Essays in Idleness

Often I have wished the Democrats in USA could achieve their rhetorical ends without character assassination, to say nothing of murder. The party of slavery, Jim Crow, the Ku Klux Klan, and the (welfare-statist) “Great Society”; of abortions, and generally of warm opposition to the Republicans (three of the first six Republican presidents were assassinated); has a heritage that it must find hard to shake off. For instance, their profound commitment to racial segregation, as well as splitting up black families and keeping them poor, continues by means of e.g. succouring “Black Lives Matter.” Their vicious hatred of Jews (especially, and Catholics) is implicit in the pro-Hamas terrorist demonstrations, promoted throughout the university campuses.

Antifa, looting and rioting, are their natural means of political expression. But of course, there are “moderate” Democrats, who are only moderately evil. Their leaders tend to be not only senile, but hypocritical, spiteful, and nasty, much like the Republican leaders. I am not aware of a senior Democrat in the last generation who is not a pathological liar.

The outlook among Republicans is markedly different, however. This could be seen in the assassination attempt on Donald Trump: the crowd did not “freak out,” and go violent. It can also be seen in the appointment of James David Vance as their vice-presidential nominee: a man who is both honest and intelligent, who can, all by himself, write an interesting book; who is happily married and has other traits that make him exceptional in the U.S. Senate. The Democrats already depict him as “Dangerously Far Right.”

But I am not at the Republican National Convention, where I would be exposed to the common run of cynical operators in the Republican camp. The élite of any modern political party consists of ideological hucksters — of criminals, and the repulsively ugly.

I have no express ambition to save Democrats from the Devil, except the Christian one of loving even those committing reprehensible acts (for acts of love must include the punishment of evil-doers). My recommendation to them is to replace their violence, and their verbal blasphemies, with innocent mockery, and at least make some attempt at wit.

This would have an instantaneous, positive effect — for the Devil hates the sound of laughter. He flinches when he hears it, and finds it hard to take possession of a soul that is armed with a sense of humour.

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POSTSCRIPTUM. — My Chief Argentine Correspondent usefully translates “Dangerously Far Right” from the Democratese.

It means: “Christian, heterosexual, male.”