Wednesday, December 11, 2019

A Prognostication

     I’ve seen this graphic several times today:

     ...and I’ve been thinking about the climactic question it poses:

     “What happens if nothing happens?”

     I think I can answer it now.


     Remember this snippet from Isaac Asimov’s Foundation:

     "The fall of Trantor," said Seldon, "cannot be stopped by any conceivable effort. It can be hastened easily, however. The tale of my interrupted trial will spread through the Galaxy. Frustration of my plans to lighten the disaster will convince people that the future holds no promise to them. Already they recall the lives of their grandfathers with envy. They will see that political revolutions and trade stagnations will increase. The feeling will pervade the Galaxy that only what a man can grasp for himself at that moment will be of any account. Ambitious men will not wait and unscrupulous men will not hang back. By their every action they will hasten the decay of the worlds." [Emphasis added]

     I’ve cited it before, notably here. Its logic proceeds from an important human dynamic: our subconscious understanding that when the elite are deemed above laws that bind the rest of us, our survival is seriously threatened.

     The logic behind that sense is gut-level: the sense that “If I were part of a group deemed above the law, I’d steal everything that’s not chained down – and as for the rest, I’d steal the chains, too – so there’s no time to lose.” That intensifies the sense of hazard that naturally arises when one senses that a key pillar of social stability has been severely damaged. After all, if you can sense that the pillars of order are crumbling, so can everyone else – and that means it’s time to grab what you can before your neighbors get it all.

     Thus, one survival strategy is to act as if one is similarly “privileged,” despite not being a member of the elite class. Though it might seem counter-intuitive, that strategy is generally both more profitable and safer than the contrary approach of being scrupulously law abiding. The scrupulously law abiding will more often than become targets for predation.

     Hari Seldon might have been talking about fictional Trantorians and other subjects of the Galactic Empire, but the incentives would drive quite similar reactions among Americans of our time.


     The cumulative impact of the Mueller report, the Horowitz report, and the Democrats blatant attempt to unseat President Trump before their own fannies get burned is clear to the average American citizen. With all the noise the Democrats have been making about “the rule of law,’ their rule is that they must not be held accountable for any crime. And crimes aplenty have they committed. The whole impeachment farce is simply an attempt to distract the public from those crimes.

     There are very few persons in public office or public employ who are genuinely trustworthy. As a matter of policy, I don’t trust anyone who holds a position in government; that guarantees that my suspicions and caution will be right far more often than not. But at this time, it's not a matter of abstract policy. The breadth and depth of the politically motivated corruption that’s been disclosed justifies a mass purge of the federal government, including the whole of the Justice Department, the entire Intelligence Community, and everyone in either House of Congress with a (D) after his name. But the salient thing about this is that anyone with an IQ above room temperature can see it.

     If none of the wrongdoers suffer appropriate legal penalties, why should the average American trouble himself over the law? Why should he concede the smallest groat of cooperation to the “authorities?” You don’t have to be a Certified Galactic Intellect to reason thus. John Q. Public will reach that conclusion quite handily on his own. And except for those who find their habit patterns impossible to break, the public will act on it.


     It is possible that none of the above will come to pass. However, the probability that those embroiled in the machinations of the past three years and more will suffer proportionately to their crimes is not heartening. Michael Horowitz attempted to pre-exonerate them, to Attorney General William Barr’s intense discomfiture. Robert Mueller, despite his complete inability to turn the smears into a substantial case against President Trump, did his best to leave a gray blot over the Trump presidency. The bought-and-paid-for mainstream media have continued to play from the Left’s sheet music despite all the revelations of skullduggery that have come forth.

     If no one is called to account for this obvious attempt to overturn the election of 2016...if the FBI, CIA, DoJ, and FISA apparatus are not purged from top to bottom, with the worst offenders awarded long prison terms...if the Democrats and their media mouthpieces aren’t haled before courts of law and compelled to answer for their misrepresentations and outright slanders and libels...there will be an explosion of lawlessness. There will be chaos. And chaos means bloodshed.

     Pray.

5 comments:

NITZAKHON said...

I've already self-referred today so I won't abuse the privilege (unless you request the link) but... CHAOS is what they want.

Think about their MISSIONARY status; they are true believers in the idea that the great Socialist Utopia will arise - their "science" says it's inevitable. How to hasten it? Economic collapse through massive deficit spending at every level. Massive third-world migration leading, eventually, to civil conflict. Open and overt corruption so that the sheepdogs throw up their hands and say precisely what you say - screw the law, I'm getting while the getting's good.

And thus, from multiple gradients, comes the collapse and then - by magic - paradise arises.

Never mind the untold millions dead from it.

vanderleun said...

Well put. I'm waiting for a lot of folks to be pre-composted or shot at their mailboxes or while just moving between the bar and the limo.

Andy Texan said...

It's already happening among the criminal class. Two police officers have been murdered here (in the Houston area) in two day trying to make traffic stop arrests. Respect for life and law appears to be at a low ebb. Appearing earliest among criminals then working up the social ladder.

NITZAKHON said...

Some time ago I pointed out to a "confiscate them all" type that a good friend of mine, not so lean but still a Marine, can do 5" groups from over 100 yards. His former sniper friend can do that from a lot farther away than that.

Then I said "Now, step outside your house and look around; see places within 100+ yards that a person could hide"?

"You're scaring me"!

"Well, since we can't have your respect, we'll settle for your fear".

Linda Fox said...

It's beginning to look like VA will be the first line drawn in the sand. Leftists being Leftists, they may need to see it happen several more times before catching on.

IF we can avoid open CWII before the 2020 election, we may yet escape it. It may require some straightforward Come to Jesus moments with the mayors/governors, pointing out that - should the money stop flowing to those states, they are screwed - before they capitulate.

But, I just don't see the Leftists having all that much leverage in their strongholds. Oh, sure, they can scream, posture, and even send out some thugs. But, without the active collaboration of the Leftists in local governments, they can be taken down.

What is likelier, as I see it, is that any Leftist that sticks their head up is likely to be removed from their cushy government position. A trend that could accelerate if more government downsizing occurs (Please, God!).