And the difference is this.

The whole 10:10 video thing has been running rampant around the intermong for the last couple of days, Leg-Iron has waded in, and has well and truly sunk the battleship. Even Pravda haven't been able to resist reporting it, although of course their whole article is pretty much a regurgitation of the copy in the Groan, and appeared on their front news page for only a short while.

The inescapable fact is that this video went far too far. Now in a normal world, those responsible would withdraw the video and apologise, not because they were backed into a corner, but because they realised that what they had done was wrong, and that would be that. However, this is the Righteous we're talking about here, so normal rules don't apply.

10:10 have apologised and withdrawn the video, not because they realised that what they had done was wrong, but because they've been backed into a corner. That is that. But that is that, because they have decided it is so.

This is how the Righteous work. They are almost never wrong, on the odd occasion when their error is plain for all to see, everything is dealt with on their own terms.

What do I mean? Well, once again, in a normal world, as far as I'm concerned, someone makes a horlicks of something, and apologises, I'll accept that. Nobody is perfect, and we all drop a bollock from time to time. I understand that these people believe very passionately in their cause, I don't agree with them, but that's life. However, to suggest that people should be exploded for not agreeing is a shocking thing to do. No matter, it has been apologised for, and that is that. All over.

Except.

Let's reverse positions for a moment. Let us suppose that a famous British filmmaker and a handful of slebs and jobbing actors make a film about the dangers of swallowing bad science without question and whatever the cost. Let's take the first portion of the first scene in the video, the kids listen to their teacher and go home and start nagging their father about reducing carbon dioxide emissions. And nag, and nag, and nag. In the last portion of the scene, the father draws a pistol and shoots his child in the head.

The uproar would be deafening. Of course the culprit would apologise, having been pilloried in the 'left wing' blogosphere, on the BBC news (headline, natch) and the Grauniad, and the video would be withdrawn. And that would be an end to it, wouldn't it?

Wouldn't it?

No. Of course not.

The Righteous would hunt them down. No doubt the police would get involved. Those responsible for the video would be painted in deepest black, abusers of children, apologists for violence, supporters of terrorism and gun ownership, deniers of the orthodoxy. Crowds would assemble outside the houses and places of work of those involved, faces twisted in rage and hate. Questions would be asked in the House. Something would have to be done.

That is the difference between the Righteous and I. That is why I hate them, not because of their devotion to the cause. Not even because they suggest that people who disagree with them should be killed in cold blood, although the Flying Spaghetti Monster (sauce be upon him) knows I should, but because they demand that  they be treated above everyone else, and they will bully, harrass and insinuate to ensure that it is so.

They must be resisted at every turn.

But hey, it's your choice, no pressure.