This only makes sense insofar as the Left has staked its claim to existence on the "virtue" of "authenticity" as well as on challenging the authority of tradition.
Acting civilized is a learned habit. It's not "authentic" and it is inculcated in people only on the basis of tradition.
The authentic reaction of uncivilized people who have not happened to have been distorted, or transformed, by the conventions of civilization is to hoot and jeer and exult when we learn that people who are outside our tribe have suffered an untimely death. It takes an inauthentic suppression of that reflex to utter the socially conventional expressions of sympathy to people outside the tribe who are grieving.
And that takes an ability to see that people outside the tribe are fellow children of God and entitled to respect.
A case in point, when Christopher Hitchens died - and assumed what he repeatedly described as a meaningless return to room temperature in other people - Christians uniformly uttered sincere expressions of sympathy and regret.
On the other hand when a conservative like Andrew Breitbart passes away at 43, leaving a wife and four young children, leftists put on their warpaint and whoop and holler around the tribal campfire. As Mark Shea points out:
Proving that few people can be as disgusting as the self-righteous lefty, here are the paladins of love and tolerance on the Left celebrating the death of Andrew Breitbart.
Slate’s Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias), who tweeted: “Conventions around dead people are ridiculous. The world outlook is slightly improved with @AndrewBrietbart dead.”
AlmightyBob @AlmightyBoob : @AndrewBreitbart haha youre dead and in hell being a gay with hitler
Jeff Glasse @jeffglasse : Andrew Breitbart now enjoying afternoon tea with Hitler #goodriddanceyouhack
Kellie Allen @thirtyseven : Breitbart helped destroy the career of someone I know. Good riddance, scumraker.
Scott On Da Rox @ridinchillwaves : RT GOOD RIDDANCE..fascist prick @Gawker: Andrew Breitbart Dead? gawker.com/5889586/
Josh M @TheSocialest : Good riddance Breitbart. Hopefully they put James O’Keefe in your casket
There’s a lot more where that came from. There’s a peculiar sort of hatred and rejoicing at the death of ideological enemies on the Left (think of Christopher Hitchens habit of kicking corpses) that, for whatever reason, seems to me less common on the Right. Oh sure, the Right will delectate over the corpse of a bin Laden. But as a general rule, I don’t see outpourings of glee when, say, a Christopher Hitchens dies. You have the normal period of prayers, respectful words and “do not speak ill of the dead” that is part of the culture. But on the Left, the white hot gust of hatred hits you in the face. It’s not a healthy sign. When you regard death as simply the most effective way to get rid of political enemies, it’s just a matter of time before you start deploying it as a tool.
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