This Week in Quotes: Jan 1 – Jan 7, 2106

by John Hawkins | January 8, 2016 5:23 am

Did Marco Rubio really say to a New Hampshire audience that no one who’s ever run for president understands immigration better than he does? I realize that pols need to try to make their weaknesses into strengths, but that’s like Obama saying no one understands foreign policy better than he does. He is more practiced at it than most, but practice doesn’t always make perfect, eh? — Allahpundit[1]

The problem is that the line is fuzzy between fighting for victimized people and promoting a victimhood culture. Where does the former stop and the latter start? I offer two signposts for your consideration.

First, look at the role of free speech in the debate. Victims and their advocates always rely on free speech and open dialogue to articulate unpopular truths. They rely on free speech to assert their right to speak. Victimhood culture, by contrast, generally seeks to restrict expression in order to protect the sensibilities of its advocates. Victimhood claims the right to say who is and is not allowed to speak.

…Second, look at a movement’s leadership. The fight for victims is led by aspirational leaders who challenge us to cultivate higher values. They insist that everyone is capable of — and has a right to — earned success. They articulate visions of human dignity. But the organizations and people who ascend in a victimhood culture are very different. Some set themselves up as saviors; others focus on a common enemy. In all cases, they treat people less as individuals and more as aggrieved masses. — Arthur Brooks[2]

The guy who advocated for amnesty and then ran away when the topic got too hot tells you two things: He’s not a reliable conservative, A, and B, whenever it gets too hot, Marco turns tail and runs. I’m not the least bit concerned that Marco Rubio will hurt me with conservatives. Marco Rubio has work himself to do with conservatives. — Chris Christie[3]

I suppose the best I can say is that Muslim apologists are like Sisyphus without the curse of retention or cognizance. After every incident of Muslim terror, the apologists reassure us that there is no pathology, no pattern, no problem. That café could have just as easily been shot up by the Amish; the folks at that Christmas party would probably have been butchered by Buddhists anyway. By an arbitrary role of the dice, by pure random chance, this time it was Muslims committing the crime. — David Cole[4]

So much for the “Muslims are as afraid of ISIS as we are” talking point. Apparently, all it takes to get Muslims to sign up for a life of terrorism is one speech by a wealthy reality-show star who holds no office. I mean, joining ISIS is no small commitment; it’s not like changing your vote come Election Day, or registering for a different party. The political and media elites really want us to believe that all it takes to get Muslims to devote their lives to ISIS is a speech by Donald Trump. — — David Cole[4]

The most current science has been trumped purely because it is at odds with the dominant political view concerning transgender development. We don’t allow children to vote or get tattoos, yet in the name of progressive thinking we are allowing them to choose serious biomedical interventions with permanent and irreversible results.  — Debra Soh[5]

Endnotes:
  1. Allahpundit: http://hotair.com/archives/2016/01/05/christie-rips-rubio-a-reliable-conservative-wouldnt-have-backed-amnesty-and-then-run-away/
  2. Arthur Brooks: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/27/opinion/sunday/the-real-victims-of-victimhood.html?WT.mc_id=2016-JANUARY-FB-MC9-AUD_DEV-0101-0131&WT.mc_ev=click&ad-keywords=AUDDEVREMARK
  3. Chris Christie: http://hotair.com/archives/2016/01/05/christie-rips-rubio-a-reliable-conservative-wouldnt-have-backed-amnesty-and-then-run-away/
  4. David Cole: http://takimag.com/article/donald_trump_carnage_recruiter_david_cole#axzz3wWjMD4qE
  5. Debra Soh: http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-transgender-battle-line-childhood-1451952794

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