As our young, inexperienced reverse Von Clausewitz continues apace, Arnold Kling writes, “Health Care Bill Woke A Sleeping Giant:”
For many Americans, March 21, 2010, is a date that will live in infamy. Unlike Pearl Harbor or the September 11, 2001, attacks, which offended nearly all Americans, the health care legislation only angered a significant proportion of the population. However, those of us who are outraged are motivated to wage a long fight, and our aims go much further than rolling back this one bill.
But hopefully they won’t goaded into unnecessary and counter-protective moves by desperate guerrilla attacks such as this.
Related: “Howard Dean: Of course ObamaCare is wealth redistribution!” Meanwhile, Roger Kimball asks, “What Just Happened?”
City Journal’s Myron Magnet adds:
Like any grassroots revolt, starting with the colonial committees of correspondence, the Tea Party movement begins with a resounding No! As one sign commenting on the president’s health-care takeover phrased it, RAM IT DOWN OUR THROATS, AND WE’LL SHOVE IT UP YOUR—and here followed a picture of a bucking Democratic donkey. And the No! is remarkably sweeping. Spluttered a well-coiffed, well-mannered lady of retirement age in Texas, “We have been very angry—I love President Bush, but he kept spending money, money, money.” Passionate, fast-expanding, and armed with all the latest electronic technology that Obama deployed so brilliantly in his campaign—Facebook, Twitter, Meetup.com, and so on—the Tea Partiers will surely influence candidate selections and electoral races this year and in 2012. The question is, how fully will they embrace the radicalism of their own radically American creed?
Definitely read the whole thing.
Related: The Reverse Von Clausewitz outlines his “spring offensive”, as the Politico dubs President Obama’s next assaults on the American economy.
Update: From Jennifer Rubin: “And Then the Deluge.”
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