we can endure,
For lo, his doom is sure.
One little word shall fell him.
Bobby, if we’re not afraid of the Prince of Darkness, we’re definitely not afraid of height-challenged, bandy-legged imps.
C’mon Percival, tell us how you really feel!! It is sad, though for him to think this kind of action would be a good thing. Sad.
The left doesn’t even need to actually follow through on their threats of the personal destruction of Republican voters across America. Just these threats are enough to keep publicly tracked contributions to Republicans down, keep conservative opinions out of Facebook and Twitter, keep all corporations in line with Democrats, and keep cowards like me writing under a pseudonym.
Remember, Reich is not some kid with a Macbook online somewhere. He is a mainstream national Democrat.
And he knows exactly what he’s suggesting. And he knows why this will work.
Not true! You’re out there telling the truth, and the more people like us do that, the more chance we have of getting through to people. But you’re correct, @drbastiat. They are trying to frighten people. The thought of their commissions does frighten me, but I will not stop writing! Thanks for weighing in.
I just realized why I had such a visceral response to this story. In the back of my mind, I saw the Jews being rounded up in Nazi Germany and elsewhere. Only those of us on the Right would be their targets. I don’t know if they would be able to do it if Joe won, but I don’t believe it’s impossible, given how they’ve trashed the rule of law.
That they’ve been able to meaningfully conflate Apartheid or Rwandan conflicts to losing an honest & fair election is delusional. It’s also very dangerous.
If Trump wins, which I’m optimistic of, we cannot be gracious at all until they’ve been brought to heel.
Arrest, prosecutions for violent BLM and Antifa perpetrators. RICO-like investigations and prosecutions into their funders (these ‘Bail’ funds and the like).
Deep State investigations & prosecutions into these saboteurs (warrant and 302 falsification, wiping of phones and computers-destruction of evidence that would sink any one of us). My confidence in Barr has evaporated, especially after this Hunter laptop. Wray is a gonner and should be prosecuted.
I think Hillary email (Weiner laptop) and the Clinton “non-profit” cases should be opened again as they’ve never been honestly investigated. I don’t believe there is any double jeopardy risk if they were never even indicted. She’s never had the good sense to stop making trouble after her escape and has been calling down the thunder for years now – let her have it then.
Thanks Susan.
This is very scary.
Far too many Democrats have been so brainwashed that they have gone way round the bend in a very scary way. They have become effectively Psychopaths. We all know deep down what these “Truth and Reconciliation Commissions” would really end up bringing to America – an equivalent of Lenin’s “The Hanging Order” in his purge of the conservative Kulaks in the early Soviet Union.
Of course when you look at what all the Democrat proposals would really do to the American People you should get chills down your spine – a ‘transformation” of America that ruins and kills millions of Americans – and they are supposedly the people out for the “little guy”- out to get them I guess.
Yes, we have to act, so that people know that just because you don’t like the election results, you can’t ignore the rule of law! I’m still waffling on Barr–I don’t think there’ll be as many prosecutions as I would like to see, but there will be some consequences. At this point, we’re all tired of waiting, @wicon. We just want to see it done.
We may be facing a binary choice. Would you prefer that Trump be prosecuted for (a) tax fraud, (b) wire/mail/bank fraud and (c) obstruction of justice, or that he face a Truth and Reconciliation Process?
We have never had a former President be prosecuted. But we have never had a former President present such a list of offenses that a prosecutor would proceed on if the former President were any other person.
We have never had any President lead crowds in chants of “Lock Him Up” or “Lock Her Up.”
We are facing one heck of a quandary. Trump must be held accountable, but we are not a Banana Republic.
No we will not be facing a binary choice, Gary. If those were crimes he committed (and they aren’t), they could not be addressed through this process. You are missing the whole point: the Left is trying to frighten us if we support Trump, period. Clearly you have nothing to worry about.
It won’t start as an inquisition. It will start as a South African thing.
I would prefer cases built on a concept I refer to as “evidence,” not the puerile maunderings of “highly-placed unnamed sources” who are long on opinions and short on facts.
Oh, and we could probably afford a few dollars to advance the diagnosis of and treatment for monomania.
I agree, @henrycastaigne. They will make it seem as if they’re being compassionate and generous to “all those who were harmed”; they will gradually move to the virulent attacks. Then again, they’ve shown such chutzpah that they may attack us early on. A little righteous indignation goes a long way.
Amen!
Upon reflection, I think that I didn’t address your point. I agree that there should not be a “Truth and Reconciliation” process for anyone other than Trump.
Elected Republicans will face the voters. Former employees will find it hard to get a job with their time in the Trump Administration on their resume.
The question remains of what to do with Trump. As a lawyer it is my professional opinion that it is more likely than not that he could be indicted and prosecuted. But should he?
How can he be held accountable for Obstruction of Justice?
How can he be held accountable for wire/mail/bank fraud. (In Arizona, former Republican Governor Fife Symington was convicted of those crimes due to his lying on loan applications while he was a developer.)
How can he be held accountable for tax fraud?
My policy with you, Gary, is to not respond to your comments. I think your motives are suspect and I don’t care to engage. I would like to point out to others that, although I can’t ban you from my OP, others can also choose not to respond to you.
That is your choice. There are a half dozen members of Ricochet who I do not respond to.
The IRS has had Trumps tax forms for years. If he had committed tax fraud, don’t you think they’d have gone after him long before now?
It will start with right-wingers but it won’t end with them. Your use of Jews in Germany is apt. It started with Jews but like a fire it spread.
Very good point, Henry. Everyone who is not complying with their agenda will come under the gun.
For me it’s 2 1/2. I’m on here about as much as you. Do you think it might be you?
Who’s the half?
A gentleman never tells.
I’d rather he be prosecuted when out of office after he serves another 4 years rather than let Biden and the radical agenda win this election.
Truth through governance will end all of our freedoms as surely as repealing the entire bill of rights.
That’s it, kC. We need to lull Trump into a false sense of security and give the sleuths at CNN more time to gather evidence. Four more years ought to just about do it.
The Manchester Union-Leader endorsed its first Democrat for President in over 100 years.
Two former RNC Chairmen have endorsed Biden.
Former Republican Governors have endorses Biden.
And I voted for my first Democrat for President since 1972.
Well, bless your heart.
“When I have a thorny political issue, I go straight to the editorial section of the Manchester Union-Leader.” — said no one. Ever.
Do you know the difference between former RNC chairmen and people in the Witness Protection Program? Someone night actually be looking for people in the Witness Protection Program.
I can think of two Republican governors who have recently embarrassed themselves by running for President — and that’s just Massachusetts.