In her latest Weekly Standard piece, “Speak of the Dead,” Noemie Emery notes that the political theater of grief-mongering is becoming standard fare for the left:
Political cut and thrust does not go well with the etiquette of bereavement, which tends to short-circuit all argument, which of course is the point. It inhibits argument, makes response awkward, and sometimes can stop it completely, putting an opponent in the position of Norm Coleman before the Wellstone Memorial fracas, in which Democrats were free to seek votes based on sentiment, while anything Coleman tried to say about Wellstone’s replacement was called an insult to the dead. People who put mourners up front on policy issues are like robbers leaving a bank with a hostage between themselves and police fire. To do this on purpose, to drive an agenda, is beneath all contempt.
Here is a message for our friends in the grief-based community: Really, you must cut this out. We are tired of having our emotions worked on and worked over; tired of the matched sets of dueling relatives, tired of all of these claims on our sympathy, that at the same time defy common sense. The heart breaks for everyone who lost relatives and friends on September 11, as it does for the relatives of the war dead and wounded, as it does for the sons of Paul Wellstone. It does not break for MoveOn.org, Maureen Dowd, and Gail Sheehy, who have not been heartbroken, except by a string of election reverses, and are using the anguish of other people in an effort to turn them around. Especially, it does not break for George Soros, who, after squandering millions on the Kerry campaign, is now using poor Cindy Sheehan to get back in the action, and it does not break for political operative Joe Trippi, late of the Howard Dean meltdown, who is trying to do the same thing. She is now the vehicle for a collection of losers, who will use her, and then toss her over and out once she has served their purposes, or more likely failed to do so. Her family has broken up under the effects of this circus; she has now lost her husband, as well as her son. Please, send her back to her therapist, and what is now left of her broken-up family. And please–do not try this again.
In an earlier post, I described the phenomenom this way:
In other words, “How dare you! Cindy lost her son!” has, in short order, become the new “RACIST” or “HOMOPHOBE” of progressive poltico speak—a loaded signifier whose power rests in its refusal to allow for any but a single signification, a way for leftwing ideologues to strangle debate in the crib and to prevent any discussion on the practical affects of Sheehan’s carefully-orchestrated and increasingly-well funded anti-war media blitz by turning those very questions into an indictment of the questioner.
I was widely vilified at the time for (what else) attacking CINDY!—but I expected that reaction, and properly dismissed it as the desperate flailings of those who must have recognized their plan to stifle debate was sure to fail.
Totalitarian rhetorical posturing cannot be allowed to succeed, ever.
Shame on all of those who use it as a convenient weapon in their petty war against the current Administration.
You heartless bastard, trotting out your logic and your reason. Don’t you see that what is important here is what Cindy feels?
Actually I am mostly tired of the notion that I can’t feel grief for anyone but an immediate family member, and therefore don’t care that people die in a war my family isn’t directly involved in. Please stop projecting your shallowness on me, thank you.
That and the way they keep calling our military “children”.
Agreed that this totalitarian posture must be countered. I think everytime Sheehan personally attacks Bush, she must be met with dispassionate facts, and passionate sympathy for her loss.
However, I think it is far more important to expose to the world what this is and to call it what it is: political enginnering by the leftt; cynical cruel and calculating.
I was part of the left years ago and I can tell you from personal experience that those f*ckers will feed you, clothe you, and if you’re lucky, you’ll get a kiss on the ass, but what you won’t end up with is being anyone’s hero, because when they are done with you, you are little more than a used political tampon to the whole world.
And the world won’t remember your loss. They will only be able to recall your associations. That makes Sheehan some to feel sorry for, not a target of attacks.
Ms Sheehan gets the double whammy of not only realizing she has been used by a group of folks she mistook as friends, she also still has to grieve for her son. In that regard I fear for her well-bring.
And it for the reasons above we should be severely assaulting in the press and elsewhere like blogs and stiffies ) her enablers and not Sheehan.
GRIEFOPHOBES!!!
Bad… a very thoughtful comment, but the one thing we MUST do is put a total, complete stop to this culture of victims. The only way you can do that is to give the Victim of the Day a hard slap in the face and tell him/her to grow up.
There comes a point when being a “victim” stops being a condition and becomes a career. That happened to me years back when I was “victim” of a traumatic assault. My condition didn’t improve over the years, and one day when meeting with a new therapist, he asked, “So… when are you going to stop playing the role of the victim?”
That was the best thing that he could have ever said to me. It was a hard slap in the face, and it got my complete undivided attention. I sulked for a couple of days, but then realized that he was right. I WAS playing a role. I had everything going exactly the way I wanted it. Everyone in my life jumped when I said, “Frog!” so as not to upset me. I even had my former therapist supplying me with tranks.
When it became clear to me that the new therapist wasn’t going to cooperate with my little games, I came back to life. He cut off my tranks, and made me face up to the fact that I was being bossy and manipulative. It was the best thing that ever happened to me.
So… no. I have no sympathy for “Mother Sheehan”. Zero. Nit. Nada. Grief and other trauma can be stretched only so far, then it moves into the realm of tyranny. I know because I’ve been there.
Isn’t Sheehan already on minute 17 of her allotted 15?
“The victim who speaks is no longer a victim he (she) becomes a threat.” – James Baldwin
That’s a perfect description of Cindy Sheehan.
You, Jeff Goldstein, are threatened by Cindy Sheehan, because she speaks truth to the lies you cling to in order to justify your support for this war.
And mamapajamas,
We live in a “blame the victim” culture. How pathetic it is to not have the GUTS to speak up for yourself when you’ve been wronged, and instead join those who brutalize and blunt emotions. Betrayal of Self is rampant in this society. So few have the guts to be authentic, like Cindy Sheehan.
You are double the victim for letting your own victimization make you heartless.
It’s hard to tell if Diana is serious or simply parodying the ridiculous arguments of many on the left.
Of course Sheehan is a threat, otherwise I wouldn’t waste any time on her; but her threat is based on her ability to emotionally manipulate people while insisting that anyone who looks closely at her position is violating her right to grieve.
That impulse is itself extraordinarily dishonest and dangerous. And the moment Cindy Sheehan decided to agitate for policy change was the moment it became MY DUTY, as part of a democracy, to challenge her.
Diana, Casey Sheehan died doing what he wanted to and defending the USA.
Cindy Sheehan is dishonoring her son’s efforts and life by claiming otherwise. It is Cindy Sheehan who speaks lies.
But the most intensive assault must be concentrated on those who are giving her a national voice to dishonor her own son.
If a guy was gonna toss Baldwin quotes around, the so-called anti-war movement might consider this one:
But I’m just a straight (old) white guy, so what do I know?
Diane
You are double the victim for letting your own victimization make you heartless.
Is that something like double-secret probation?
Did you forget the parody tags??
Man, I just assumed Diana was kidding.
TW: More. As in, gimme more of that funny, funny stuff.
“You, Jeff Goldstein, are threatened by Cindy Sheehan, because she speaks truth to the lies you cling to in order to justify your support for this war.”
Truths such as Casey died for Israel? That Osama bin Laden was “allegedly” behind 9/11? That America is “not worth dying for?” Are these the truths you speak of?
My support for the war is based on the last 20 years of history, something that the left cherry-picks to score cool points with their fellow travelers while eviscerating any context or totality of perspective. The “lies” you speak of have been addressed so many times on so many parts of the blogosphere that to further engage it would be the equivalent of hitting one’s head against the wall. It’s reached a point where it can simply be dismissed as intellectual laziness.
“Betrayal of Self is rampant in this society. So few have the guts to be authentic, like Cindy Sheehan.”
How appropriate that Diana would allude to the philosophy, “To thine own self be true,” not realizing that the figure who gives this piece of advice is true only to himself and manipulates others (in particular, his children)to serve his own selfish ends.
I can’t think of a more appropriate characterization of Cindy Sheehan at this point than the “Polonius of the Left.”
Turing word: top. As in, “Its a long way, to the top, if you want to wear your dead son’s corpse like a Miss America sash.”(Apologies to AC/DC)
So few have the guts to be authentic, like Cindy Sheehan.
And that’s it in a nutshell, ain’t it? Everybody else is caught up in that phony plastic Madison Avenue scene, maaaaan! If only all the squares could shake off their false consciousness…
Jeff,
I think you stabbed it right through the heart! The only chance the Left has to refute factual arguments is to resort to emotional blackmail. They have no facts to refute this administration’s policies or prosecution of the war, so they play the emotion card.
They have been so effective with it, what with the MSM parroting their shrill screeches, that even some of the more moderate thinkers are nodding their heads in agreement.
You are right, that it is OUR DUTY to aggressively rebut these emotion parasites. Emotions are an intergal part of our personal lives, but….you can’t just feel your way through US Foreign Policy when fanatics are flying planes into buildings.
I’ve ceased investing time in pursuit of confronting what is left of the Left in this country.
“If your enemy is intent on destroying himself… get out of his way.”
I’ve heard that quote attributed to Sun, Clausewitz, and I think even Sherman. Whatever the source, the wisdom of the truism could not be more starkly on display than in what we see happening around Crawford, Texas and other random blue places.
The sound and fury surrounding our political arenas is 95% industrial; scripted, covered, packaged, and published by media that is dying in its defense of a worldview they helped create… but that never really existed beyond their columns and newscasts.
That’s been the uncovered story for thirty years. The last nationally elected Democrat had to create PACS and an entire new branding (“new” Democrat) in order to win an election at the end of history (heavy lifting done/party time!. In the truly reality based community, the one where people pursue dreams the same time they hold jobs, raise families, and deal with bosses, taxes, and wars, the rest of us wait for the calendar to click over to another chance to elect leaders who might just have a clue. Who might just stand for something – ANYthing – beyond their own ambition.
Speaking truth to power sounds great. When there is no truth and the only object of dissent is to regain lost power, November becomes a dark month indeed to be a progressive.
The Sheehan Odyssey has become a textbook marketing campaign. Catering, press flacks, copy writers and travel agents, all proliferating on the dusty hill country landscape like mold on last week’s bread. Marketing can work wonders. Some of the largest companies in the world sell sugar water with flavor to the tune of billions of dollars a year. What the Democrats want to sell can indeed be shipped with all the slick commercials, free offers, and rebates in the world – but once that box is actually opened by anyone, they will still know shit they see it.
Can’t wait to see what Kos has in store for the DLC; Russian roullete challenge with shotguns?
Its a long way, to the top, if you want to wear your dead son’s corpse like a Miss America sash
Jaysus, Chris…what a brilliant photoshop suggestion!
”….WHEN they see it.”
PIMF.
Turing Word:
“HoHum”… as in “Is Dean in the news AGAIN?”
Darleen,
I feel no shame in admitting that I blatantly stole that bit of imagery from hogonice.
Turing word:only. As in, I only steal from the best.
Jeez, are you folks still wrangling over that Sheehan broad? How last week.
I demand MORE and GRIEFIER grief, from a FRESH mom!
This one’s gettin’ stale.
Jeff.. I have no clue to why your backtracks give me fits ah well
But I took Chris’s phrase and came up with this Photoshop.
Couldn’t help myself!
Wow Darleen –
That was cold. On target, but cold…
DC
Diana: “We live in a “blame the victim†culture. How pathetic it is to not have the GUTS to speak up for yourself when you’ve been wronged, and instead join those who brutalize and blunt emotions.”
No, you are dead wrong. We USED to live in a “blame the victim” culture. The pendulum swung too far the other way more than 30 years ago. Now we lionize the victim to the detrement of the victim herself.
It is NOT GOOD for a victim to be cooed over and treated as a celebrity. What Mrs. Sheehan needs more than anything else is to get back to living her life. The woman has already learned that she can get what she wants by snapping her fingers. Do you REALLY think she REALLY wants to talk to the President? Get over that one… her purpose is to get people to jump when she says, “Frog!” She’s found a way to do that, and it’s going to take someone with the guts to stand up to her to snap her out of it.
Diane: “Betrayal of Self is rampant in this society. So few have the guts to be authentic, like Cindy Sheehan.”
Sheehan is as “authentic” as a $3 bill. Right now, she’s has only one difference from the idiots who demonstrated in 1969… the idiots in 1969 had better reason to demonstrate, having been completely duped by the news media. With all the alternative media available today, that excuse no longer exists. You can log into IRAQI websites and find out first hand what Iraqis think.
And “Betrayal of Self” is hokum. It was emphasis on “Self” that brought us the hystrionic “ME!” generation with its emphasis on self gratification and stinginess that has caused so much social stife. When trouble-making teens appear on Oprah, the liberal in the audience stands up and says, “I see a lack of self esteem.” I see entirely TOO MUCH self esteem. And I am right about that. “ME! ME! ME!” came close to destroying this country.
And, no… I am NOT “double the victim”… I am twice the SURVIVOR! I survived the initial attack, and I survived a web of manipulative behavior of my own creation. I would not have it any other way.
Am I heartless? No. I DO grieve for those mothers who have lost their children in battle. However, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!!!
Don’t forget Max Cleland. How many limbs does he have to lose before we see the light?
How many elections does he have to lose before he sees the light?
Dude. The second word of your post shoulda been “her,” not “his.” Noemie Emery is a woman. A redhead. (A real redhead, I’m told.)
Amber
So Max Cleland lost some limbs. It was tragic, especially since it didn’t come about due to combat but during AN ACCIDENT when he decided to pick up a grenade dropped by another soldier.
And this gives him a greater moral cache than, say, someone who loses a foot due to diabetes, how?
Even cops cannot use their uniforms for free donuts. Maxy doesn’t get a pass on being judged for his words and deeds just he wears a wheelchair.
Here’s a few pics from a site called “Lights, Camera, Protest!”
Cartoonist Scott Stantis also has his take here.
Max Cleland doesn’t get a pass just because he lost some limbs.
We honor his service, but he lost those limbs about 40 years ago. He’s already over it, and I am not going to CREATE a victim of him. If anyone tried he’d probably dress them down.
PS, Amber… I remember that “see the light” stuff from 1969. We were going to “see the light” when we got out of Vietnam. OK… so we left. And then 3 million people were massacred by the communists in Vietnam and Cambodia, exactly as our government predicted would happen.
It will be even worse if we leave Iraq before they’re ready to take over everything. It will be worse because the jihadis want to re-establish the Caliphite… probably including Spain (which they owned before the Crusades). And when the Caliphite is restored, they want to establish a world-wide Islamic Paradise on Earth. And this by 8th Century rules.
Let me know when you go to get sized up for a burqha.
Whoa! Looks like ‘Mother’ Sheehan takes her sainthood to a new level
Yeppers, lotta love there, Cindy, dismissing those that disagree with you as nothing but a bunch of brainwashed murder and mayhem moms.
Bitch.
Tiresome. Tiresome, tiresome, tiresome. Why do we have to keep pointing out things that are self-evident? As I’ve said before, I’m utterly convinced that leftism is a mental disease. Of course, that’s coupled with an emotional age of about five. That’s a deadly combination.
Unfortunately, Cindy Sheehan is no longer the greiving mother that is due understanding or sympathy. She is now grandstanding upon her son’s flag-bourne coffin using it as a bully pulpit for her political motives and agenda. This is not the actions of a grieving mother but rather a fully enraged activist using her son as a tool!
The only people brainwashed are the people who believes everything the media tells them. Bad news for you: the media distorts the truth worse than polititians. Why is it that Peacemongers are more willing to listen to an agenda driven media than to the people who have actually been in Iraq. I am sorry, but the only people living in a dream are those who thinks bringing our troops home is the road to Peace.
Those who have been truly paying attention knows that the majority of Iraqis have praised our military in their country (how else could so few remain amidst so many), Non-Iraqis are primarily responsible for the current turmoil, French President Jacques Chirac was the only person in this mess who owned a share of Iraqi Oil (so long as Saddam was in power), the United Nations was receiving kickbacks from the former regime, Russia sided against us only because Saddam owed them millions. And the fact that the Saddam Regime was a major contributor to terrorist organizations (remember the 10,000 dollar checks to the families of those who blew themselves up?)
Why, being that all this information is known, recorded, and out there for anyone to read, that those people are receiving second-hand news from those media with their own agendas, are acting like they are the experts in what is going on in Iraq while those of us who have had first hand exposure to the nation of Iraq, and its people, as well as what is truly going on in the world are considered “brain-washed”.
Sounds like some people need to re-evaluate their Reality.
Y’know, it’s dipnuttery like this that reminds me of lyrics from a song Steve Taylor wrote:
Yes, she is authentic, an authentic media hog!
Oh dear.
Well, I suppose it’s my fault for trying a facetious comment with people who don’t know my views yet.
Ok. This being an entry about the Left’s use of victim figures to ward of any argument, I said, “Don’t forget Max Cleland.” If I had said, “Don’t forget that dumbass who picked up a grenade,” would my point have been clearer?
Then my comment which royally flopped was supposed to mock Leftist hyberbole about it, but perhaps I’ll leave the sarcasm up to the experts next time.
Don’t sweat it, Amber. There have been a whole host of trolls around these parts lately, and the commenters here have gotten so adept at mimicking them that it’s often difficult to tell the difference.
Your name being new in the comments, some folks just assumed…