The Patriot Post® · The Two Faces of Extremism

By Burt Prelutsky ·
https://patriotpost.us/opinion/63676-the-two-faces-of-extremism-2019-06-24

It was perfectly clear when Barry Goldwater said that extremism in the defense of liberty was no vice and that moderation in the pursuit of justice was no virtue that he was spelling out the basic creed of conservatism.

But extremism has gone through a number of transformations over the past half century. Today, those most likely to label their political opponents extremists are, oddly enough, Socialists.

Their perverted idea of an extremist is somebody who believes in Christ; doesn’t regard it as unconstitutional to post the 10 Commandments on a public building; to say “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance; or to place a Christmas tree in the public square.

They also regard those who support Israel; think a nation without borders is not a nation; or regard abortion as murder, as extremists.

The list also includes people who think taxes should be lowered, partly to discourage politicians from spending the money to buy the votes of certain racial groups.

They also call people who think that America is not only the greatest and most tolerant nation ever created—but the one that has shed the most blood and spent the most treasure to defend the freedom of other nations—white supremacists, xenophobes or, at the very least, suffering from toxic masculinity.

The Leftists also despise those of us who believe that western culture stands heads and shoulders above all others, and that when we suggest to those who abhor America and capitalism, that they should seek their happiness elsewhere, it proves we’re bigots, racists and haters.

It also inflames them when we argue that there are only two biological sexes and that those who disagree are clearly delusional; that the insane should be institutionalized; and that heroin addicts are not innocent victims of a disease any more than bank robbers are. In both cases, people have to make a really stupid decision about how they wish to waste their lives.

If you think those are the only people that the Left regards as extremists, you’re not even close.

For instance, if you believe that people who attempt to sneak across the border, putting their children or, more often, other people’s children at risk, are the bad guys and that those trying to protect out border are the good guys, you’re an extremist.

If you think it makes far more sense to be concerned about the votes being cast by non-citizens and by those refusing to use photo I.D.s to identify themselves than to worry about Russia meddling in our elections, you’re an extremist.

If you think there is something screwy about our schools, which are otherwise religion-free zones, indoctrinating our young people with the madness of Islam, you’re an extremist.

If you think that when it comes to college admission, there is something vile about tossing out academic criteria in order to accommodate undeserving minority students, you’re an extremist, as well as a racist and a bigot.

If all you do is believe that Mother Nature, and not man, controls the weather, that’s more than enough to get you branded.

Because those on the Left regard themselves as middle of the road realists, they naturally regard anyone who bases his conclusions on facts and logic as an enemy.

In short, in an America that neither Barry Goldwater nor John F. Kennedy, would recognize, Communism, not commonsense, currently prevails.


Recent events have shown that the differences between the so-called greatest generation and today’s couldn’t have been starker.

At Normandy, Donald Trump and a handful of survivors of the D-Day invasion were paying their respects to the fallen heroes of 75 years ago, while here at home congressmen and senators who had done nothing to stop the invasion of illegal aliens from Mexico, Africa and Central America, were busy denouncing the President for trying to force Mexico through tariffs to act like the good neighbor they’re always claiming to be.

Mitch McConnell, a blowhard the GOP has elected to be the Senate leader, a man who has grown wealthy being China’s go-to man on Capitol Hill, and the rest of the trained seals in Congress are voicing concern that the price of Mexico’s crap might be passed along to American consumers. To which I say, good.

It’s high time more Americans had skin in the game. If it means we have to pay a little more for t-shirts, avocados and trinkets, we should just suck it up.

At least the 20 million or so Americans who depend on Mexico for their supply of heroin, meth and fentanyl, shouldn’t see the costs rise since those products enter our country tariff-free.

Which reminds me, in case you haven’t heard, there is a move on to impeach the President. No, not Trump. I’m referring to El Presidente, Andrés Obrador. It seems that the Mexicans are getting tired of all the Central Americans passing through their country, and perhaps even more tired of those who have chosen to stay. No doubt Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi will soon be accusing the Mexicans of being brown supremacists.


It seems that Mrs. Elijah Cummings, wife of the man who pretends to hold the deed to the moral high ground in the House, has been funneling money from a charity she runs into her own pocket.

Compounding the crime is that most of the “donations” are from companies and individuals having business before the committee Rep. Cummings chairs.

Is there a single black public official in this country who isn’t, when you get right down to it, a con artist or a street thug?


Proving that white politicians are nearly as bad, Bill de Blasio is blaming white supremacists (in other words, Trump supporters) for the large uptick in anti-Semitic attacks in New York City. That would be bad enough if it was merely a mistaken assumption, although it’s not one that a rational person would make.

But de Blasio, an incompetent who would like to move from Gracie Mansion to the White House, knows better because he’s seen the same videos I have of the usual black, Latino and Muslim suspects, sucker-punching and kicking elderly Hassidic Jews.


The truth is, if I were a woman, I’d probably be one of the very few 79-year-old virgins in America. The first problem is that, apparently, no birth control device is 100% dependable; the second is that I consider abortion a vile act. A third reason I would remain chaste is that I wouldn’t want to experience the pain of child birth, let alone the discomfort of carting another human being around inside me for nine months.

Why would I even want to risk morning sickness when it’s so much easier to get a dog?

I know from having talked to women that they nearly always tell me that the pain of child birth is worth the experience of motherhood. I have no reason to think they’re lying to me. But, having seen a lot of women sporting tattoos, which definitely do not enhance their looks, whatever they may have been told by liars looking to have sex with them, I have concluded that women don’t experience pain in the same way that men do.

I have also been told that fish don’t experience pain, although never by a fish.

But, I have no doubt that if, like male sea horses, men were capable of giving birth, not one of us would have ever been born.