Yes, I know -- the title to this post is a tad provocative, but it's a germane question, I feel. After all, the Left trumpets itself as "the Resistance" these days, and the Resistance (in German-occupied France) was a terrorist organization that killed thousands, mostly Frenchmen. It was also a group staffed primarily with loyal Stalinists. I kid you not. And these are the people the modern Left is embracing as heroes. The bigger point is this: if Trump=Hitler, and that's the clear implication of much leftist propaganda these days, then surely ANY means of resisting Trump, including violence against his supporters, is justified... Thus far, most leftists, thankfully, have been either too dense or too cowardly to follow through on the logic of their own radicalism, but how long will this last? Steve Scalise and Rand Paul know that liberal rage can break out into violence most unexpectedly. All I'm saying is that we conservatives need to be on our guard, because we are HATED with a passion, and hatred can lead to violence. Be prepared to duck, at the very least!
This is just one of many topics I discussed with Brian O'Neil on the latest Newsmaker show. We also covered the threat posed (or not posed) by Russia, the Mueller investigation, the wider phenomenon of "foreign meddling" in elections, Governor Cuomo's political prospects on the national stage, the rise of "democratic socialism", and attitudes to the death penalty. Don't miss it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAjZov9L0WM&feature=youtu.be
Dr. Waddy: So much to comment upon both in your intro and in your broadcast:
ReplyDeleteThe history of the left in power, in many,many settings worldwide offers proof of the certainty of their exercise of violent, vindictive power once they have the means. It can be reasonably assumed to be guaranteed whenever they ascend. In the American academy and in the Federal and some state bureaucracies, where they bustle these days, their tyrannical policies fairly predict how it would be if they take over everything. "So you have a hard won PhD? But you don't tow the party line, you ask insolent questions and advance heretical theories! Good luck in your Mcjob." "UHHH, take down that Christmas card on your desk or face the consequences".
I've used Civil War allusions frequently in commenting on our current Civil War II. But in Civil War I it was the South which correctly surmised that it was going to have fundamental change forced on it. Today it is the real America which faces the promise of this from the American left.
You made an excellent point by noting that the WWII French resistance did have many far leftists in it.One wonders if, had the Marshall Plan not been advanced, they could have taken power. Of course reference to French Resistance is made by the American "resistance" because the WWII foe was clearly Fascist; they haven't anything approaching the courage of the Partisans, who faced Gestapo torture. The American left has always played free and loose with the term Fascist anyway. A week's vacation in Treblinka followed by a brief sojourn in the Gulag would disabuse them. Of course, most people, having common sense, know that already.
I do think the "upsurge in Socialism" is the petulant tantrum, freed of its perceived need for disingenuous goodwill, of a movement traumatized by its repulse at the very summit of assured power in 2016. They tried Saul Alinsky, who bade them be patient and deceptive and they can't stand it anymore.
I think it important to realize that the death penalty is administered daily in both the U.S. and Britain completely free of the "humane" and sanctimonious restrictions posed by those who would ignore this reality. The very refinement of our cultures which shield them from frank depiction of the horror done by sociopaths spares them the convictions which reasonably follow from the contemplation of such hideous realities. To them, one lethal injection outweighs myriad stranglings, bludgeonings, stabbings, shootings, beatings and other imaginative outrages, all perpetrated, mind you, without any benefit of due process. Let them experience the very sight both of these crimes and their effects on the surviving innocents and then consult their consciences before forcing their dreamy sermons on us.
Jack, I take your point -- I would hate to live in an America where leftists enjoy untrammeled power. One would have little choice but to bone up on Marx and join the Dark Side.
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is that the French Resistance was mostly communist, and almost entirely useless before 1944. The French elections of 1945-46 are also a great example of "foreign meddling" in action. It's my understanding that the US spent lots of money trying to avoid a communist victory.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure many Americans recognize the perils of "socialism", but hopefully some of the extreme positions taken by these socialists will have the expected chilling effect. I don't assume this, but I hope it will be so.
You make a good point that death comes to us all, and to the victims of crime it comes without any warning or due process. Personally, I think the left's attitude -- that no one (except fetuses) should ever die -- is pure silliness. Death is part of life. Sometimes, by administering the death penalty, you are actually being more merciful than you would be by locking a depraved maniac in a room for 70 years... The left likes to congratulate itself for its humanitarianism, but often the practical results of its squeamishness are abysmal.
Dr. Waddy: Shakespeare rendered exceptionally dramatic depictions of individuals staring death in the face in Hamlet, Measure for Measure and Henry IV pt.1. When I was working in the prison system I was told by an old Attica veteran C.O. that older "lifers" were some of the easiest inmates to deal with. They were resigned and just wanted no trouble. They had found some value in living; one wonders if it was in comparison to what we fear of death that they found it. How remarkable it is; 6000 years of civilization and perhaps we know no more of what awaits us than did the Sumerians.
ReplyDeleteAndrew Cuomo, the increasingly frantic child that he is, gives us fair notice of how the unbridled left would act; perhaps he knows that he can never be President and is determined to make of NY a socialist fortress. I read today he has "conditionally" (gee, I can't imagine that that would not enforce the belief many criminals have that they were wronged by being held to account for their crimes) pardoned 24,000 parolees, giving them, at the very least, the right to vote (believe me, parole is no assurance of lawfulness; I knew plenty of parolees - one of them threatened to cut my throat because I required of him a library book in his possession).
How interesting! 24,000 pardons in one fell swoop. Who knows -- maybe that will put Cuomo over the top in November... He knows where his bread is buttered. Disgusting!
ReplyDeleteIt's true: death is still the greatest of mysteries. It's amazing how little we think about it in the modern world -- or how mightily we strive to put it out of mind...
Dr. Waddy: Recently I was reading a book about the 20th century British officer corps ( its fascinates me - here was Churchill in mid WWI:one day in the cabinet and the next on the Western Front, where he did his duty competently, earning the praise of his fellow soldiers) and an officer was quoted (approximately): "we knew nothing of that Freudian humbug; we knew our duty and either you did it or you were shunned". Say what one will about that attitude, it did save Western Civilization in 1940. On crime, I think liberal democracies must painfully adopt similarly simple stances: will we tolerate the victimization of society by those who see in its misgivings only amusement and opportunity or will we do our duty? It must come to that eventually because criminals know only corporal limits. Gov. Cuomo is possessed of the same heart warming fascination for sociopaths which I experienced at first and then witnessed in many others in my career in corrections. He has had personal, misty eyed meetings with disingenuously reformed police killers while avoiding the relatives of the victims (ala Michael Dukakis, of consequently unsuccessful Presidential strivings).He is, of course, unreachable in his convictions except: now he has garnered the opposition of the powerful Corrections Officers Union. They understand criminals far better than he, because they are with them every day. His proposal to give them tablets to make them into good boys is clearly, to them, purposeful empowerment of victimizers and when it comes to computers, we don't know what we don't know - but the C.O.s do know what to expect: nothing but victimization, naturally. Some sociopaths must be done to death or innocents are grievously wronged.
ReplyDeleteI tend to agree: some people are bad to the bone, and no amount of hand-holding will reform them. Depending on the severity of their wickedness, I see no point in keeping them alive, just so we can pat ourselves on the back and exult in our "compassion". Say what you want about the "prison pipeline," but we've done a good job of reducing violent crime in the last 30 years. If the Dems had their way, we would undo all of that.
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy: The Democrat who dictates to this state certainly would undo it. Its been 15 years since I retired but from what I do know of the Dept. of Correctional Services (yeah,now it sports an even more prolix and euphemistic title)I think the following: I know there were people in high administrative positions whose overriding concern was prisoners' "rights" and who considered punishment a crime itself. Their efforts were devoted to making prison as easy as possible and they regarded anyone who questioned this (eg. concerned citizens, Corrections Officers, victims)as problems to be confronted. They did not have daily contact with inmates and their eyes glazed over when offered information by those who had such responsibilities. They would make brief pilgrimages inside to "relate to the guys" and would exit stimulated and renewed by the deference they were shown. From what I can see, I expect alot of them and their avatars are still sitting there in Albany. What the tax payer and the crime victim in NY needs is a hardnosed, unapologetic and determined Commissioner of Corrections and a Trump like Governor to back him or her up. There certainly are such people in the ranks of now retired Wardens,Deputy Wardens and senior Corrections Officers.
ReplyDeleteJack, that sounds like a very sensible approach -- and thus one we can assume NYS will never take... Here's a more workable alternative: imprison all law-abiding New Yorkers (and give them three square meals a day, cable tv, etc.), while the hardened criminals are released and roam free. Cuomo might go for that!
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy: Unless we elect a gutsy Republican governor - it may not be out of the question(?). Even NY voters eventually soured on Andrew's more restrained but still sanctimonious father. Criminals can be controlled - it takes common sense and backbone.
ReplyDeleteJack, no one saw Pataki coming, but they did see a good year for Republicans on the horizon in 1994. I'm not sure anyone sees that now, but strangers things have happened!
ReplyDeleteHoly smokes! Never seen any site so proud of itself and yet so misinformed. Talk about going down a wormhole. Take for example the whole ‘resistance’ chatter. Not a single left-left middle, independent person I know use that word or identify with it. The movement is called ‘Resist’ and was started by Sen. Warren when she was abused on the floor trying to speak. This movement is simply to resist the bullshit and phoney corrupt leadership we have now. You know, like so many good republicans including both Bushes did, still do, and growing. Anyway, we don’t see anything good coming from this administration that resembles what the country was built on and is supposed to represent so we will RESIST. My advice is talk with more non right folks and then make your connections to history, attacks, judgements, and proclamations.
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Carl and/or Cheri! It's great to have you in the mix. I welcome your input. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think I am alone in connecting "resist" with "resistance", as you'll see in these two articles. The connection with the French Resistance is also embraced by some in the movement:
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/resist
https://www.yahoo.com/news/on-the-left-a-call-to-resist-donald-trump-203443493.html
Carl and Cheri: Resist, resistance - same difference.
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