President Biden rejected reality in his statements on Afghanistan. In doing so, he has followed a pattern emblematic of the Left.
Yes, there was general agreement about leaving that nation, but the manner in which it was done was incompetent, heartless and utterly irrational. There was absolutely no need to abandon American civilians, our allies’ servicemembers and Afghan citizens who aided our forces, not to mention leaving billions of dollars in advanced weaponry to our enemies. That’s not an opinion; it’s fact.
That refusal to acknowledge hard facts has become the hallmark of the Left, not just in foreign affairs, but in almost all realms of discourse. Perhaps the second-best example, aside from Biden’s bizarre Afghanistan comments, was broadcast on TV screens last summer, when the acts of hordes of violent criminals burning buildings, looting stores, invading police stations and attacking innocents were described as “peaceful protests.”
There is not a single law or regulation that permits racial discrimination against minorities. As the Left’s charge of America being racist disintegrates in the light of facts, the Left’s response is to make up new “facts.” A prime example: The sheer nonsense of the 1619 Project and Critical Race Theory, devoid of accuracy and thoroughly unsupported by history, has been rammed through the media and educational system due to unrelenting pressure, defiling the nation’s schools and the national conversation.
There is a pattern that is consistently followed.
Make any statement of fact that the Left doesn’t like, and a prompt and completely baseless response is made alleging that “there is no proof” or “your facts are wrong.” When those nonsensical allegations fail to convince, step No. 2 is taken: censor those who speak the truth. If that doesn’t work, step No. 3 occurs: attack the person, not the position. The opposition is branded as a warmonger, racist or other extreme and false adjective. If that doesn’t work, step No. 4 is taken: destroy the commentator’s means of support, by pressuring his employer or sponsor to fire or silence the “offender” under threat of boycott. Currently, Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson is the subject of this assault.
A dramatic example was observed during the Trump years. He bluntly exposed the Left’s rejection of facts, and the failures of their policies. Rather than debate the facts he presented, he was personally and relentlessly attacked, using charges that have since been proven to be wholly false.
Why did this descent towards demagoguery occur? The answer lies in the very nature of the Left’s failed beliefs, which can very generally be described as socialism at home and carelessness abroad. The two are connected. Socialism devastates the economy, and funds must be found to at least delay the inevitable bankruptcy that follows. Those dollars, at least for a time, are drained from the defense budget, and the hard-earned salaries of working Americans.
Socialism, for more than 100 years, has failed miserably across the globe, the latest example being Venezuela. The facts just don’t work for the Left, and so they must be silenced, denied or overlooked, just as they deny that their anti-middle class, anti-business policies are actually socialist.
Similarly, a refusal to stand one’s’ ground abroad, whether by ignoring threats or stripping assets that could deter aggression, has failed to stop wars or promote peace. Appeasing Hitler in the 1930s turned out to be a terrible mistake, and the violence of World War II was the result. The Soviet Union was getting militarily more threatening (even as its economy was crashing) but fortunately, President Reagan’s “peace through strength” initiative prevented a third World War.
When facts are denied, censored or ridiculed, intelligent, civil and rational discourse becomes impossible. The Left’s tactics not only produce bad policies, they divide the nation.
