The Ratchet Effect

I want to expand just a little bit on my closing thoughts in my previous post on the KY It-boy == about process with regard to "opening the discussion," whether it's a discussion about torture, restriction/elimination of civil liberties for accused terrorists, or the current ill-informed discussion about "re-visiting" public accommodations aspects of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the laws that have grown out of it.

Once these discussions have been "opened" the course of events only moves (easily) in one direction. And the direction it moves is typically that which those who open the discussion desire. It is the Ratchet Effect in action.

Torture was not open to "reasonable" discussion prior to Alan Dershowitz putting for this notorious notions on numerous television appearances shortly after the tragedy of 9/11. Widespread restrictions on basic civil liberties were not open to discussion prior to the "reasonable" discussion of doing so concomitant with the advent of the Patriot Act and all the hinking of due process and worse that went with it -- thanks to Joe Lieberman and Little Lindsey Graham. Non discrimination in public accommodations was not open to "reasonable" discussion prior to Rand Paul running his yap on NPR, Rachel Maddow and a raft of other places.

And now that these issues have been put in the Public Square, look! It's almost magical. Torture is accepted by the millions, civil liberties are considered quaint, and no doubt the public accommodations aspects of civil rights law will be found to have fallen into disfavor ("no longer needed," don't you know) and private businesses will once again be allowed to discriminate any way they see fit.

Which was the objective of opening the discussion in the first place.

Much as I mock and disparage him, I don't actually blame Rand Paul for this; I get the sense from him that he doesn't have any real grounding among the Peoples of the Earth, he's just a floating head, operating on automatic. No, the responsibility for this should be put where it belongs, with the factions of the Ruling Class who are and have long been intent on reversion -- or as they call it: Progress -- to a Liberated Utopia, for them.

They've been doing everything they can to throw off legal restraints on their behavior and profits for generations, and they are utterly focused and relentless. The "reasonable" discussion of workarounds for, repeal of, or ignoring the public accommodations provisions of civil rights law is just one more step down that path.

This comes out of the desires of the Ruling Class and their media enablers. It is not, solely, the responsibility of Li'l Rand.

It just isn't.