This Atlantic article has stimulated quite a few jeers and raised middle fingers from us in the Right…and that, Gentle Reader, is entirely appropriate:
We have to put these fights aside and declare a pandemic amnesty. We can leave out the willful purveyors of actual misinformation while forgiving the hard calls that people had no choice but to make with imperfect knowledge. Los Angeles County closed its beaches in summer 2020. Ex post facto, this makes no more sense than my family’s masked hiking trips. But we need to learn from our mistakes and then let them go. We need to forgive the attacks, too. Because I thought schools should reopen and argued that kids as a group were not at high risk, I was called a “teacher killer” and a “génocidaire.” It wasn’t pleasant, but feelings were high. And I certainly don’t need to dissect and rehash that time for the rest of my days….
The standard saying is that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. But dwelling on the mistakes of history can lead to a repetitive doom loop as well. Let’s acknowledge that we made complicated choices in the face of deep uncertainty, and then try to work together to build back and move forward.
You say that we whom the “experts” demonized, whom their allegiants did their level best to silence, scorn, condemn, and impoverish, must forgive our tormentors? You caution us against being caught in “a repetitive doom loop” — ? You say it’s time to “move on” — ?
This protracted, unbelievably un-American episode has been the best possible lesson in why we must deny political authority to “experts.” As a (retired) expert myself, I maintain that giving a man the power to boss you around because he’s “right” is the worst decision a nation could possibly make. And we must not forgive those who did so.
But let’s not omit this, for without it the formula would be fatally unbalanced: We mustn’t forgive ourselves either. We gave in when we should have resisted with all our might. We accepted dictatorial impositions and abridgements of our God-given rights when we should have mustered our rage and employed the corpses of our would-be tyrants to decorate lampposts from coast to coast. We acted like pusillanimous cretins rather than the heirs of Patrick Henry, who’s undoubtedly spinning in his grave fast enough to power all of Virginia over this embarrassment.
The survivors of the Holocaust made a mantra out of the saying “Never again.” The great majority of us wouldn’t even speak our minds for fear of ostracism, demonization, and unemployment. And over what? A disease that’s proved less dangerous than ordinary influenza! A disease that has hardly any effect on the populations most oppressed and disadvantaged by the lockdowns – our minor children!
No. Do not forgive. To forgive would be to accept that our oppressors’ hypothetical “good intentions” should exonerate them for their totalitarian conduct. To forgive would be to “understand” cowardice instead of reproving it as it deserves.
To forgive would be to forget. The two are never separated by much.
Do not forgive. Take every vengeance allowed within the law – especially on November 8.
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What all this *expletive* has, if nothing else, demonstrated is that “credentialism” is a fatal disease for any society that adopts it.
What we’re now seeing is Credentiaists laying the groundwork for Getting Off Scot Free. It has been said that Forgiveness is a wonderful quality but in this instance it will be nothing more than Mass Weakness. The malfeasance must be punished and punished severely, the more severely the better, to demonstrate it will not be tolerated.
It used to be “go along to get along” was a good thing. After all if you did not rock the boat you could hang with all the cool people and all the accouterments that went along with it. Well buckos that was a load of crap and anybody who tells you it not is is full of crap.
We must insist – no demand the “leaders” who went along with, fomented or concocted these draconian, evil and totally dastardly acts should be prosecuted if possible and if not then cast on the ash heap of history. No mercy, no “it’s ok” or “they only did what they thought was right” malarkey. These jackasses knew exactly what they were doing and concocted the worst possible fate for not only our children but, the nation as a whole.
The United States is no longer respected or feared. We are a clown show with evil morons disguised as clowns running it. I have no sympathy or mercy for Bidet or any of his ilk getting what they sorely deserve. That would be to be voted into oblivion first and then prosecuted for crimes against the nation and humanity. To use threats of armageddon like they were talking about golf scores is just unconscionable and cannot be tolerated.
next up, the whole trans / mutilation of minors / depopulation / euthanasia cult. this one is just the warmup.
Of course these people should be forgiven …
After they individually acknowledge their actions and the damages they caused. And made a true effort to remediate that damage from their own wealth (paying salaries and value of businesses lost, for example) even to the point of their own destitution; personally apologizing to each and every person who lost a job, or took a shot they didn’t want; prostrating themselves before parents who lost a child to stroke or heart damage; plus, plus, plus. Even that wouldn’t be enough, until they willingly walk to the gallows with mea culpa on their lips.
Then, their forgiveness will be merited. They will also be an important example for those who might consider a similar course. Win-win.
Forgiveness is not for usurpers . Neither is Mercy .Tyrants use forgiveness and mercy as weapons .
I noted and posted quite awhile back that I came to the understanding that all these people attending political rallies of whatever persuasion that they were there desperately wanting their government man to do something. We all know how that ends up.
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