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The Spectacle Blog
The Big Media and its political lapdogs have been quick to implicate “dangerous and extreme right-wing rhetoric” for the Tucson massacre.
But in fact, the real risk of violence, it seems, comes not from politicos who use so-called extreme rhetoric. The real risk of violence comes instead from people, such as Jared Loughner, who are completely divorced from our national dialogue and debate.
Jared, after all, was a loner who lived in his own deluded world.
“He did not watch TV; he disliked the news,” Zach Osler, a high school friend told ABC News’ Good Morning America.
“He didn’t listen to political radio. He didn’t take sides. He wasn’t on the Left; [and] he wasn’t on the Right.”
“There is no evidence that Loughner was impelled to violence by… anything, political or otherwise, outside of his own head,” explains Charles Krauthammer in yesterday’s Washington Post.
A climate of hate? This man lived within his own very private climate. “His thoughts were unrelated to anything in our world,” said the teacher of Loughner’s philosophy class at Pima Community College.
“He was very disconnected from reality,” said classmate Lydian Ali.
“You know how it is when someone who’s mentally ill and they’re just not there?” said neighbor Jason Johnson. “It was like he was in his own world.”
So if we want to prevent future massacres, such as took place in Tucson on Saturday, the best way to do it might be to incite intense political activism through the use of “extreme rhetoric.”
Certainly, had anyone been able to shake Loughner out of his deranged psychosis, the Tucson massacre might never have taken place.
So contra my friend David Frum, we cannot and must not “tone down” our political rhetoric — at last not if we want to avert political violence. To the contrary: the evidence suggests that we must “tone it up” and “pump up the rhetorical volume.”
This makes sense when you think about it. One of the great achievements of the American Republic, and of Western Civilization writ large, after all, is to sublimate man’s violent tendencies into more peaceable, non-violent pursuits.
Indeed, “historically speaking,” notes Krauthammer, “all democratic politics is a sublimation of the ancient route to power [otherwise known as] military conquest.”
That’s why the language persists. That’s why we say, without any self-consciousness, such things as “battleground states” or “targeting” opponents… [And that’s why] the very word for an electoral contest — “campaign” — is an appropriation from warfare.
So far from banning political speech, as some pols are now trying to do, we need to find ways to incite even more “extreme” political rhetoric. Our lives literally depend on it.
View all comments (7) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by John R. Guardiano
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/01/13/to-prevent-political-violence
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Clint| 1.13.11 @ 11:10AM
The Usual Suspects RINO-CINO Faux Conservative Bloviators trot out to lecture We,The Great Unwashed to put down the pitchforks & torches, because We're disturbing The King and his Fops in The Castle.
The Tea Party Rebellion Escalates.
Carpe Diem.
Occam's Tool| 1.13.11 @ 11:12AM
I agree with Clint, here.
By the way, to understand why it's so hard to do the obvious thing, check out Riese versus St. Mary's.
martin j smith| 1.13.11 @ 11:53AM
You know the idea that this loughner's behavior was not related to political rhetoric rhetoric reminds me of the idea that " Israel can defend themselves " in that both statements are self evident for those with a brain.
Sadly in this country we have two Political Parties as the main contenders . One called the Democrat(ic ? ) Party takes role of the attacker while the Republican party takes the role of the "victim". Until the Tea PartyMovement came around where people were tired of being stepped on. With this challenge to the Democrat( ic ? )
behavior and attitudes they the Dems have morphed more clearly into a Socialist -Marxist like entity with all of the belligerence and need for
control ( i.e. totalitarian government ) as possible. So the Democrat ( ic ? ) Party now along with its buddies in the MSM double down their vitriole to the point that should scare the living daylights out of the average aware citizen. This coordinated media attack cannot to have been a surprise to the WH and Obama in particular. So I say to those who are on the side of the Tea Party,Conservatives--do not let RHINO or Democrat(ic ? ) pols stop you from speaking its time to say to them : Put up or shut up and Obama must be the one to show that HE MEANS TO BE MORE CIVIL BECAUSE HE HAS A LOT TO ANSWER FOR.
Derek Leaberry| 1.13.11 @ 1:13PM
Political vitriol has been part of the republic since the first Washington Administration. Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, brilliant founders of the republic both and members of the Washington Administration, engaged in political war throughout their service to Washington. Both men supported newspapers, Jefferson's National Gazette and Hamilton's Gazette of the United States, that vilified the other mercilessly. In the case of the National Gazette, Washington himself was not immune from Jeffersonian barbs. Yet all three men have their faces on the national currency. Political warfare is as American as good Bourbon whiskey, barbeque or apple pie.
martin j smith| 1.13.11 @ 1:35PM
Fine Derek Leaberry: Obama should state exactly what you stated in your last sentence. That would be refreshing.
Patriot| 1.13.11 @ 5:34PM
Obama loves political warfare--just not for the Right.
That's the real problem.
Leah| 1.15.11 @ 7:09PM
Good for you Mr. Guardiano and thanks! Yours is one of the few sane voices I've heard.
I don't think the pres. deserves any credit:
He again had to remind all that he is a supreme being (4 times referring to "she opened her eyes for the first time", not true anyway), he waited 4 days and arranged a stadium rally instead of a true memorial, we all know why this happened and that is because a CRAZY person was on the loose instead of being locked up to protect the innocent, and who cares what he says after what he's DONE the last 2 years?