If only American politicians actually opposed all forms of ‘political violence’

American politicians are responsible for "political violence" resulting in literally millions of deaths during my lifetime.

“There is absolutely no place for political violence in our democracy,” former US president Barack Obama tweeted on July 13, in response to the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump.

Former president Bill Clinton agreed: “Violence has no place in America, especially in our political process.”

As did current president Joe Biden Official statement: “There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it.”

Former president George W. Bush — who got Daddy to secure him a stateside Air National Guard billet so he could avoid risking his hide in Vietnam, then deserted — called the attack “cowardly.”

It probably goes without saying that Donald Trump doesn’t like being shot at.

Yes, of course I also condemn “political violence.” Not just some of it — all of it.

All the aforementioned presidents are mass murderers, and by definition all of the murders they’ve ordered have been “political.”

Obama and Trump in particular have ordered the political murders of American citizens, including 16-year-old Abdulrahman Anwar al-Awlaki and eight-year-old Nawar al-Awlaki. Neither of the victims were charged with, let alone convicted of, any crime. Nor have any of the perpetrators been charged with or tried for the murders.

Bill Clinton took “full responsibility” for the murders of 82 Branch Davidians by federal agents in Waco, Texas in 1993. Apparently “full responsibility” doesn’t include throwing one’s self on the mercy of a court.

I have to disagree — but only partially — with journalist/novelist Ben Ehrenreich’s snarky tweet: “There is no place for political violence against rich, white men. It is antithetical to everything America stands for.”

There’s quite a bit of “political violence” in the world, but the term seldom gains much traction, nor does the phenomenon get much attention, unless the target is an American politician.

American politicians are responsible for “political violence” resulting in literally millions of deaths during my lifetime (I was born just as the war in Vietnam was heating up).

While there’s usually vigorous debate about the wisdom of such “political violence,” and plenty of hand-wringing about “collateral damage” and such, we see none of the red-faced, vein-popping outrage that suddenly appears when the target is one of America’s Very Special Important People.

Contra Ehrenreich, the outrage isn’t about the targets being rich or white. It’s about the targets being part of the American political class.

There’s an interrogation scene in the 1996 biopic Michael Collins, in which a prisoner is told “Don’t threaten us, you Fenian swine. We threaten you!”

That sums up our rulers’ attitude toward “political violence”: Perfectly acceptable when they’re choosing the targets, outrageous that they should ever BECOME the targets.

I oppose “political violence,” even against murderous scumbags like Donald Trump. I’d like to see him brought to justice, but I don’t expect the vigilante method to produce good outcomes.

Until we find a way through and out of ALL the “political violence,” just keep in mind that political class VSIPs see themselves as untouchable ranchers and you as disposable livestock.

Thomas L. Knapp (Twitter: @thomaslknapp) is director and senior news analyst at the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism (thegarrisoncenter.org). He lives and works in north central Florida.