My only contribution to the crumbling discourse, it seems, is believing in the tenets of classical liberalism. That, in and of itself, is a sin.
This leaves the person with two choices: revise your viewpoint or shut up. Which, of course, is the point.
The always-civil Jacob Weisberg of Slate was more forceful in this regard, claiming that, “At the core of the far right’s culpability is its ongoing attack on the legitimacy of U.S. government . . . .”
Which, as you know, should not be confused from those heady times liberals were claiming that George W. Bush was “not my president” or that we needed a “regime change at home.” That kind of talk strengthened the legitimacy of government. Just as the “far right” — and I will assume this consists of anyone not named David Frum — could probably make the case that demanding government honor its constitutional limits is a demand for legitimacy.
We can argue about those things, I know. We can cobble together stupid remarks by radio talk show hosts or union activists or congresspeople and smear half the country. We can play tit-for-tat with Tea Party banners and anti-war bumper stickers and dig up some figurative rhetoric that sounds over the top retroactively and blow it out of proportion.
But this impending conversation about civility and our climate of hate is not only a useless one, it also is meant to discourage dissent. It is a rigged talk, because not only do we — by any standard and context available — reside in a highly civil and peaceful political system, violence is almost non-existent. The Tea Party didn’t pick up pitchforks and storm the White House; they knocked off Republicans in primaries.
Now, we may want to have a conversation about our policies regarding the mentally ill or the need for more gun control (though I may disagree with the outcome) because, after all, they are relevant to the horrible events of the past week. But conservatives should be wary of any national dialogue about civility or any beer summit about the specter of political violence.
It is nothing more than a setup.
All true. But here’s the good thing: nearly everyone paying attention knows it.
And in the long run, I think the Democrats’ transparent and cynical rush to use this latest “crisis” to try restrict speech and gun ownership — that is, to immediately look for ways to abridge the first two constitutional amendments — will only harm them as more and more voters wake up to the left’s insatiable desire to restrict individual liberty and centralize power.
In the meantime, just point and laugh.
“In the meantime, just point and laugh.”
I’ll meet you half-way. I’ll point (with both middle fingers, oh, and pointing upward…) but I shan’t laugh much. Maybe at a little, but mostly I shall be either cursing or forcefully arguing.
The man is good.
Yup. And they’ve been foolish enough to invest everything in the destruction of Sarah Palin. Bad idea.
In a sense, though a better one, so also is the other conversation a set-up:
– Quote of the week:
[O’Reilly} also tried to bait Hasselbeck, asking if she ever feels ganged up on when she is tussling with the “far left” Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar on “The View.” Hasselbeck insisted that she never feels that way. “I have three kids under the age of five-and-a-half,” she said. “I’m used to debating them before I get into work.”
– Exactly. Just like wide-eyed little kids.
These voices of the left, and their toady wormtongues of the right, so so hope that they can scapegoat the right/tea partiers/republicans by the actions of the mentally unhinged. They make me sick with their hypocrisy and lies.
And I thank Mr. Harsanyi for saying things that Jeff (and a few others) been saying for some time. The voices in the wilderness are starting to be heard.
that’s probably because he’s so fucking awesome
yup. Propaganda whore Viv Schiller’s National Soros Radio confirms the exceedingly high awesomeness factor
I too agree that the lefties overplayed their hand this time; too many people are “tuned in”. Which is why his speech in Tuscon better be as awesome as it’s already been built up to be by his devotees, because Sister Sarah’s will be a hard act to follow.
Ooh, I remember the March 2008 speech about racial anger! That was the one where he said… well, err… he said something or other… but I distinctly remember that we were all very impressed by it at the time, whatever it was!
I don’t know, maybe it was the complete absence of “negro dialect”, or perhaps his trousers were particularly well-creased, but it was truly a Legendary Speech, to be enshrined in the Halls of Speechdom, of that there can be no doubt!
Fascism comes wrapped in a whole bunch of quote misattributions, remember.
Federally defunding CPB, PBS and NPR, while not pressing urgencies themselves, ought still to be on the first four-month to-do list. Let the Congress remember to get around to the job eventually.
Slightly OT: If you’re not following @badbanana on Twitter, get the hence and do it now. I mean, how can you risk missing out on gems such as “It’s that time of year in Nebraska when the ground is too frozen for shallow graves and your irritating neighbor knows it.”
Also recommended, Lord_Voldemort7 (Unlike the other poser Voldemorts on Twitter, this one appears to be The Real One): “I nominate @lord_voldemort7 for a Shorty Award in #humor because the dark lord puts the FU in Funny. Enough Said.”
Oh. Linky.
I hope you’re correct, Jeff, because for some reason this latest incident of progressive lying really set me off. I have no idea why it bothered me so much this time, when I’ve seen it all before, but I got to the point of thinking it might be time to take a break from engaging in any political stuff. Nothing like this should ever affect one beyond a certain point.
If people really are paying attention, and there is a backlash that is felt on the left, then it might be worth waiting to see it happen.
I have no idea why it bothered me so much this time, when I’ve seen it all before…
Because this time they’re calling us accomplices to murder?
I think Monday morning was the first time I’d been accused of a felony by a neighbor. And after my backlash, she backpedaled real quick and insisted that of course she didn’t mean me, merely everybody who thinks and speaks like I do. Silly totebaggers better learn real quick that when you accuse me and mine personally, we’re gonna take it personally. Judging by how they’re reacting to getting called on their shit, it’s becoming obviously that they really didn’t think this one through very well.
Get in their faces. Punch back twice as hard. Teh Won says so!
– If he really isn’t able to parse this whole Lefty BS circus he should step aside or join the howling moonbats feets.
– It;s exactly that sort of spineless crap, knuckling under to the crapolla narrative that changes with every passing moment that we have to be especially cognizant of, and tough on them when they do it.
– They use blood libel – We get in their faces and call them out for what they are. Liars, and opportunists, and political bigots.
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