Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Moral confusion, emotional sickness, and powerlust: today's "progressive" leadership
What are we to think of people who try to brand the National Rifle Association (e.g. me) as "terrorists" and "child killers" while defending Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13)? MS-13 is a criminal gang notorious for wholesale rape, torture, murder, dismemberment of victims, and child prostitution. The NRA is a private organization and example of civil society that trains more police officers than any other organization in the world, designs and implements firearms safety programs for civilians (including safety programs for children), conducts sporting events, and peacefully lobbies politicians on behalf of individual rights. The left attacks NRA and speaks out for MS-13? Today's left is deeply sick. I think it's a deep psychological, spiritual sickness -- how else to account for the frothing hatred of a peaceful civic organization that has never attacked a soul, while simultaneously defending the criminal organization generally thought to be the most wantonly brutal in the world?
Unfortunately, this is where the leadership of the left wing of America's political class is today -- the DNC, Congressional Democrats, the MSM, specifically - is today. I hope that the grassroots is starting to wake up, because this is very dangerous. It's not merely campaign rhetoric and hyperbole. The left proposes to put its moral confusions into action.
Here's a thought experiment for any progressive reading this (I assume there are none, so a hypothetical progressive reader will have to be a part of the thought experiment). Who would you rather have as a neighbor --me, or an active member of the MS-13 gang? Before you answer, keep in mind that not only am I not a progressive, I'm a Life Member of the NRA, and I own firearms. I would even use them in defense against criminals if warranted, and would even defend you if it were necessary. But you'd prefer the gang member, right?
That's a reductio ad absurdum. It's doubtful anyone would actually pick the MS-13 member, if confronted with the actual choice. So perhaps they really don't mean it and it is mere political rhetoric?
I don't think so - it's too far over the line. I think the left wing of the political class is genuinely contemplating silencing and purging dissenters -- the "deplorables," "irredeemables," "bitter clingers," and the like. It's discussed openly, and it's practiced on college campuses. The defense of MS-13 may be an accidental position the left has stumbled into in the process of demonizing Trump, but the attempted demonization of the NRA is no accident. The existence of an armed populace is the single greatest obstacle to grand social engineering schemes. People who are armed (citizens) aren't pawns who can be pushed about at will, unlike disarmed people (subjects). This enrages the left. They need docile subjects for their utopian schemes.
Fortunately, it seems rather unlikely that the American people will be disarmed -- certainly the sane ones won't disarm. I predict that the progressive agenda will fail, but let's hope that it's because the progressive base wakes up and begins defending reason and individual rights, and not because the left tries to implement a purge that they'd lose. It would be better if we reunited on common ground than if we came to blows.
Come to your senses, leftists!
Unfortunately, this is where the leadership of the left wing of America's political class is today -- the DNC, Congressional Democrats, the MSM, specifically - is today. I hope that the grassroots is starting to wake up, because this is very dangerous. It's not merely campaign rhetoric and hyperbole. The left proposes to put its moral confusions into action.
Here's a thought experiment for any progressive reading this (I assume there are none, so a hypothetical progressive reader will have to be a part of the thought experiment). Who would you rather have as a neighbor --me, or an active member of the MS-13 gang? Before you answer, keep in mind that not only am I not a progressive, I'm a Life Member of the NRA, and I own firearms. I would even use them in defense against criminals if warranted, and would even defend you if it were necessary. But you'd prefer the gang member, right?
That's a reductio ad absurdum. It's doubtful anyone would actually pick the MS-13 member, if confronted with the actual choice. So perhaps they really don't mean it and it is mere political rhetoric?
I don't think so - it's too far over the line. I think the left wing of the political class is genuinely contemplating silencing and purging dissenters -- the "deplorables," "irredeemables," "bitter clingers," and the like. It's discussed openly, and it's practiced on college campuses. The defense of MS-13 may be an accidental position the left has stumbled into in the process of demonizing Trump, but the attempted demonization of the NRA is no accident. The existence of an armed populace is the single greatest obstacle to grand social engineering schemes. People who are armed (citizens) aren't pawns who can be pushed about at will, unlike disarmed people (subjects). This enrages the left. They need docile subjects for their utopian schemes.
Fortunately, it seems rather unlikely that the American people will be disarmed -- certainly the sane ones won't disarm. I predict that the progressive agenda will fail, but let's hope that it's because the progressive base wakes up and begins defending reason and individual rights, and not because the left tries to implement a purge that they'd lose. It would be better if we reunited on common ground than if we came to blows.
Come to your senses, leftists!
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It seems that I am the closest to the hypothetical leftist commenter that you have. Answer: While I do not approve the NRA, I would definitely prefer to live next to an NRA member to a MS-13 member.
A bit off-topic: I do not agree with the basic thesis of your post and of others who agree with you, namely, that arms give the public protection against tyranny. I am poor at theory, so I am using only observations and anecdotes. My impression is that in a society that is not failed, citizens have very strong inhibitions to using arms against government forces or other citizens. Hence, I see Americans enduring infringements on their freedoms, well-being and future in a way very similar to Europeans. In recent decades, there has been massive loss of jobs in "flyover" states, discrimination by affirmative action, skyrocketing tuition fees even in public colleges, loss of freedom in colleges with much of tuition fees going to support totalitarian diversity bureaucrats, policy of massive immigration hurting local workers, introduction of Spanish as de facto 2nd official language, infinite tolerance to illegal and criminal immigrants, and a huge increase of Muslim immigration, with politicians and judges claiming that the wish of Muslims to enjoy good life in America takes precedence over the wishes and security concern of Americans. All this has happened and continues to happen against the will of most Americans and despite their ability to arm themselves. Indeed, the USA is much less Islamized than Europe, but I think this is due to the geographic distance from Muslim countries.
A bit off-topic: I do not agree with the basic thesis of your post and of others who agree with you, namely, that arms give the public protection against tyranny. I am poor at theory, so I am using only observations and anecdotes. My impression is that in a society that is not failed, citizens have very strong inhibitions to using arms against government forces or other citizens. Hence, I see Americans enduring infringements on their freedoms, well-being and future in a way very similar to Europeans. In recent decades, there has been massive loss of jobs in "flyover" states, discrimination by affirmative action, skyrocketing tuition fees even in public colleges, loss of freedom in colleges with much of tuition fees going to support totalitarian diversity bureaucrats, policy of massive immigration hurting local workers, introduction of Spanish as de facto 2nd official language, infinite tolerance to illegal and criminal immigrants, and a huge increase of Muslim immigration, with politicians and judges claiming that the wish of Muslims to enjoy good life in America takes precedence over the wishes and security concern of Americans. All this has happened and continues to happen against the will of most Americans and despite their ability to arm themselves. Indeed, the USA is much less Islamized than Europe, but I think this is due to the geographic distance from Muslim countries.
Thanks, Maya. You don't qualify as a progressive-or-further-left commenter, so far as I can tell. (What's your opinion of Marxism? Islamism or traditional Islam? You don't fit today's progressive-left mold.)
You should visit the U.S. some time, and if so we should meet. I'd introduce you to a number of people, and let you try to figure out who is and isn't an NRA member,and who would or wouldn't be a suitable neighbor. As for the NRA, it conducts training for police and other law enforcement officers all around the country, it conducts more firearms safety training for civilians than any other organization in the world, it has conducted safety programs for children and crime prevention programs for citizens and has done so for years -- the people demonizing it are purely acting on political motives. NRA doesn't support the left.
As for your "off-topic" comment, that deserves a full post itself. You raise very important and interesting points. I will eventually get around to posting something on this, and if you like, you are welcome to do guest post(s) on this.
You should visit the U.S. some time, and if so we should meet. I'd introduce you to a number of people, and let you try to figure out who is and isn't an NRA member,and who would or wouldn't be a suitable neighbor. As for the NRA, it conducts training for police and other law enforcement officers all around the country, it conducts more firearms safety training for civilians than any other organization in the world, it has conducted safety programs for children and crime prevention programs for citizens and has done so for years -- the people demonizing it are purely acting on political motives. NRA doesn't support the left.
As for your "off-topic" comment, that deserves a full post itself. You raise very important and interesting points. I will eventually get around to posting something on this, and if you like, you are welcome to do guest post(s) on this.
Thank you, Charles!
I was in the USA for a month once, visiting my relations, more than 20 years ago. It was great. But I do not think I'll go ever again, because a loved one was shot dead there. Nobody was charged. There was a suspect who claimed that his (legal) gun had disappeared. They sought for the gun extensively but never found it. This of course influenced me (though, for cultural reasons, I had not been enthusiastic about guns even before). My loved one never owned a gun, but even if he had one, it would be of no use. He was ambushed and gunned down while he was smoking a cigarette in his own backyard. Firearms give the attacker full advantage and leave the target with no chance.
I was in the USA for a month once, visiting my relations, more than 20 years ago. It was great. But I do not think I'll go ever again, because a loved one was shot dead there. Nobody was charged. There was a suspect who claimed that his (legal) gun had disappeared. They sought for the gun extensively but never found it. This of course influenced me (though, for cultural reasons, I had not been enthusiastic about guns even before). My loved one never owned a gun, but even if he had one, it would be of no use. He was ambushed and gunned down while he was smoking a cigarette in his own backyard. Firearms give the attacker full advantage and leave the target with no chance.
I'm very sorry to hear about that, Maya. It's a sad thing.
I don't think think you should extrapolate this event into a judgement about a country, or into a political position. But regardless, I understand why this would lead you to a visceral reaction.
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I don't think think you should extrapolate this event into a judgement about a country, or into a political position. But regardless, I understand why this would lead you to a visceral reaction.
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