The General Politics Thread

traptunderice · **Posted:** Sun Jan 09, 2011 11:53 pm

FrigidSymphony wrote:

Goat wrote:

I like how Trapt thinks We, The Living is worse than Mein Kampf.

Well, at least Mein Kampf doesn't make any pretensions to being just and progressive, nor does it trap impressionable idealists with a mis-interpretation of Nietzsche. In today's world, an Ayn Rand book is far more dangerous than anything pro-nazi. Hitler is no longer a threat, unlike the Koch brothers.

Alan Greenspan isn't reading Protocols of the Elders of Zion on his vacations.

Cú Chulainn · **Posted:** Mon Jan 10, 2011 12:04 am

You see? We can get along just fine. As long as no one mentions prostitutes.

Goat · **Posted:** Mon Jan 10, 2011 2:27 pm

Quite how a preachy anti-communist book is worse than a blueprint to genocide is beyond me. Good thing no Jews visit this place.

Interestingly for everyone, there was far more left-wing/anarchist terrorism plotted in 2009 than Islamic.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/great+ ... story.html

traptunderice · **Posted:** Mon Jan 10, 2011 5:06 pm

Goat wrote:

Quite how a preachy anti-communist book is worse than a blueprint to genocide is beyond me. Good thing no Jews visit this place.

I don't live in Europe so my radical right get off to Palin and O'Reilly more than they do Hitler but maybe if we had a much more militant right then I'd be worried. The only thing I have to worry about Nazis is if I see a skinhead in the pit.

North From Here · **Posted:** Mon Jan 10, 2011 5:31 pm

traptunderice wrote:

Goat wrote:

Quite how a preachy anti-communist book is worse than a blueprint to genocide is beyond me. Good thing no Jews visit this place.

I don't live in Europe so my radical right get off to Palin and O'Reilly more than they do Hitler but maybe if we had a much more militant right then I'd be worried. The only thing I have to worry about Nazis is if I see a skinhead in the pit.

By the way, it just occurred to me how the Mayan Calendar apocalypse would actually work (note: I don't actually believe this!); Sarah Palin is elected President in Nov 2012 and thus the world ends in Dec 2012!

stevelovesmoonspell · **Posted:** Mon Jan 10, 2011 7:24 pm

emperorblackdoom wrote:

traptunderice wrote:

Goat wrote:

Quite how a preachy anti-communist book is worse than a blueprint to genocide is beyond me. Good thing no Jews visit this place.

I don't live in Europe so my radical right get off to Palin and O'Reilly more than they do Hitler but maybe if we had a much more militant right then I'd be worried. The only thing I have to worry about Nazis is if I see a skinhead in the pit.

By the way, it just occurred to me how the Mayan Calendar apocalypse would actually work (note: I don't actually believe this!); Sarah Palin is elected President in Nov 2012 and thus the world ends in Dec 2012!

Kathaarian · **Posted:** Mon Jan 10, 2011 7:40 pm

I am genuinely concerned about this.

traptunderice · **Posted:** Tue Jan 11, 2011 3:42 am

Quote:

But only Sarah Palin put 20 Democratic members of Congress in her crosshairs, and only Sarah Palin bragged that 18 are now gone, leaving Rep. Giffords and Rep. Nick Rahall of West Virginia.

Someone has to say it. There has been an astonishing acceleration of violent right wing rhetoric. At the same time, the mainstream media has come to accept armed revolution (second amendment remedies) and violence as legitimate political discourse instead of calling it out as behavior that crosses a very dangerous line. In the past week alone, incendiary devices were received at the offices of the Democratic Secretary of Homeland Security and the Democratic Governor of Maryland.

This is what Sarah Palin and others like her have wrought with their violent and vitriolic rhetoric that literally places gun sights on people who don't agree with their extreme views.

Apologists on the right are already saying that while tragic, this event was simply the result of an isolated act by a deranged individual. There have always been deranged individuals. But they have not always had easy access to guns nor have they always lived in a 24-hour-a-day media machine that promotes a toxic soup of violent attacks on political opponents.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/pal ... =fb_share1

Recognize that they aren't saying it was intentional but it is awful rhetoric which promotes a political climate which could lead to this poor lady being shot and the article is interesting.

cry of the banshee · **Posted:** Tue Jan 11, 2011 6:34 am

traptunderice wrote:

Quote:

But only Sarah Palin put 20 Democratic members of Congress in her crosshairs, and only Sarah Palin bragged that 18 are now gone, leaving Rep. Giffords and Rep. Nick Rahall of West Virginia.

Someone has to say it. There has been an astonishing acceleration of violent right wing rhetoric. At the same time, the mainstream media has come to accept armed revolution (second amendment remedies) and violence as legitimate political discourse instead of calling it out as behavior that crosses a very dangerous line. In the past week alone, incendiary devices were received at the offices of the Democratic Secretary of Homeland Security and the Democratic Governor of Maryland.

This is what Sarah Palin and others like her have wrought with their violent and vitriolic rhetoric that literally places gun sights on people who don't agree with their extreme views.

Apologists on the right are already saying that while tragic, this event was simply the result of an isolated act by a deranged individual. There have always been deranged individuals. But they have not always had easy access to guns nor have they always lived in a 24-hour-a-day media machine that promotes a toxic soup of violent attacks on political opponents.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/pal ... =fb_share1

Recognize that they aren't saying it was intentional but it is awful rhetoric which promotes a political climate which could lead to this poor lady being shot and the article is interesting.

yeah, right, because there has never been any nasty rhetoric spewed by the left in this country...oh, wait:

http://michellemalkin.com/2011/01/10/th ... 2000-2010/

Yeah, the left are all crimson and clover, especially when Bush was in office.

oh, and by the way:

http://twitpic.com/3o7s5c

oh but that's from a liberal, so never mind.

What was that about "targets" and "bullseyes"?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/6/25 ... 511/541568

Oops, guess that dioesn't count, because the fucking vulture media can't stretch it to indict Palin or conservatives somehow.

Give me a fucking break, the lengths this disgusting excuse for a media will go to try and destroy this woman is beyond the pale.
There is absolutely ZERO indication that this nutjob was a Palinite or even a conservative, but since when does that stop the media from jumping to baseless conclusions? (oh wait, when the perp is a muslim, then of course, "we must not rush to judgement or make blanket accusations").
Bullshit.
Goebbels would be right proud.

traptunderice · **Posted:** Tue Jan 11, 2011 8:30 am

That's fine. Both sides need to get their act together.

Goat · **Posted:** Tue Jan 11, 2011 10:29 am

It wasn't very nice of Palin, but blaming her for the shooting is a bit much. If she put targets up now, after the shooting, that'd be the time to protest. And yes, lefties use as much violent rhetoric as righties - interesting I've been universally ignored above, I seem to have alienated absolutely everyone with the 'more left-wing terrorism than Islamic terrorism' link, commies and conservatives.

And sorry, but it has to be said: Americans always have easy access to guns. And as ever, it seems mad from this side of the pond, but I guess taking them away from everyone would be a worse solution.

Anyone see that interview with the father of the 9-year-old? Heartbreaking. That's ultimately what should be discussed, the human cost, not the bloody political impact of Sarah bloody Palin's website.

cry of the banshee · **Posted:** Tue Jan 11, 2011 2:04 pm

Goat wrote:

It wasn't very nice of Palin, but blaming her for the shooting is a bit much. If she put targets up now, after the shooting, that'd be the time to protest. And yes, lefties use as much violent rhetoric as righties - interesting I've been universally ignored above, I seem to have alienated absolutely everyone with the 'more left-wing terrorism than Islamic terrorism' link, commies and conservatives.

And sorry, but it has to be said: Americans always have easy access to guns. And as ever, it seems mad from this side of the pond, but I guess taking them away from everyone would be a worse solution.

Anyone see that interview with the father of the 9-year-old? Heartbreaking. That's ultimately what should be discussed, the human cost, not the bloody political impact of Sarah bloody Palin's website.

You're right; guns aren't going anywhere.
It's part of our collective consciousness, like cars.

Again, you're right; what really is sickening about this whole thing (other than the senseless tragedy of it, of course) is how quickly and cynically it was exploited for political ends. It took, what, an hour? And the sherriff should resign over his "opinion" of what could be the motive.
Irresponsible at best.

Check this piece out, speculating how O can use it to rally the sheep up:

Quote:

As was the case with Clinton, Obama may be able to remind voters of what they like best about him: his sensible demeanor. Amid the din and ferocity of our political culture, he respectfully keeps his voice down, his emotions in check and his mind open.

That is the pitch, at least. The trick is to make it without seeming to be trying to make it. He will, after all, be speaking at a funeral.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/0 ... iew=screen

Charming, simply charming.

Cú Chulainn · **Posted:** Tue Jan 11, 2011 4:08 pm

If the target was political, it's relatively safe to assume the murder was politically motivated.

Goat · **Posted:** Tue Jan 11, 2011 4:53 pm

Hell of an assumption. Why not just blame violent films or games? You can't use nutters like this as evidence of anything.

cry of the banshee · **Posted:** Tue Jan 11, 2011 5:04 pm

FrigidSymphony wrote:

If the target was political, it's relatively safe to assume the murder was politically motivated.

Hinckley ring a bell?

traptunderice · **Posted:** Tue Jan 11, 2011 5:05 pm

FrigidSymphony wrote:

If the target was political, it's relatively safe to assume the murder was politically motivated.

True. Unless it's like Taxi Driver and he killed her because he had a crush on her campaign organizer. Because Travis Bickle isn't allowed to be political; he is only a nutter.

Just to make it clear, nobody is blaming Palin for this. The guy planned it before her spiel. Palin is an example of the militant, violent mantras which dominate the current political sphere which is really saddening. I'm reminded of that guy who used to show up in front of healthcare debates with a pistol in his holster for no fucking reason except to intimidate. For example, Giffords opponents fundraiser:

I'm just not a big fan of a culture of violence. Especially not our political sphere. Radical disruption of social order but don't kill people to do it.