I Tolds You So

There really isn't much further need for commentary on the failed assassination, accomplished mass murder in Arizona last weekend. So I am just going to put it into a broader list of things that, while in their specifics were unforeseeable, were completely and totally predictable. This is political in the sense that it is acting out a familiar scene of conservatives creating a bad situation and then exclaiming "Who could have known?" While decrying as political any explanation of exactly why they not only could have known, but indeed should have known. I won't even be so esoteric as to include the financial boondoggle in this list, though it certainly belongs.

Let's oversimplify this:

Anti-war people on the Left before the latest Iraq war:

Don't start a war, it will lead to unknown suffering and unacceptable civilian deaths.

Pro-war right and status quo Left:

Stop being silly. Our military is so great no one ever really dies and you just want to rain on our parade.

100,000 plus Civilians die. Thousands of American service men and women die.

Anti-war:

See, that is why we don't start wars.

Pro-war:

Stop being so naive. Don't you know that you can't have a war without damage. You babies.

Anti-war:

That is why we said it was a bad idea.

Pro-War:

Stop playing politics.

Left:

We have to regulate oil and coal so that accidents won't happen which will endanger lives and the environment.

Right:

You jerks, nobody running a company is that heartless. Regulation is overkill and oppressive to business.

Accidents happen. People die.

Left:

That is why we want regulation.

Right:

Stop playing politics.

Left:

It isn't acceptable to couple violent rhetoric with encouragement of personal displays of firearms at public events. It is a dangerous mixture that you can't put the lid back on.

Right:

You whiny babies. Why do you hate the American people so much? Why do you slander us like this.

The lid comes off.

Right:

You just want to score political points. This is both no one's fault and everyone's fault. Who could have known.