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OPINION

Destructionism: The Left’s New Plan

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.
Destructionism: The Left’s New Plan
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

They don’t stop it.

They don’t prevent it.

They don’t even *pretend* to care anymore.

I call them Destructionists—and California Democrats have perfected the model.

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These are the so-called “leaders” who preside over cities and states engulfed in flames—literally and metaphorically—and do absolutely nothing. In fact, they often encourage it. Look no further than this week’s chaos in Los Angeles, where violent anti-ICE riots erupted into full-scale assaults on federal officers and widespread property destruction. Once again, the people tasked with keeping order—Gov. Gavin Newsom, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, and Vice President Kamala Harris (when she remembers she’s from California)—were nowhere to be found.

Scratch that. They were found, alright—posing for photos, issuing limp press releases, and whining when President Trump sent in the National Guard to do the job they refused to. Suddenly, they found their voice. Not to condemn the rioters, mind you, but to attack Trump. That’s the only time these people stop shrugging: when the grown-ups show up.

The riots were no surprise. They came on the heels of aggressive ICE operations that netted nearly 1,500 illegal aliens in a blue state sanctuary sweep—many with serious criminal histories. What did that yield from California’s Destructionist class? Wailing. Screaming. Rhetorical arson. "How dare you enforce the law!" they seemed to say.

And then, as if on cue, their words became fuel. Mobs descended on ICE detention centers, set vehicles ablaze, and targeted law enforcement. Videos showed federal officers being pelted with bricks and Molotovs. Social media exploded with leftists cheering it on.

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Not a single word of condemnation from Karen Bass. Gavin Newsom tried to invoke the Posse Comitatus Act—a bizarre, legally flimsy Hail Mary to keep the National Guard from restoring peace. Meanwhile, Kamala Harris? MIA. But don't worry—she’ll show up at a tech panel in San Francisco to discuss AI ethics or student loan forgiveness, just as soon as the city finishes hosing feces off the sidewalks.

This is Destructionism—a governing style that doesn't govern. A philosophy that feeds chaos and then feigns helplessness when it inevitably spirals.

These aren’t isolated failures. They’re part of a pattern.

Los Angeles leads the nation in homelessness. San Francisco leads the world in open-air drug use. California leads America in car thefts, smash-and-grabs, and wildfires. And rather than fix any of it, the state’s leaders either blame the weather, blame Republicans, or—in Newsom’s case—run for president on a platform of "Look how awful things are under my watch!"

Remember the BLM riots of 2020? Newsom and his fellow Destructionists called them “mostly peaceful.” Billions in damages, dozens of deaths, and neighborhoods gutted. No accountability. No prosecution. And certainly no apology. Compare that with how Jan. 6 protesters were hunted down across state lines, or how parents protesting school boards were labeled “domestic terrorists.”

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It’s almost as if the type of destruction matters more than the fact that destruction is happening.

Under the rule of Destructionists, crime is tolerated—so long as it furthers the right narrative. Want to burn down a federal building? Go for it, if your slogan fits the script. But try defending your family from a carjacker or shoplifter and you’ll be charged for being too aggressive.

Sanctuary policies? Destructionist gold. California harbors thousands of illegal immigrants with criminal convictions—then screams racism when ICE comes knocking. The result? Innocent Americans suffer, and the rioters know they’ll get a slap on the wrist if caught at all.

The double standard is appalling. It’s also dangerous.

President Trump—despite media hysteria—did what every responsible leader should: he acted. When it became clear the local “leadership” wouldn’t restore order, Trump invoked federal authority and deployed the National Guard. Instantly, the flames of chaos flickered. Order began to return. But instead of thanking him, the Destructionists screamed about federal overreach.

They don’t want law and order. They want control—but only of the law-abiding.

These are the same people who shut down churches, schools, and businesses during COVID, while letting rioters run wild in the streets. Remember that? You couldn’t get a haircut, but you could loot a Foot Locker. You couldn’t take your kid to a playground, but you could burn down a police station and be called a civil rights hero.

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It’s clear: Destructionism isn’t an accident. It’s a strategy. A plan. A governing model built on resentment, blame, and submission.

And California is the proof-of-concept.

So next time you see wildfires raging while the governor lectures you on climate change from a five-star hotel, or ICE agents bloodied in the street while elected officials talk about “equity”—remember: this didn’t just happen. It was allowed to happen.

The shrugging is deliberate. The silence is permission. And the only thing they hate more than the destruction… is when someone else dares to fix it.

And yes, I voted for this.  

Not for the flames.  

But for the firepower to stop them.

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