The Left has declared total war. Political warfare, total nonetheless.
In a military context, total war means ‘no civilians,’ as non-combatant populations become targets, along with non-military elements such as infrastructure and industrial capacity. Nothing is off-limits in a hellish, scorched earth push to destroy the enemy’s capacity and will to fight, to cause devastation and surrender.
The leftist wing of American politics has adopted such measures, in political terms, in their determination to destroy President Trump. Witness the scorched earth sentiment of HBO comedian Bill Maher, wishing America’s economy would suffer a recession if it hurts Mr. Trump’s electoral prospects. Or Robert De Niro chanting “F*ck Trump!” to a standing ovation from the live, televised audience at the Tony Awards. To hell with the country, its economy, its citizenry, and with any sense of propriety, so long as Trump suffers too. Such sentiments reflect a Left willing to punish Americans in order to harm their duly elected president.
Rule of Law, the U.S. Constitution and functional democracy mean little to those whose disdain for Trump and his policies outweighs their respect for America’s socio-political institutions. As with Hitler’s bombing of London or the Allied bombing of Dresden during World War II, this is not about softening up one’s enemy pending frontal assault. The objective is surrender; in this case to cause Mr. Trump and his allies to abandon a fight that is too withering, too exhausting.
The formula includes collective punishment of anyone allied or closely associated with Donald Trump, all become targets, even the president’s wife. Unfounded speculation by David Frum and other media talking heads that the first lady had suffered domestic abuse is worse than preposterous; it is weaponized rhetoric designed to lessen the president’s resolve by humiliating his family. No respite, no quarter given.
Witness Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s intimidation and over-zealous prosecution of those associated with the president, and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s conflict-ridden empowerment of Mueller, juxtaposed against self-guided incompetence in the FBI’s non-investigation of Hillary Clinton and her associates. A politicized Justice Department targets the very chief executive under whose purview it operates; and those on one side of the political equation get a pass, while those on the other side get pulverized. The message is simple and direct—ally yourself with Donald Trump and we will target, harass and destroy you.
This behavior is not as irrational as one might think. Establishment liberals have spent decades constructing a system in which an elite political class oversees America, wherein they alone have the capacity to manage our federal bureaucracy, wherein they use government’s immensity and power to marginalize and manipulate the citizenry. In stark contrast, at the heart of President Trump’s mandate, is a return of power and influence to the American people, in accord with the rule of law, the U.S. Constitution and sustainably functioning democracy.
The way the establishment Left sees it, if Trump succeeds, the world as they know it, the value system and power structure they cling to, will cease to exist. They refuse to accept Trump’s presidency as legitimate and want him removed from office post-haste; they want to humiliate and destroy him, make an example of him, as a warning to anyone wishing to follow in his footsteps; and they see voters who elected Donald Trump as a rebellious, low brow mob, to be subdued.
The Left is at war with current political reality. It is total, unconditional, unsustainable and dangerous.
PolitiQuick 