7 thoughts on “The new moral equivalence”

  1. The other year, the black-masked types roaming the streets using violence and intimidation to achieve their goal of concentrating power in their own hands argued that despite appearances they were anti-fascists.

    There was even an attempt to argue that their predecessors were really the soldiers storming the beach on D-day! I remember thinking that by antifa standards, rejection of anything from gay marriage to giving puberty blockers to children to holding an incorrect opinion on marginal tax rates qualifies you as a Nazi. Everything they hate about people today should be ten times stronger about the Allies: the second world war was merely a civil war among different fascist regimes. Except for the Soviets, of course, and when they allied with Hitler ooh look over here have you seen my shiny black sneakers? They’re made by slave labour in China but they’re probably counterrevolutionaries so it’s fine.

    Long story short, I’ll abandon my theory that hatred of the West in some form is the driving motivation of some people when it stops explaining their behaviour better than principle.

    1. I’ll abandon my theory that hatred of the West in some form is the driving motivation of some people when it stops explaining their behaviour better than principle

      A good illustration this is how mad the left was at alleged abuses by American soldiers in Vietnam, and then they were silent when the commies took over and slaughtered people.

  2. I certainly think that the Capitol rioters (or insurrectionists) are a greater threat to the USA than the Taliban. The internal threat from these pseudo-patriots, who have nothing but contempt for America and indeed the west in general, are indeed a greater threat to us than the Islamic fundamentalists at work in distant lands, as much as one should be on guard against the latter. If Dems identify the threat from the pseudo-patriots, bravo! There is nothing inherently “leftist” in identifying such hostile home-grown forces as QAnon, Proud Boys, etc. as a grave danger. One can wrap oneself up in an American flag and still be deeply hostile to America. That is vividly and undeniably to be seen from the extensive footage from the Capitol Riot. A substantial faction of the GOP (with a few exceptions such as Liz Cheney) are indeed “our Taliban.” It is horrific to think of such contemptuous people as my “fellow Americans.”

    1. I get a bit confused about this threat stuff, at times. I thought a threat (no matter the source) was a threat…but maybe not.

      *Seems there was significant alarm from the right when Sayfullo Habibullaevich Saipov drove a rented pickup truck into crowd and killed eight people, and injured eleven others. It was considered a terrible act of “terrorism”and something needed to be done to prevent this from happening again. Yet, when a gunman targeting Latino Americans killed 23 people and injured 23 others at an El Paso Walmart, it was considered an unfortunate incident that comes as a risk of preserving gun rights and liberty by the right. No terrorism, nothing that required significant action. In fact, TX Republicans expanded gun rights in early 2021.

      * Some from the right went on high alert about the extremes that occurred during the 2020 George Floyd protests (e.g., rioting, looting, etc.). Yet, they seemed to have little concern that an underage conservative youth crossed state lines with a rifle and shot and killed a protester and injured others. Video shows that the police drove past the assailant—with his rifle in plain sight directly after the shooting. As well, some have minimized events of the January 6 Capitol riot and even made fun of the police that were attacked. Also, there didn’t seem to be any real concern about protestors carrying firearms and berating police and elected officials during protests at the Michigan state capital, nor the plot to kidnap and possibly harm a Democrat governor. Nothing to see here folks…keep it moving!
      No real threat there

      * Seems there was significant concern about the humanitarian crisis and image of the US that has been caused by the Biden administration’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. Interestingly, there didn’t seem to be as much concern from the right about Trump’s withdrawal from Syria abandoning the Kurds, leaving them at the mercy of a not so gracious political opponent and possibility giving room for the influence of ISIS, Iran and Russia to grow. Afghanistan…BAD (under Biden)! Syria…not so much (under Trump)!

      *When Republican congressmen were gunned down during baseball practice in VA, the right labeled the perpetrator a crazed liberal and blamed his actions on the rhetoric of the left. Yet, there wasn’t too much outrage from the right when a lunatic sent bombs to high-ranking Democrats and so-called liberal media outlets. There was no mention of their political rhetoric that contributed to that incident. Interestingly, some seemed a bit disappointed that none of the bombs detonated.

      *Our beloved Tucker Carlson claimed that he was the target of an attempted doxxing by a NYTs reporter. Yet, by giving the name of NY Times journalist, his supporters actually doxxed the reporter, threatened him and showed up at his home. Ironically, there was never any evidence that Tucker’s claim was true. Yet, the right had sympathy for brother Tucker’s plight but saw the NYTs reporter as a threat and deserved such treatment. Wasn’t Tucker’s larger point that no one deserved to be treated that way??? Maybe he meant no one on the right?

      So, I still find it fascinating that things that “seem” to be a threat aren’t considered as such when it supports the right’s agenda. Yet, if something similar is perpetrated by the left, then it’s considered critical. In this partisan, tribalistic age I suppose…it’s only when “your” ox being gored that it’s consider a “threat”.

  3. Great article. Shows how leading Democrats trust the Taliban more than their fellow Americans. Shows Biden, Pelosi, Schumer, and others showing more love on the Taliban.

    Oh… wait… it’s talking about those leading luminaries of the Democratic party like Stephen Colbert, Michael Moore, and Joy Reid…. oh, yeah, those elected Democrats.

    Does that article say more about the Washington Examiner or its readers? Stephen Colbert is trotted out there? Guy who makes fun of people for a living comparing the Shaman viking that was in the Capital (or Pelosi’s office) with Taliban? Oh, I’m convinced. Good point! </sarcasm>

    I’m sure its red meat for the true believers and I’m sure it’s good click-bait. But, truth??? IDK.

    I’ve heard it said opinions are like assholes, everyone’s got one. Yup.

  4. QUOTE: There is an element of the left that clearly hates America.

    Wait! Haven’t conservatives already tried this Jedi mind trick? If we get into the “way back” machine, we’ll see that conservatives were outraged that Obama would meet with leaders of nations that were US adversaries. The Democrats hated America…so the rhetoric went. Yet, when Trump “actually” did it…he was a wonderful and it was even fodder for a Nobel Peace Prize nomination (in some eyes).

    https://youtu.be/rMJakLzPags

    Oh, we can’t forget the time when Trump actually said, with the entire world watching, in Helsinki that he believed Putin over US Intelligence (under his administration’s leadership) relative to 2016 election interference. Conservatives didn’t accuse him of hating America…even when in instance when was operating against American interests.

    That said, the problem for conservatives is “anything” they try to accuse liberals of doing, Trump has already done it (with their consent) and illustrates just how hypocritical they truly are. Yet, I’m told by some conservatives that “everybody’s a hypocrite” so that really doesn’t count for anything anymore. Given that, I suppose we only have this principle…if a conservative does it…it must be patriotic. If a liberal does the same or something they don’t like, it must be unAmerican.

    1. They make “Everybody’s a hypocrite” a principle which takes them straight into cynicism.

      “A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing.” ~ Oscar Wilde

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