Professor Bainbridge...on law, politics, religion, culture & food

Cancel Berkeley’s Earmarks; Code Pink Narcissists

Remember the flap a few days ago when the Berkeley CA city council passed a resolution condemning the Marines manning a Marine Corp recruiting station in Berkeley as uninvited and unwelcome intruders? As usual with bullies, if you stand up to them, they back down. The Bay Area NBC station reports:

As six Republican senators devised a plan to yank $2.3 million in federal funding for Berkeley programs, the mayor of the famously liberal city apologized Wednesday for his hard stance against a Marine recruiting center.

What a great idea. After all, if we’re going to get rid of earmarks, why not start with Berkeley? Indeed, let’s dispense with legislation. After all, what better opportunity for Bush to test his right to refuse to expend earmarked funds?

The mayor complains:

“There’s really no correlation between federal funds for schools, water ferries and police communications systems and the council’s actions, for God’s sake,” said Bates, a retired U.S. Army captain.

Why not? Ideas have consequences. Bad ideas have bad consequences.

Which leads me to the incredible narcissism expressed by one of the anti-Marine protestors:

“I was under the impression that we have the right of free speech,” said Xanne Joi of Code Pink. “To me, I thought free speech meant you get to say what you want without recrimination.”

Wrong. Free speech means the government can’t send you to jail for speaking or engage in prior restraints, but it doesn’t mean you’re immune from criticism or recrimination. Only a true narcissist could possibly think their actions have no consequences:

Narcissists, like children, have magical thinking. They feel omnipotent. They feel that there is nothing they couldn’t do or achieve had they only really wanted to and applied themselves to it. ...

Narcissistic immunity is the narcissist’s (erroneous) feeling that he is immune to the consequences of his actions. That he will never be effected by the outcomes of his own decisions, opinions, beliefs, deeds and misdeeds, acts, inaction, or by being a member of certain groups. That he is above reproach and punishment (though not above being feared and notorious).