Authored by Jef Costello via Counter-Currents.com,
On October 1st, with little fanfare, Politico published an extraordinary opinion piece that may be the most important thing I’ve read all year. Titled “Americans Increasingly Believe Violence is Justified if the Other Side Wins,” the essay was penned by three “senior fellows” at the Hoover Institution, New America, and the Hudson Institute, as well as a professor of “political communication” at Louisiana State University and a professor of government at the University of Maryland (that’s five authors, in case you lost count).
The major takeaway is presented in the graph that appears below:
Way back in November of 2017 (my, how long ago that seems . . . ) a mere 8% of both Democrats and Republicans held that it is legitimate to use violence to advance their political goals. Actually, there’s nothing “mere” about it. It ought to surprise us that such a sizeable percentage of both parties could hold such a radical view. Also surprising is Republicans running neck and neck with Democrats. Contrary to how they are perceived by Leftists, conservatives are slow to embrace the idea of violence, or any sort of punitive measures against their opponents. Their Achilles heel, in fact, is commitment to “fair play.”
We must remember that when these numbers were compiled it had been a year since the 2016 election. A year of unhinged rhetoric by the Left, and repeated calls for Trump to be assassinated. Madonna spoke about her fantasies of blowing up the White House, and “comedian” Kathy Griffin held up an effigy of Trump’s severed head. Of course, those were the unserious, tongue-in-cheek threats. Countless other people made similar threats, quite openly, and seemed to be pretty serious about it. To my knowledge, none of them was charged with a crime.
As Trump Derangement Syndrome continued to spread, it was actually a healthy sign that more Republicans began to entertain the idea of using violence as a political tool. Leftists presented themselves as having no boundaries. There was no low to which they would not stoop, no trick too dirty. They were threatening to attack and kill not only the President, but his supporters, and, in fact, the entire white race. They made it quite clear that they could not be reasoned with. Faced with an enemy like this, violence was bound to become more attractive, or at least more justifiable, in the eyes of even the most mild-mannered Republican voter.
Almost a year later, in October 2018, the percentage of Democrats condoning violence had jumped to 13. It had become obvious to them, at this point, that the results of the 2016 election were not going to be reversed, though many still held out the hope that Robert Mueller would uncover some dirt that would prove Trump’s undoing. True to form, conservatives lagged behind (see what nice people we are?), with a mere 11% condoning violence. Still, the number had risen. At least part of this has to be attributed to the Kavanaugh hearings (of September-October), which were a wakeup call for many Republicans, including Lindsay Graham, who seems to have sort of lost his innocence as a result. The hearings proved once and for all, if any more proof had been needed, that liberals have no principles whatever, and that attempts to play fair with them will only backfire. One can’t really blame Republicans for that 11%. Please pass the ammo.
By December 2019, things had gotten genuinely scary. The trend had continued. And how. This was the month that the House approved articles of impeachment against Trump. Earlier in the year, in April, the Mueller report was made public, revealing that we had been subjected to two solid years of hysteria about “Russia collusion” for absolutely no reason whatever. The libs were frustrated, to put it mildly. 16% of them now condoned violence. Republicans were behind the curve again, but not by much, with 15% of them thinking the same way.
But we hadn’t seen anything yet. That was before COVID and BLM. By June of the current year, these percentages had doubled, and Dems and Republicans were now equally in favor of breaking heads: 30% of both groups now condoned violence to advance political goals. Let us pause to consider this number once more: 30%. Let us also pause to consider that this poll was conducted at the beginning of June, when the George Floyd riots had just gotten going.
This article points out a very sad fact, namely, that when the Schumer-Hits-The-Fan things will, in short order, go TRIBAL.
There are many, many conservative blacks and most Latinos are socially conservative. But since few in large cities know their neighbors, there is little social cohesion to help gloss over differing political positions.
Violence will erupt in major cities and will almost instantly become racial (tribal) because humans have always distrusted those of a different race that they did not live with, and thus come to know and trust. Sad. Tragic. Horrible way for us to end up. But the juggernaut of civil strife and war is not going to stop just because we lament its arrival.
IMHO the only way to slow down the coming internecine warfare is for Trump to win by such a large majority that the left will not be able to claim he stole the election. This removes their ‘moral imperative” for violence and removes the average citizen from wanting to support their aggression.
I found the article balanced but realistic, so Never Trumpers/Hate Trumpers will feel slighted by the writer’s refusal to swallow pipe dreams that the leftists think are facts.
It is an excellent and sobering article.
“Adjustments” made with a Barbwire-Wrapped Bat….
The Strangest part of all this is, how badly Ignorant the ‘left’ is about People and Places outside of their bolshevik-controlled Hives. And I believe this applies both to the ‘Useful Idiots’ in the Streets, right up to the Kosher Nostra Bankers that are Paying for it…
If Anything, the ‘democratic party’ leadership, as well as those who Own and Control them, are counting on the Fact that >so Far< they have been able to use the Gestapo thugpigs to Suppress any real opposition to their 'protesters', mostly by way of Instantly Persecuting Anyone who Defends themselves.
The Problem is, it doesn't "Scale"….Just Like the Imperial General Staff in Japan back in 1939, they have No Idea ow Big the Country is compared to them, or what kind of People live there. The more Chaotic things get, the Less effective Power can be applied to 'Control' People who are even slightly more Self-Sufficient than City Dwellers (who produce Nothing). The Idea that Imperial Edicts regarding the Banning of Weapons will be 'obeyed' by a Majority of People is so Ludicrous as to be not worth considering.
Any attempt to use the Military to Enforce the communist 'Program' on Americans will Fail, Faster and harder than it did in Afghanistan and Iraq. That, and given that the Majority of actual Combat Troops are Overseas, fighting the Imperial Wars for zionism and Oil, what's left? Fobbits and Remfs, mostly female/minority/queer. The Numbers Don't Work, no matter how they are arranged.
All I can see, IMO, going forward, is the steady Devolution of the Cities, until they Collapse, along with any ability for the 'government' to maintain "Control" of Anything.