In the aftermath of 9/11, we were constantly told by the media and by Democrats that dissent was the highest form of patriotism. They (we, since I was still a Democrat) were worried that the attack would work to Bush's benefit.
21 years later, we are constantly told by the media and by Democrats that dissent is a form of treason. And this year, we were told that Trump supporters and Republicans are the same as, or worse than, the 9/11 terrorist hijackers.
This was the theme on countless Sunday morning news panels, and all over social media, from talking heads but also from national leaders like Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris. So much for the unifying symbolism of 9/11.
It's possible that the "talking points" went out at some point, either from the Biden Administration -- fresh off his awful Philadelphia speech -- or from one of the left-wing institutions where power really lies under this government.
But given the way the left thinks about the world, it was almost inevitable that they would try this tactic. Skeptical of patriotism when in opposition, the left embraces it opportunistically as a weapon against its opponents when in power.
This really is a low point in American history -- not just because of our divisions, but because the left is so far-gone down the rabbit hole of its own ideology that all it has is the kind of demagoguery we are forced to live with on a regular basis.
The story of Noah is familiar; the details, less so.
Noah is often seen as an ambivalent figure. He was righteous -- but only for his generation. What was his deficiency?
One answer suggests itself: knowing that the world was about to be flooded, he built an Ark for the animals and for his own family -- but did not try to save anyone else or to convince them to repent and change their ways (the prophet Jonah, later, would share that reluctance).
Abraham, later, would set himself apart by arguing with God -- with the Lord Himself! -- against the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, saying that they should be saved if there were enough righteous people to be found (there were not).
Still, Noah was good enough -- and sometimes, that really is sufficient to save the world. We don't need heroes every time -- just ordinary decency.
Hi all -- as I noted last month, I'm going to be closing down my Locals page, at least for tips and subscriptions -- I may keep the page up and the posts as well, but I'm no longer going to be accepting any kind of payment.
Look for cancelation in the very near future. Thank you for your support!
An interesting weekend -- one of the last of Daylight Savings Time -- in which there is much to celebrate, much to contemplate, and a bit to worry about.
The Gaza peace deal is shaky, but holding, after the living hostages returned; the shutdown is still going on, with no end in sight; the China trade war is heating up; and the confrontation with Venezuela continues to escalate.
The "No Kings" protest was a dud, despite the media's attempt to inflate it. What I find fascinating is that the Democrats have basically stolen the rhetoric and the imagery of the Tea Party protests, circa 2009. They claim they are defending the Constitution -- just like the Tea Party did.
On the one hand, this is good. How wonderful to have a political system in which both sides, bitterly opposed though they are, articulate differences through the Constitution -- and not, as in so many other countries, outside it.
On the other, this is sheer hypocrisy for the Democrats. Not only did they malign the Tea Party as ...
