"WHEN FASCISM COMES TO AMERICA IT WILL BE WRAPPED IN THE FLAG
AND CARRYING A CROSS." -SINCLAIR LEWIS

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Smith Worries About The Levels Of Hate

Motivated by the gun-rights related Pittsburgh police shootings and the more recent murder of Doctor George Tiller, Shepard Smith (one of the last honest voices at FOX News) reads an email that he says is representative of the level of right-wing animosity he sees coming into the network on a daily basis ever since the election of President Obama:

As I've said, this level of raw hate has been fueled and maintained by not just the more rabid talking heads at FOX News but has also been amplified by their cohorts on talk radio and across the blogosphere. Now a typical refrain I hear from the right is "Well, the left was just as bad going after George W. Bush" with cries of "BDS" and other rote talking points thrown in as well, and to all those I answer, "Bullshit."

Now I won't deny that some on the left went overboard at some point in their protestations about Bush but even they at least waited until after he had royally screwed up several aspects of his job. Obama has been president for less than five months yet we've been hearing this "Marxist/Socialist/Secret Muslim/America-hater" meme since even before his inauguration, it's just the volume of the insults and the levels of outrage that have been ratcheted up to now seemingly dangerous levels, so much so that this rhetoric is now inspiring some of the less stable elements of society to take up arms against those they've been told to fear. And unless this hateful tone changes in some substantial way I'm afraid that things are going to get much worse on this score before they get better.

(via)

8 comments:

Tim said...

The main difference between the right and left these days is that there is a five-page long spreadsheet of male WASP-related hate crimes from the past decade that separates them. The left's biggest threat? Code friggin' Pink.

This vitriolic spew is now endemic in all right-wing talk, and Fox News info graphics. Think of all the "Hussein" Obama talk, mentioning how Obama is a "problem," the birth certificate issue...the list is endless. The so-called peaceful tea baggers with their overt and not so overt hate messages about how they are the Jews for Obama's ovens. Etc...

Glenn Beck, Michael Savage, Rush Limbaugh, are truly despicable human beings, but the worst has to go to Mann Coulter, who has openly stated that Jews are somehow "imperfect" and can be saved by converting to Christianity. She says this while wearing her gold crucifix around her neck. She is a stupid, racist [rhymes with] bunt.

I noticed even Donald Douglas was championing Ann Coulter on a top 50 conservative bloggers list. What does that tell you?

It says what is loud and clear to me. And anyone who would read a Michelle Malkin blog post, let alone give this single-brain cell amoeba the time of day, is not on their game.

one L bill said...

Dude! He's 10" of the way done already!

one L bill said...

whoops, that should read 10%

JBW said...

I agree with you on most of these points Tim except for one: Code Pink is not the biggest threat on the left. Like it or not, eco-terrorists who spike trees and animal rights activists who vandalize scientific laboratories and release animals into unsuitable environments, even if one might agree with their motives (and I regularly do not) are on our side of the aisle politically and we must be as frank in dismissing their actions as the right is disingenuous in trying to distance themselves from the gun nuts and racist murderers on theirs.

JBW said...

Plus you make the additional mistake of assuming only one term, one L. Palin-Limbaugh in 2012! Please, oh please.

Tim said...

Code Pink seems to be the most visible, though. And while their methods try to employ outrage and humor, the right treat them as if they are a threat.

But yes, animal activists are their own brand of stupid.

one L bill said...

I don't mean 10% done completely, but 10% done with what he knows he will be able to do. :)

Regardless, I agree that it's a wee bit early to start screaming about our newfound socialist America. Yesterday I had a guy at work send me an email spouting these sorts of things. I tried to remind him that the bailouts started under Bush. I don't think many of us really like the government bailout mortgages any more than the auto industry. You shouldn't need to bail out anybody!

JBW said...

Agreed, one L. Bailouts are anathema to me but I hear many financial experts telling me that the collapse of the national economy will destroy this country. I'm not so sure, although I do lament the loss of jobs across the country.

Personally, I have no significant investments in stocks, bonds, or other areas so I'm not personally scared of the eventual collapse envisioned by our financial leaders. I guess having nothing to lose comes in handy during a financial meltdown.

My own silver lining, as it were.