20 comments

1. “… Christians sceptical of gay marriage, pro-life campaigners furious about abortion, radical leftists who say ‘smash the system’ — all could potentially fall foul of this new diktat that says we are not only responsible for what we ourselves think and say, but also for the myriad interpretations that everyone else, from the man in the street to the weirdo incel, makes of what we think and say …”

   If the above winds up being true to the absolute, then what we will have in this cancel-culture of the future is what Peter Drucker defined as…

   “…“Fascist totalitarianism has no positive theology, but confines itself to refuting, fighting and denying all traditional ideas and ideologies…Fascism not only refutes all old ideas but denies, for the first time in European history, the foundation on which all former political and social systems had been built…”*

   Fascism is difficult to understand because its hallmark is NOT that it affirms anything but that it denies practically everything. Fascism is ANTI transcendent truth. Fascism is ANTI individual rights. Fascism is ANTI rational thought. Fascism is man taking his God-given gift of reason and using that reason to deconstruct and debunk reason itself and all societal and religious institutions that rely upon reason.

   Yet, we have thugs running around in crowds using cowardly means to destroy property (and disappear back into an ignorant and duped group of protestors of uncertain issues) calling themselves “anti-fascist” communists. How far over the brink can things get? The irony is so thick it’s difficult to see through it.

   I’m waiting for some of the leftist members of the younger generation to get slapped down by these “captains of industry” (who, by the way used the same capitalist system they now decry by virtue of woeness to build their empires) for the extreme things they say or do. I’m betting it’ll never happen until things get to the point where they themselves begin to suffer hardship due to the collapse of the same economy they took advantage of to get where they are.

   *Drucker, Peter F. The End of Economic Man: the Origins of Totalitarianism”. New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction, 1995.

2. Let’s not over react to FB and Twitter shutting down Trump’s access to their services. They made a decision about his recent comments and decided they violate their guidelines for posts. It is their privilege to do so.

   • Hi Rich,

     I understand that Twitter can do what it will but I think that everyone with an interest in free speech is reasonably concerned when we see Big Social Media cooperating together to de-platform an American, whoever it may be. In this case, Twitter, Facebook (and its subsidiaries) along with several other major online entities has blocked an American, who’s been convicted of no crime, from using their services. Further, Google and Apple have cooperated in de-platforming a competitor to Twitter and Amazon has booted that competitor from its servers. Further, Twitter has booted tens of thousands of users from its service while it continues to allow the Chinese Communists to trumpet the values of Communist repression of the Uighurs (I kid you not) and while Iran and other repressive regimes are allowed to continue on the site. The incoherence is staggering.

     It’s so egregious that it has jogged the foggy memory of the ACLU, which used to defend free speech so vigorously that they defended the right of Nazis to march through Skokie, IL so that even they have spoken up about these events.

3. Rich:

   I’ve read Trump’s speech twice. Which sentences do you feel Twitter and Facebook determined were in violation of their guidelines?

   • I tried to read that speech today. I’m not sure I found any actual sentences at all.

4. Scott, they didn’t de-platform merely “an American.” They de-platformed an American who holds highest executive office and clearly incited an attack and insurrection, among countless other things that undermine our rule of law and institutions. The concern over free speech is perfectly fine, but you lose a lot of credibility when you place it on the plight of this utterly disgraceful President who has made himself an enemy of the people.

   • Zrim,

     from a constitutional perspective, does it really matter that the American is a distasteful? Has he been convicted of anything?

     we are all entitled to our opinions about him, his speech, and his behavior. I might agree with your opinion but as a matter of principle it shouldn’t matter that he is distasteful.

   • Bottom line, the protest was called for by an individual who, whatever his faults – and they are many and varied – is basically a stick in the eye of Political Correctness, the speech code for socialism.
     And that is THE Unforgivable Sin these days now that the vanguard for the Bolshevik party has taken control of the Hill aided and abetted by our servile corporate industrial media complex.

     Furthermore, you can’t tell me that antifa – the snarling cur that didn’t bark – did NOT make a cameo appearance at what had to be a primo opportunity to whup on all Deplorable pinatas in town for the occasion. That would be entirely out of character for them up to this point and a real error, never mind the failure of those who “organized” the protest in the first place. They had to know something like our new “Day of Infamy” would result.

     But yeah, the typical rambling bombastic speech that left a lot to be desired, security that was undermanned or even was complicit in letting protesters into the Capitol, much less its symbolic nature for Americans, not good optics at all.

     Yet there are none so blind as those who claim they can see.

     • https://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/2021/01/13/covert-cadre-what-i-saw-leading-up-to-the-us-capitol-attack/

       • https://twitchy.com/brettt-3136/2021/01/14/catherine-herridge-small-unit-tactics-witnessed-both-inside-and-outside-the-capitol-building/

         That these were cops or active duty military is sheer speculation but there were organized groups present and influential on the raid on the capitol.

   • My bad, as per RSC’s link, the other side of the bullet proof kevlar nickel is that the Jan. 6th affair was wide open to a Deep State fake, similar to Cointelpro in the ’60’s or the KKK being 95% FBI informants these days, never mind Dave Chappelle’s genuine outlier in Clayton Bigsby.

     More to the point, Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death” is more and more starting to resemble: “Tutto nello Stato, niente al di fuori dello Stato, nulla contro lo Stato”. For those who are not pentecostally inclined, the translation is: “Everything for the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state”.
     Capiche, paisano?

     Our fascist Leviathan idol and its security forces, as well its corporate social media minions (which demand their Section 230 rights at the expense of all others) are only too happy to smear, deplatform, repress, frame and arrest anybody who thinks the First Amendment etc. actually applies to anybody not quite the bien pensant our elites think they should be.

     That is again because socialism, whether fascist or communist, indirect or direct govt. control of the economy, is all about “equity/equality”. As defined to be equal results & outcomes as forced by law (ruling class excepted) vs. equal opportunity under the rule of law. As such it is necessarily totalitarian and repressive, tyrannical and violent.

     Unfortunately, Kurt Vonnegut iced that egalitarian puck with his dystopian short story Harrison Bergeron in 1961, however popular he was among juvenile readers at the time. Which might explain things. For all practical purposes, our elite operate at an eleven year old level. They can’t even remember the 2009 Swine Flu vaccine fiasco.

     IOW contra the Edwin Hawkins Singers, Happy Days Are Not Here Again.

   • Per FBI press release, two off-duty Virginia police officers were charged for “events at the U.S. Capitol.” FBI quotes one of them posting on social media, “The right IN ONE DAY took the f***** U.S. Capitol. Keep poking us.”

     I am not going to tell Bob S that “antifa did NOT make a cameo appearance.” But can anyone provide evidence that they did? There have been a lot of people who have been identified as being in the Capitol, many of whom have known associations with qanon or other far-right groups. Is there ANYONE who has been arrested or otherwise identified participating in this, who belongs to left-wing groups?

     • Hi Don,

       I don’t know who the professionals were who were observed. Antifa is becoming more sophisticated but I don’t know if they’re capable yet of that level of discipline. I have not seen any concrete evidence of active-duty military present. It is being investigated.

       One known leftist agitator/BLM activist, John Sullivan, has been arrested and charged by the feds.

       I suppose the investigations, should they be allowed to finish, will discover who they were.

   • > I suppose the investigations, should they be allowed to finish, will discover who they were.

     Agreed. Thus maybe we shouldn’t blame antifa before there’s any evidence they were involved? Especially when so many right-wing groups were taking “credit”?

     • Don,

       Who is taking credit?

   • Don,
     I am not going to say antifa was there, but it would surprise me if they didn’t take advantage of the situation in some way. Somebody did. The options would seem to be: rowdy or even ex-mil Deplorables, antifa, deep state or your average LARPing apolitical hooligan up for a party.

     Regardless, who ever was responsible for vandalizing the Capitol and arguably trespassing, played right into the hands of the prevailing narrative and the ongoing assault on Constitution, courtesy of the Dementia Party and their corporate media buddies. There are rumors of like antics for Inauguration Day in DC and the state capitols and Deplorables are saying to stay away.

     Whatever. Just make sure you aren’t the first person to stop clapping and sit down when silence becomes a hate crime under our new Bill of Rights. In the Soviet Union, that was who got arrested first and sent to the prison camps. You might want to stay out as long as you can.

     cheers

   • Dr. Clark,
     The Virginia policeman that the FBI arrested, that I quoted, for one. More of the quote: “CNN and the Left are just mad because we actually attacked the government who is the problem and not some random small business.”
     Prof. Warren Throckmorton (Grove City) is collecting evidence that the right is claiming they did it. e.g., https://www.wthrockmorton.com/2021/01/08/trump-supporters-reject-antifa-theory-and-take-credit-for-capitol-invasion/ as well as a few other posts to his blog.
     Note that the eyewitness guy in the video was emphatic that antifa was not involved.

     Bob S.,
     >I am not going to say antifa was there
     Then maybe stop saying it until you have evidence.

     • Don,

       I doubt that “right” and “left” are useful categories for understanding this sort of phenomenon. There are lots of different kinds of people at this rally cum assault. There were former Tea Party types, Moms & Dads, Grandmas, etc who aren’t “right” exactly, if “right” = conservative. It is not conservative to assault the nation’s capitol.

       Most Americans don’t spend much time thinking about political philosophy but they are attracted to personalities and “doers.” There were a fair number of those I guess. There were also QAnon types, who aren’t “right” or “left.” I’m reasonably sure that there were anarchist types.

       I agree that there’s no evidence of Antifa but my sense is that the authorities are discovering that the Boogaloo Bois are more anarchist than “right.” This is why the media doesn’t understand Antifa. They don’t fit well on the American map. They are ideologically Communist.

       I appreciate the lead to Throckmorton.

       I read the post. Didn’t watch the video. I don’t doubt that Trump supporters were a major part of the mob who entered the capitol but claims by Trump supporters about who did what and why are anecdotal evidence but hardly a comprehensive explanation of what happened.

       There is a difference between investigation and placing blame. The latter has already been done but the former is only begun.

   • It’s certainly true that I was using “left” and “right” colloquially, or rather according to the current popular connotations and associations. Not according to any historically coherent meaning.

5. So… when this “utterly disgraceful” president is gone and the new Leftist administration takes the reigns (not only in the executive office, but both houses of the legislature as well) what will we have next? The “equality act” of course, for all its foibles and potential threats to the church, but perhaps infanticide (not that partial birth abortion isn’t already most of the way there), maybe euthanizing the elderly and the mentally handicapped, and maybe even those who will ultimately wind up as undesirables in the eyes of the extreme Left? Please cast a blind eye to the behavior of a given elected official over and above what he supports by law. Do you think that Kennedy was better with his known philandering? How about Johnson about whom his long time chauffeur wrote witness of his sexual antics in the white house? And, though I am loathe to even bring it up, Clinton and his self-righteous escapades in the oval office?

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