The American Spectator

Stacy McCain’s story nearby, “Terror By Any Other Name,” is yet one more piece of evidence of just how far around the bend the American Left has gone.

The saga of Brett Kimberlin as Stacy explains it is in reality a microcosm of the leftist mindset that has been more than evident since the 1960s at a minimum. In fact, as I have detailed in an earlier piece “The Obama Thugocracy” — and I am not alone in using the term — intimidation and violence are staples of the left in general. Two years ago Andrea Tantaros (now a star of Fox’s The Five) used the same title in her Fox column, and she had her own list of examples, saying:

From the G.M. bondholders, to the Black Panthers at polling stations, to ACORN to these assaults on private citizens, Obama is running a Hugo Chavez-style thugocracy. Like Chavez, he gets non-official “allies” to act as his henchmen and do the intimidation work. Obama provides the narrative and tells the story of “greed” while the SEIU provides the muscle. This is about power, not prosperity. 

As I’ve mentioned, from the moment the blood thirsty French Revolutionaries began carting their enemies to the guillotine, on down through this or that socialist regime disguised as Russian Communists, German Nazis, Italian Fascists or Chinese Maoists — the reflexive urge to intimidate opponents if not kill them outright has been present in all. In its modified American form this has shown up in varied venues across the decades. Here’s a partial list — a partial list just from 1969!!!!

• The Haymarket Police Statue Bombing — Chicago, October 5, 1969: By the Weathermen.
• Days of Rage, a three day orgy of violence attacking cars, houses, a barber shop and luxury homes — Chicago, October 8-11, 1969: By the Weathermen.
• Sniper attack on Cambridge, Massachusetts police station — November 8, 1969: By the Weathermen.
• Bombing of Chicago police cars — December 6, 1969: By the Weather Underground.

And on….and on…and on. The list, trailing into the 1980s, is long. Very long, as seen here.

In today’s world we have the violence from Occupy Wall Street. Not to mention the attempts to remove Rush Limbaugh from the air, the moves to “Stop Beck” …or Lou Dobbs or Pat Buchanan or Limbaugh advertiser Mark Stevens or Romney contributor Frank VanderSloot.

Now comes Stacy’s tale of Brett Kimberlin, and these two disturbing tales of SWATting. One from Patrick Frey (the blogger Patterico) — a frightening must-read tale of being SWATted — and Sunday’s SWATting of Red State’s Erick Erikson, a CNN contributor.

All of this, I would suggest, is of a piece. Glimpses into the intellectual machinery of the Left….from the French Revolutionaries of 1789 right on down to the actions attributed to Mr. Kimberlin, if indeed he is responsible as so many are suggesting. Our friend and TAS Founder Bob Tyrrell has a book out right this minute titled The Death of Liberalism. The agenda of the Left in the Obama Era is “Stealth Socialism” says Bob. And in the hands of what he calls the “Infantile Left” the actions like all those listed above are what are collectively responsible for driving the number of self-identified liberals from a dominant majority to a mere 20% of the American public. No wonder.

Last Friday there was a Everybody Blog Brett Kimberlin Day. Alas, news of this reached my precincts too late (and a hat tip to TAS commenter “Booger” for the alert.)

It’s very safe to say The American Spectator supports free speech.

Had I known early enough I would certainly have blogged in on the subject. So consider it now done, if late. And a decided thumbs up to Michelle Malkin for yet another display of moral courage when the chips are down.

And make sure to read my colleague Stacy McCain’s story. You can be sure I’m on his side.