If I were a leftist agitator in America today, I would be reinvigorated by recent events.  I would be buoyed the election of a president whose résumé includes a career as a community organizer with ties to groups like the radical Mid West Academy of Chicago, The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), the United Neighborhood Organization of Chicago (UNO), and the Gamaliel Foundation.  I would be encouraged by his views on "redistributive justice" and his proclamation that he would help usher in a "fundamental transformation of America."  I would be emboldened by his tacit support of the Occupy Wall Street movement and sympathetic rhetoric for the recent anti-police protests across the country.

If I were a leftist agitator, I'd be pleased that a mayor of a major city had law enforcement stand down in order to give "space for those who wished to destroy," as a city burned and dozens of officers were injured while retreating from brick-throwing mobs.  I'd be heartened by the new environment of reluctance to maintain order and to enforce the law out of fear of prosecution and loss of livelihood.  I would be thankful for the latitude this gives me to agitate.

If I were a leftist agitator, I would be bolstered by the financial and organizational support provided by the network of left-leaning foundations and groups like MoveOn.org and Organizing For America.

If I were a leftist agitator, I would marvel at the ease with which political correctness reinforces my worldview and intimidates and silences anyone who disagrees.  I would appreciate the way my fellow travelers in academia and the mainstream media give it legitimacy and indoctrinate those in their sphere of influence.  I would also applaud the new oppression tactics of college campus "safe zones" to protect against "micro-aggressions" by anyone who "offended" those who are on my side.

If I were a leftist agitator, I would be threatened by anyone who exposed political correctness for the boot on the throat of free thought and free speech that it is, and I'd be greatly concerned if my supporters in the mainstream media and academia were marginalized in the process.  I would be panicked if there was growing populist support for someone able to successfully articulate a worldview so contrary to mine.  I would be distressed at the possibility of this jeopardizing several generations of work incrementally increasing government control over society and the economy for my collectivist and redistributive ends.

If I were a leftist agitator, I would co-opt other grievance groups to agitate, to disrupt, and to demonize this person, shutting down his or her message and nipping any populist support for this movement in the bud.  I would welcome violence ensuing from my agitation, and I would blame this person and his or her supporters.  I would be confident that my cohorts in academia and in the media would provide cover for me by appealing to the uniformed and naïve on my behalf.

…If I were a leftist agitator in America today.