Understanding the Mindset of the Left

Following Saturday's events, the reactions from the Left and the media have ranged from disingenuous and superficial to nothing short of full-blown, vitriolic nastiness. Then, there are the many instances leading up to the incident in which the press engaged in inflammatory rhetoric. I will not rehash them all since the examples, like the spirits that plagued the Gerasene demoniac, are legion, and you can find them in plenty of stories here and elsewhere. I will, however, mention one for the sake of illustration. 

This involves former White House Press Secretary and current MSNBC talking head Jen Psaki. With the GOP convention getting underway, Pskai found an old 3X5 card in her desk draw and scribbled "victim" on it so she could play it at the appropriate time:

American Wire noted that Psaki's concern was not well received. One X poster suggested that Psaki retire to the place from which the above-mentioned demons originated. Other [unedited] comments included the following:

They likely caused the violence via rhetoric, but now they want to play the victim. Disingenuous, and if you still trust the media, especially after yesterday, there is no saving you.

 Trump almost assassinated. 2 others wounded and one killed (Trump Supporters) Media makes it about themselves.

You fomented this violence.  You're not the victims.

She All Lives Mattered an assassination attempt on the Republican nominee.

They are scrambling to downplay Trump and make it about anyone and everyone. At this point, it’s all they got left cause they will lose big time in Nov now.

I'm not going to justify Psaki's tone-deaf comments. But there is an excellent chance that, at some level, she honestly feels that she is at risk. In her mind, she and her compatriots are the guardians of democracy, so their own safety is paramount by fiat. So the question is how Psaki and other progressives, foreign and domestic, can be so callous, deceitful, and incendiary. As a former Leftist, I have some insight into that. I know how these people think because I used to think like them. 

First, being a progressive means occupying a place of privilege. In many cases, it is economic success, although it may also mean reading the right things, listening to the right music, thinking the right thoughts, and supporting the right causes. A lower-tier leftist may never get a guest spot on CNN, an invite to a cocktail party on the Vineyard, or a spot at the Cannes Film Festival, but they can content themselves with the knowledge that they hold the same beliefs as those people and thus find some kinship with them, no matter how tenuous. Even the most violent and feral street protester believes himself to be a member of the elite. The flags and signs on their porches and yards are not so much declarations of beliefs but visible proof of the owners' superiority.

Christ told the rich young ruler to sell everything he had and to follow Him. The Obamas would never turn their mansion on Marth'a Vineyard into a homeless shelter or refugee intake center. It is likely that no one else on the island would, either. Presuming one could ever accurately assess the Biden family's wealth, it is safe to say that the Bidens would never divest themselves of even half of their assets, let alone all of them, to benefit the poor and follow Jesus. Or anyone else, for that matter. But so long as they "support" the poor, illegal immigrants, blacks, Hispanics, or LGBTQ people, they can remain secure that, if nothing else, they are backing the right causes. 

Second, there is rage. The elitists are happy with their position, whether they enjoy wealth or privilege or identify with the erudite, well-to-do, and trendy. At the same time, they are uncomfortable with themselves. Even the street protester mentioned above is aware of his "privilege." Progressives need to feel as if they are doing something. And to do something, they need an enemy. Every hero needs a villain in order to be heroic. Luke Skywalker had Darth Vader, the Lone Ranger had Butch Cavendish, Superman had Lex Luthor, Batman had the Joker, and Sherlock Holmes had Professor Moriarty. The Left has the Right, which Donald Trump currently personifies. 

With an enemy identified, an enemy responsible for all moral, social, environmental, and economic woes of this age, the Left has all the green lights it needs to go full-steam ahead with laws, taxes, investigations, rants, screeds, ad hominem attacks, and accusations. By launching into tirades laden with invectives, the Left shifts the view away from itself and onto the target. Not only will people not acknowledge the shortcomings of progressives, but the progressives can ignore not just their privilege but also their sins. Their rage justifies their existence. The louder they shout, the better they feel.

I have no studies or journal articles to cite, but I know this mindset because I once had it. I was once a "true believer," and I look at the Leftists of today and recognize that, given enough time, I would have morphed into one of them. 

Looking past the 2024 election, it will be helpful to remember that when it comes to the Left, we are not just dealing with avarice and ambition, although those two things cannot be discounted. We are also dealing with a mindset that is so deeply ingrained that the progressives themselves may only be vaguely aware of it, if at all.