Quote of the Day: If You Think Democrats Today are Delusional…

 

“Now, I’m not obscuring the fact that the feeling of the British public is against the system of slavery, but I don’t see any reason at all why this sentiment should stand in the way of commercial advantages. Great Britain trades with Brazil, which is a slaveholding country, and Great Britain is, moreover the largest customer of the Southern states for the production of slave labor.”  –Sen. Robert Barnwell Rhett (D–SC)

This statement attributed to Senator Rhett was beyond delusional, but it was representative of the beliefs that many secessionists in South Carolina maintained in 1860 before secession. As Democrats, they were convinced that G-d was on their side; that importing slaves from Africa was their right (even though it had been ruled illegal by the US government); that even though the British despised slavery and had for many years, they would still do business with slave traders—Rhett along with his fellow secessionists, the fire-eaters, were convinced that secession would be a just process and fairly simple to enact, particularly if Great Britain were on their side.

Needless to say, they were greatly disappointed that their assumptions were not only incorrect but wildly misconceived. The Civil War was just around the corner. One only has to read about the horrors of Reconstruction, too, to know what men will do to seek vengeance.

*     *     *     *

I offer up this quotation to those who can’t understand how the Democrats (in the form of Leftism) live in a contrived reality. The government representatives keep making the same foolish decisions over and over again. They believe they have justice on their side, and somehow, they will be able to carry through on their plans and promises. Day after day we watch their incompetence demonstrated through ill-advised policies; year after year we’ve watched them rely on their senseless ideology and poor judgment. And the mindless violence and destruction of the past year only validates our observations.

You’d think we were living in 1860 all over again.

Hat tip to @seawriter who postulated that we’ve seen this kind of craziness and violence previously in this country, and recommended this book, Our Man in Charleston by Christopher Dickey.

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  1. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Ansonia (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Just in time–an article that tells us that many of the government entities that decided to defund the police now are re-instating or increasing their budgets for law enforcement. I wonder if the huge increase in crime has anything to with their decisions?

    They have to have known there would be this increase in crime if they defunded the police and hobbled them in other ways.

    Liberals are like Sgt Schultz, they KNOW NOTHING!!!

    • #31
  2. Ansonia Member
    Ansonia
    @Ansonia

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):
    Going back to your point about modern Progressives, I agree with it. But the Southern belief that the UK might intervene was not nearly as delusional.

    We can agree to disagree. ;-)

    If Christopher Dickey is right (haven’t read very far in his book yet)  about the amount of influence  reports of a very few men like this British “diplomat” in Charleston had on the British government, then it wasn’t delusional at all for people like Robert Barnwell Rhett to think Britain might get involved. Without the information such people were sending to Britain, Britain might have gotten involved.

    Sen Robert Barnwell Rhett was only delusional to think that Britain didn’t have spies reporting back to Britain about the South’s involvement in the slave trade etc.

    • #32
  3. Rodin Member
    Rodin
    @Rodin

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Ansonia (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Just in time–an article that tells us that many of the government entities that decided to defund the police now are re-instating or increasing their budgets for law enforcement. I wonder if the huge increase in crime has anything to with their decisions?

    They have to have known there would be this increase in crime if they defunded the police and hobbled them in other ways.

    Liberals are like Sgt Schultz, they KNOW NOTHING!!!

    Scott Adams frequently notes that a fundamental feature of Democrat thinking is to ignore how people respond to incentives — positive or negative incentives. Humans can’t live in a utopia, thus Democrats must imagine humans in ways that do not exist. 

    • #33
  4. Suspira Member
    Suspira
    @Suspira

    Susan Quinn: The government representatives keep making the same foolish decisions over and over again. They believe they have justice on their side, and somehow, they will be able to carry through on their plans and promises. Day after day we watch their incompetence demonstrated through ill-advised policies; year after year we’ve watched them rely on their senseless ideology and poor judgment.

    This is a bipartisan delusion.

    • #34
  5. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Suspira (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn: The government representatives keep making the same foolish decisions over and over again. They believe they have justice on their side, and somehow, they will be able to carry through on their plans and promises. Day after day we watch their incompetence demonstrated through ill-advised policies; year after year we’ve watched them rely on their senseless ideology and poor judgment.

    This is a bipartisan delusion.

    I can’t argue with that, @suspira; maybe overall the Republicans seem less delusional than the Democrats. Or not.

    • #35
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