One of the best analogies I've ever heard came from Bill Whittle, who likened Democrats to a younger brother repeatedly poking his older brother.  After ignoring the first few pokes, the older brother eventually becomes agitated and slaps his younger brother's hand away.  The younger brother cries to Mommy, demanding that his older brother be punished for his behavior.

We see this analogy routinely play out in politics, and while a seasoned mother may inquire about what preceded the hand-slapping, in our current political climate, that is a question we're not supposed to ask. 

The Portland mayor cited Donald Trump sending in federal troops as the culprit for violence in Portland.  We are supposed to believe that before federal law enforcement arrived in Portland, "peaceful protesters" were holding hands, singing "Give Peace a Chance."  We are not to ask what led to Trump sending in federal troops or make any mention of rampant violence and burning buildings prior to Trump's actions.

When protesters tried to blockade a public road, a female driver attempted to maneuver past the crowd.  Aghast at the audacity of anyone unwilling to comply with their decision to ban any public street, at any time, the "peaceful protesters" miraculously transformed into a violent mob.  While jumping on the car, kicking, and hitting the vehicle, some rioters urged to get the "license plate and face" of the driver as they recorded the incident. 

Why do they tell others to get a view of the license plate number and driver's face on camera?  To report her to the police. 

Ironically, the violent rioters fighting for the abolition of law enforcement are incredibly eager to report any resistance to the authorities.  The protesters were admittedly "[b]egging them to arrest this woman who just tried to run over protestors."  You can imagine their outrage when the police did not arrest the woman for attempted murder because rioters jumped in front of her car after arbitrarily canceling the public street.   

When challenged, the little brother's boldness evaporates, and he has no reservations about calling for Mommy.  The source of the younger brother's confidence is knowing that Mom will punish the older brother if things go awry.  If the older brother is punished, the younger will have even more room to operate next time.  For this reason, anytime the left is met with matched aggression, not only are the leftists victims, but they're adamant that their alleged bullies receive severe consequences.  This also happened in St. Louis, when the McCloskeys defended their home from violent mobs and were immediately labeled bullies, facing criminal charges.  The violent rioters who broke through their gate and threatened them are victims. 

There is almost no circumstance where leftists are presented as bullies.  No matter the situation, the media will carefully craft the story to portray them as victims. 

Recently, Business Insider published an article titled "A protestor says California police forced her to drink cold water to lower her temperature so she could be put in jail."  The protester was part of a group of 14 who "chained themselves to California Governor Gavin Newsom's house demanding the release of inmates due to coronavirus fears." 

Business Insider seems appalled that a police officer forced a girl to drink cold water, but it was 97 degrees in Fair Oaks, California that day.  Perhaps the police did not want protesters to die of heat exhaustion or dehydration and then have their cohorts accuse the police of killing the protesters?

But the victimhood goes farther.  According to Newsweek, the demonstrators "allege that when they were initially booked into the jail, they were repeatedly forced to put their unwashed fingers in their mouths to demonstrate that they were not hiding any contraband."  The arrested protesters also accused jail staff of unhygienic practices, citing clogged toilets and crowded jail cells. 

The bullies are not the protesters who went to the governor's residence, chained themselves to his property, and refused to leave until he catered to their demands.  The bullies are local law enforcement for making them drink cold water and local jails not meeting the protesters' expectations of luxury and comfort.

These instances of the left behaving like bullies but crying victimhood is tactical.  An easy way to expose the disingenuous charade is by asking those outraged by the incidents: what alternative actions should we take? 

The answer is typically the same: we should do nothing — the left should be allowed to do whatever it wants.  Some alternative responses include evading the question entirely or proposing some form of civil negotiation with these radical activists — which incorrectly assumes that these activists are rational people who respond to reason. 

What is consistent across all responses is the acceptance of the self-anointed victim status of violent radicals and the conviction that the burden of changing behaviors does not fall on their shoulders.  Their rage is justified.  Suggesting that victims should change is "victim-blaming." 

If victims are always right, the media's role is to play judge and jury in determining victimhood.  Therefore, once the media decide that the leftists are the victims, everyone else must change his ways.  This defense is remarkably effective in protecting all the abhorrent behaviors of leftism and advancing leftist causes. 

If the police officers had not given the protesters cold water to drink, would they have solved the issue?  Of course not.  In the same article, the arrested protesters also complained about being deprived of food and water once in jail.  Heads, they win; tails, you lose. 

In Minneapolis, authorities are already warning those who live and work in the area to "not walk alone" and "be prepared to give up your cell phone and purse/wallet" after dramatic surges in criminal behavior.  The lion's share of effort is not to arrest the criminals — they are victims of systemic racism.  It is innocent Minneapolis citizens who must change their behaviors.  If Democrats win in November, similar warnings will expand across the country. 

If that happens, the suburban white woman with a Black Lives Matter sign on her lawn, is in for a rude awakening when she's fired from her job for criticizing leftists on Facebook.  It won't matter if she criticized them for burning down her children's school because a white guy killed a black guy in Buffalo.  Her criticism makes her the bully, and she's responsible for changing — by checking her privilege.

Maybe then she'll learn that leftists are always victims and never bullies.  

Bode Lang is a conservative blogger who regularly produces conservative videos on YouTube.  You can find him at https://www.youtube.com/c/Bodelang.