John Judis, TNR:
If the Tea Party movement, with its fanatic libertarianism and selfish individualism, were to gain any measure of power, it would wreak havoc on the economy (imagine America without a Federal Reserve System), shred the social safety net, and undermine what exists of the great American community. So I am not suggesting, as Christopher Caldwell did in the Financial Times, that “the Tea Party has no explicit program beyond giving the Republican party some spine and integrity.” That’s errant nonsense unless you believe that the Republican Party really wants to be an extremist movement, but is being prevented from realizing its true nature. What I am suggesting is that it’s very possible to believe that the Tea Party is not the latest manifestation of the Ku Klux Klan or White Citizens’ Councils—while still believing that it is a terrible menace, nonetheless.
Exactly. After all, what can be more “menacing” than the precise kind of guardianship of individual liberties that this country was founded to nurture and defend — and more “selfish” than the insistence that we would prefer the “great American community” to evolve organically from a pursuit of those liberties rather than through the heavy-handed social engineering plans of would-be petty tyrants?
Bury the old dead white men who founded this country! Long live the middle-aged white bureaucrats and old white progressives who have agreed to rule us for our own good!
FOR FREEDOM!
(h/t dicentra)
So Tea Party people aren’t necessarily racists, but they are definitely evil. It was good of JJ to clear that up for us.
It’s easy if you try… Just look at the history of the country before and after the Fed was created. While there were some recessions and panics B.F., it took the power of the Fed to manipulate the money supply to create and sustain the Great Depression.
There’s another one. The “social safety net” is not safe.
If my own father’s declarations of me as “a selfish citizen” merit nothing but ridicule, than what does this idiot’s merit? A kick in the teeth, possibly. But, otherwise, a “go fuck yourself you fetid piece of shit” will suffice.
I know not this John Judis, nor value his opinion near half as much as I do that of my dog, who at least knows enough to come in out of the rain.
Maybe not racists, but anyone who likes Palin must have an intelligence quota lower than her grandson Trig.
“Errant” nonsense?
Those DAMNED libertarians. They want to take over the government, and then LEAVE YOU ALONE!
…and undermine what exists of the great American community.
What great American community is this asshole talking about? Speaking on behalf of flyover country, I know that this guy couldn’t give a rat’s ass about me and mine, and I’m happy to reciprocate. You can ruin your community in your favorite way, and I’ll ruin mine how I see fit to. I’ll bet my way’s better.
Saint Hillary once said “It takes a village.” I’m willing to go along with that, so long as we define “village” as a community no larger than a few thousand people. I sure as hell don’t need three hundred thousand thousand people, who have nothing in common with me, looking after my “best interests” for me.
Poor JJ. I’m sure he only wants what’s best for us. Why won’t you let us control you? You’re supposed to be Sheep, for Dawkins’ sake!
“Men stumble over the truth occasionally, but most pick themselves up and hurry on as if nothing had happened.”
Or vice versa, we might say. And at home:
But things have changed, and Mr Judis knows better.
Dear Mr. Judis:
You’re a dumbshit, and so am I, so this is from one dumbshit to another. I’m perfectly capable of fucking my life up on my own without any help from sanctimonious assholes. Mind your own fucking business.
I love how Judis relies on answers to loaded poll questions to evaluate how racist a huge group of people is. Commenter EDT wisely noted:
Tea Partiers are reacting to Obama either because of his race or his Leftism. So eliminate one of the factors and see what happens:
How do conservatives react to black conservatives? Did we freak out about Condi Rice’s appointment? Colin Powell’s? Do we or do we not revere Thomas Sowell as a master economist? Who complained about Michael Steele’s appointment?
And how do we react to white leftists? Are we at all cool with Hillary Clinton? Rahm Emmanuel? Harry Reid? Nancy Pelosi?
Is everyone yelling at Glenn Beck for foregrounding the lost black patriots? Is everyone clamoring for Joe Biden to take over?
They can’t let go of the racism meme: it’s just too useful to them.
What I am suggesting is that it’s very possible to believe that the Tea Party is not the latest manifestation of the Ku Klux Klan or White Citizens’ Councils—while still believing that it is a terrible menace, nonetheless.
I am curious as to what MENACE they pose …
#13 – prying the controls out of the hands of those that would be our masters and self-appointed betters.
Frankly, if a trouser-wetting Statism lover like Judis finds you “menacing”, that can only be taken as a sign that you’re doing it right.
incidentally, did anyone notice how the bar on ‘fanatical libertarianism’ just got moved about three light years?
who knew that opposing government-run health care and trillion dollar stimulus packages was the return of ayn rand on steroids? john judis, safeguard of liberty, did.
Mr Judis knows better.
I see no proof of this. In fact anyone making the claim that the tea party is interested in “shredding the social safety net” probably doesn’t know better and likely isn’t interested in learning how to.
Both of your assessments are true, kristen and LRC John.
We should also note the inter-dimensional shift in the meaning of “social safety net.” I’m guessing that Judis’ definition would encompass the mindset of our current progressive Congress, which views government’s primary role as wiping out misery in all. Thus more and more control over the mechanics of all citizens’ lives to “insure” that the small minority at the bottom of the feeding trough are fully and humanely protected from the slings and arrows of any and all outrageous capitalism.
Heck, we’re making progress towards this lofty goal while those that crow continue to build their power over all. No one must be allowed to fail on their own merits, you see. We all must bear the burden of protected mediocrity (except for the educated, enlightened smart people who will direct this enterprise of forced redistribution.)
Individual rights and liberty? Fah! Buncha selfish weed smokers you all are!
You have to supply the irony to my writing “Mr Judis knows better” to make the writing make sense Makewi. After all, the proof is that Mr Judis writes as he does.
Ah, I was out of irony at the time of that reading. I’ll go get some more now.
These criticisms are nothing new. The same things were what the leftards said that GW Bush was going to do if he were elected back in 2000. They always fall back on the class warfare arguements. “Teh poor will starrrve in teh streeettz!!1111eleventy! if gets in power!”
It’s right out of their old leftwing playbook.
damn should have read “Teh poor will starrrve in teh streeettz!!1111eleventy! if (insert current rightwing boogerman) gets in power!”
John Judis, yet another over-educated idiot with a dinosaur media pulpit.
Other than that, Jeff and the rest of the PW commentariat have pretty much covered it.
;^)
bjtexs:
exactly. judis (that’s an unfortunate moniker) appears to be one of the folks who simply defines his position as correct and just. which naturally defines people who disagree with him as radical and immoral.
to me, this is chesterton’s description of insanity personified: a very small, perfectly round circle.
oh, and respectfully, it’s ‘kristan’ rather than ‘kristen.’ difference between being a man and a woman and all that..
“Fanatical libertarianism” and “selfish individualism.” Translation:
Why won’t these people just shut up, bend ’em and spread ’em?
Whoops! Sorry, kristan! Being a knuckle dragging conservative I completely missed the transcendent gender identity insult.
Palin is a tea bagger and she is behind this…hatred.
no worries.
I wish my undergraduate school would have given as entertaining an apology after they ignored my opinion on my gender..
Doesn’t anyone on the progressive left ever stop to think that all those BAD organizations/groups they use to slander their enemies by insinuating that they are somehow equivalent are always creatures of the Democratic Party? Do you guys spit every time you look into a mirror? Huh?
The desire to eliminate class distinctions is an example of multicultural insensitivity.
SBP, you beat me to it. That’s what first stood out to me: ‘errant’ vs. ‘arrant.’