The Monday Substack post—Talk is cheap, action dear—an analysis of Roger Kimball’s close-but-not-quite analysis of the Durham report—is now live. Roger argues that, in the not-even-remotely-likely event that Trump is reelected (again) next year, he should implement “metaphorical dawn-raids on their people and institutions just as they weaponized the Justice Department against you and your supporters,” a self-defeating, totally useless idea which I have a real problem with. To wit:
See that? “Metaphorical,” the man says. For Christ’s sweet sake, WHY?!? Were those (ongoing) “Justice” Department raids you just mentioned in any sense metaphorical, prithee tell? Are the J6 dissidents in the Amerikan Gulag locked up behind metaphorical bars? Was Trump’s spite-fueled, politically motivated recent conviction on transparently spurious charges of sexual battery and “defamation” metaphorical? The bullets that robbed Ashli Babbit of her life, the Capitol Po-(head)lice truncheons and jackboots that clubbed and/or stomped poor Rosanne Boyland right into an early grave, all “metaphorical”?
When we preemptively commit ourselves to tying one hand behind our backs by docilely remaining in the realm of the strictly “metaphorical,” is not the struggle against tyrannical oppression and rampant FederalGovCo injustice and abuse by definition “half-hearted”?
As somebody or other once said, is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of (decidedly NON-metaphorical) chains and slavery?
Kimball goes on from there to say that “the focus should be on eclipsing Washington, D.C. as the seat of government,” a proposal I wholeheartedly endorse. Think the inevitable Swamp response to any such worthy endeavor will be limited to metaphorical means alone, though?
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