What this means, is that first White voters, particularly men (women will always stick with Obama, note the 8 point disparity between White men and women regarding Obama) must do what they can to destroy Obama and key Democrats, by the sort of attacks that Andrew Sullivan used against Palin and her family. Painting them both as trashy, inbred illiterates.
This would be wrong.
Back in the anti-Marcos days, and probably in every underground that has existed in history, there were discussions about whether it was fair to take on the children and relatives of bad people. The consensus, as I recall, was that it was unjustified. There are always operational advantages to unrestricted activity, but there’s a real price to pay too. Life as always makes you choose.
One of my themes on this blog, especially in threads relating to torture, is that one has the right to reject convenience to uphold one’s principles. You can forgo coercive interrogation knowing you are giving up advantages; even knowing you will take more losses. But you do this with both eyes open, unlike the liberal who thinks there’s a free lunch. Still you may do it and in later years understand that you did the right thing.
You are always going to show the scars of holding back. The question is whether you will bear them gladly. When the lions bit the Christians, it hurt. Still they went.
I am strongly of the belief that while the left never plays fair and always cheats, it is still right to forbear from vilifying the innocent relatives and friends even of the worst politicians. We forbear because it’s wrong to hit out at children, even if it costs us. And if you are uncomfortable with holding back be more active. The more active you are in the political fight, the more you have the right to insist on forbearance because you will bear the cost. Freedom always costs; morality always has a price. But if you’re paying, you can do anything you like, even be gallant.
None of us are going to live forever. It’s the way we choose to live that constitutes the art of our lives. This is our ground of freedom. You can say the Left sucks. Sure. Who wants to be like them? Of course these arguments aren’t very convincing if you regard winning in the here and now as everything. It is important; and it is something. But it is not everything. This is an argument from faith and it has all the force of the wind. Still you may believe in what is on the wind.
Some of the guys never made it through and I think of them sometimes. Of old Rey, Manny and Sonny. If they had been a touch more ruthless, would it have a difference? It’s an old problem. Bunyan in the Pilgrim’s Progress gives his answer.
The last words of Mr Honest were, Grace reigns. So he left the World.
After this it was noised abroad that Mr Valiant-for-truth was taken with a Summons by the same Post as the other, and had this for a Token that the Summons was true, That his Pitcher was broken at the Fountain. When he understood it, he called for his Friends, and told them of it. Then said he, I am going to my Fathers, and tho’ with great difficulty I am got hither, yet now I do not repent me of all the Trouble I have been at to arrive where I am. My Sword I give to him that shall succeed me in my Pilgrimage, and my Courage and Skill to him that can get it. My Marks and Scars I carry with me, to be a witness for me that I have fought his Battles who now will be my Rewarder. When the day that he must go hence was come, many accompanied him to the Riverside, into which as he went he said, Death, where is thy Sting? And as he went down deeper he said, Grave, where is thy Victory? So he passed over, and all the Trumpets sounded for him on the other side.
That was Bunyan. Me, I don’t know about the trumpets. But like McArdle, I’ll bet.
