Oklahoma City - Ten years later.

As I am sure you have heard by now, today is the 10th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. 168 or 169 people died in what was (at that time) the worst domestic terror attack in U.S. history.


April 19, 1995 - Oklahoma City

What followed the attacks was one of the more shameful episodes of the Clinton administration. Relieved that he would not have to confront Islamic Jihad due to the capture of Timothy McVeigh, President Clinton immediately set out to use the horror for his own political advantage:

But what did the President care? He managed to hang McVeigh round the necks of militias and, with a stretch, talk-radio and, with a further stretch, Newt and the Congressional Republicans. It worked out so well for him, that, after the Princess of Wales died, George Stephanopoulos enthused to Christopher Hitchens: “Tony Blair’s handling this really well. This is his Oklahoma City.” As Hitchens said, this is the way these people think.

Check out Mark Steyn for the rest of his thoughts on the ten year anniversary.

For those who don't remember, Bill Clinton almost immediately after the attack blamed conservative radio commentators for the atrocity. Almost (?!) as if on cue, the MSM/DNC took up the baton and continued the right-wing-radio-as-murderer-enabler meme. Clinton, instead of focusing on the terrorists who would spend the next six years attacking Americans abroad and planning for 9-11, was content to use Oklahoma City as a purse to swing at his opposition.

Oklahoma City was Clinton's "Reichstag" - the difference being that Clinton didn't actually plan or facilitate the bombing. (I am going out on a limb in exonerating Clinton for the actual attack even though so many people have been embarrassed after prematurely sticking up for Clinton in the past.) Just as Hitler used the Reichstag fire to justify expanding his own powers and neutering Germany's parliament, Clinton tried to use Oklahoma City to crack down on his own opponents. Clinton failed. Compare the new media today (including talk radio) with the new media ten years ago. The new media has grown, while Clinton drones on at funerals and memorials, hoping to regain power through his "wife."


Reichstag - 1933

That Clinton's aide would so smoothly compare the bombing and the death of Princess Diana - all while referring to these events as if they could be owned by the ruler of the moment, reveals much of the mindset of the left. Disasters don't happen to the victims - they happen for the benefit of the rulers. Clinton's stated regrets that 9-11 did not happen on his watch were sincere (or as sincere as he is capable of being). 9-11, the Reichstag, [fill in your own disaster/act of war/tragedy] are nothing more than opportunities for "leaders" to strut their stuff, stroke their egos and attack their enemies [their own enemies, not the country's enemies].

Where Bush took on a more aged appearance as the war kicked into high gear in late 2001 and 2002, a Clinton or other opportunistic leftist would probably take on a more youthful appearance as he enjoyed the moment.

In the ten years since Oklahoma City, we have learned to identify the leftist leader as a narcissist and opportunist while we observe the expanded powers of the new media. When the next terrorist attack comes, we will have already anticipated the MSM/DNC's Reichstag power grab and can more easily avoid being made a scapegoat.