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A Clutch of Fools

Posted on Thursday, September 3, 2020
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by Outside Contributor
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foolsReporters standing in front of scenes of arson, flames billowing behind them, not very far from scenes of shooting and murder, insist that the protests are “mostly peaceful.” National Public Radio and a multi-billion-dollar global media conglomerate team up to bring you an illiterate “defense of looting.” The president comes to the defense of a dangerously stupid teenager who went looking for trouble illegally armed with a rifle in his hands and, to no one’s great surprise, found the trouble he was looking for.

The lesson of the summer is that intellectual and moral anarchy eventually bring with them political anarchy, that chaos in the democratic mind unleashes chaos in the streets.

Our friends on the left pirouette from position to position, desperate to please the mob. Consider a point of comparison: Only a few years ago, a bunch of irresponsible people who took out mortgages they could never hope to afford eventually lost their houses in foreclosures. People lost businesses, too. That was, we were assured, a national tragedy, an indictment of capitalism. But now the anointed mob is burning down homes and businesses, and progressives sniff that these losses are “just property.” Sometimes, property losses (those resulting from failure to pay a valid debt) are the cause of lamentation and the rending of garments, and sometimes property losses (those imposed by criminal violence) are no big deal.

A cynical man might suspect that such progressive posturing is not to be taken seriously.

In reality, it isn’t “just property.” It is mobs setting fire to homes with children in them. It is mobs shooting children to death. It is mobs shooting adults to death. It is arson that endangers the lives of innocent bystanders, firefighters, and other emergency workers.

It is also a near guarantee of long-term disinvestment from communities in which property is not secure. The same people burning down grocery stores today will be complaining about “food deserts” in 18 months.

But if it were “just property,” that would be bad enough.

Governments exist to protect property. That is what they are there for — life, liberty, and property, each of which is bound up in the other two. Property is the basis of liberty, and security in one’s property is a prerequisite of a decent society. Attacks on property are attacks on civil rights.

Property is necessary for the exercise of civil rights. Civil rights without property rights is a rhetoric, not a reality. The freedom of the press enjoyed by the New York Times is not worth $0.02 without the hundreds of millions of dollars in printing facilities and digital infrastructure that the newspaper relies on to actually disseminate the news. Burning that down would not be “just property” damage. If you can see that but cannot also see how looting a business involves more than “just property,” then you should go someplace quiet and think about it for a while, and pray fervently to whatever deity you believe in to reach down from the transcendent celestial realm and make you a little less stupid.

The answers are not on the radio.

But if there is a case to be made for looting, how about we start with NPR and its affiliates? The NPR Foundation reported holding $342 million in assets in 2018, and NPR’s management and on-air talent are splendidly compensated, many of them in excess of a half-million dollars a year. You can commission a shipload of lectures on income inequality and the salubrious effects of looting for that kind of “just property.” NPR’s headquarters on North Capitol Street in Washington, D.C., is “just property,” too — property NPR isn’t even much using at the moment, because of the epidemic. Would NPR object to someone burning it down to make a political point? Would looting NPR’s property be defensible? Yes? No? Why or why not?

A professional investor once said that in the short term, markets are dominated by greed and panic, but, in the long term, they are dominated by math. Politics in the short term may be dominated by tribal hatred and petty advantage-seeking, but politics in the (very) long term is dominated by ideas. Ceding the field of ideas in pursuit of short-term electoral gains is always an error, because vacating the field does not make it vacant — it only clears the field for other ideas, other articles of faith, other systems of values.

In the short term, the problem is the looting. In the long term, the problem is the defense of looting.

Because we live under the yoke of a post-literate culture, there are certain obvious truths that are effectively impossible to communicate to the mass population. Everybody who has ever dealt with the TSA should understand in broad outline what is going on with law enforcement in cities such as Minneapolis and San Francisco, that it is not only possible but common for public-security measures to be simultaneously excessive and insufficient, invasive and ineffective, heavy-handed and incompetent, corrupt and abusive and necessary, that criminal violence and police violence — and police corruption and political corruption — are genuine problems that are entangled with each another in complex ways. There are productive ways to respond to that. Burning down cities is not one of them. Tweeting hysterically about burning down cities is not one of them, either.

But the petulant children in Portland want only to play-act at being Jacobins, and the petulant child in the White House requires a full-time culture war lest he be forced to run for reelection on his record of spotless administrative excellence and confidence-inspiring leadership. If ever two clutches of fools deserved one another, these are they.

Life, liberty, and property: simple to say, difficult to achieve — and still more difficult to achieve if you have forgotten how and why to secure them or never understood in the first place.

 

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Stephen Russell
Stephen Russell
4 years ago

Dems use riots for Power & control only, Or riots would have ended maybe
see prior riots LA CA 1992.
Media ruining true stories of riots & victims.
ALL Leftists are fools

Glenn Lego
Glenn Lego
4 years ago

Our friends on the left pirouette from position to position. I don’t know if I have any friends on the left. ?

Shirley Everett
Shirley Everett
4 years ago

WOW, last two paragraphs. Food for thought!

Robert Hellam
Robert Hellam
4 years ago

AMAC usually reflexively defends everything the President says or does. It is a welcome change to see an article that admits what a disappointment he sometimes can be even to those of us who are going to vote for him.

leonard tatko
leonard tatko
4 years ago

Isn’t NPR/PBS funded w/taxpayer $$? If so, I don’t like it. Esp the Gates program. That “pinhead”!!

David B.
David B.
4 years ago

This author appantly thinks “Hidin’ Biden” is a better choice to run the Country- talk about a fool? Did AMAC borrow this fool from AARP?

Paul W
Paul W
4 years ago

“The petulant child in the White House requires a full-time culture war lest he be forced to run for reelection on his record of spotless administrative excellence and confidence-inspiring leadership.” Are you kidding?! Name a president, any president, that can claim “spotless administrative excellence”. What a ludicrous statement. Pre-vrus, although not “spotless”, President Trump had achievements that were the best I’ve seen in my lifetime. That includes the great RWR. This author can peddle his never-Trump crap on someone else. I’m disappointed that Amac even posted this tripe. As for the author, talk about fools…
PS Take a gander at the alternative that the dnc is offering. A lying, uber-corrupt, perverted addle-minded idiot. What kind of a record do you need to run against that mess.
PPS DJT is a fighter…personally I LOVE IT!

Rhonda
Rhonda
4 years ago

FYI, Amac–please stop putting the comments button on the screen with the article.

James Kelly
James Kelly
4 years ago

In the short term, the problem is the looting. In the long term, the problem is the defense of looting.

You shoot looters.

Russell
Russell
4 years ago

People who have had everything handed to them for free (such as housing) have no appreciation for real freedom or have the understanding for what it is nor do they care. They think sitting on a couch all day watching Oprah or talking on their free cellphones is freedom. The concept of working for anything is out of the question. Therefore, when they see that you have good things and are working hard to keep them, they want to destroy it to bring you down to their level. The problem with Democrats is that they cater to these destructive people because the elite in their party have everything and everybody else is just a “hamster in a habitrail” and the working-class people are left to deal with the problems these people cause.

Steve Akes
Steve Akes
4 years ago

The thing that bothers me the most is that we have too many elected and appointed officials that choose to only do their job when it suits them personally. In my opinion, any official that has law enforcement authority,
from the President down to the beat
cop, should be fired if they intentionally refuse to enforce a law. It’s part of their job.

Dennis
Dennis
4 years ago

The “Clutch of Fools” should also include the one from the “National Review” who wrote this abomination. I think his name is Kevin Williamson, and he’s a moron.

Brian Richard Allen
Brian Richard Allen
4 years ago

…. a dangerously stupid teenager who went looking for trouble illegally armed with a rifle in his hands ….

TRANSLATION: An Intact American Man took seriously our beloved fraternal republic’s Declaration of Independence and Constitution and went to provide the kind of protection and defense of the products of his neighbors’ lives energies that our governments are sworn to defend and protect — and do not. And those Darwin Awardees who then attacked Kyle Rittenhouse were: as Mr Rittenhouse exercised his absolute rights to stand his ground and to self-defense; afforded the dignity of the consequences of their own actions.

Art A
Art A
4 years ago

I call it the ship of fools. Many of them are from out of town and white. You have low life undocumented shoppers who claim the stolen goods are reparation. Then you have the arsonists and rioters who claim it is OK to destroy things because insurance will pay for everything.I believe that most people are now fed up with this garbage. It is time to meet the issue with force otherwise all you do is beat your gums to death and contribute bad stuff to climate change plus ensure that MSM folks have high paying jobs. I do wish that POTUS would control his tweeting but I guess that when you are blamed for anything and everything bad, measured response is required. MAGA/KAG 2020

Charlotte A Mahin
Charlotte A Mahin
4 years ago

I have heard the people in the mobs say looting is just “getting what they deserve” but to have media start agreeing with that premise is madness! The Marxist/Communist BLM mob is nothing but a puppet of mega donor George Soros who really wants to get rid of America as we know it along with a bunch of donating elitist “celebrities” and who just do whatever is “cool” at the moment in hopes of staying popular. Many Democrats have also been donating. NPR has always been a far-left media outlet just not as blatant as CNN and the “big three”. There is NO reason our tax dollars should be given to them. We are living in dangerous times and IF Biden wins, we all will need to get guns and private security people or we will be seeing the terrorists at our doors!!!

Jackie
Jackie
4 years ago

Govt doesn’t exist to protect property. Govt is supposed to protect our GOD given Rights.
I didn’t see it in the article, but the kid had a legal firearm, he wasn’t looking for trouble.
He was trying to help injured and was attacked. Even The NY Times said there was 16 shots fired prior
to him defending himself. The rioters who were shooting prior should have been arrested.
Harris has said this violence which she calls a movement on late night, will not end and it shouldn’t end.
this will not end well

Rick J.
Rick J.
4 years ago

This article is a mixture of horse and bull manure. Both ingredients stink, and the result is
a mixture of crap that isn’t worth the paper it is printed on. So typical of National Review !!!

John A. Fallon
John A. Fallon
4 years ago

Police corruption and polce brutality are part of the socialist/dem plan to intimidate and harrass thier citizens and keep thier power, notice that all the problems with excessive police tactics are always in dem controlled cities and states, caused by the failure of dem controlled courts to punish criminals, they just keep turning them loose on thier citizens, the people that keep re-electing this dirt bags are responsible for what is happening, if they want this terrorism to end, they need to change thier voting habits, this is NOT THE DEMOCRAT PARTY OF JOHN F. KENNEDY! save your cities and your freedom by voting for TRUMP AND REPUBLICANS IN OVEMBER.

Edmo
Edmo
4 years ago

In your picture, I do not see flames, or arson. What I see is a workers spraying water on the building to keep the dust down. And a piece of equipment knocking the building down. It’s a Demolition contractor at work.

Myrna
Myrna
4 years ago

I hate this piece for its rating of President Trump. I think it is wrong and I know it is disrespectful.

S M
S M
4 years ago

This is the first AMAC article that has really ticked me off. I’m so disappointed. I hope AMAC isn’t going to go to the dogs.

Jack
Jack
4 years ago

I hope all that seek this type of utopia and approve of this type of behavior are able to achieve their goals but not in this country. If this country and Our President is so bad then why not just leave for greener pastures ? Because they’re aren’t any. We live in the Greatest country in the world with the best President this country has seen in my lifetime. Any and everyone is able to succeed or fail at your own discretion. That is Freedom. Not a handout.

Cherie Athanasoulias
Cherie Athanasoulias
4 years ago

Why can’t this destruction of Democrat cities be dealt with under the Insurrection act? Bring in the military and put these terrorists away for good.
Another point, if you read the Democrat Socialists agenda if they win the election, they plan on destroying the country through violence anyway. They will give nothing to anyone except themselves. What is wrong with people that can’t go read the Bernie Sanders plan that will be implemented. The Dims will open the borders to every illegal including vicious gangs and remove all laws and enforcement.
Love him or hate him, President Trump and voting Red in person is all we have right now. This is a fight for the survival of our country. If we even make it to election day before the Socialist try to forcibly take over. This, ladies and gentlemen is a coup we have going on. Don’t be fooled.

Philip Samon
Philip Samon
4 years ago

If I wanted to read crap like this I would’ve joined AARP

LauraC
LauraC
4 years ago

There are some very well articulated points on liberty and property being interwoven and impossible to separate. Some of he best explanation of why our country works in the first place. Then, poor soul, he gets to he end and completely blows it. Fool in the White House, indeed. I’d love to see Hidin’ Joe Biden or the massively incompetent Obama solve any complex problem such as Covid without turning the country into a graveyard.

John C Irish
John C Irish
4 years ago

I am VERY disappointed in AMAC for promoting this piece of crap, and especially allowing for our President to be openly called a “petulant child”. I would appear that the passing of the Founder of AMAC has already begun the decline of the Conservative platform that many of us used as justification for joining AMAC. Sorry to say this, but if I see one more promotion such as this, I will be thinking long and hard as to whether or not my wife and I remain with AMAC…

Alicia Leaving Liberals
Alicia Leaving Liberals
4 years ago

Between the articles on the major ‘news’ programs, and the ‘prescription drug ads’ on television one is left with only ONE decision, and that is to take my TV ‘remote control’ and apply it firmly into my clothes washer! (This is ONLY effective when selecting ‘heavy load’ and ‘double rinse’!) This is effective against the ‘flung dung’ of the ‘liberal media’!

gkp
gkp
4 years ago

The media in this country should be put out of business for the lies/deceit/ and utter corrupt reporting to the American Public//There is waste and corruption at every evil protest in the past 6 months and the liberals and the media are to blame/PERIOD// I wish the Military would go to every protest in every liberal city and get rid of ANTIFA with full force brute power//ITS TIME///GOD BLESS THE TRUMPSTER>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Ron Ellerhoff
Ron Ellerhoff
4 years ago

This article by K Williamson is objectionable in more ways than it is right. People have legitimately different views, but this article is full of statements of fact that are not facts, and allegations that are either flatly false and or slanderous, and should not be spread – particularly by AMAC. I will be paying attention to this kind of tripe when it appears on this site, and determining whether AMAC really does represent me. I have a while to be watching and considering before my membership come due.

Phil Hammersley
Phil Hammersley
4 years ago

The young man had a right to carry a weapon and he was set upon by a gang of thugs. He had a right to defend himself, unless the author thinks all of us true Americans should hide under our beds at home and let the communists take over.

David Wyncoop
David Wyncoop
4 years ago

When referring to the folks on the left, I prefer saying, “those on the left” as opposed to “our friends on the left”. I have no friends on the left and if I still do, I will end those “so called” friendships as soon as their leftist agenda shows itself. Sorry to those on the right who feel that this is sort of extreme but anyone who could support those who would destroy America as we know it surely could not be called friend!

Angler Dick
Angler Dick
4 years ago

I don’t understand the next to last paragraph. The author calls our President a “petulant child” and yet, the very reason I am voting for Trump is based on his record of the last four years and his strong leadership. This article actually does not surprise me coming from the National Review. The Review is full of Swamp Creatures and Rino’s.

Suzanne Davis
Suzanne Davis
4 years ago

Why did AMAC share this article? I say thumbs down!!!

Vicki Hogan
Vicki Hogan
4 years ago

Your headline is dead on. Like the Simon and Garfunkel song says “We are living in a world of Fools,”

Ray j
Ray j
4 years ago

This guy sounds like a Libtard to me. He is playing the ultimate victim card just like they ALWAYS do. Woah is me nay sayer without any offer of a solution for his perceived problem. He should go hide in the basement with “Where’d you go Joe (hiden) Biden”

charliearlie
charliearlie
4 years ago

That’s where Juan Williams came from. Enough said.

Diane
Diane
4 years ago

So disappointing that AMAC would post this article, starting with the first paragraph. I wondered if I was misdirected to an AARP page.

charliearlie
charliearlie
4 years ago

AMAC, if you wish to lose members at warp speed, keep on posting donkey dung like that. Your wish will come true.

SusanC
SusanC
4 years ago

Wow! Did Mr Williamson really just President Trump a fool? He’s NOT the one that started the culture war. Yes, he tweets ridiculous things, but I see the method in his madness. He always gets the left to show their cards because they are so unhinged. I think his record does speak for itself. My only conclusion then is that Mr Williamson is , in fact, the fool here.

S Anderson
S Anderson
4 years ago

I am shocked and horrified to see this kind of piece of AMAC news calling our
President a “petulant child.” Whatever anyone might think about Trump, he
has done more for our country in four years than any other president in a
long time. Shame on the writer. Shame on the AMAC news for posting
this piece. Disagreeing with Trump is one thing. Calling names is something
else!

Art F
Art F
4 years ago

Really Amac??? I joined this association thinking how good it was to have a different perspective than your competitor AARP! I can’t believe that you would post such trash talk about our President and someone rightfully defending himself.
Keep it up and I’ll drop my subscription and hope others will do the same. We’re sick of all the lies and destruction of the leftist Democrats. Let’s do 4 more years of President Trump!!! Trump 2020 ??!

James LeValley
James LeValley
4 years ago

I’m extremely disappointed in AMAC for publishing this tripe. As Biden would say, “Come on man!”. Let’s hope this was a big mistake by someone on the staff whose reading comprehension level is a little sub-par.

Mary
Mary
4 years ago

Agree with comments instead of this anti-Trump article. Be careful. We can all think for ourselves. We know leftist indoctrination when we read it.

Hdrydr
Hdrydr
4 years ago

NPR is political propaganda. Citing them as a “reference” for truth is like buying stolen property from a thief thinking that will
stop their life of crime.
IRRESPONSIBLE “reporting”.

Cliff
Cliff
4 years ago

A former newsman, I’ve been waiting to see how AMAC would change since the sudden loss of its founder. It didn’t take long. Among the first AMAC members—always turned off by the AARP insurance-financed Democrat propaganda machine—I’m seriously considering to be one of the earliest AMAC members to cancel my membership. 

Marc Ziegler
Marc Ziegler
4 years ago

I am not impressed with this acticle or the auther. We are at a turning point in this country and we don’t need someone trying to throwout the baby with the bath water, calling Trump a “pentulant child” is crazy and also stupid. Please pick a side and I will know if you are worth lessening to. Amac please do better!!!

H Polmanteer
H Polmanteer
4 years ago

I did not become a member of Amac to invite this type of garbage to be placed before me to read. I would think that this should have been presented with a attached review on why the author is flat wrong to make print at Amac. Don’t get me wrong I read articles every day from people with alternate views from min on CNN,CBS or MSN to name a few but I expect to see a conservative’s idea of truth here. Somebody might have to kickstart a new association if this one goes off the rails.

JohnH
JohnH
4 years ago

2020 Election: Bill Barr says “mail-in voting is playing with fire” & “foreign country will interfere with election again” and Trump says “mail-in ballots election is corrupt, fraud & rigged” and even appointed DeJoy as Postmaster General which was just coincidence. My advice: You two are the head of executive branch & judicial branch in United States, so “FIX THIS” before election & not just talk about it.

HK Latham
HK Latham
4 years ago

Can’t believe AMAC printed this bias article from NR. Another article like this and I may find it hard to keep up my subscription. Very disappointed. NR is not a true conservative publication.

Rachel
Rachel
4 years ago

I cannot believe that Amac printed this article for its readers. As I was reading I became more angry with the writer. Perhaps Amac is trying to get the readers to view other views. This writers views are not something that I condone.

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