Reaping the whirlwind

The fracas that took place last week in Charlottesville, Va. brought to light a generally unknown confederation known as Antifa, a contraction of “anti-fascist” and dedicated to fighting the “alternative right,” these days known as the “alt-right.” Of course, supporters of the now-more resurgent white nationalist movement have noted Antifa’s willingness to mix it up as proof of left-wing violence.

There’s a difference here, however.

See, the “alt-right” is inherently violent. Let me say that again — inherently violent — and has been for some time. And it didn’t start with the inauguration of Donald Trump, either; you need to go back to the advent of right-wing talk radio in the late 1980s to determine just where this whole thing started.

And when you bully a group of people, as the “left” has been for decades by the right, eventually they will rise up and fight back. That’s what we’re seeing today.

Moreover, the alt-right has never taken responsibility for its own collective resentment toward “others,” believing that things would be fine if they were somehow eliminated. That attitude is sure to cause alienation and divisiveness — and it has done so.

“Well, can’t people just lower the temperature?” you may ask. I’d like to think so, but the alt-right has no interest in that. None. In a surprising twist, unlike what I thought was most white nationalists, many of its adherents are 20-something and thus have the energy and passion to keep things going for years, if not decades. That’s problematic because they can’t see down the road and take the long view, considering just how much their crusade hurts the nation. And then it will be too late.

Hosea 8:7 reads, “They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind,” the context suggesting that they are thus headed for destruction. And that’s why you see “Antifa” now — and it’s not going away.