Paul Kengor explains how populist liberalism has come to “Love That Hate:”
“We must teach our children to hate,” Vladimir Lenin instructed his education commissars. The Bolshevik godfather declared that hatred was not only “the basis of communism” but “the basis of every socialist and Communist movement.”
Class envy has been a defining staple of the left for centuries, from the frenzied mobs leaping around the French guillotines to the Soviets to, well, the new masses circling AIG executives today. The difference is merely the degree of response — a question of socially acceptable force or violence.
- Roger L. Simon: “Oliphant does us a favor.”
- Glenn Reynolds: “The First Thing We Do, Let’s Hang All The Bankers.”
- Jonah Goldberg: “Why Will No One Defend Marty Peretz?”
- Newsbusters: “Maddow Guest Turns Hanging Judge in Zeal for Bush Show Trials.”
All of which are various examples of what historian Peter Wood dubbed “A Bee In The Mouth” in his 2007 look at anger in American politics, a topic which I explored in video form shortly after the presidential election, here.
Related: On the other hand, that anger can certainly be a controlled one: When asked, “So you’re against the death penalty for terrorists?” Scott Murphy (“Democratic candidate for the 2009 special election for New York’s 20th congressional district, which will fill the seat in the U.S. House of Representatives vacated by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand”, as Wikipedia notes) replies, “Yeah.”
Update: What post about anger on the left would be complete without “The Wrath of Helen?”
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