Idaho’s Conservative Schism (Opinion)
What mainstream media would call Idaho’s alt-right appears to be eating its own. Media isn’t filled with many great intellectuals and simply lumps various groups it doesn’t like on the right side of the political equation under one category. It makes it much easier to demonize everyone to the right of Mike Simpson, however. The fissures among so called conservatives don’t much help the cause of limited government and personal liberty.
This weekend I saw a post at Facebook where one of the founders of a news site called the Voice of Idaho (TVOI) was in a pitched battle with a former ally known as III% Idaho. The alliance these entities shared is crumbling under pressure from the federal government following the capitulation at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. Lefty is going to enjoy the continuing meltdown. Keep in mind Occupy demonstrators taking over city parks and looting and pooping on police cars was celebrated by the minions in mainstream media. For 50 years the liberals have lionized old hippies who seized campus administration buildings but a group of men attempting to protect their way-of-life were the villains to most of the lords-of-the-press.
But then many on the right haven’t helped their own cause. Some months ago one of these TVOI types posted a complaint about the Rothschild family meddling in world affairs and I guess by association the property arguments in Idaho, Oregon and Nevada. A synonym for Rothschild would be international bankers which would be a synonym for Jews. It’s tough to be sympathetic when some goober blames his/her own faults on an entire race of people nearly extinguished 70-years-ago. When you read something along those lines you start to believe Twin Falls City Councilman Chris Talkington may not be so far off the mark when he suggests some of the local opponents of refugee resettlement may be bigots. Frankly, it annoys me I sometimes get lumped in with the handful of right-of-center idiots he’s referencing.
A police officer and political conservative I know recently suggested some of the opponents of resettlement won’t be placated until the little boys accused in the Fawnbrook sexual assault are castrated and dangled from trees in City Park.
What disturbs me about the mopes who keep badgering the city council to throw up barricades and incite revolution is how they can’t see the damage they’ve done to reasonable arguments against refugee resettlement from the Islamic World. Nearly everyone I speak with in the political realm wants better vetting of refugees and they’ve not been silent. What would the alt-right have them do? We’ve already seen the III% and Malheur gang crumble when the government stepped in and even after the shooting of LaVoy Finicum there wasn’t any great public uprising or mass calls for justice.
Let me tell you something about guts. A decade ago I helped create something called the Patriot League of Central New York. It played a cumulative role in my dismissal from a talk show I hosted in Syracuse and was very disruptive to my family. Later in Delaware I was heavily involved with the birthing of something called SCCOR. It stood for Sussex County Community Organized Regiment. When members decided to adopt the slogan “by any means necessary” in a demand for political change the Governor had my background investigated. It had a cumulative effect on my eventual departure from hosting a talk show in such a lovely part of the country.
I find moving every few years disruptive and I don’t enjoy the hassle and cost and, yet. It ticks me off when some of these locals complain I’m not helping their cause. I’m not sure any of them are making any serious sacrifices and simply enjoy reading their names in Breitbart and the facts be darned.
These same people were once Paulites and claimed fealty to the Constitution but were among the first to board the Trump train. As we all know the Donald was the least constitutionalist among the 754 Republicans running for President (it’s a joke, simpletons). I support Trump as a default candidate and don’t believe he really is anywhere near as dangerous as media claims. Listen to how often he drops the word “negotiate” when he speaks. Sure, Mexico will pay for the wall but President Trump will exchange something with our neighbors for payment. It’s what most people are missing. I came across this link on Friday and I think it explains what we’re really dealing with both nationally and in Idaho. Some months ago I wrote many of Trump’s most vocal cultists want the man to punish their perceived oppressors. In the link Rod Dreher makes it clear they were never constitutionalists, libertarians or conservatives. They want to use government as a cudgel against their enemies. Just like liberals. I hope to hell their view of paradise is short lived. It’s why we need passing of a civics test before anyone can vote. Then we can weed out the scoundrels from all political classes.