Background Noise

In The Atlantic on Monday, Bruce Snheier commented on the Marathon bombings in particular and terrorism in general:

A huge amount of research on fear and the brain teaches us that we exaggerate threats that are rare, spectacular, immediate, random -- in this case involving an innocent child -- senseless, horrific and graphic. Terrorism pushes all of our fear buttons, really hard, and we overreact.  

But our brains are fooling us. Even though this will be in the news for weeks, we should recognize this for what it is: a rare event. That's the very definition of news: something that is unusual -- in this case, something that almost never happens. 

We "exaggerate threats that are rare, spectacular, immediate, random"; we react to them with fear, and fear causes us to change our responses.

And that is why progressives are coming unhinged.

Oh, not because of the bombings, though you can see evidence of the root cause in the media commentary about that event.  Nor because of the defeat of the recent raft of gun control legislation, either - though again, you can see evidence of the underlying problem that progressives are running into now.

Their problem is... we don't care anymore.

We have stopped being afraid of their accusations.

The constant litany of invective has finally become so commonplace, it has reached the point of background noise.  The net result has been to remove the effectiveness any such accusation might once have had.

Remember when an accusation of racism was a serious matter? When it could destroy lives, end political careers and leave broken men huddling in shame?  When such an accusation was "rare, spectacular"?

Such accusations aren't rare any longer.  Oppose the ACA?  Racist.  Favor immigration control?  Racist.  Disagree with anything that the President proposes?  Racist.  Think that we should be able to read and debate legislation before it's passed?  Racist.  Consider radical Islamists to be a serious security threat?  Racist.  Support school vouchers?  Racist.

Remember when referring to someone as a terrorist was a serious matter?  Not any more.  Support the second amendment?  Terrorist.  Member of the Tea Party?  Terrorist.  Think that the government should lower spending?  Terrorist.  Want to reign in pensions for public sector unions?  Terrorist.  Think drilling for gas and oil is a good way to achieve energy independence?  Terrorist.

Remember when an accusation of sexist behavior was a serious matter?  Fast forward to today.  Think that maybe we should regulate and inspect abortion clinics so that monsters like Kermit Gosnell can't kill women with impunity?  Sexist.  Oppose a female progressive politician?  Sexist.  Have some doubts about women in front-line combat positions?  Sexist.

Where we once recoiled in horror, now we just shake our heads and move on.  We even joke about it.  We've heard it so often, so repeatedly, that it has almost ceased to be worthy of notice any longer.

"Oh, I got called a tea-bagging racist supporter of the patriarchy on Facebook?  That's the third time.  Today.  Where's that 'unfriend' button again?"

And that is why progressives are coming unhinged.

Like a junkie building up a tolerance for their favorite drug, they've had to up the dosage of hate and vitriol to get the same response... and like a junkie, they've finally reached the point where no matter how much they pour it on, no matter how much they up the dose, they just can not get the reaction that they crave.