Partisans
can
make
everything
partisan.
For
example,
who
causes
a
standoff?
Both
sides.
It
takes
two
to
stand
off. If
either
side
gave
in
to
its
opponent’s
position,
there
would
be
no
standoff.
So
who
caused
the
government
shutdown?
Both
sides,
of
course. The
Republicans
were
being
stubborn
on
issues
that
mattered
to
Republicans. The
Democrats
were
being
stubborn
on
issues
that
mattered
to
Democrats. You
might
agree
with
one
side
or
the
other
about
whose
stubbornness
was
more
reasonable,
or
which
issue
better
justified
stubbornness,
but
there
can
be
no
doubt
about
who
caused
the
government
to
shut
down: Both
sides
did.
Here’s
an
even
worse
example: Who’s
to
blame
for Rahmanullah
Lakanwal
having
shot
two
National
Guardsmen
in
Washington,
D.C.,
last
week?
Rahmanullah
Lakanwal,
of
course.
Or
maybe
you
could
break
it
down
further. Let’s
allocate
blame
as,
say:
-
95%
Lakanwal,
who
was,
after
all,
the
shooter; -
1%
Lakanwal’s
parents
and
health
care
professionals,
who
probably
didn’t
raise
him
right
and
treated
his
mental
illness
poorly; -
1%
the
Taliban
and
the
CIA,
who
together
seemingly
caused
some
of
Lakanwal’s
mental
health
issues; -
1%
the
Biden
administration
for
having
allowed
Lakanwal
to
enter
the
United
States
in
2021
under
the
Operation
Allies
Welcome
parole
program
for
Afghans
who
had
helped
the
U.S.
during
the
war; -
1%
the
Trump
administration
for
having
granted
asylum
to
Lakanwal
in
April
2025; -
1%
the
Trump
administration
for
shifting
its
focus
from
anti-terrorism
efforts
to
border
enforcement
(if
it
turns
out
that
Lakanwal
was
a
terrorist); -
1%
the
Trump
administration
for
sending
the
National
Guard
to
the
District
of
Columbia,
without
coordinating
with
the
local
police
and
over
local
opposition,
for
the
political
purpose
of
trying
to
embarrass
a
city
run
by
Democrats; and -
1%
the
Trump
administration
for
sending
the
National
Guard
to
D.C.
despite
warnings
that
the
Guard’s
deployment
presented
an
easy
“target
of
opportunity”
for
grievance-based
violence.
Perfect! Except
that
my
percentages
probably
add
up
to
more
than
100.
But
you
get
the
idea.
When Rahmanullah
Lakanwal
shoots
someone, Rahmanullah
Lakanwal
is
to
blame. The
rest
is
petty
bickering.
Who
was
responsible
for
trying
to
assassinate
Donald
Trump
last
summer?
The
shooter.
Who
was
responsible
for
assassinating
Charlie
Kirk?
The
shooter.
You
can
quibble
around
the
edges
of
these
things,
always
assigning
blame
to
the
other
side
for
having
very
slightly
contributed
to
the
shooter’s
motivations. But
that
slight
blame
is
nothing
compared
to
where
the
blame
really
lies.
Moreover,
in
situations
such
as
these,
it
probably
makes
sense
to
put
partisanship
aside
for
a
moment
—
both
to
lower
the
temperature
of
our
country’s
political
climate
and
to
more
accurately
place
responsibility
for
atrocities
where
the
responsibility
truly
lies.
Mark Herrmann spent
17
years
as
a
partner
at
a
leading
international
law
firm
and
later
oversaw
litigation,
compliance
and
employment
matters
at
a
large
international
company.
He
is
the
author
of The
Curmudgeon’s
Guide
to
Practicing
Law and Drug
and
Device
Product
Liability
Litigation
Strategy (affiliate
links).
You
can
reach
him
by
email
at [email protected].