Thursday, November 10, 2016

Pig Wrestling and Spiritual Warfare

If nothing else, this election shows that in order to defeat the inveterate (for it is in their nature) bullies of the left, one must bully right back. Genteel conservatives such as George Will and Charles Krauthammer win every argument but lose the war.

But is bullying a bully actually bullying? One of the most common cinematic themes is the bully getting his just desert, often at the hands of another bully. Many films come to mind, but True Grit is typical. Recall that Mattie, whose father has been murdered, is unable to find justice through official channels, so she hires Rooster Cogburn to get the job done.

Toward the beginning of the film, Mattie inquires about apprehending her father's murderer:

-- Why aren't you out looking for him [her father's murderer]?

-- I've no authority in the Indian Nation. He's now the business of the US Marshal.

-- Who's the best marshal they have?

-- I would have to weigh that... William Waters is the best tracker. He is half Comanche and it is something to see him cut for sign. The meanest is Rooster Cogburn. He is a pitiless man, double tough and fear don't enter into his thinking. He loves to pull a cork. The best is probably L.T. Quinn, he brings his prisoners in alive. Now he may let one get by now and again but he believes even the worst of men is entitled to a fair shake.

-- Where would I find this Rooster?

-- At the Federal Court this afternoon.

Later they show Rooster on the witness stand, being cross-examined by a defense attorney who shows that he likely murdered a couple of suspects in his custody:

-- How long have you been a Deputy Marshal, Mr Cogburn?

-- Four years, come March.

-- How many men have you shot in that time?

-- The prosecution objects!

-- Overruled!

-- How many men have you shot since becoming a marshal?

-- I never shot nobody I didn't have to!

-- That's not the question. How many?

-- Shot or killed?

-- Let's restrict it to killed, a more manageable figure!

-- Well, twelve to fifteen, stopping men in flight and defending myself et cetera.

-- Twelve to fifteen? So many you can't keep a specific count. I have examined the records. A more accurate figure is available. Come now, how many?

-- Counting them two Whartons, twenty-three.

-- I felt you'd come to it with a little effort. Twenty-three dead men in four years. That makes about six men a year!

-- It's a dangerous business.

-- How much more for those you arrest!

I remember seeing that film when I was 13 or so. I wonder: was there anyone in the audience who didn't identify with Rooster over the condescending and smooth talking criminal lawyer who may know the law but not the human heart? But that was a different age.

One can well imagine a similar courtroom scene with Donald Trump on the stand and some sleazy and pretentious media figure cross-examining him. In fact, we scarcely have to imagine it, because we saw it in the debates. The left's entire campaign -- involving a conspiracy between the DNC and the Matrix Media -- revolved around this sort of shaming strategy.

Here we see an interesting dynamic: is it possible -- or does it make sense, at any rate -- to be shamed by the shameless? One of the outstanding characteristics of the left is that they are indeed shameless. They are routinely caught doing and saying things -- think only of Hillary or Obama -- which would cause you or I to be mortified. And yet, they have this superhuman -- or infrahuman -- ability to utterly deflect it.

A good example is dirty Donna Brazile, who was caught funneling debate questions to Clinton. Not only is she not ashamed, she is defiant -- even going so far as to claim she is being persecuted for being a Christian woman! Now, that brings shamelessness to a metaphysical level.

Or think of John Podesta, or the rest of the DNC cretins and MSM propagandists (but I repeat myself) revealed as duplicitous hacks. No shame.

Cut to the secret tape of Billy Bush and Donald Trump. A typical Republican -- the good trackers who follow the letter of the law and bring them back alive -- would have been sunk. John McCain refused to get into the mud with Obama and the left, as did Mitch Romney. The criminals got away.

They say it is pointless to wrestle with a pig, because you both just end up dirty, and besides, the pig likes it. But what if the winner of the pig wrestling match gets to be president? The odious "never-Trumpers" not only imagine it possible to defeat pigs without getting muddy, but to engage in the process while maintaining one's honor, dignity, and savior faire intact -- without so much as a single hair out of place.

The first instinct of a normal human being in our victorious situation -- in other words, a conservative -- is to be magnanimous, to seek unity, to reach across the aisle, and all that. Ignore this instinct! This is spiritual warfare, not cricket.

To extend the metaphor, it is more like a deadly mud-wrestling match with a pig, in which only one party comes out alive. In such situations one does not have the luxury of being kosher.

Even so, I recommend firmness, not cruelty. As Churchill said, if you have to kill a man, it costs you nothing to be polite.

-- I still think you showed poor judgment in this affair, but you're not the scoundrel I took you for. You have my thanks and, with certain reservations, my respect.

-- How nice! How is sis?

-- Gravely ill, I'm afraid, but still able to direct her affairs. She commissioned me to pay you the balance of the moneys due. You will find that it also covers an additional sum... for saving her life.

62 comments:

Tony said...

Winning the election was a precondition. Now comes the "winning" part in the realm of ideas and action. Don't split the country apart, but let's get it done.

Gagdad Bob said...

It will be interesting to monitor the nature and timing of the left's bullying in the coming days, and how the Trump team responds.

Gagdad Bob said...

One thing's for sure: to reference another film, There Will be Mud.

Gagdad Bob said...

The tears of SJW's are indeed nectar of the gods.

The most striking thing is how, for electoral purposes, the left turned Trump into a monster. And now they're afraid of the monster they created!

Delicious.

julie said...

Magister - I liked your comment in yesterday's thread, particularly this: "There are ways of being magnanimous that allow the opposition to feel that it participates, but also that it not have latitude. Yes, you can ride in the car. But I'm driving, and no, you can't have the keys."

At my Bible study this morning, I had the opportunity to reach out in such a way (for some reason, they let me talk). We are studying the circumstances of the exile into Babylon, and the actual hopefulness of the situation. The group is probably split 50/50 between political camps, so some were happy and some were gut-punched by the election results. All are people of strong faith, the real question is whether they are listening to the Jeremiahs of the world or the false prophets. Anyway, what I reminded them was that I have never seen so many people praying so desperately in the lead-up to an election. God has heard, and has His hand in this; for those who don't understand, who feel scared or worried, the best thing they can do is trust in His will and that it is for our good. I also asked that everyone pray for the truth to be made known, so that people will begin to understand.

Notably, these points will only work on people of faith, and then only if they are willing to listen. Also, it won't change their minds about things (particularly about Trump), but it might help them to accept the situation without wanting to throw themselves off of tall buildings...

julie said...

That said, as we found out on a personal level the past week, the way to deal with the bullies is indeed to fight back. "Tit for tat" is still the best strategy; we don't have to start anything, but we can certainly finish it when they do...

Gagdad Bob said...

They must be called out immediately. Zero slack for bullies. The whole totalitarian bullying culture of the left must end.

Gagdad Bob said...

Scott Adams agrees. The left is terrified of the Hitler they created. I don't agree with his specific proposal, but it would be a good strategy to do something so un-Hitlerish that it makes their little minds explode.

Gagdad Bob said...

Take a look at the images. They are reminiscent of what Lincoln had to contend with, before he even took office. Note also that the south believed their own propaganda about Lincoln, even though he made it plain that he had no constitutional authority to end slavery.

julie said...

Lord, have mercy. The people who most need to see this and understand what it means are completely blind.

The left has learned a lot from Pallywood.

julie said...

The amygdala guy has some interesting points on this, as well:

"What Trump should do, is pursue Reagan’s path of constant mockery, in an amusing manner, combined with an amygdala release if they do what ne needs them to do, ie unify with the rest of the country. First he should try to make leftist ideals appear as the fool’s philosophy they are. He should make it embarrassing to be leftist. He must out-group them, and they must feel threatened with public humiliation and shame if they pursue leftism."

Gagdad Bob said...

Yes, ridicule is always a good strategy. Deflate their absurd pretensions and hysterical fears.

Unknown said...

Bob, if you're ever looking for a topic to write about, I'd love to get your take on the "God is in control" meme.

Gagdad Bob said...

I would say he is in control in the nature of a hierarchy, such that much of God's authority redounds to man, who is a deputy and vice-regent herebelow. If we don't get it done, it often doesn't get done. Although it is ill-sounding, God is the always necessary but (apparently?) sometimes insufficient condition. You might say that he allows man to participate in sufficient causation of the good, true, and beautiful.

Tony said...

Rushing here, but one good approach might be for Trump to continually bring up Venezuela: I mean, look at them. Look at them. Nationalized industries, and they can't get enough to eat. Terrible.

Etc.

Gagdad Bob said...

Socialism does make people rich. Not as an economic system but a political promise.

Rick said...

If there's one thing I've learned watching Trump the past year, he doesn't need our advice.

Rick said...

Re the win the argument but lose the War Dept., this post recalls again the Revolution. Even when we were kids in middle school learning about the war, growing up in New England no less we were all quite familiar with all the places where these things took place, always in the woods and so forth, we found it absurd that the Red Coats marched in formation in, well, red coats.

Gagdad Bob said...

I love how the experts who got everything wrong are now offering him their expert advice!

Gagdad Bob said...

Left calls for violence and murder. In related headlines, Dog Bites Man and Airplane Lands Safely.

Gagdad Bob said...

Linked at Drudge, black mob beats white man. It's cool. They're just afraid of Trump and the KKK.

julie said...

Hey, when your enemy is pure evil™, it's perfectly fine to lie, cheat, steal, and use massive unprovoked violence in order to get them to see things your way.

On the plus side, perhaps this means that Trump hasn't given in to Obama's demands, whatever those might be.

Rick said...

Bob @ 11:40, did you happen to catch Juan Williams on Fox the night of the election, when it was becoming clear about 10pm EST that Trump would win, Juan practically threatened Trump "he better have humility!"
He was a shaking wreck. The nerve. The hubris. The gall.

Gagdad Bob said...

Interesting thesis. Perhaps Obama is returning to what he does best -- community organizing, AKA threatening and rioting.

I don't know if I saw that particular segment with Williams. I was switching around a lot, luxuriating in the tears of CNN and MSNBC.

julie said...

Speaking of tears, apparently the reason Hillary didn't come out to speak to her crowd on finding out she had lost was that she couldn't stop crying.

One more reason we dodged a bullet - she can't handle a loss.

Then again, she was probably envisioning her future either in exile or a jail cell...

Gagdad Bob said...

Drunk too, I'm guessing.

Rick said...

Filthy Bagginses! They steals it!

Tony said...

I'll bet she didn't shed many tears with Patricia Smith and Charles Woods on the tarmac at St. Andrew's AFB.

Here's to hoping Comey is playing deep game and not recommending indictment precisely so that Obama can't pardon her.

Justice will come, one way or another.

julie said...

Rick, lol

Magister - re. Comey, sounds like he's about to be fired.

Tony said...

Erg, that ten-year appointment would be like Clintonites ripping the W's off the WH keyboards. But if Trump fired the replacement and put in someone "with the full confidence of the FBI," that would suffice to nip that problem in the bud.

Tony said...

I have to say: one of my colleagues here is walking around expressing worry that Trump-supporting students will "start shooting." It's really either a) the most extraordinary mendacity, because he knows that it's Soros Orcs who are inciting the violence and beating people up, or b) the most extraordinary ... what? This weird projection thing, where what they feel they want to do to their enemies, they project upon their enemies as doing to them. Bob, is there some kind of psych term for that? You've probably written about this before.

Rick said...

From what I've read, a President can pardon for ANY reason, even before indictment.
Except in case of impeachment. Can't pardon in that case.
Congress can impeach, however, for any reason, I believe. Yet, if so, I doubt they'd pick it up.
Maybe we can relook into this pardon business. I think it creates more troublers (literally) than good it produces.

Rick said...

Magister, I think the phenomenon is described in Gill Baile's book Violence Unveiled.

julie said...

If she gets pardoned before an indictment, and the full truth about her ever comes out (to where the general public knows it), it could be that she will live the rest of her life either in a prison of her own making or in exile. I don't know how much she is guilty of personally, but the people she surrounds herself with are as vile as vile can be.

God is merciful, and wants us to show mercy, but He is also just. The Israelites who obeyed and went willingly to Babylon were spared and ultimately rewarded; the ones who doubled down and stayed, though...

Gagdad Bob said...

--This weird *projection* thing, where what they feel they want to do to their enemies, they project upon their enemies as doing to them. Bob, is there some kind of psych term for that? You've probably written about this before.

Yes. Projection is the term for that weird thing.

Look at how the Nazis murdered the Jews in "self-defense"!

Rick said...

Here is the ref I was thinking of; from the other G.B.

"Kierkegaard witnessed a street fight in which three men set upon a fourth. The crowd watched with growing indignation; then three of the bystanders jumped on one of the attackers and beat him, applying, Kierkegaard noted, exactly the same rules as the offenders. Afterward, Kierkegaard tried to persuade one of the avengers of the illogic of this behavior. But the man would not be convinced, insisting that the attacker richly deserved to have three persons against him."

Rick said...

Julie, thanks for the conservative treehouse article. Interesting.

julie said...

You're welcome. I like that site; just started reading there a few months ago, and wasn't sure what to think, but they turned out to be - hands down - the best source of information re. the campaign and other issues. In fact, because of them I have a much greater respect for Trump than I would have otherwise. Mainly because they showed things he said in context, provided full transcript and video of speeches, etc., and not just the dribs and drabs the MSM let slip.

Even most sites that favored him didn't seem to be actually following him very closely, so for instance I'd see someone on the right claim he wasn't really campaigning when he had been making anywhere from three to five stops per day, plus an assortment of radio and tv interviews, for weeks. But I only knew that because of Conservative Treehouse; nobody else that I knew of was talking about it.

julie said...

For instance: Donald Trump is not yet president, and yet within 24 hours of winning the election both Mexico and Canada announce they are willing to begin renegotiation’s of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

vanderleun said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD_AejDc1fA

Rick said...

Yes, Julie, we're reminded of the hostages released upon Reagan taking office.

Rick said...

There was the day when five thousand innocent fellow citizens were murdered and then there was the day your feelings were really really hurt; same thing.

http://twitchy.com/sd-3133/2016/11/10/no-this-is-deplorable-mother-jones-clara-jeffery-compares-trumps-win-to-911/

There is either a very serious mental health problem sweeping our nation or there is a very serious mental health problem sweeping the nation.

Rick said...

Bill Whittle is right about what happened the other night, but I'll add too that that at the same time, the spell was broken:

https://youtu.be/6vry0ijbJVE

Gagdad Bob said...

Rush: "The time to unify is after we have forced them into surrender just like we did the Japanese in World War II. But the days of unifying with the losers because they're mad and we don't want the media saying mean things about us, they lost....

"ACLU has already announced they're going to sue Trump. Folks, there is no desire for unity by the people on the left. It's a trap, it's a sucker play, and what makes me nervous is that we have Republicans who want to fall into that trap."

In spiritual warfare one must be wise as a serpent. Because one is dealing with a serpent.

mushroom said...

Ignore this instinct! This is spiritual warfare, not cricket.

Good stuff and great comments. I don't know if most have learned the lesson yet. True Grit is a good example, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence is another.

Fear the boogieman you have created seems to be the theme today. I see it everywhere. An acquaintance broke down and cried because she heard that they were going to repeal Obamacare. She had no idea how she was going to get insurance.

mushroom said...

Sad, sad news. Leonard Cohen has died.

Gagdad Bob said...

Oh no!

Just watched his Live From London DVD the other night.

A truly great Man of Words.

Gagdad Bob said...

Things are going to slide, slide in all directions
Won't be nothing
Nothing you can measure anymore
The blizzard, the blizzard of the world
has crossed the threshold
and it has overturned
the order of the soul

Gagdad Bob said...

And Jesus was a sailor when he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching from his lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain only drowning men could see him
He said all men will be sailors then until the sea shall free them
But he himself was broken, long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human, he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone

Gagdad Bob said...

Now I bid you farewell, I don't know when I'll be back
They're moving us tomorrow to that tower down the track
But you'll be hearing from me baby, long after I'm gone
I'll be speaking to you sweetly from a window in the Tower of Song

Leslie said...

For Rick, made by a friend of mine. Brilliant.
https://twitter.com/chop466/status/796891511140925444

Gagdad Bob said...

Give me back the Berlin wall
Give me Stalin and St Paul
Give me Christ
or give me Hiroshima
Destroy another fetus now
We don't like children anyhow
I've seen the future, baby:
it is murder

julie said...

Rest in Slack, Mr. Cohen.

julie said...

Back to the schadenfreude, I usually don't link to huffing and pissed but this is too good not to share: DNC Staffer Screams at Donna Brazile For Helping Elect Donald Trump

mushroom said...

Everybody knows that the boat is leaking
Everybody knows that the captain lied
Everybody got this broken feeling
Like their father or their dog just died
Everybody talking to their pockets
Everybody wants a box of chocolates
And a long-stem rose
Everybody knows

Rick said...

Thanks Leslie :-)

Rick said...

Julie Lol. Comment at Vox Day's place about it:

THANKS DEMOCRATS, YOU MAY DIE FROM CLIMATE CHANGE IN 40 YEARS, BUT I WILL DIE FROM LAUGHTER SOME TIME THIS WEEK

Gagdad Bob said...

The only thing funnier would be Ann Coulter as White House press secretary.

julie said...

Wow - Milo visits media row at Trump's victory party.

Starting with the "fair and balanced" section. Faux news, indeed.

In Trump's America, I suspect more people will be getting their news from the guys who actually showed up to cover things. RSBN may go from a handful of joes passing the hat to buy decent camera equipment for streaming things online to an actual network worth reckoning with.

julie said...

Yet more tears of unfathomable sadness: Planed Parenthood "Devastated," "Shattered" Over Unthinkable Trump Victory

This makes me feel like Vanderleun's bouncing dog.

Joan of Argghh! said...

All of this call for humility in our victory over the Left and its deadly designs on humanity reminds me of Richard Fernandez' call regarding 9/11:

"The story of September 11 must for all time become the story of how a certain date became unspeakable to al-Qaeda and its followers; a tale of how this day of all others, became the blackest day in the history of Islam. It should forever be a date that can never be mentioned without arousing a deep sense of shame throughout the Middle East so that in generations hence, people should still come up to strangers unbidden and say, “I’m sorry for September 11. “ Until then it is unfinished business.

We have no right to forgive. We have no right to forget. We have no right to move on until this final condition is met. That in the holy of holies of our civilization’s enemies, in the innermost recesses of their sanctum sanctorum they should say with heartfelt ardor: never again. Never again. Never, ever again."

Jules said...

Well written...
I wouldn't underestimate the effect of trump' s election. Mainstream media has been ridiculed as stooges, alt media did some real work ( eg " danger and play"). And it will empower people from France to Australia to not let the left control the narrative, and actually elect divergents. Love to see some acid heads join with trump and help the young millenials remove the microchip in their brains that makes them nod to " CLI ate change", trump is racist etc etc.
Being environmental is so 2008... Get with the future, cats.

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