5 Feet of Fury

David Harsanyi: America’s most under-rated columnist

Harsanyi gets it:

Have we transformed into so brittle a citizenry that we are unable to handle a raucous debate over the future of the country? If things were quiet, subdued and “civil” in America today, as Pelosi surely wishes, it would only be proof that democracy wasn’t working.

It’s no accident, either, that those in power are generally the ones choking up about the lack of decorum. The truth is, we could use far less bogus civility in Washington. (…)

This new focus on civility is meant to cloud another issue. Let’s not confuse personal civility with political civility. A “civil” citizenry can mean a pliable citizenry, waiting — sometimes forever — to speak their minds.

We have no duty to say “please” and “thank you” to elected officials. Not yet.

So does David Horowitz:

We are in the midst of a political war — a war begun by the left, and in fact waged only by the left until Obama’s recently launched attempt to steamroll the nation into the socialist future.

Seven years ago, the left set out to destroy George Bush and did — because he didn’t fight back.

How dare those Democrats who called Bush a liar and a murderer talk about decorum and profess shock that a Republican should call out Obama on his lies about health care?  Their lies about Bush got Americans and Iraqis killed. Wilson’s truth not only hurt no one, it resulted in a positive change in the policy.