Guardian: It's time for Democrats to go low

[Cirsium]

48. It is all from the right

We shouldn't make this a "both sides" issue. The Republicans are the vandals, the destroyers. They are the source off the rancor in politics. "Rancor"is an inadequate word. Terrorism is what the Republicans are up to; extortion, bullying, persecution, cruelty, chaos and destruction.

They take advantage of our desire for peace, our tolerance, our kindness, our compassion and ramp up the threats and disruptions, the sabotage and the criminality.

There have been so many lost opportunities; Watergate, Iran-Contra, fake WMDs and Guantanamo, the 2008 crash, Trump's disastrous first term - we have had them on the ropes again and again, and we keep letting them back up.

We have kicked the can down the road for decades now hoping to avoid confrontation, hoping that things will work out, settling for small wins, celebrating moral victories and giving ourselves style points.

There is no more road remaining now.

As the Whigs discovered with the slave power, the longer you put off the inevitable confrontation, the worse it will eventually be when you finally have no choice but abject surrender or fighting back.

The Republicans are terrorists, and compromising with them or negotiating with them strengthens them and weakens us. Show them consideration or compassion and they will kick you in the teeth, every time.

If people are afraid, that is entirely understandable. These are terrifying times. We are "under the constant hot fire of a disciplined, proud, and pampered enemy," as Lincoln said about the slave power in 1860. But if that is the case, let's at least be honest with ourselves and with each other about that. Let's not say we are being "practical" or being "realistic," let's not say we are taking the "high road," when the truth is we are afraid of what will happen if we fight back.