New Tone: Blackmail And Six Shooters

by William Teach | August 3, 2011 7:47 am

Remember when the liberal scolds were calling for a new era of civility? Politico’s Roger Simon had this to write[1]

“Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let us use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy, and remind ourselves of all the ways our hopes and dreams are bound together,” the president said.

Unfortunately, this seems one of the least likely results of the aftermath of the shooting. The divides in America’s body politic seemed to deepen rather than heal in the days following the tragedy.

That was January 12th. Flash forward to August 3rd, and we find out that Simon was correct: Obama bends to blackmail[2]

A six-shooter lies gleaming on the table. There are five bullets in its chambers. You spin the cylinder and hold the gun to America’s head.

“Stop, don’t pull the trigger!” says Barack Obama. “We can’t risk America’s future.”

“Aww, go ahead and shoot,” say the Republicans. “Maybe it will reduce the size of government … permanently.”

And that was the debt ceiling debate. President Obama was not willing to risk a default that might ruin the American economy and topple the world’s financial system.

Rather uncivil language, eh? Add those to terrorists, extortion, sending in the SEALs to kill TEA Party members[3] (this wasn’t the first time, either), hostage taking, etc and so on. What liberals are upset about is that they didn’t get 100% of their own way, and, as Ace points out[4]

One thing I notice from a lot of leftists today (like that other columnist whining about “terrorists” earlier) is how quickly the left proclaims that democracy can’t work… when they lose a political fight.

Their entire definition of democracy (and government) “working” is “The left wins.” The moment the left does not win, democracy is ruinous.

We all know that they do not really like Democracy, because there are times they can lose. Think of the caterwauling post 2000 and 2004 presidential elections about “stolen elections” and such, yet, they made absolutely no moves to address what they said were the causes. Think Prop 8: Dems say they love direct democracy. But, only when they win. If they lose, words like racist, bigot, and so one will be thrown around as they march of to court. Obama himself[5] has mused that it would easier to be a quasi-dictator.

Just imagine the vitriol from the Left when they lose the White House and Senate in 2012!

Crossed at Pirate’s Cove[6]. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach[7].