Man: Kick him—he’ll forgive you. Flatter him—he may or may not see through you. But ignore him and he’ll hate you.

— Idries Shah, Caravan of Dreams, 1968

One of my favorite topics for discussion is the nature of political discourse itself. I am only new to politics—having started blogging less than two years ago, and having only tried to understand it a little before that—but one thing that I have always liked studying is the dynamics of communication between people. The way people discuss politics and issues of current import is just one facet of interpersonal relations that I like to study; this here blog is where I post what I observe.

I consider a lot of behavior beneath me to write about; I like to give my readers credit in that they are not stupid enough to fall for some dirty tricks employed by elements on both sides of the fence. I refused, for example, to write about the anti-RNC posters that were the big issue a few days ago. Not that I am accusing Mike Hendrix, Michele Catalano, and others of assuming idiocy of their audience—nor am I being a hypocrite by mentioning this example in passing—but I think that the middle-of-the-curve American still has enough common sense to know that George W. Bush, Republicans, and other conservatives of different strokes are not the enemy, nor are liberals, which brings me to tonight’s matter.*

I have very little respect for mainstream conservatives—the ones who still have thinking minds that do not consult a Conservatism 101 handbook when formulating opinions—who consider moderate liberals and Democrats “the enemy” that should be kept out of power because their policies are not only anti-American, but downright Communist. Indeed, a lot of the social policies the Democrats want, a lot of the foreign policy matters that they choose, may be dangerous in the mileu that our nation is in, but I do not, do not, consider their good-faith beliefs in what they think is sound government policy as “evil” that will lead to the ruination of the nation.

I do not, because if I were to believe that whole-heartedly, and with the conviction that I know I have, and with the moral superiority with which I believe what I do believe, then it would be my moral duty not only to make sure that Democrats do not make it into power. As a patriot of this nation, if Democrats were truly and factually as evil as some people may write they are, then it is my moral duty to kill one when I see one.

It is with this idea that I ask Albert Greenland, writing for The Galvin Opinion: Have you killed a liberal today?

Albert writes about how the Republican party needs to act more like Ann Coulter, who he observes acts like a Democrat in her proponence of her conservative views. He attempts a neologism: “Coulterian,” he says. Only, a neologism is not necessary in this case. I can sum up her rhetoric and tactics with one word: Vile. And that is what Albert Greenland wants the Republican party to become. He has seen how Republicans, knowing how they are right, sit back as the looney Democrats malign and slander them to the high heavens:

Republicans sit back and say, “We are right. We look at issues reasonably, and our meritorious responses to the issues of our time will win us elections, adherents and the culture war.” WRONG. This is war. Good ideas are useless without great advocacy. Republicans literally are “killed with a thousand cuts” everyday. How many times have I heard that Cheney plotted the Iraq War for Halliburton? How many times have I heard that Bush just cares about oil and that tax cuts are only for the rich? Yes, we must tell the truth, but we have to fight fire with fire. That is what war is all about. Where Al Franken asks how old Ann Coulter is, she better ask him how tall he is. No, she is not lowering herself to his level, but she is taking the war to the enemy and beating him at his own game. They are beating us only be dehumanizing us, spinning that we Republicans (synonymous with, among others, KKK members) want to poison the air, water and kill all the babies. We sit back and let them cut us because we know we are right. Yes, Ann Coulter is the only Republican who acts like a Democrat. When every Republican acts like Ann Coulter (aggressively and even abrasively advocating for conservatism with bite, wit, charm, irony, and sardonic remarks) we will see victory instead of defeat. Democrats do not cannibalize their own. Nor should we (see Jack Ryan, Al D’Amato, Trent Lott, Dan Quayle, George H.W. Bush, Newt Gingrich, Bob Livingston, Clarence Thomas, et als).

— Albert Greenland: Albert Greenland Responds: Conservatives Must Act Like Ann Coulter, Being “Coulterian” is the only way to survive

It may be disingenuous for me to first quote his second post as a response to that of another. He intertwines two concepts in his first post that must be exclusively considered: first, that Republicans should learn how to defend themselves from defamation by telling the truth as a show of strength. Second, to be like Ann Coulter by basically adopting her spitfire, low-blow rhetorical tactics.

One can be achieved without the other. You can be as much like Ann Coulter and still make no sense. You can tell the truth and do it calmly and still be heard, and that is my first point of contention with Mr. Greenland.

Secondly, I take note of this particular passage in his first post: Everything is at stake here. The Democrats, like all other rank and file socialists and communists, will do anything to promote their agenda (remember how millions were killed by Lenin’s Red Army during the Communist uprising that began in 1917 Russia). It is time to pull off the gloves and fight back. We will not sell out America to save ourselves, but we will act more like Democrats.

This is where my question about killing liberals comes into play. Does Albert Greenland really think that the Democrats will reinstate this century’s version of a Red Army? I know that the proof is out there—with the promotion of political correctness as thought policing, for one—but I must ask yet again. Does he really believe that Democrats are a danger to the country that must be dealth with, probably after the war on Jihdaist Islam is taken care of?

Third, he takes note of solidarity in the Democrat party, and unfortunately, praises the wrong kind:

Except for Zel Miller, no Democrat is wishy-washy about supporting “The Party.” Democrats are soldiers, advocates, fierce defenders of “their guys.” To hell with the nation and the security of its citizens, average rank and file partisans will circle the wagons around their own. Just look at how various corrupt Democrats like Bill Clinton have benefited from the phalanx that swings into effect the moment a Democrat’s scurrilous and illegal behavior is exposed. Ed Gillespie, and every Republican politician or pundit should proudly and vociferously advocate for fellow Republicans and conservatism in general. Is Ann Coulter the only one who understands this? Where Democrats come at us like snakes, we must be mongooses. Wake up Republicans, and have some courage for a change! You won’t melt. Cheney had it right when he finally told that flimflam artist Patrick Leahy, “Go f— yourself.”

— Albert Greenland: An Advocacy Lesson for Republicans: Be “Coulterian!”

This is the same kind of solidarity that has allowed mainstream Democrats—having shifted to the far left—to embrace Michael Moore as a luminary of their ideology. The first passage of his that I quoted also deserves notice: Democrats do not cannibalize their own. Nor should we (see Jack Ryan, Al D’Amato, Trent Lott, Dan Quayle, George H.W. Bush, Newt Gingrich, Bob Livingston, Clarence Thomas, et als).

Mister Greenland is basically advocating that the members of “the Party” are beyond reproach, that they must be above criticism, and, for the sake of “the Party,” his concept of advocacy is exactly why I disdain and laugh at Democrats who have embraced the Far Left’s ideals.

The reason The Right cannibalizes its own is that it knows the game of power and politics. Politics is not about the promotion of an ideology to its purest form. Politics is the science of government, and in a democratic republic like ours, ideological purity means the death of a political career. It does not, will not, allow for any difference of opinion. Dean Esmay knows this, when he wrote: The more you insist on absolutes, the more you marginalize yourself in American politics, once again due to the ruthless and inevitable mathematical logic of Game Theory

The reason The Right cannibalizes its own is that it knows that while one needs a pure and strong concept to form a movement, it takes enough compromise, bargaining, and enough sacrifice of one’s ideals for such a concept to gain popular support, which is the basis of power in this country. The reason The Right cannibalizes its own is that it is a growing movement, a changing movement—which is perhaps an oxymoron of ironic proportions, considering that at its very core is conservatism—whose goal is not to have the purest of ideals, but to have the best ideas that will work with and for the most people.

If, as Mister Greenland advocates, the Republican party were to treat the monsters in its midst as blamesless saints, if the party were to embrace the vile rhetorical tactics of Ann Coulter and her mudslinging and her lack of class that alienates those to which we much reach out to to gain even more support, if the party were to fully adopt the idea that all Democrats and liberals are great threats to this nation second only to those who really wish to damage us, the Republican party would have turned into the Democrats of today, and I will flee, running away with my face covered in shame for calling myself a Republican.

I have my integrity, I have my values, and I have my own morals to know that I will never descend to the level of that of Coulter and Michael Moore. I do not want a Michael Moore anti-clone working for “our side,” nor do I want the face of the Republican party to reflect such a monstrosity, because merely keeping Democrats out of power—and yes, safeguarding our nation’s ideals—is not worth the risk of losing the soul of our movement, and the soul of our nation.

*—I have duly noted M. Hendrix and Michele Catalano in my example of those who wrote about the anti-RNC posters without having assumed idiocy of their audience because Hendrix merely posted those posters, while Michele herself used them as inspiration for a counterattack.