Let me spell it out again. There is no left-wing, liberal, or even Democratic Party version of FOX(R). The FOX(R)/MSNBC false equivalency is a corporate media, conservative, “fair and balanced”, talking point.
First, some not-so-long-ago-historical Perspective:
After other networks realized it was too close to call the 2000 election, they withdrew their projection for a Gore win. It was a Bushie who called the election for Bush on FOX(R), when nobody could have made that judgment.
For FOX(R) had a job to do. And it was not journalism.
While all the pre-Iraq War propaganda was flashing 24/7 on FOX(R), along with the flag-waving cheerleading for the Bush Administration, MSNBC fired Phil Donahue. Why? Not for lack of ratings...no, no. His ratings were the highest the network had. No, he was fired because he had too many guests on that spoke out against Bush’s Crusade. Never mind he was told to have more pro-war than anti-war people on. Did FOX(R) have war dissenters on? No. They accused, with open contempt, all liberals against the war of being unpatriotic, of course. They were silent about conservatives against the war like Ron Paul and a few other Libertarian types. Nothing to see there, folks.
For FOX(R) had a job to do. And it was not journalism.
Second, some perspective on who they are lately:
FOX(R) has had on its payroll numerous Bush Administration members and Republican politicians, who clearly have presidential ambitions. How many on the MSNBC payroll were Clinton or Obama Administration members? (No, not Pat Buchanan.) How many on the MSNBC payroll have been on presidential and presidential primary ballots? Not so many as FOX(R)? No, not so many at all.
For FOX(R) has a job to do. And it is not journalism.
Maybe you saw the exciting promotions. All around the country there were to be fabulous “FNC Tea Parties”, featuring Glenn Beck and all your favorite FOX(R) personalities. Everyone was urged to come see the FOX(R) personalities and Republican politicians at an event sponsored by FOX(R), Dick Armey’s political operation, and the salt of the Earth Billionaire Koch Brothers. Yup, a regular gathering of regular folk to advance the agenda of the corporate elite. FOX(R) calls this “grass roots”.
For FOX(R) has a job to do. And it is not journalism.
Remember when Glenn Beck told us Obama was “a racist with a deep seated hatred for white people”? Again, maybe if MSNBC gave a nightly program to Kanye West after he said Bush doesn't like black people, you might find some equivalency. West was chastised by most liberals, in and out of the media. I even joined them. Bush does not hate rich conservative black people. I wonder how many millions of dollars FOX(R) has given to Beck since his “observation”. He’s still working there isn’t he? Yes he is.
For FOX(R) has a job to do. And it is not journalism.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
“One Thing That I Do Know”
As Stephen Colbert discussed Bush’s approval ratings at the 2006 White House Correspondents Dinner, he informed us, “...Reality has a well-known liberal bias”. So conversely, we must conclude, un-reality would logically have a well-known conservative bias.
It’s almost overwhelming to think of all the lies and wild fabrications the Right has come up with to undermine, obstruct, and defeat the democratically elected corporatist President of the US. They say he is a foreign born, Muslim, socialist racist who hates white people and pushes policies intended to not only send old folks to death panels, but to destroy America.
True to form, Weeper of the House Boehner said “it’s not my job” to tell the people the truth. I can even understand that, from the Right, Obama seems a “liberal”. I’ll allow them that. Although from the center, he looks moderate/right when he continues to appease Wall Street, continues Bush foreign policies without investigating the torture and pre-war lies, and extends tax breaks for the rich.
In fact it’s the job of the entire Republican Party and radical Right to spread falsehoods and blur everything that challenges their efforts toward one-party dictatorship.
This week we heard presidential contender Mike Huckabee lie, and repeat it, on The Steve Malzberg Show, yet another AM propaganda swill machine of the radical Right.
Continuing the Right’s campaign to portray Obama as an African anti-colonial, anti-imperialist savage, Huckabee said, “I would love to know more. What I know is troubling enough. And one thing that I do know is his having grown up in Kenya, his view of the Brits, for example, [is] very different than the average American.”
One might pause here and say, “Wait a minute. Wasn’t the US born of an anti-colonial, anti-imperialist revolution?” Well, yes, but that was before we became a colonialist empire. Now, according to the Right, it is clearly unpatriotic to share those founders’ sentiments.
Huckabee’s apologist lackey eventually squawked, “Governor Huckabee simply misspoke when he alluded to President Obama growing up in 'Kenya.' The Governor meant to say the President grew up in Indonesia."
"When the Governor mentioned he wanted to know more about the President, he wasn't talking about the President's place of birth - the Governor believes the President was born in Hawaii. The Governor would however like to know more about where President Obama's liberal policies come from and what else the President plans to do to this country - as do most Americans."
Oh, I see. This is about where Obama “grew up” and was trained in his anti-American Marxist convictions... from age 6 to 10.
Huckabee went on and “misspoke” again, “...if you think about it, his perspective as growing up in Kenya with a Kenyan father and grandfather, their view of the Mau Mau Revolution in Kenya is very different than ours because he probably grew up hearing that the British were a bunch of imperialists who persecuted his grandfather.”
Perhaps we need to understand something here. It’s probably very easy to confuse the Mau Mau Revolution in Indonesia with the Mau Mau Revolution in Kenya, right? And what difference is there, really, between the British imperialists and the Dutch, or between Africa and Southeast Asia?
Have you known anyone that ever “misspoke” so elaborately? Has anyone ever “misspoke” so elaborately and repeatedly? This sounds like more than a mere slip of the tongue. It sounds like the deliberate, slippery, oily tongue of someone who stands to gain from the spread of misinformation. He is obviously talking to the brainwashed dupes of the Right who believe Obama is a foreign Muslim Marxist racist. He wants their votes and will allow any lie or falsehood to conveniently work towards that end.
A fifth of our country believes Obama is Muslim. There’s a clear reason for this. To borrow the Huckster’s words, what I know is troubling enough. And one thing that I do know is the truth is not on the Republicans’ side. It never was and never will be.
***
Update: George Will, of all people, has a not-so-dissimilar take on this extremist trend into un-reality.
It’s almost overwhelming to think of all the lies and wild fabrications the Right has come up with to undermine, obstruct, and defeat the democratically elected corporatist President of the US. They say he is a foreign born, Muslim, socialist racist who hates white people and pushes policies intended to not only send old folks to death panels, but to destroy America.
True to form, Weeper of the House Boehner said “it’s not my job” to tell the people the truth. I can even understand that, from the Right, Obama seems a “liberal”. I’ll allow them that. Although from the center, he looks moderate/right when he continues to appease Wall Street, continues Bush foreign policies without investigating the torture and pre-war lies, and extends tax breaks for the rich.
In fact it’s the job of the entire Republican Party and radical Right to spread falsehoods and blur everything that challenges their efforts toward one-party dictatorship.
This week we heard presidential contender Mike Huckabee lie, and repeat it, on The Steve Malzberg Show, yet another AM propaganda swill machine of the radical Right.
Continuing the Right’s campaign to portray Obama as an African anti-colonial, anti-imperialist savage, Huckabee said, “I would love to know more. What I know is troubling enough. And one thing that I do know is his having grown up in Kenya, his view of the Brits, for example, [is] very different than the average American.”
One might pause here and say, “Wait a minute. Wasn’t the US born of an anti-colonial, anti-imperialist revolution?” Well, yes, but that was before we became a colonialist empire. Now, according to the Right, it is clearly unpatriotic to share those founders’ sentiments.
Huckabee’s apologist lackey eventually squawked, “Governor Huckabee simply misspoke when he alluded to President Obama growing up in 'Kenya.' The Governor meant to say the President grew up in Indonesia."
"When the Governor mentioned he wanted to know more about the President, he wasn't talking about the President's place of birth - the Governor believes the President was born in Hawaii. The Governor would however like to know more about where President Obama's liberal policies come from and what else the President plans to do to this country - as do most Americans."
Oh, I see. This is about where Obama “grew up” and was trained in his anti-American Marxist convictions... from age 6 to 10.
Huckabee went on and “misspoke” again, “...if you think about it, his perspective as growing up in Kenya with a Kenyan father and grandfather, their view of the Mau Mau Revolution in Kenya is very different than ours because he probably grew up hearing that the British were a bunch of imperialists who persecuted his grandfather.”
Perhaps we need to understand something here. It’s probably very easy to confuse the Mau Mau Revolution in Indonesia with the Mau Mau Revolution in Kenya, right? And what difference is there, really, between the British imperialists and the Dutch, or between Africa and Southeast Asia?
Have you known anyone that ever “misspoke” so elaborately? Has anyone ever “misspoke” so elaborately and repeatedly? This sounds like more than a mere slip of the tongue. It sounds like the deliberate, slippery, oily tongue of someone who stands to gain from the spread of misinformation. He is obviously talking to the brainwashed dupes of the Right who believe Obama is a foreign Muslim Marxist racist. He wants their votes and will allow any lie or falsehood to conveniently work towards that end.
A fifth of our country believes Obama is Muslim. There’s a clear reason for this. To borrow the Huckster’s words, what I know is troubling enough. And one thing that I do know is the truth is not on the Republicans’ side. It never was and never will be.
***
Update: George Will, of all people, has a not-so-dissimilar take on this extremist trend into un-reality.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
One More Time...
Ever since Reagan and fellow foxes took control of the henhouse, expanding corporatism has allowed Big Money to have almost complete control of government policy and regulations.
The wealthy are now paying their lowest tax rates in many decades. The economic elite are reaping huge new fortunes. Banking and corporate entities have more political power than ever.
The Middle class is decimated. Poverty and unemployment numbers are increasing.
Some say it is time for new ideas to correct the past several decades’ vast re-distribution of wealth to the economic elite. I can’t think of any new ideas that are as good as some old ideas; old ideas that corporations are not people, money is not free speech and public elections need public financing. America must make a Constitutional shift in that direction if it is to survive as a free country.
The wealthy are now paying their lowest tax rates in many decades. The economic elite are reaping huge new fortunes. Banking and corporate entities have more political power than ever.
The Middle class is decimated. Poverty and unemployment numbers are increasing.
Some say it is time for new ideas to correct the past several decades’ vast re-distribution of wealth to the economic elite. I can’t think of any new ideas that are as good as some old ideas; old ideas that corporations are not people, money is not free speech and public elections need public financing. America must make a Constitutional shift in that direction if it is to survive as a free country.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Today Egypt, Tomorrow the World!
When I see the pictures of the demonstrations in Egypt, I feel an odd mix of excitement and dread. I am proud of the people rising up and demanding the departure of a dictatorship of thirty years. And I am worried what will happen to those people during and after the changes that must happen.
I respect both President Obama’s admonition against violent suppression by the Mubarak regime, and the sensible comment from House Speaker John Boehner, "The administration, our administration, so far has handled this tense situation pretty well. Clearly, reforms need to occur in Egypt."
What I don’t respect is the wacked out fear mongering from FOX(R) “deep thinkers” and the peanut gallery huffing from Rush Limbaugh. Fox Nation shrieks, "Obama Will Go Down In History As The President Who Lost Egypt.” Just how he can lose something he never had is a mystery to me. Limbaugh ominously warns us of the perils of not supporting the dictator. “Could we perhaps be helping to usher in a terrorist group under the guise of a democratic uprising?" Heavens to Betsy Ross! Tell me it isn’t so! That would be horribly similar to al-Qaeda in Iraq, where we practically asked for it.
If that were the extent of the fear-mongering I wouldn’t give it another thought, but it gets loonier.
Thank goodness for Glenn “Don’t talk to me about crazy conspiracy theories” Beck. He tells us just what to fear most, scary Muslims and Liberals, of course. Yes, as every “fair and balanced” indoctrinated American believes, Obama pals around with a domestic terrorist. It only makes sense that we to the left of Obama are even worse; we liberals are in cahoots with Islamic extremist terrorists.
Yesiree, Beck clued in O’Reilly when he told him Egyptian unrest “is being orchestrated by the Marxist Communists and the Muslim Brotherhood”. But the threat does not end there in Egypt. It is global. Yes, it’s high time we all fear the coming Islamic caliphate that will end our way of life.
On his radio show today we learned three very important points from his imaginary blackboard. “These are the things that I believe,” he told us.
1. Groups from the hard socialist and communist left and extreme Islam will work together because they are both a common enemy of Israel and “the Jew”.
2. Groups from the hard core socialist and communist left and extreme Islam will work together because they are the common enemy of capitalism and the western way of life.
3. Groups from the hard core socialist and communist left and extreme Islam will work together to overturn relatively stable countries because in the status quo they are both ostracized from power and the mainstream in most of the world.
Ya got it?
Islam wants a caliphate. Communists want a communist new world order.
They will work together because they both want chaos. Period.
Be afraid. Be very afraid. The Communists and Muslim Brotherhood have allies in hard core socialists like me. I can only suppose that would have to include Obama too. Quick! Somebody better go warn Boehner!
Wait a minute. Didn’t those oil rich capitalist Saudi Wahabists support al-Qaeda, who in turn hated the Russian Communists? And don’t those socialist European countries enjoy our “western way of life”? Come to think of it, isn’t Communist China incorporating capitalism? I thought Daddy Bush wanted a new world order. And I thought a caliphate was an office, state, or jurisdiction. Those don't sound very much like chaos to me. Say, don’t liberals and socialists and communists strongly oppose theocracy?
I’m getting confused...and frightened. I guess I just have to “believe” we liberals “will work together” with the terrorists, and will plot to destroy America. Thanks for clearing this all up for us, Glenn. You're the expert. That’s just what we needed here.
I respect both President Obama’s admonition against violent suppression by the Mubarak regime, and the sensible comment from House Speaker John Boehner, "The administration, our administration, so far has handled this tense situation pretty well. Clearly, reforms need to occur in Egypt."
What I don’t respect is the wacked out fear mongering from FOX(R) “deep thinkers” and the peanut gallery huffing from Rush Limbaugh. Fox Nation shrieks, "Obama Will Go Down In History As The President Who Lost Egypt.” Just how he can lose something he never had is a mystery to me. Limbaugh ominously warns us of the perils of not supporting the dictator. “Could we perhaps be helping to usher in a terrorist group under the guise of a democratic uprising?" Heavens to Betsy Ross! Tell me it isn’t so! That would be horribly similar to al-Qaeda in Iraq, where we practically asked for it.
If that were the extent of the fear-mongering I wouldn’t give it another thought, but it gets loonier.
Thank goodness for Glenn “Don’t talk to me about crazy conspiracy theories” Beck. He tells us just what to fear most, scary Muslims and Liberals, of course. Yes, as every “fair and balanced” indoctrinated American believes, Obama pals around with a domestic terrorist. It only makes sense that we to the left of Obama are even worse; we liberals are in cahoots with Islamic extremist terrorists.
Yesiree, Beck clued in O’Reilly when he told him Egyptian unrest “is being orchestrated by the Marxist Communists and the Muslim Brotherhood”. But the threat does not end there in Egypt. It is global. Yes, it’s high time we all fear the coming Islamic caliphate that will end our way of life.
On his radio show today we learned three very important points from his imaginary blackboard. “These are the things that I believe,” he told us.
1. Groups from the hard socialist and communist left and extreme Islam will work together because they are both a common enemy of Israel and “the Jew”.
2. Groups from the hard core socialist and communist left and extreme Islam will work together because they are the common enemy of capitalism and the western way of life.
3. Groups from the hard core socialist and communist left and extreme Islam will work together to overturn relatively stable countries because in the status quo they are both ostracized from power and the mainstream in most of the world.
Ya got it?
Islam wants a caliphate. Communists want a communist new world order.
They will work together because they both want chaos. Period.
Be afraid. Be very afraid. The Communists and Muslim Brotherhood have allies in hard core socialists like me. I can only suppose that would have to include Obama too. Quick! Somebody better go warn Boehner!
Wait a minute. Didn’t those oil rich capitalist Saudi Wahabists support al-Qaeda, who in turn hated the Russian Communists? And don’t those socialist European countries enjoy our “western way of life”? Come to think of it, isn’t Communist China incorporating capitalism? I thought Daddy Bush wanted a new world order. And I thought a caliphate was an office, state, or jurisdiction. Those don't sound very much like chaos to me. Say, don’t liberals and socialists and communists strongly oppose theocracy?
I’m getting confused...and frightened. I guess I just have to “believe” we liberals “will work together” with the terrorists, and will plot to destroy America. Thanks for clearing this all up for us, Glenn. You're the expert. That’s just what we needed here.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Socialist Founders
Don’t you love it when the Tea Cult pod people pontificate? They love to go on and on about how the Founders were just like them. They wrap themselves in colonial garb with their tricorn hats and wave their Gadsden flags warning, “Don’t Tread On Me”. Appearance really is everything to them, isn't it?
I’m not sure who they think is treading on them. It’s not like liberals go around stomping conservative heads to the ground. I don’t know of any liberals going into churches and gunning down conservatives because they got all riled up reading Paul Krugman.
I guess they feel oppressed by a government that taxes them less than what they paid under Reagan. Oh, the tyranny! Oh, the oppression! Woe is the Republic! Obama, the Black Muslim Socialist who hates white people, is destroying our country with government “takeover” of health care. Oh, the Socialism!
Yes, only the foulest of socialists would dare insult the Founders by instituting government mandated, and managed, health care. Second Amendment remedies may be our last and only hope to throw off the stranglehold of socialist government healthcare. It’s a clear violation of our Constitution, is it not?
Somebody better lecture John Adams on the Constitution. Apparently he and other Founders were some of those socialists for government mandated health care. Yes, the disturbing news is out. In 1798 the 5th Congress passed, and Adams signed, "An Act for the Relief of Sick and Disabled Seaman" into law. Thomas Jefferson was the President of the Senate during the 5th Congress while Jonathan Dayton, the youngest man to sign the United States Constitution, was the Speaker of the House.
The act provided for the Federal Government to build and run hospitals for sick and injured seamen. It was paid for by taxing the sailors. Let this sink in. Adams and other Founders instituted tax funded government run health care.
It survives to this day as the Public Health Service under the Surgeon General.
This shoots down the Right’s argument that government has no business mandating health care. The Founders were very open to the idea of government managed health care after all. Real socialism has been validated from the beginning of our Republic. What would you bet the Tea Cult would call Obama if this was his idea?
It looks like liberals resemble the Founders more than the fantasy filled dress-up Tea Cult buffoons after all. Oh, the irony! It turns out the Founders meant it when they wrote “promote the general welfare” in the Constitution.
I guess it’s time for progressives to start shouting, “We want our country back!”
I’m not sure who they think is treading on them. It’s not like liberals go around stomping conservative heads to the ground. I don’t know of any liberals going into churches and gunning down conservatives because they got all riled up reading Paul Krugman.
I guess they feel oppressed by a government that taxes them less than what they paid under Reagan. Oh, the tyranny! Oh, the oppression! Woe is the Republic! Obama, the Black Muslim Socialist who hates white people, is destroying our country with government “takeover” of health care. Oh, the Socialism!
Yes, only the foulest of socialists would dare insult the Founders by instituting government mandated, and managed, health care. Second Amendment remedies may be our last and only hope to throw off the stranglehold of socialist government healthcare. It’s a clear violation of our Constitution, is it not?
Somebody better lecture John Adams on the Constitution. Apparently he and other Founders were some of those socialists for government mandated health care. Yes, the disturbing news is out. In 1798 the 5th Congress passed, and Adams signed, "An Act for the Relief of Sick and Disabled Seaman" into law. Thomas Jefferson was the President of the Senate during the 5th Congress while Jonathan Dayton, the youngest man to sign the United States Constitution, was the Speaker of the House.
The act provided for the Federal Government to build and run hospitals for sick and injured seamen. It was paid for by taxing the sailors. Let this sink in. Adams and other Founders instituted tax funded government run health care.
It survives to this day as the Public Health Service under the Surgeon General.
This shoots down the Right’s argument that government has no business mandating health care. The Founders were very open to the idea of government managed health care after all. Real socialism has been validated from the beginning of our Republic. What would you bet the Tea Cult would call Obama if this was his idea?
It looks like liberals resemble the Founders more than the fantasy filled dress-up Tea Cult buffoons after all. Oh, the irony! It turns out the Founders meant it when they wrote “promote the general welfare” in the Constitution.
I guess it’s time for progressives to start shouting, “We want our country back!”
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Fear and Authoritarians
Thanks to Right Wing corporate media we hear it all the time.
Democrats want Death panels and a Death tax. Obama is a Marxist, Muslim racist with a deep seated hatred for white people. Obama’s socialism is destroying America. Obama doesn’t like America. Liberals don’t have family values and they hate personal responsibility. Taxes “punish” the rich, and are “oppressive tyranny”. Obama is another Stalin. Obama is another Hitler. Liberals blame America first. We want our country back! If ballots don’t work, bullets will.
Man, I’m getting more than a little frightened, not to mention quite angry. Hurry! Somebody DO something to save us from this great evil!
All right, let me catch my breath and settle down here.
This is all about fear, you know.
Fear is the most primal emotion. It can alert us to danger and save us from harm, or it can disable us from within. It can cause us to react with violence towards a perceived threat. Sometimes the threat may not even be real, or so minor that fear triggers a destructive over-reaction. We’ve learned there’s no reasoning with it. We’ve seen fear of the hooded prowler used as a tool to manipulate people into spending their money on products like burglar alarms or private security services.
We’ve also learned fear can be nurtured by powerful entities that gain more power through inciting fearfulness in people. Uncertainty, confusion, anger, and ignorance feed fear. Frightened people ask fewer questions and obey authority more quickly. Fear of terrorism and anger at Arabs and Islam for 9-11 are how Right Wing Authoritarians Bush and Cheney led us to war based on their lies. Fear, along with anger and resentment, is an important tool for Right Wing Authoritarian leaders to influence people.
Fear of death and eternal punishment may well be the primary reason Right Wing Authoritarians embrace religion. Perhaps that may be their only foundation for morality and disincentive for violence against fellow humans. Unfortunately it doesn’t always work out. Crusades, Inquisitions, Jihad, witch burnings, and maybe the invasion of Iraq seem to happen despite, or perhaps due to religious beliefs of authoritarians. Personally, I still think simple greed and lust for power have more to do with these events.
Anyway, it’s time to bravely face the gaping jaws of fear that are devouring America. It’s time we understood knowledge, information, education, tolerance compassion, experience, and openness go far to mitigate fear. It’s time for rational examination and an open honest study of what fear is and how it works on some people more than others.
For a start, could it be conservatives are more prone to the effects of fear? Last month there was an interesting study mentioned in The Telegraph (UK). It seems conservatives' brains have larger amygdalas, centers of primitive emotions, than are found in the brains of liberals. Check out the article, “Political views 'hard-wired' into your brain”.
Hey, I didn’t invent this science, I’m just reporting it.
For my short take on Authoritarians, see my post from May 2008.
For further reading on Right-Wing Authoritarian (RWA) personalities I recommend John Dean’s book “Conservatives Without Conscience”. His book draws from the work of Robert Altemeyer.
Professor Bob Altemeyer of the University of Manitoba has generously made his book available for free online at The Authoritarians.
For all you anti-science conservatives who may be outraged at such a notion as a “conservative brain”, take comfort. There could also be a “liberal gene”.
Update:
For more on Right Wing resentment, see Mobilization Of Resentments from December 2009.
Democrats want Death panels and a Death tax. Obama is a Marxist, Muslim racist with a deep seated hatred for white people. Obama’s socialism is destroying America. Obama doesn’t like America. Liberals don’t have family values and they hate personal responsibility. Taxes “punish” the rich, and are “oppressive tyranny”. Obama is another Stalin. Obama is another Hitler. Liberals blame America first. We want our country back! If ballots don’t work, bullets will.
Man, I’m getting more than a little frightened, not to mention quite angry. Hurry! Somebody DO something to save us from this great evil!
All right, let me catch my breath and settle down here.
This is all about fear, you know.
Fear is the most primal emotion. It can alert us to danger and save us from harm, or it can disable us from within. It can cause us to react with violence towards a perceived threat. Sometimes the threat may not even be real, or so minor that fear triggers a destructive over-reaction. We’ve learned there’s no reasoning with it. We’ve seen fear of the hooded prowler used as a tool to manipulate people into spending their money on products like burglar alarms or private security services.
We’ve also learned fear can be nurtured by powerful entities that gain more power through inciting fearfulness in people. Uncertainty, confusion, anger, and ignorance feed fear. Frightened people ask fewer questions and obey authority more quickly. Fear of terrorism and anger at Arabs and Islam for 9-11 are how Right Wing Authoritarians Bush and Cheney led us to war based on their lies. Fear, along with anger and resentment, is an important tool for Right Wing Authoritarian leaders to influence people.
Fear of death and eternal punishment may well be the primary reason Right Wing Authoritarians embrace religion. Perhaps that may be their only foundation for morality and disincentive for violence against fellow humans. Unfortunately it doesn’t always work out. Crusades, Inquisitions, Jihad, witch burnings, and maybe the invasion of Iraq seem to happen despite, or perhaps due to religious beliefs of authoritarians. Personally, I still think simple greed and lust for power have more to do with these events.
Anyway, it’s time to bravely face the gaping jaws of fear that are devouring America. It’s time we understood knowledge, information, education, tolerance compassion, experience, and openness go far to mitigate fear. It’s time for rational examination and an open honest study of what fear is and how it works on some people more than others.
For a start, could it be conservatives are more prone to the effects of fear? Last month there was an interesting study mentioned in The Telegraph (UK). It seems conservatives' brains have larger amygdalas, centers of primitive emotions, than are found in the brains of liberals. Check out the article, “Political views 'hard-wired' into your brain”.
Hey, I didn’t invent this science, I’m just reporting it.
For my short take on Authoritarians, see my post from May 2008.
For further reading on Right-Wing Authoritarian (RWA) personalities I recommend John Dean’s book “Conservatives Without Conscience”. His book draws from the work of Robert Altemeyer.
Professor Bob Altemeyer of the University of Manitoba has generously made his book available for free online at The Authoritarians.
For all you anti-science conservatives who may be outraged at such a notion as a “conservative brain”, take comfort. There could also be a “liberal gene”.
Update:
For more on Right Wing resentment, see Mobilization Of Resentments from December 2009.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
No Reich Wing Hate Here
A Special Freedom Rants “Endorsement”: *
No sir, there’s no Reich Wing hate at Ye Olde Tea Bagger Shop for “patriots”. Step right up folks and get your tea party supplies. Show the world what “real Americans” believe. Need a license to hunt liberals? Gotcha covered, Bubba.
Does anybody recognize the frightening poster? Didn’t we see something like this on a billboard last summer?
Not only do they inform us that Democrats like Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John Kerry are traitors, but their cool poster of Stalin, Hitler and Obama teaches us they are all the same. Well, maybe not exactly the same. Stalin and Hitler shared at least one passion with our “conservative” Right Wing Extremist heroes. They both generously provided hunting licenses for their open seasons on liberals.
Be angry, very angry at these dictators, especially the “liberal” living one. And be afraid, very afraid, of the scary black man. He is destroying the country, you know. Hate is too good a word for this tyrant, so there’s no hate here. No sirree. None whatsoever. In fact this is all about love, a regular Ministry of Love, founded back in 1984 right here in Amerika.
And rest assured our tea-soaked “patriots” have the support of the president of that powerful adversary of democracy, the Heritage Foundation. He tells us the ideologically pure shop for “patriots” has posts that are a “must read” in the marketplace of ideas for “informed conservatives”.
We remember the words of Heritage Foundation co-founder Paul Weyrich, "I don't want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of the people. They never have been from the beginning of our country and they are not now. As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down.”
Remember folks, democracy is what needed to be overturned in order for Bush and Cheney to seize power and get the country into corporate-friendly permanent war, record debt, and a “National Security” police state. Democracy is what put Obama into office.
The message is clear. Democracy is an anti-Amerikan liberal conspiracy. Yes, we must destroy the liberal Commie traitors and their democratic socialism! If ballots don’t work, bullets will! Hey, that’s another sentiment they share with the two older guys on their poster. That must mean Obama is the worst dictator ever, since Stalin and Hitler shared their “conservative” values.
Long live the Amerikan Fourth Reich! Long live our Konservative Korporatist Kountry!
*I will not name this fascist site by its title nor provide a link. I’m now a little too sickened to continue my “endorsement”. God help us.
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