Anything Goes

The political  right is learning the successful "anything goes" tactics of the political left. For generations liberals have used outrageous actions to push their agenda very effectively. Ever since the anti-war protests during the Vietnam war ... which proved very effective ... the left has been building and refining the way that it captures and keeps the national stage. Act Up, Code Pink, Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, etc. ... all these myriad radical organizations have elbowed their way onto the front pages of the American media ... and continually moved their agendas forward by staying top of mind.

The right, being naturally conservative had, for the longest time, eschewed such outrageous behavior ... to its regret. Yes, occasionally Republicans like Newt Gingrich, would make small inroads into this rough and tumble world. But they were quickly belted back by the liberal media ... remember Time magazine's front-cover depiction of Newt as the Grinch who stole Christmas? Basically, outrageous behavior was the privileged territory of liberals ... because it worked so well.

But slowly, painfully slowly, conservatives have been shucking their propriety and getting down in the mud with the liberals. Ann Coulter comes immediately to mind. She has honed outrageous rhetoric to a rapier-edge. The more she is attacked, the more she attacks back, whether she is always right is unimportant ... it's the fact that she is undaunted in this political contest of wills ... and that is her calling card.

Others have filled out the ranks of these conservative brick-bat throwers ... Dinesh D'Souza, Laura Ingraham, Rush Limbaugh, Breitbart's Milo Yiannopoulos, and now ... enter stage right ... Donald Trump. Matter of fact, one could argue that one of the reasons Trump has been so successful has been his bodacious behavior. Middle America has enthusiastically embraced someone who is finally really pushing back against our steady descent into socialist anarchy, They are willing to hug a less than a perfect conservative merely because he is kicking over a few of the loony left's bar stools.

And the phlegmatic right ... such stalwarts as Mitt Romney, George Will, Jeb Bush, and, to a lesser extent, Charles Krauthammer are aghast at such Trump effrontery. These straight-lacers are not so much turned off by what Trump says ... it's the way that he says it. It cuts against the grain of what a conservative is. "Conservatives just don't behave this way."

Well, we better get used to it. Outrageous behavior is finally working wonders for the Republicans ... to the point that Hellary Clinton is starting to look like a Victorian school marm. For good or evil, politics has finally become a cage match where now, from both sides, anything goes.

Shades ...

of the cold-war Soviet Union under Stalin when state dissenters were whisked away to insane asylums to keep them quiet, the right-wing author and movie producer, Dinesh D'Souza, has been sentenced to continued weekly psychological counseling by a liberal judge in New York ... see: WND Article. This punishment is on top of his eight-month prison sentence, community service and a $30,000 fine for violating federal political contribution laws and lying to the FBI regarding it.

Now I cannot excuse D'Souza's behavior in this matter, but anyone with open eyes would understand that thousands of other Americans ... mostly liberals ... could of and probable should of suffered the equivalent consequences as D'Souza. Yet the heavy thumb of our government is selective in only punishing state dissenters ... very much like in the old cold-war Soviet Union.

D’Souza’s “America”

I dislike going to movies any more … full of annoying teen patrons, expensive snacks, bad acting, lefty messages, and over-the-top special effects. But today my wife and I decided to give it a whirl with Dinesh D’Souza’s “America” … mostly out of curiosity. We went to the 1:00 PM show this past Friday. Not surprisingly, the theater was only sparsely filled. 

The movie itself was a little plodding, preachy and pedantic but it did have a few uplifting moments. I do think it would have benefited from a professional narrator. Dinesh chose himself for this role ... he should have stepped aside for a little more sonority. Also, he inserted himself into too many of the scenes for my taste. My chief complaint is that this movie often lacks subtlety ... drawing obvious conclusions for its audience rather than letting then find their own way.

"America" is actually two movies spliced together … one, surprisingly, relating the oft-heard indictments of America for all of our supposed past grevious sins … which it then attempts to shoot down with both convincing and sometimes thin logic ... particularly its defense of capitalism. But it does have expensive historic re-enactment scenes, satisfactory but not great acting, professional production values, and passable music. It also tries to relate what the world would be like without the United States ... a clear winner. And this first segment also does render its climax in a dramatic and patriotic fashion.

But the second segment does seem a bit of an afterthought … maybe just to extend the movie’s run time. This part is more an indictment of what is currently going wrong in America (our newest sins) with pointed references to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton  ... along with their mentors, Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, and Saul Alinsky. My wife, who had slept through much of the first segment, paid more attention at this point ... as it was more political and less lawyerly.

All in all, "America" is a forgettable movie (like most out of Hollywood), but one that might just inspire some political activism from our mainstream populists. I do believe that teenagers might also benefit from its historic perspectives and from some of its many under-reported historical facts ... to help them balance out much of the claptrap they are being spoon-fed in their schools. It might just broaden their perspectives a tad.

Would I suggest you see it? Reluctantly, I think so ... if nothing more than to make a political statement ... and to annoy your liberal friends at parties ... like they have annoyed you with their Michael Moore kudos.

Hard Ball

Am I nuts, but does it seem that there is an all-out effort to get conservatives in legal hot water?  We all know of Governor Chris Christie’s troubles in New Jersey.  And former Virginia Governor, Bob McDonnell, is now under federal indictment … see: Washington Post Article … it seems mostly due to his wife’s misdeeds. 

Suddenly, conservative author and filmmaker, Dinesh D’Souza, is under federal indictment for violating federal campaign finance laws … see: Hollywood Reporter Story.  Next conservative activists, James O’Keefe (remember those revealing Acorn videos?), has been targeted by New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, with subpoenas and document requests … see: Fox News Story.

And this is just on the legal front.  New York City Mayor, Bill DeBlasio, apparently just held back plowing the snow from the areas of the city that didn’t vote for him … see: NY Daily New Article.  (How is this any different from closing down three toll booths on the George Washington Bridge?) And a chin-out Governor Cuomo has also invited anyone opposed to abortion to leave New York State … see: National Review Story.

It is quite disturbing to me to see the heavy hand of liberal government being used to try to cower conservative opponents … just as it would be disturbing if New Jersey Governor Christie was involved in the equivalent.  While many independents in this country are frustrated and calling for moderation, the bellicose libs seem to be ratcheting up the political wars.  The only difference is the brand of baseball being reported in the media … liberals get slow-pitch softball … conservatives are getting quite a parcel of fast-pitch hardball. 

What did former Obama Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, say, “If they bring a knife to a fight, you bring a gun?”