The silence of 2009
In January of 2009, with a few notable exceptions, progressives suddenly stopped objecting to senseless wars, illegal government surveillance, and torture. I've listed here what I think are the likeliest reasons, and one which is unlikely but has to be allowed as a possibility. Certainly all are true for at least some people; the question is the proportions.
- Cult of personality: "Obama can do no wrong!"
- Undercut certainty: "If both parties do it, they must know something I don't."
- Double standards: "It's not OK for them, but it's OK for us."
- Actual indifference to principles: "Objecting won us the election, but that's over now."
- Party loyalty: "Well, I do object, but electing Democrats comes first."
- Peer group pressure: "My fellow progressives won't like me if I object."
- Second-hand opinions: "The people I get my opinions from don't object, so why should I?"
- Helpless resignation: "We got rid of Bush and nothing changed. I give up."
- Honest reconsideration: "Now that I think about it, Bush was right after all."
The last one is very rare, I think, but there must be some people who went that way.