On Monday, the retired four-star general and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly asserted that “the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War.” This was an incredibly stupid thing to say. Worse, it built on a long tradition of endorsing stupidity in hopes of making Americans stupid about their own history. Stupid enjoys an unfortunate place in the highest ranks of American government these days.Note what Kelly DIDN'T say - that the North SHOULD have compromised on the principle that no man should be owned. He merely affirmed the reality - that, because the main issue did not allow for compromise, the Civil War resulted.
The other unacceptable thing that Kelly said was:
Robert E. Lee was an honorable man" who "gave up his country for his state, which 150 years ago was more important than country.Apparently, actually understanding the norms of that time, which were exactly what Kelly stated, is horrible, vicious racism.
I've grown tired of using the historical record, logic, and patience to combat hysterical and rabid fulmination that replaces fervor for facts. For too many in the Progressive camp, it is impossible to engage them in discussion. Their understanding of how that works is:
- State the most twisted interpretation of reality, loosely based on facts
- When any, or all of those points are refuted, with proof, either
- Veer off into another topic
- Scornfully assert that the sources are unreliable
- Insist that only a racist/homophobe/h8r could possible say what the opponent just said. If they don't immediately fold, use that as "proof" that they are a Nazi
- Start chanting
- Write a vicious Tweet, FB post, SnapChat critique - block that person, so their arguments won't infect any of your followers, or that they will use your inane posts in their own social media
- Declare victory over the Fascists
- When the non-Leftist becomes weary of the tirades, use that as "proof" that they lost the argument
- Repeat, over and over and over...
It's tedious. It's time-consuming. It's what political/cultural discourse has become in this country.
I still occasionally dip into the fray. Sometimes, an issue comes up that I just HAVE to respond. Mostly, I'm out of it. Sometimes, several days can go by before I realize that I haven't seen the news - on TV or the Internet. I've been in a bubble, and missed some tedious "incident".
Some of that ability to disconnect is due to Trump (not that he's all that perfect). Over the last year, I've seen a lot of TrumpTweets, followed by furious opposition and scorn for his stupidity. Over and over.
What I have not seen is effective opposition to his initiatives - reversing the Executive Orders of Obama, selecting non-Leftist judges, putting people in charge of the departments who are working to de-Alinsky-ize the bureaucracy, and moving international relations in a less agenda-driven direction.
Small things. Important things. Little noticed things.
So, gradually, I've unwound from a white-knuckled tension, worried about what fresh Hell a Leftist president could unleash, to a more relaxed position. In short, I'm relatively at peace.
That being the case, I'm able to focus on other things - my family finances, personal/home organization, my family, and my writing (books).
I'm writing the second book, using National Novel Writing Month as a vehicle to speed the process. Once December 1 hits, I'll temporarily set that book aside to finish the revisions on the first one.
I'll be meeting with a copy editor in the next week, to arrange a time she can slot me into her schedule. The deadline for revisions will depend, in part, on that.
I'm really excited about the next book. It's one that I've been thinking about for around 25 years.
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Earth has a protest problem - the Alien8, colonists from one of Earth's first podcities, are a symbol of 'Spacism' - inequitable treatment of the Off-Earth pioneers living on the home planet.
They've captured the attention of the media and various Vir-Families - those groups that comprise Virtual Families of like-minded citizens.
The protests are spreading, threatening both public order - and, as of today, the leader of the opposition to the Alien8, Milt-201 "The SlingRocket" Gonzalez.
Who was found dead. In Cleveland. On the 9th Street Pier. With a hatchet buried in his neck.
The task of solving this murder, and keeping the Alien8 from tearing the city apart, falls to Aylea, Director of the Violent Crimes Division. She battles city leaders, the regional representatives of the Earth-Colony Regulatory Commission, the protestors and their allies, and police officers and their leadership, to find out who killed Gonzalez.
