I don’t typically re-post the graphic used in the original essay for Comments of the Day, but in this case I’m making an exception. I think this photo should be circulated far and wide. If I were a GOP strategist, I’d make sure that as many campaign ads and videos as possible included it, because the episode illustrates so clearly both the hypocrisy of the Democratic Party and the current Left’s lack of respect for the nation and its institutions. I might add the abject stupidity of those in charge at the White House. How hard could it be to know this might happen?
Here is Humble Talent’s Comment of the Day on the post, “Res Ipsa Loquitur, But Here Are Some Ethics Observations Anyway”…
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What I found interesting about this was two left-leaning bubbles interacting here.
The centrist liberals are still in this bubble that likes to pretend that everyone on the right still shudders while clutching their bibles at the mere thought of someone committing the sin of sodomy. They don’t see the excesses, or they pretend they aren’t there, so they can continue pretending that none of the criticism sent the soup group’s way is legitimate. This episode dragged them kicking and screaming closer to reality, because something they could not ignore brushed against their bubble. This wasn’t some French feminist group protesting tit laws, this was a White House guest, on the White House lawn, posting unapologetically to social media.
And for the progressives… What should they apologize for? The White House is in DC, the law in DC allows women to go topless, and what’s legal is permitted, right? I’m not even being all that coy, that’s the gist of what Rose said in response. Rose is just living an authentic life, and gee… all those conservatives angry about bared tits at the white house, well, that just proves that they believe those tits are on a woman, because they’re not angry about men going topless.
It’s what happens when you remove mores, tradition and shame. We know, here, that just because something is legal it isn’t necessarily ethical. But that is a lesson lost on progressives, generally. It’s also why they have a tendency to think that everything they view as immoral should be criminalized. They’ve synonymized their ideal of the law with their morality. While it’s important to live a relatively “true to yourself” lifestyle, there are limits. I don’t think that anyone would argue that it would have been acceptable were Rose to drop trow and leave a turd on the White House steps, but by this logic Rose could have… I mean, sometimes you just need to poo, and who are we to tell someone when that’s appropriate? Who am I to inconvenience someone by making them find a washroom? How dare I shame someone for a natural bodily function?
I still don’t think this moves the needle very far for a lot of people. The reconciliation hasn’t been forced hard enough yet. We win when Democrats are forced to reconcile the conflicts in their narrative. The George Floyd riots forced the reconciliation of “Cops are bad” with “Only cops should have guns” and we haven’t heard serious gun control narratives now in years.
I really do believe, that the average Democrat actually has morals. They either ignore or avoid having to view or otherwise interact with the excesses of their peers, and they’re able to do that in part because their media diet is stunted. If the reconciliation of their morals and their party’s excesses are forced to reconcile, I’m not sure whether the party will just give up the ghost and settle into depravity, or if they’re sufficiently turned off to impact elections and force a re-centering. It will be interesting to see what happens.
Ethics Alarms 
The centrist liberals are still in this bubble that likes to pretend that everyone on the right still shudders while clutching their bibles at the mere thought of someone committing the sin of sodomy.
It swings both ways because if you try to convince the conservative masses that now that the Progress Flag has replaced the Rainbow Flag, there’s an opportunity to support the LGB community to cut ties to the TQIA++ whatever else, they aren’t having it. If conservatives wanted to be rational, they would support the that LGB who, as a sexual orientation group who know who they are and know who they want, have fuck-all to do with the communities who don’t know who they are or who they want.
I would beg conservatives to realize there is a movement of LGB to drop the T because their issues are not the same. I would beg them to admit that they should not have used government power to restrict who someone could love. The T community is not oppressed or restricted and their entire playbook right now is seeking some non-existent right to groom and target little kids. To that end, the Rainbow flag is Trans-exclusionary. They had to add the triangle for a host of new causes to create the progress flag. It would be very easy and reasonable for reasonable people to show support of the LGB community and exclude that support from the rest of the madness by flying the TERF (Trans Exclusionary Rainbow Flag).
But you know what I found? Ain’t no one buying it. The people on the right don’t want to give an inch. They don’t want to make that compromise to end the madness. Thus the circus will continue indefinitely.
Good points Tim; it seems like there’s plenty of blame to go around because everyone is climbing on their high horses and refuse to see anything else. That’s what the political left’s promoting of tribal division has done to our society.
That’s what the political left’s promoting of tribal division has done to our society.
Again, bingo.
To assume that conservatives are unwilling to budge on LGB issues because they won’t fly a rainbow flag is a flawed assumption. Such an assumption requires conservatives to embrace homosexuality instead of simply allowing people to live and let live. Flying a flag means you embrace what that flag stands for and assuming that an willingness to do so is evidence of some ill will. What was asked for is compelled speech.
I’m not saying an unwillingness to fly the flag is evidence of some ill will – I’m saying that when presented with the suggestion that they do so, *their responses* leave no doubts – they don’t want to budge, they don’t want to embrace, and they clutch their pearls.
This is sort of like saying anyone who won’t fly a MAGA flag supports transgender grooming of children. We can go down the black andwhite, no room for gray path to hell, I guess. I’m not sure it’s something good to be encouraging, but maybe it’s where we are at. I don’t know.
NP
In my mind even a world of grays will never be enough.
I really cannot understand why anyone can simply assign a motivation to another without engaging them first. With over 200 million adults in this country there are probably an equal number of variants in motivations why people react to others as they do. Some variations are poles apart while others are so subtle the nuances have nuances.
To request someone to support X, through some visual proclamation, which they are against, ambivalent or even mildly support lest they be considered a bigot is compelled speech by that person.
I don’t understand why Tim does not recognize this.
I would like to think that people could respectfully disagree on things such as political ideology or religious doctrine and still maintain mutual respect. At one point, that seemed to be the defining point of US culture, but I’m no longer sure that is the case. Snap judgments and acrimony seem to be the current defining characteristics. I don’t know how you can maintain a multi-racial, multi-religion, multi-culture country without mutual respect for other people’s beliefs.
I understand Tim’s point of view because it now seems to be the prevailing point of view of most of the country. I like your point of view better Chris, but I don’t know how or when people will become open to viewing disagreements as less than life or death struggles.
Bingo. You are in bed with us or against us.
Well, I’d like to say that this is a pretty good Comment of the Day especially the paragraph about “mores, tradition and shame”, but what does a “arrested-development manchild” like myself know.
In my opinion, progressives and most of the Democratic Party are pure anti status quo, pro bastardization of anything once considered normal, pro abnormal, pro anarchy, and pro absurdity now.
HT,
A thoughtful commentary and interesting points to ponder. Who will learn what and how or if things or culture will change is unpredictable. I have found the most difficult concept for individuals to grasp is balance. Extremism is easy and the media thrives on it. Sound bites don’t lend themselves to nuance. In many cases, social media has frequently reduced dialog to clicks and likes. As disrespectful as the exhibitionist’s display was, I doubt we will see positive change. Progressives and Democrats will continue to court any voting block that they think will help them take votes from Republicans and undermine traditional American culture. They will continue to stoke the fires of discontent and consequences be dammed.
Progressive’s playbook is to utilize indoctrination and not critical thinking. They prefer to shout down their opposition instead of engaging in substantive discussion. Significant issues impacting public policy and culture are rarely black-and-white issues. The media and Progressives excel at proclaiming an idea, fact, or fiction, and then using their resources as an echo chamber to influence acceptance.
The ironic thing is the media made Trump and got him elected. They felt he was the most flawed buffoon of the Republican wanna-bees. A true perspective. They thought Hillary could beat him easily. His bombast was great for ratings. They gave him millions of dollars of free publicity. Sadly, I doubt the Progressives or the media or the indoctrinated younger generation is capable of introspection. Their shortsightedness keeps them from realizing they are not the smartest ones in the room nor are they the center of the universe. Regrettably, they are dragging the rest of the country down with them.
Really well written, Tom. Thanks!!
Thanks Joel.
Nicely done Tom.
Thanks, Joel.
I wish my view of the future was brighter.
Sorry, it should have been a thank you to Steve also.
Wanted to enter this into the record: https://nypost.com/2023/06/16/white-house-flasher-rose-montoya-facing-lgbtq-backlash/