A continuing series of discussions of Mark Levin’s new book,

The Liberty Amendments: Restoring the American Republic

(Discussion #18 – #Shutuppery)

Last week we looked at the rise of dishonesty in society, with a focus on the media as a mirror of who we are. The articles we linked provided a well-documented case that shows how thoroughly the mainstream media (our newspapers, television news, and the various ways editorial commentary is channeled throughout all media) have moved away from the profession of journalism to the role of political protector of the President and other prominent leftists. (Mark Levin refers to them as the Praetorian Media.) The rational case for this is so clear that only a cartoonish form of defense of it comes from the left anymore. In other words, they know it’s true, but they no longer care. (Which explains the reigning ethos at msnbc.)

The lack of shame over this transformation has long since passed beyond alarming, and has metamorphosed into an antagonistic presence that we must face head on. Yes, the media has always had its share of dishonest members, and a quick review of old political cartoons shows that the art of spin and malicious inference have been with us for a very long time. But the current state of our media is the most polarized and dishonest in living memory. The role of journalist has disappeared, and been replaced by cadres of conniving spin artists with a single, over-arching goal: control of the narrative.

But it doesn’t stop there.

Right along with this new lack of concern over honor, truth, and integrity comes a rising trend of thug-like behavior aimed at shutting down debate. Some of the behavior is in the physical realm of thuggishness. These sorts of events were not commonplace in modern American politics until recently. We would occasionally have to contend with property damage (typically to campaign headquarters) but not much in the way of direct physical or dangerous confrontation.

However, the increase in racial antagonism propagated by the President and his supporters has made such physical confrontations more likely, not less. This racial antagonism has also driven the rise in criminal behavior of the sorts reported as “knockout game” assaults and “flash mob” property invasion. And the one who sets the tone is the President.







From the petty display of closing national monuments to prevent veterans from visiting them, to probable use of the IRS to prevent conservative groups from organizing in time to work the 2012 elections, this President has signaled his supporters that the gloves are off, and nearly anything goes. While the Internet has always had a cast of trolls, griefers, and violent-rhetoric using nutjobs, the level of seriously threatening language has increased. As we saw with the Martin/Zimmerman incident, the President has chosen to play no part in leading his followers toward enlightenment. We’ve now reached the point where being female and conservative on twitter is pretty much a guarantee of receiving threats of rape.

Naturally the media chooses to fan the flames—slowly—to achieve maximum burn time. Thus we are treated over and over with claims that it’s the Tea Party members who are violent, and are likely to engage in terrorism. We see claims that the Tea Party and Conservatives are radicals and extremists. And though this has been a low level activity seen on the political landscape for many of the past ten presidencies, it has usually been the province of fringe groups and cult leaders. Under the current President—especially with the disastrous rollout of the Affordable Care Act and the several scandals plaguing his Administration—it has now become mainstream.

The more problems he has, the more they accuse you of being the problem.

The increase in this barrage of accusations and thug-like behavior toward political opponents has drawn the focus of Stacy McCain, who has written a series of articles on what he calls the phenomenon of #Shutuppery. (A term that may have been coined by the blogger LadyLiberty1885.) It has gotten to the point where anonymous thugs dig for information on a conservative who comments publicly, and “outs” that person by publishing their name and address (a phenomenon called “doxing”). Sometimes it escalates to online harassment, “swatting,” lawsuit abuse, or direct threats. The point is to get you to shut up.

Meanwhile, the President and his phalanx of totalitarians want you to hand them your guns.

Yeah, that’ll happen.

But so far, #Shutuppery has seemed to work for the left. They apply it heavily in our colleges and universities, making it difficult for conservative and libertarian groups to thrive on campus. It has gotten so bad that David Horowitz created the Students For Academic Freedom group to fight this campus phenomenon. But successes come slowly. Oddly, Obama’s failures and scandals have made him less popular among students and young people. But as long as the left has marginalized all dissent on campus, both institutionally and among the students, they hold the upper hand on educational #Shutuppery.

What it all comes down to is one question, really: How much longer will you stand for this drive to silence you?

If you are ready to reclaim your space in the public square, then it’s time to engage in a drive to Restore Liberty. An Article Five Convention is vital to ending the deathgrip the Federal government has on our national prosperity and our freedom. But we cannot achieve success in this fight if we fall prey to the #Shutuppery of the left. It’s time to let them know they failed.

The totalitarian temptation is what leads this drive to silence one’s critics. We must remind them that Liberty is what our nation was founded upon, and Liberty is the basis that shall remain. We do this by no longer remaining silent. It’s time to speak up, even if the treatment we get for it is like what happened with this man.

. . .Who knows? You might be famous!

Please take time to call your statehouse representative and ask about their position on an Article Five Convention. Then visit the ArticleFiveProcess website, and let us know what they said!

Previously:

Discussion #17 – Why All The Lies?

Discussion #16 – A Few Quick Notes

Discussion #15: Our Cities: The Real Misery Index

Discussion #14: The Missing Balance and the Many Applications

Discussion #13: Activism, and the Scope of the Problem

Discussion #12: Cutting Back The Bureaucracy

Discussion #11: ArticleFiveProcess site news

Discussion #10: The Article Five process is how we go on offense

Discussion #9: the filthy habit of continuing resolutions

Discussion #8: Naysayers

Discussion #7: Tracking Our Progress

Discussion #6: Amendments on Spending and Taxes

Discussion #5: How much power do the states have?

Discussion #4: What If They Hijack the Convention?

Discussion #3: An Invitation to Our Friends on the Left

Discussion #2: Run Away!

Discussion #1: Zombie Doctrine, Tactics, and the Liberty Amendments