"Of course, these people did not deserve harm because of their support for soft-on-crime policies."
Deserve? Perhaps not. But just deserts for inflicting evil ideas that increase the risk of crime and death on everyone because of what they lobby for? Perhaps. You reap what you sow comes to mind.
The recent change of heart from the Biden Administration on the southern border wall is another fine illustration of this phenomenon. Suddenly, when massive numbers of illegals were transported to Democrat-run cities, the seriousness of the southern invasion became a reality and the opposition to the wall immediately vanished. Funny how that works.
Ah, you will never surmount the estimable Thomas Sowell:
"It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong."
They thought they would not pay a price for their beliefs, but they did; however, that lesson went for nothing. The only benefit is that maybe someone like them will see and learn.
Luxury beliefs sum it up perfectly. As one who works in the trenches and somewhat understanding of the other I never cease to be stunned by the elites ability to make pronouncements on things they have never even come close to experienced. Being with the other is an education in and of itself and more valuable than untested opinions and data
Fabulous read!!! I am a criminal defense attorney. Most of my clients victimize their own neighbors. None take a bus up from south Houston to The Woodlands to rob suburbanites.
One of my favorite scenes in 2020 happened as I stood outside my apartment at 82nd and Columbus, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. (For those who don’t know, this is one of the whitest, most liberal neighborhoods in the country.) A massive procession of protesters on $2000 bikes streamed down Columbus Avenue (escorted by NYPD cars), chanting, “How do you spell racist? NYPD!” Across the intersection from me, about 8-10 NYPD officers of the nearby precinct stood by the barricades, defending these people’s right to protest. Every one of those officers was black or brown and probably lives in the far reaches of an outer borough. Every cyclist was white and probably lived on the UWS (or in Williamsburg). The people affected by defunding the police? They’re in Bed Stuy. They don’t own bikes. Their kids are being mugged on the way home from school.
"The death of two progressive activists shocked the nation...."
No, it did not. It shocked people who are out of touch with reality, though I will grant that might represent a fair sized segment of the population. It didn't shock anyone with a functioning mind.
I don't recall the name of the talking head who was highly amused by rioting a few years ago and seemed happy to egg them on. Until it got within a block or two of his home. Then he said, "Get these animals away from here!" Nice verbiage.
Whatever can't go on forever...won't. Denying reality can't go on forever without dire consequences. Denial doesn't stop the denied things from happening--it just makes it surprising when they do. They did. Some people were surprised when the murders happened. Others are surprised it took this long.
“Sadly, it will probably take more high-profile deaths and attacks for people to wake up”
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Yeah basically we need George Soros and his kid to get walloped in the nutsack a few times by some migrants and released prisoners and that should fix this.
Luxury beliefs can stem from malice, good intentions, or outright naivete. But the individuals who hold those beliefs, the people who wield the most influence in policy and culture, are often sheltered when their preferences are implemented.
Some online commenters have said that my luxury beliefs thesis is undermined by these tragic events, because the victims were affluent and influential—and they still suffered the consequences of their beliefs. But the fact remains that poor people are far more likely to be victims of violent crime. For every upper-middle-class person killed, 20 poor people you never hear about are assaulted and murdered. You just never hear about them. They don’t get identified by name in the media. Their stories don’t get told.
These attacks on elitists are long overdue. The article says that they don't deserve to have violence inflicted upon them, but it does seem to be necessary to wake up the woke. I especially resonated on the observation that most elitists have never experienced physical violence so they don't understand what violence is and misuse the word to describe "offensive" language. They aren't stupid but they are inexperienced and naive. A few robberies, assaults and murders - strategically placed - should disabuse even the most elite of their naivete.
I was friends with Josh for years - while I agree with the tenor of the article, Josh was not exactly the "elite liberal" he's being made out to be.
He was in recovery (that's where I know him from) and had taken plenty of classes at the School of Hard Knocka. He had those "latte liberal" political beliefs, yes, but he actually thought that they might change things for the people that suffered in Philadelphia. Was he wrong? Yes. Did the policies he supported ultimately cost him his life? Yes. However, it wasn't out of elite-education ignorance that he believed what he believed; they were hard won.
It's a little more involved than police being "defunded". Just because the money is the same these movements destroyed morale among current officers AND passed laws which made police unable to be defended by the municipalities they worked for. SO you can have the same budget but few officers and fewer new recruits. So yeah they were defunded
"Of course, these people did not deserve harm because of their support for soft-on-crime policies."
Deserve? Perhaps not. But just deserts for inflicting evil ideas that increase the risk of crime and death on everyone because of what they lobby for? Perhaps. You reap what you sow comes to mind.
The recent change of heart from the Biden Administration on the southern border wall is another fine illustration of this phenomenon. Suddenly, when massive numbers of illegals were transported to Democrat-run cities, the seriousness of the southern invasion became a reality and the opposition to the wall immediately vanished. Funny how that works.
Ah, you will never surmount the estimable Thomas Sowell:
"It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong."
They thought they would not pay a price for their beliefs, but they did; however, that lesson went for nothing. The only benefit is that maybe someone like them will see and learn.
Luxury beliefs sum it up perfectly. As one who works in the trenches and somewhat understanding of the other I never cease to be stunned by the elites ability to make pronouncements on things they have never even come close to experienced. Being with the other is an education in and of itself and more valuable than untested opinions and data
“The vast majority of educated people have never been in a real fight or experienced serious physical injury.”
———————————————————
Build Back Bullying
The luxury beliefs of the sanctuary city dwellers are also being tested against reality.
Fabulous read!!! I am a criminal defense attorney. Most of my clients victimize their own neighbors. None take a bus up from south Houston to The Woodlands to rob suburbanites.
One of my favorite scenes in 2020 happened as I stood outside my apartment at 82nd and Columbus, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. (For those who don’t know, this is one of the whitest, most liberal neighborhoods in the country.) A massive procession of protesters on $2000 bikes streamed down Columbus Avenue (escorted by NYPD cars), chanting, “How do you spell racist? NYPD!” Across the intersection from me, about 8-10 NYPD officers of the nearby precinct stood by the barricades, defending these people’s right to protest. Every one of those officers was black or brown and probably lives in the far reaches of an outer borough. Every cyclist was white and probably lived on the UWS (or in Williamsburg). The people affected by defunding the police? They’re in Bed Stuy. They don’t own bikes. Their kids are being mugged on the way home from school.
“On Monday night, blocks away from the Capitol in Washington, D.C., Congressman Henry Cuellar was carjacked by three armed men.”
——————————————————-
Swedish tourists, again. When are we going to unite and finally restrict Swedish tourism.
Swedish tourism is *not* safe and effective.
"The death of two progressive activists shocked the nation...."
No, it did not. It shocked people who are out of touch with reality, though I will grant that might represent a fair sized segment of the population. It didn't shock anyone with a functioning mind.
I don't recall the name of the talking head who was highly amused by rioting a few years ago and seemed happy to egg them on. Until it got within a block or two of his home. Then he said, "Get these animals away from here!" Nice verbiage.
Whatever can't go on forever...won't. Denying reality can't go on forever without dire consequences. Denial doesn't stop the denied things from happening--it just makes it surprising when they do. They did. Some people were surprised when the murders happened. Others are surprised it took this long.
Great article. When will the “elites” truly start caring about the underserved instead of all the virtue signaling?
“Sadly, it will probably take more high-profile deaths and attacks for people to wake up”
——————————————
Yeah basically we need George Soros and his kid to get walloped in the nutsack a few times by some migrants and released prisoners and that should fix this.
🥜🥜🥊🥊🥊
This right here:
Luxury beliefs can stem from malice, good intentions, or outright naivete. But the individuals who hold those beliefs, the people who wield the most influence in policy and culture, are often sheltered when their preferences are implemented.
Some online commenters have said that my luxury beliefs thesis is undermined by these tragic events, because the victims were affluent and influential—and they still suffered the consequences of their beliefs. But the fact remains that poor people are far more likely to be victims of violent crime. For every upper-middle-class person killed, 20 poor people you never hear about are assaulted and murdered. You just never hear about them. They don’t get identified by name in the media. Their stories don’t get told.
These attacks on elitists are long overdue. The article says that they don't deserve to have violence inflicted upon them, but it does seem to be necessary to wake up the woke. I especially resonated on the observation that most elitists have never experienced physical violence so they don't understand what violence is and misuse the word to describe "offensive" language. They aren't stupid but they are inexperienced and naive. A few robberies, assaults and murders - strategically placed - should disabuse even the most elite of their naivete.
I was friends with Josh for years - while I agree with the tenor of the article, Josh was not exactly the "elite liberal" he's being made out to be.
He was in recovery (that's where I know him from) and had taken plenty of classes at the School of Hard Knocka. He had those "latte liberal" political beliefs, yes, but he actually thought that they might change things for the people that suffered in Philadelphia. Was he wrong? Yes. Did the policies he supported ultimately cost him his life? Yes. However, it wasn't out of elite-education ignorance that he believed what he believed; they were hard won.
It's a little more involved than police being "defunded". Just because the money is the same these movements destroyed morale among current officers AND passed laws which made police unable to be defended by the municipalities they worked for. SO you can have the same budget but few officers and fewer new recruits. So yeah they were defunded