Public beatings of conservatives have been going on for some time now. Despite the dominant media’s efforts to downplay the violence foisted upon those who do not think the way they do, the attack on Quillette reporter Andy Ngo has brought the issue to the forefront of political dialogue. And it is time for a thorough discussion of the moral and ethical mindset behind this domestic violence.
I’m OK, But You’re NOT
In the 1970s classic self-help book I’m OK – You’re OK, Thomas Anthony Harris offers the theory of transactional analysis, or TA, as a social construct. He asserts that sometimes it is psychologically safer for people to believe a lie than to recognize the truth of the evidence in front of them. Thus, he posits that the following four mental states not only exist but are constantly being played out:
I'm Not OK, You're OK
I'm Not OK, You're Not OK
I'm OK, You're Not OK
I'm OK, You're OK
These designations roughly simulate the four basic ego states of a human being. It appears that those on the left have become stuck in No. 3: I’m OK, You’re Not OK. Although dated, this social construct is used by radical leftists to justify not only their right but also their civic duty to beat the bejesus out of those with whom they disagree.
For instance, CNN and its myriad hosts have given the green light to the domestic terrorist group known as Antifa in a variety of ways:
In August 2018, Chris Cuomo stated: “All punches are not equal morally …” While asserting that Antifa is wrong to assault, the CNN host adds a huge “but” – “But fighting hate is right. And in a clash between hate and those who oppose it, those who oppose it are on the side of right.”
Don Lemon raised the ante after the melee in Charlottesville when he said, “Sometimes you can't fight by praising them or being nice to them. You gotta fight fire with fire …”
Fast-forward to the recent Antifa violence in Portland, OR, perpetrated against Mr. Ngo, a conservative reporter, to better understand why CNN host Brian Stelter -- while calling the assault “unacceptable” in a tweet -- went on to devote a total of 47 seconds to the story on his show. Stelter often grandstands as a Fourth Estate authority, and yet he did not show the video of Mr. Ngo’s beating on his program. Too bloody? Too violent? Perhaps doesn’t fit into Mr. Stelter’s ego construct? Where were his wrath and outrage, as a defender of the media, on behalf of Mr. Ngo?
All over the airwaves, approval of Mr. Ngo’s beating was given moral justification. “He isn’t really a journalist and thus should not be treated as a member of the press” was one claim. Well, how about a member of humanity? Doesn’t Mr. Ngo have the right to attend the Portland event without fear of being physically hammered into submission? To those on the political left, that would appear to be 50 shades of gray when it is really very black and white.
Andy Ngo
Going beyond the airwaves and into the law enforcement community, we are witnessing something that should be labeled “selective protection.” That is, if you are on the same political side as the mayor, then you are entitled to police protection. But if you are on the other side – well, not so much. It is the mindset identical to the media’s -- “I’m OK, You’re Not OK” -- so you don’t deserve to be shielded from violence. This subjective protection is not only reprehensible but also sets up a dangerous paradigm antithetical to civil society.
As a nation, we should beware of the mindset that says you got the crap beat out of you because you deserve it. This schoolyard moral equivalency will not only deepen the scars of the wounded but also accelerate the domestic terrorism visited on those who do not conform to a certain set of political beliefs.
While this subject isn’t funny in the least, it does recall an episode of The Simpsons. In it, Dr. Marvin Monroe, a character on the show, bases his philosophy on another morph of the four ego states that allows certain people to justify violent behavior. The current leftist approval of beating conservatives fits right in with Dr. Monroe’s observation, “I’m OK, You’re Sick and Twisted.” And therein lies the psychological heartbeat of the left.
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