Always been hyper-partisan

John Manning: “Our current poverty of national spirit is largely due to the hyper-partisan nature of our national discourse.”

In 1804, Aaron Burr shot and killed Alexander Hamilton. In 1838, US Representative William Graves shot and killed US Representative Johnathan Cilley. In 1858, approximately 30 US representatives engaged in what was described as “full-fledged sectional combat” on the House floor, where congressmen routinely carried handguns and bowie knives.

That culture of violence also manifested in state legislatures. For example, in 1837, the speaker of Arkansas’ House murdered a representative on the House floor. Though not a politician, Jay Gould was understandably assaulted a few times by hyper-partisans on the streets of New York City.

As one example of labor hyper-partisanship, in 1921, 10,000 armed coal miners understandably attacked 3,000 cops and scabs in the Battle of Blair Mountain.

So, suggesting that the current level of “hyper”-partisanship is an abnormality is as silly as Manning’s “poverty of national spirit.”

Manning: “We’re all individuals, which is why communal ideologies (communism and Marxism) have failed miserably.”

Since I’ve dismantled that Manning-made fatuity several times, I’ll only remind readers that Manning understandably never attempts to defend his assertions. Therefore, we’ll have to assume he understands them to be as baseless and indefensible as they are.

Manning: “We’ve lost — hopefully temporally — the ability to discuss things respectfully. We talk at each other and not to each other. Demanding ideological purity with adherence to the party line is paramount.”

Again, the impolite nature of politics is nothing new. It’s a full-contact sport characterized by Coolio’s “If ya can’t take the heat, get ya [blank] out the kitchen. We on a mission.”

Manning’s “adherence to the party line is paramount” is negated by a recent Gallup poll showing that 49% of voters deem themselves politically independent. That’s roughly the same as the Republican and Democratic parties combined. Therefore, the dominant party is the “I’ll Shop Around Party.” Manning exaggerates. Manning: “You cannot have a hopeful society while avoiding freedom of speech and belief, marketing in free trade, stable families, accountability, compassion, work ethic and fidelity to community and then promoting violence, wishing to fundamentally transform society to the social idealism of communal/socialist beliefs.”

Few people reject those things. And very few people promote violence. As a Marxist, I understand that capitalist classes, not revolutionaries, dictate tactics for fundamental transformations/revolutions. Capitalists, not Marxists, reject peaceful change.

Guy Marsh

Lancaster