Sunday, October 24, 2004

The Left's Assassination Problem, and Ours

If you've seen this column by Charlie Brooker, then you've probably already read this astonishing paragraph:

"On November 2, the entire civilised world will be praying, praying Bush loses. And Sod's law dictates he'll probably win, thereby disproving the existence of God once and for all. The world will endure four more years of idiocy, arrogance and unwarranted bloodshed, with no benevolent deity to watch over and save us. John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinckley Jr - where are you now that we need you?"

By calling for the assassination of an American president, Brooker isn't doing anything particularly shocking. This meme first started on crazy lefty-websites, then migrated into Nicholson Baker's novel Checkpoint. And now, here it is in the pages of the Guardian. Once is chance, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy fire.

Remember that debate over whether Bush hatred was crazier than Clinton hatred? Debate settled.

Two observations: (1) Fellows such as Brooker make it awfully hard for conservatives who don't particularly care for Bush to vote for John Kerry. (2) If Bush is reelected, liberalism may self-destruct. The net effect of eight years of Bill Clinton on conservatives was to push them toward the center. With each passing day under Bush, liberalism is being further radicalized.

Which isn't good for any of us. A healthy democracy needs energetic, serious, thoughtful ideological opposites. As these two sides engage, they hone their ideas, present them in the public square and, if rejected, come up with new, better ideas. They compete, we all win.

Conservatives have come up with a pretty big idea: That democarcy is a universal solvent. They have applied this theory to a couple of trouble spots in the world and are coming up with decidedly mixed results. This is the perfect opportunity for liberalism to present an opposing theory. Instead, they have bogged down in seething, churning hatred. Their big idea is assassination.

Democracies need an engaged, loyal opposition as much as they need good leadership. Today's liberals are letting themselves--and the rest of us--down.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Premised on a Bush win, the Democratic party has multiple directions it could move.

1) It could become even more like it's 2004 self, a gang of Michael Moore thugs unable to even read the 10 Commandments let alone follow them..... Hodlums not responsible to any higher civil code, let alone a Diety. The opportunity exists for the lava flow to even leave Hillary with the Republican option as her best choice.

2) The current leadership and direction could implode under the weight of its lack of integrety allowing a more moderate Democratic party to appear.

3) The Clintons might step forward to save the party from a mess that they probably helpped creat to save 2008 for themselves.

Pendulums have historically swung. At the point that everyone beleives Qualcom will go to 1000, you better be selling etc. Accordingly, I would like to belive the oposition party in 4 years would be the party of Zell.

Do I expect it? NO! I expect MSM that provides the intravenous energy to the Liberal masses must face their own financial collapse to stem the movement. Despite the rise of alternative media, that is years away.

In any case the Liberal mob will not just disapear on 11/3. The lies, exagerations and the encouragement of our native terrorists will continue. Like spoiled children they will playout denial that they lost the game.