Billy, [1]
In my own case, I took the incident in its broadest possible context, which necessarily includes the general lapse of reason (actual thinking and its application) in American affairs, which, in turn, can only result in a general rise of, well, savagery. Look: it’s one or the other. People either act like human beings by leading with their brains — which most certainly is possible, all evidence to the contrary being impertinent — or they sink below their nature to the scratchings of animals. This whole issue is of the direst importance going forward in every direction, with greatest emphasis on politics. Naturally the incident that Bruce points out is political in nature, which is its principal value as a datapoint. It’s a good eye pointing it out, and Bruce asks exactly the right question at the lead.
The real issue here at the moment is a desperation on the part of those PUSHING bad ideas. Every socialist from Hitler on down has used violence when nothing else worked. Which, of course is why I gave the response I did… there should be no suprise attached to the event, given it’s happened so often before… even just when limited to the Democratic Party…
You’re quite right to point to it as a political event, and still further to point to the young people coming up. Because, after all, what are politics but a reflection of values… a means to the end of supporting one’s values? What we’re seeing here is a recognition that their agende simply isn’t selling with the American people, who in the end are a bit smarter than we give them credit for. When you teach the kids the crap the government schools are pushing, and the crap doesn’t work, and doesn’t get adopted, they’re going to get frustrated, and desperate. In their desperation they’ll see such acts as being justified. We’ve seen Unions going the same direction for a hundred years… and no shock that they’re in the pocket of the Democrats. The connections are all there.
The problem with that state of affairs is that nobody participating in such acts, on the ground floor, if you will, recognizes it for that. Rather, they find themselves looking at it like BinLaden… a little desperation on the part of some tends to push the agende far better than the more sedate methods ever could. Look what it did for him.
I’ve said all this before [2], which was part of my vieled point to Bruce:
There is an old saying, of which there are several variations I’ve heard, but the gist of it is that of all the emotions, only love is unreasonable. By that, it is meant that only love is illogical and its applications. There is no logical reason for John to fall in love with Mary, for example. Yet happily, it happens many times a day.
Now, also consider; It is also said of old, that hate is love turned in on itself. Is the anger that we are seeing in the society of today, hate? It most certainly has all the earmarks of it. Some of it includes self hatred along with the hatred being directed of everybody else.
What we have in front of us, under discussion, is a reason- less also. The arguments presented in support of the kind of anger we see do not make sense. Never have. Which to my mind, raises the likelihood that the “reasons” that are offered are merely excuses ; they are operating on sheer emotionalism, without reason, without logic.
So, we are faced with the same question asked by King Theodin in Lord of the Rings, in a different context; “How do we deal with such mindless hate?”
That, I think is going to be the question of our time. One possible answer to that question, is that the un-angry majority, finally gets angry themselves and quietly, like the anti-heros of old, stands up and says “that’s enough” and displays a little anger of their own. I suspect the resulting display is going to be terrible to behold. It will also undoubtedly take on a cultural context the likes of which has not been seen since the American civil war. This is going to be a happening, that not many of even the anti heroes are going to walk away from, into the sunset.
But, there’s a backlash building against all this nonsense, already. there will be a great number ostensibly open minded people, finally realizing the nature of the attack that they’re under. When that happens, and they respond, it will be ugly.I will quietly tell you that I hope I’m not alive to see it.