The French themselves are making a point of staying calm, indeed of going out to cafes to show that they refuse to be intimidated. But Mr. Erickson declared on his website that he won’t be going to see the new “Star Wars” movie on opening day, because “there are no metal detectors at American theaters.”
.. Mr. Obama certainly thinks they’re being ridiculous; he mocked politicians who claim that they’re so tough that they could stare down America’s enemies, but are “scared of widows and orphans.” (He was probably talking in particular about Chris Christie, who has said that he even wants to ban young children.)
.. Remember the great Ebola scare of 2014? The threat of a pandemic, like the threat of a terrorist attack, was real. But it was greatly exaggerated, thanks in large part to hype from the same people now hyping the terrorist danger.
What’s more, the supposed “solutions” were similar, too, in their combination of cruelty and stupidity. Does anyone remember Mr. Trump declaring that “the plague will start and spread” in America unless we immediately stopped all plane flights from infected countries?
.. From the day Mr. Obama took office, his political foes have warned about imminent catastrophe. Fiscal crisis! Hyperinflation! Economic collapse, brought on by the scourge of health insurance! And nobody on the right dares point out the failure of the promised disasters to materialize, or suggest a more nuanced approach.
.. Who, exactly, are these serious candidates? And why would the establishment, which has spent years encouraging the base to indulge its fears and reject nuance, now expect that base to understand the difference between tough talk and actual effectiveness?
.. at this point panic is what the right is all about, and the Republican nomination will go to whoever can most effectively channel that panic.
.. Fear is what Republicans have been trading on since Willie Horton. (Except for fear of climate change, no need to worry about that, folks.)
.. But when an “establishment” candidate can openly make a statement like this and not be booed off the stage, pelted with rotten tomatoes, or embarrassed out of the race, we really do need to worry about religious liberty. Of course, it’s the religious liberty of anyone who can’t “prove they’re a Christian” that’s really in danger, contrary to Republican rhetoric.
I’m sure there are Jews in Syria. Are they not Christian enough and so not welcome either? How about Buddhists? Syrian atheists or agnostics? Only true believers need apply? How Christian is Christian enough? And who decides?
.. Perhaps it is time to remove “home of the brave” from our national anthem. We are daily proving ourselves unworthy of that monikor. If nothing else, our anthem will end on a high note.