Armstrong on the Strongarm

Tonight my husband pointed out to me an article that he read today, saying that it reiterated things he has heard me say. The article was by Armstrong Williams of the Washington Times, and it was in their July 23 issue. Naturally I read the article. And while there are a few things I am not 100% on board with in the article, I must say I wish I could say things as well as Mr. Williams. But that's why he is a paid writer and I am but an unseen, behind the scenes blogger who will not be quitting my day job any time soon.

Armstrong Williams' article cites what I call the strongarm tactics of the left as they strive to create Utopia, the perfect society. Williams first opines that "what unites the left is a vision of an ideal society, and what unites the right is a vision of an ideal state." Although I do not agree with the proposition that the right generally is seeking an "ideal" state, I do agree that those of us on the right are more focused on the state (namely its best interest and its survival) than we are in "society." Utopian society is indeed the prize for the left, as Mark Levin so masterfully writes about in his book Ameritopia. (I highly recommend this book for an understanding of how the theme of the perfect society has been around for as long as humanity has and how it has been unattainable because man himself is imperfect.)

By contrasting the left and right's respective positions on various issues, Armstrong cleverly identifies the inherent contradictions in liberal doctrine itself. Leftist politicians often claim to be pragmatic, but their pragmatism goes only as far as it takes to bring an argument back to their self-preservationist ideology. To put it mildly, they are flip-floppers who will not hesitate to flop-flip, even if it makes no sense (to do so).

These liberal tactics remind me of the way my siblings and I fought when we were children. It reminds me of the old adage, be careful when you point because there are three fingers pointing back at you. Armstrong points out one of the favorite liberal tactics -- accuse your opponent of having your own worst faults, even though it is not true.

Any disparity is against [the leftists'] ideal society, no matter how evanescent or specious it may be. To them, it is not just evidence but automatic, compelling proof of discrimination.

Any disagreement with them and they label you. And how do they label you? What form does their bigotry take? They call you a bigot. It’s a clever tactic of bigots to try to make all labels as meaningless as possible. It’s also a form of poisoning the well: If they call you a bigot first, then when you say it back, it has less force, since you’ve already been labeled.

You don’t want to pay for their contraception? You’re waging a war on women. You want to enforce the drug laws? They are victims of your war on drugs.

So many of the liberals' lines are illustrative of the old fable about sour grapes.

We saw an example of such infantile tactics last week when Nancy Pelosi told Democrats to stay home from the DNC Convention in September, only because Democrats were coming out announcing that they would not be attending. It's the method I used in my classroom when I was teaching little kids. If they were doing something and I did not know what to do about it, I would try to make them think that they were doing what I wanted them in hopes that they would then think, "If this is what she wants me to do, then I'd better do the opposite," which in reality was what I wanted them to do. Call it reverse psychology or some other Freudian label (I was educated in that psycho-babble nonsense in under-graduate school), it does not change the fact that I was clueless of how to handle the situation and, either way, my students were smart enough not to fall for it.

Will the liberals ever stop trying to achieve the perfect society? What will it take to make them happy? 100% taxation on anyone earning over $200,000? Free abortion and contraception and sterilization for all women? Free child care and medical care and full-ride education and housing for all women and non-white males? No mention of God or Jesus whatsoever anywhere, and protected status for burkas and mosques and all-things-Allah? No civil recognition of opposite-sex marriage and free everything for same-sex couples?

Something tells me that even if liberals achieved every last iota of their socialist agenda for the next 50 years, they will still be whining that things are not FAIR and that the rich (anyone making over $20,000 a year) are heartless and uncaring haters. Of course, we will not make 50 years if the liberals are allowed to run amok unfettered.

There is a movie coming out soon called 2016. Here is a trailer for that movie, which I plan to see as soon as it is released, hopefully next week.



That nominal year is second in import only to the most important and critical date we have ever faced in this country's history -- November 6, 2012. On that date, we the people will determine whether we continue on the downward spiral into oblivion in the name of striving for the impossible -- Ameritopia. Or do we return to the fundamental principles that made this country the greatest that has ever existed on earth? I, for one, am praying for and working for and betting on the latter.