Jim King / June 28, 2026
Politics demands civility or it is no longer politics; it is anarchy. Nixon and Gordon
Liddy’s “dirty tricks” (unethical tactics) have been far eclipsed by the methods now
employed by Trump and by the far ends of the right and left. When political operatives
use cruelty, and it is normalized, our American values are suspect. Can we legitimately
call ourselves civilized?
“Swatting”, falsely reporting an imminent threat, is a cruel and dangerous example. My
clipping service, aka wife, made me aware of a recent example involving Pete Buttigieg
(@PeteButtigieg) and his children. His four-year-old children. See
https://substack.com/home/post/p-203734900. Disagreement with his politics or life
style is not a justification for this hoax.
Swatting is a federal crime. Anonymity makes it difficult to catch the perpetrator. What
is needed is social abhorrence. Politics and politicians must strongly discourage it. Not
just lip service. Forbid it. It cannot be normal. It is uncivilized.
