Monday, May 12, 2014

#BringBackOurBalls :: SteynOnline

http://www.steynonline.com/6326/bringbackourballs#.U24w8ZZ5-PI.twitter

It is hard not to have total contempt for a political culture that thinks the picture at right is a useful contribution to rescuing 276 schoolgirls kidnapped by jihadist savages in Nigeria. Yet some pajama boy at the White House evidently felt getting the First Lady to pose with this week's Hashtag of Western Impotence would reflect well upon the Administration. The horrible thing is they may be right: Michelle showed she cared - on social media! - and that's all that matters, isn't it?
Just as the last floppo hashtag, #WeStandWithUkraine, didn't actually involve standing with Ukraine, so #BringBackOurGirls doesn't require bringing back our girls. There are only a half-dozen special forces around the planet capable of doing that without getting most or all of the hostages killed: the British, the French, the Americans, Israelis, Germans, Aussies, maybe a couple of others. So, unless something of that nature is being lined up, those schoolgirls are headed into slavery, and the wretched pleading passivity of Mrs Obama's hashtag is just a form of moral preening.
But then what isn't? The blogger Daniel Payne wrote this week that "modern liberalism, at its core, is an ideology of talking, not doing". He was musing on a press release for some or other "Day of Action" that is, as usual, a day of inaction:
Diverse grassroots groups are organizing and participating in events such as walks, rallies and concerts and calling on government to reduce climate pollution, transition off fossil fuels and commit to a clean energy future.
"It's that easy! You go to a concert and someone "calls on government" to do something, and the world gets fixed."

Well there you go, all you have to do to be a Liberal is show that you "care" about everything and everybody. Just express theatrical and 'heartfelt" concern in a public venue. It is a Liberal "profession of faith",  sort of like the Muslim Shahada. You don't have to actually accomplish anything, you just have to express the approved sentiments. Further, your good intentions give you a ready-made and unassailable excuse for failures of public policy (which for the Liberals/Leftists/Progressives are many).

Anyway we're not going to fight anymore, so the other countries of the world no longer have any reason to fear American "aggression". Certainly Boko Haram has no reason to fear it.

By Epictetus

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