Victor Davis Hanson // National Review
America traditionally has not reinvented reality after an election, although prior presidential winners have often tried, as in the fashion of our politics. But the new powers of social media, Silicon Valley, and a woke media have made reality-changing now a reality.
Suddenly Antifa and BLM have all but disappeared from their heroic barricades. Where and why did they go? Did they ever really exist?
Mysteriously, a week or two before the election, the flood of violence in our major cities began downsizing to a tiny trickle. How strange that former angry throngs are now in nearly suspended animation. Are all those black kneepads, helmets, and umbrellas now in closets? Are all those whiny Pajama Boys on the barricades back teaching in their Zoom classrooms, or taking their college Zoom classes in their parents’ basements?
What changed? What in the world convinced committed revolutionaries to cease their long march to revolutionary justice?
Discussion (12)
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Professsor Hanson, As a European, I am - quite naturally and obviously - against Trump. Donald J. Trump is a lemur-wigged, orange-faced insane moron who, together with his corrupt and incompetent cabal, has managed to divide America on a scale hitherto unseen. To be sure: America was divided before Trump came onto the stage, but he was less than the cause and more than just a symptom – he functioned as a catalyst. And the GOP, to its shame, for the large part jumped in line. (There are still some “Never-Trumpers” out there, but they constitute only a pitiful minority.) In this regard, to accuse Barack Obama of having divided America is, quite clearly, pure hogwash. Trump has antagonized America’s allies (EU, NATO, etc.) while coddling autocrats and dictators all over the world. In fact, he has enabled and encouraged these people along the way by engaging with them while sidelining, humiliating and/or openly attacking America’s allies. Luckily, the international community as a whole is a little more resilient than Trump and his thoroughly degenerate cronies expected. It is because of Trump that right-wing forces and parties in Europe (the AfD in Germany, the FPÖ in Austria, the PiS in Poland, the Fidesz in Hungary, etc.) have become more and more aware of what they can get away with, if they are brazen enough in their hate-filled, violent rhetoric against foreigners, immigrants, refugees, LGBT persons and all those who disagree with them. With Trump gone, they will have to fend for themselves. Things are looking very interesting right now. Quod erat expectandum, the Repugnicans are trying to pull some sh*t on the American public by falsely claiming that there is “massive voter fraud” directed against Trump in his bid for reelection. They will assuredly fail, because American democracy is stronger than that. As Abe Lincoln put it, "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time." Ultimately, the situation in the US of A (and the world) will change, with America reversing course towards at least some sense of normality in international relations by moving away from coddling and ass-kissing autocrats and dictators (Kim Jong-un, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Jair Bolsonaro, Rodrigo Duterte, etc.), smooching with and encouraging corruptionists (Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu, etc.) and by re-engaging with its NATO allies, the EU, its Asian partners and the international (UN) community as a whole. In truth, America will have no other choice, if it wants to continue to count for something on the global scene. Personally, I will be very happy indeed to see the back of the imbecilic Donald J.Trump and an end to his self-aggrandizing, xenophobic, racist and misogynistic outpourings. Ultimately, the world will be a better place for it. Regards, Martin Schwarzer, Europe
*Though the EC may have cast it's votes, those votes are not counted until January 2021, so until that time, the title shan't be "Presumptive President Elect but continue as "Resident der Elect" until such time indicating otherwise. *Will the Supreme Cow-Tow of the United States in an attempt to distance itself from the potential for a "Civil War", this time, be traced back to its non-decisions to address the 2020 Election Process? (Looks like Feinstein owes someone an apology...or is a token of appreciation already in the mail? Or is that 3 tokens?) "Georgia county can't certify election; State Rep stripped of duties after threatening Trump voters" (implying Military involvement. -Consequential to the AOC blacklistings?) NTDTV Dec 10, 2020 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMu69sLrhVQ *Did the Homefront just let down the Frontline? Can "We like sheep" really be "wise as serpents"? Will there be much left in 2024 to be "Conservative" about? Will the "Unified Government" vowed to B/H by the Depository of National Contempt require red states to "Turn Blue"? *And don't forget about the CA mini-klub in "Biden's" Cabinet picks that better suits Harris than Biden. (Hint-hint.) *CA Green indoctrinated 17 year olds handed the vote. Sorry Gavi, it wasn't enough to get U a Cabinet high-chair. (Is the Draft coming back to supply a B.O. (Phew!)-era warring cashflow; otherwise, it is undeserved. CAN and MEX here they come.) *A 3% GDP dud economy will now look like a banquet and they didn't even have to try (and that was an intent.)...but there's, JIT a new Covid mutation in Britain...Sorry, Pfizer & Moderna...this is how nature works faster than vaccines! WillHarris...oops,...Biden still want the credit or throw it back on President Trump as his failure? *Finally, "have yourself a Merry Little..." short-circuiting and thank the Social(ist) Justice Warpers for DE-commercializing Christmas, REM Religion attempts to transcend. Cults control and obey until the next DLC (Down-loadable Content is "Signal"-ed.)
The obvious answer (regarding our little revolutionaries) is that the woke media suddenly realised the anarchy was losing the Democrats votes. It finally dawned on the dumb and dumber of CNN, Lemon & Cuomo, that rioting on the streets, and dismantling the police wasn't going to work for sane people.
All my friends have said we owe the Chinese 8 to 9 trillion, easy peasy, we are even. No climbing out of the hole, less debt, no worries, their fault. We judge and we are the jury. We know this won’t happen, oh but what a thought
Have you really already written this fraudulent election/treasonous insurrection off as a foregone conclusion., Dr. Hanson?
Article is firewalled on NR. Fyi, since the Kevin Williams incident, in which he cheered on the death of working class white Americans and their replacement by 'better' immigrants, no sane American could subscribe to them. I used to subscribe even as I disagreed often but their behavior in the Trump era is a new low. I realize you have to publish on platforms somewhere but to a conservative like me? NR is part of the problem, not the solution. I wish you'd reconsider publishing your brilliant essays and commentary there. Thank you.
the biden harris odd couple / honeymoon whatever ..>will be over soon enough let them enjoy it while they can have faith ..the stag party begins for dona now ... i wrote my "letter maria "..tell her i.. address it to my wife
professor, you're venting ...! ..please we all do that sometimes. i do myself even ;what went wrong was that
Unfortunately, National Review will not provide access to your article.
Where did Antifa and BLM go? To learn to count ballots and fill them out. That’s where they went.
Boom. This is our Thucydides
VDH does a masterful job of painting a picture of the Orwellian present embraced so willingly by those oblivious to the dying of the light.