This isn’t a “Morning Ethics Warm-Up.” I am really just trying to keep up: right now I’m going to list quotes, videos and news developments relating to the apparent complete meltdown of the Axis of Unethical Conduct over the reality that President Trump is crushing so many of their schemes, dreams and delusions. The American way, the democratic way (ironically), would be to make fact-based, unemotional arguments, keeping the rhetoric civil, telling the truth, not trying to inflame the passions of the dumb, the illogical and the ignorant, and maybe even avoid saying “fuck” in the process.
In the intro to todays Friday Open Forum, I mused about designating this chapter of “The Great Stupid,” the social pathogen launched in 2020 with the simultaneous weaponized freakout over the Wuhan virus paired with the cynical and dishonest weaponized hysteria over the death of a single, over-dosing black perp under ambiguous circumstances involving a white cop, as “The Big Crazy.” For now, at least, I’m going to do that.
I chose that post above by Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (D-OR) to lead off as a perfect example of how Democrats are behaving. (Thanks to Matthew B for the pointer.) Here is a U.S. Congresswoman implying that the President of the United States has ordered law enforcement officials to shoot citizens. Law enforcement is “terrorism.” In past, non-crazy times, a public statement like that would be amply grounds for a bi-partisan Congressional rebuke.
Meanwhile:
—In New York City last night, a huge crowd chanted, “Kristi Noem will Hang!” and “Save a life, kill an ICE” as they gather to protest the ICE killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Nice. This is a violent party that has lost all ethical bearings.
—This is the kind of divisiveness and bigotry the DEI and intersectionalism ideology has fertilized. Mamdani’s racist aide is another example. These are not outliers:
—The lies that are being spread about Rachel Good are audacious, and yet many of my smart (well, they once were) Facebook friends are repeating them as fact. She was just an innocent, apolitical mom picking up her child from school and got caught in an I.C.E. raid! No, in fact Good was “an anti-ICE warrior” and part of a group of activists who worked to “document and resist” the federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota. After she moved to Minneapolis, Good joined “ICE Watch,” a coalition of activists dedicated to disrupting ICE raids in the sanctuary city. Colleagues have told reporters that Good was “trained” in methods of interfering with I.C.E. Ramming agents with cars has been one of the practices of ICE Watch across the country.
—The NeverTrump conservatives who bloviate at “The Bulwark” apparently have neither shame nor comprehension of the English language. Tim Miller, a Bulwark podcaster and a contributor to MS NOW said that he was “shaken” by the number of people who thought assassination was the appropriate punishment “for not following a masked federal agent’s orders.” Yeah, that’s a fiar characterization of what happened in Minneapolis Rep. Dan Goldman and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani both the shooting “outright murder.” Who would believe any of these people after statements like those?
Ethics Alarms 