The Midwest is getting a bit of a taste of Berkeley life. I'm guessing they are not liking it one bit. The violent, hostile vibe wouldn't sit well with decent Midwestern folks.
Of course, around Berkeley, riots are nothing new; there are street uprisings whenever the spirit moves people.
On Telegraph Avenue, the poor merchants have endured impromptu mayhem for decades. I say "poor" merchants for a reason: most of them are struggling, and, if you've visited the area recently, you'll find that a number of storekeepers have packed up and moved on.
When the infamous BART police shooting occurred a few years ago, there was lawlessness all over downtown Oakland. Cars were destroyed, stores ransacked and looted, and people were injured. Of course, many joined in who weren't motivated by righteous indignation, but by the promise of free jewelry and clothes.
And, when the verdict was announced, there were riots again, because, well, why not? Since the law-abiding don't balk at rampant criminality, there's an incentive to act out. And to borrow from Rahm Emanuel: Never let a crisis go to waste -- especially when you can procure a new television set!
Since I woke up from my leftist stupor two years ago, I've had many epiphanies. Here's one: the Left is comprised of two distinct groups, the abusers and the abused. The dynamics are like any abusive relationship.
Similar to a battered spouse, the abusee will put up with terrible treatment because she's convinced she deserves it. Out here, all the propaganda about social justice leaves citizens drowning in white guilt. They'll do anything, accept even the unacceptable, in order to do atone themselves.
Berkeley has our very own version of the Stockholm Syndrome, where, out of fear for one's survival, people come to admire, even love, their abusers. Berkeleyites will passionately defend the very people who abuse them. ("It wasn't his fault that he robbed and beat me! He's a victim of white imperialism!")
The victims even delude themselves into believing that though they are preyed upon, they are somehow lucky. I hear it all the time out here, "We're so lucky to live in Berkeley! It's so tolerant here!" And I think, tolerant of what, violence? Sociopathy?
As for the abusers, they have been told since they were knee-high that the deck is stacked against them. Consequently, if the whole system is unjust and bogus, why not take advantage of it?
And since society continually excuses and rationalizes their bad behavior, they never learn to take responsibility. They may even become intoxicated with their own power and invincibility.
This is why so much of the crime out here is brazen, right out in broad daylight for all the world to see. For instance, not long ago, a noon client came in and told me that she had just seen a mugging a few feet from my office building.
The fact that there were hordes of people on the street and many witnesses didn't deter the mugger in the least. Why should the miscreant fear the sheep-like unarmed, citizens of Berkeley?
When I analyze why I am one of the rare progressives to ever see the light, I think it's because I never accepted being a sacrificial lamb. I have always been appalled by the wanton criminality around here and the foreboding, uncivil streets.
I even recall writing a passionate letter to the editor bemoaning the unconscionable crime rate -- and I did this twenty years ago! It has always frustrated me that the multitudes are too indoctrinated to defend themselves or others.
With the demonstrations in Wisconsin, the country is getting a sneak preview of what life will be like for everyone if the left prevails. The climate that the left has created in Berkeley will be the norm in Milwaukee and Toledo and all over the country should the left win.
Because the left are not just abusers; they are terrorists, with leaders who engage in or call for terror, including Bill Ayers and Frances Fox Piven.
This is why the Governor and the citizens of Wisconsin must hold strong, and not buckle under pressure. Because in some ways, the country is at a tipping point. As goes Wisconsin, goes the entire nation.
Remember who are the leftists: they kidnapped Patty Hearst from her own house and raped and tortured her; they support the regime that sexually attacked and beat Lara Logan.
The leftists are more ruthless and rapacious than your wildest imagination. They do not simply want your money and your property.
They desire something much more essential: your ability to fight back; the innate belief that you and I and this country are worth fighting for.
They want to crush your self-respect and dignity, to steal the virtues that are hidden deep down in your soul. It's too late for Berkeley. But, Wisconsin, don't give it to them.
Robin of Berkeley
Robin is a recovering liberal, and a licensed psychotherapist who lives in Berkeley, California. The above information is intended for entertainment and educational purposes, rather than to offer any kind of definitive diagnoses.Visit Robin’s blog.
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