Liberty Expose: Choose Your Heroes Wisely
Character development is one of the great is one of the great aims of fiction. Depictions of how Achilles came to terms with his egomaniacal ways in the Iliad, or how Levin realized the meaning of a fulfilling life in Anna Karenina gives us examples to strive for. But fiction is just that – fiction. In reality, people rarely change; and when they do, too often it is for the worst. Once again, the news cycle is reminding America that virtue doesn’t come easily.
Take North Korean tyrant Kim Jong-un. Despite the warnings of some, too many believed that a new era of peace and diplomacy has sprouted between the United States and North Korea. How this exactly happened was never explained, by the theses was defended nonetheless. The Norks went on a charm offensive commencing with Winter Olympics in South Korea (in which media figures, never missing an opportunity to attack the Trump administration, showed admiration on Kim Jong-un’s sister in comparison to VP Mike Pence.)
The North Koreans took further steps to revive their image: in a meeting between the two Korean leaders, Kim invited South Korean President Moon Jae-in across the border – a first in the contentious history of the two nations. All nice gestures that really mean nothing. Even the Twitter scrums between President Trump and Kim cooled off, as the former evolved from calling the latter fat to praising his character.
But, as to be expected, the niceties wore off. The hostile remarks coming from the Kim regime resumed. Some speculate it was remarks made by national security advisor John Bolton when he referred to seeking a denuclearization model similar to that in Libya. Maybe it’s because Kim is unsatisfied with a denuclearization model that actually results in denuclearization, or maybe Kim does not want to be assassinated via knife in the posterior like Gaddafi, but the hostility from the Kim regime has resumed – and the summit between Donald Trump and Kim has been called off, at least as of the hour of this writing.
To go to the other side of Asia, let’s take a look at Iran, with whom we recently pulled out of an executive agreement with. One of the main spokesmen for the Iranian regime is foreign minister Mohammad Zarif. Zarif represented the questionably named “moderate” faction of the Iranian power structure. He wrote op-eds for the New York Times and essays for Foreign Affairs.
He received his education in America; an undergrad and an M.A. at San Francisco State University, and another M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Denver. Nonetheless, he still went on to work for a regime that had “death to America, death to Israel” as its motto. And Zarif’s claim to be the representative of reason for the Islamic Republic was finally dismantled when a video captured Zarif chanting “death to America” enough times to be granted tenure. The moderate, as it turned out, was just as radical as the regime he dedicated his life too.
To bring the story back home onto the cultural front, the trending story of the day is the racist tweet by purported comedian Rosanne Barr. It should come as a surprise to none that Rosanne Barr is morally apprehensive. Though “redeemed” in the eyes of many for prorating the voice of Middle America in the resurrection of her sitcom Rosanne (why anyone would want to watch a show that reminds them of the news is beyond me), not too long ago, as in the 2012 presidential cycle, after coming in second to Jill Stein for the Green Party presidential nomination, Barr won the presidential nomination Peace and Freedom party, which is openly socialist. (She is sixth in the election, with 67,326 people believing that Rosanne Barr should be President of the United States.)
In 2011, Bar stated that bankers who don’t give up $100 million of their income should be sent to re-education camps or beheaded. As it turns out, people who are vile before they join your side are probably still vile.
The proliferation of social media brings both the freedom and tyranny of knowing our icon’s past. If someone with a questionable past attaches themselves to your movement or cause of choice, be concerned. Those on the right should not rejoice when Rosanne Barr or Kanye West come to the party. Rosanne is still deranged, and Kanye West is still Kanye West.
This goes across the aisle; it should concern progressives that Keith Olbermann, who has had his soul consumed by a fanatic hatred of Donald Trump, (re)ascended to ESPN, be concerned; having a true believer on that large a stage doesn’t help any cause. Welcome controversial newcomers with only half-open arms, and choose your heroes wisely. Virtue isn’t automatically bestowed upon those who agree with you.