I’m going to be extremely charitable to Nick Gillespie and n0t suggest that he’s any one of those three, though. Because while his bitterness is palpable, he and I do have similar opinions on how nice it would be if we hacked back the government a bit. Or a lot. Anyway, Nick’s aforementioned bitterness starts off by noting that the most vituperative members of the antiwar movement (the knaves) clammed up pretty much the moment the Democrats took power**, then really starts in on a nice, representative sample of all those journalists out there who strained gnats under Bush, and swallow camels under Obama. Nick then concludes:
This isn’t ultimately about ideological hypocrisy – of liberals changing their tune once their guy is in office – but something much more basic and much more disturbing. It reveals that for all their crowing about being watchdogs of all that is good and decent in society, when push comes to shove, too many journalists are ready and willing handmaidens to power – including the power to kill.
I disagree with that, actually. This is totally about ideological hypocrisy: the flip-floppers that Nick called out are, after all, all of them committed to this administration (yes, I’m including David Frum in that list). And they’ll all of them attempt to bang the antiwar drum again when a Republican takes office. Because they’re knaves, and that’s what knaves do. And being upset about that is sort of like being upset at a scorpion for stinging.
Well, OK, a scorpion can’t know any better, and these people can. Fair point. Still, I’ve been pushing back on the antiwar movement for over a decade now***, and perhaps I am (blessedly) numb.
Moe Lane
Via Instapundit.
*If you’ve noticed, by the way, that this particular itemization leaves no room for intelligent, effective, AND principled members of the antiwar movement… good. That was intentional.
**Much to the dismay of the antiwar true believers (the fools), but not as much to those members of the American voting public who found the entire thing vaguely trendy (the dupes).
***…Dear. GOD.
Actually, I agree with you both. The Left has no problem with authoritarianism, just as long as it is secular and socialist (at the very least, statism) in nature. This is, of course, why all detested authoritarianism governments in fiction are Christian theocracies and communism is viewed with a sense of wonder.
Correction: they have no problem with tyranny as long as they are in charge. They would be happy to co-opt Christianity for their cause.
Historical precedent suggests that would not go well, Spegen .. but as the Left also has no memory …
.
Mew