[clue-talk] Wow, Card's a little political...

[Sean LeBlanc]

On 11-01 10:07, Jed S. Baer wrote:
 
> Authoritariansim is already here. I see it in the mindless "zero
> tolerance" policies begat by unfounded fear of firearms, and that comes
> from the left. I see it in the "zero tolerance" policies towards drugs,
> and that comes from the right, mostly. The plain fact is that those in
> power want to have more power. I previously stated that I have plenty of
> bones to pick with Republicans. The Democrats, taken as a whole, are
> worse, but when it comes to picking one over the other, at this point,
> it's only a question of whether you want the left or right boot on your
> throat.

You're seeing everything through a lens of fiscal policy, I think. Or
mostly. I don't think the left is crazy about guns, but I don't think most
of them want to take ALL of them away, either. Not that little pop guns
would do an ounce of good against a truly tyrannical government, but that's
another story.

Yes, the Drug War is insane. As is the War on Terror. Wars on nouns are
 
> There's another quote very similar to Lewis', which I can't find right
> now. Could be he rephrased it, or the one I'm thinking of is Lewis
> rephrased. Doesn't matter. Authoritarians will use whatever vehicle they
> can to achieve control.
> 
> > When I look at the McFailin' Nuremberg^H^H^H^H rallies
> 
> Oh, stop. And just what do you think Obama's rallies look like to the
> right-wing crowd?
> 
> Seriously, do you really think you can score debate points by invoking
> Hitler?

Not trying to score points, and I don't consider this a debate. Do you?

Try to look at these campaigns objectively. I know it's probably easy for
you as you aren't strictly Republican or Democrat.

Set aside the fiscal stuff and guns rights for a second.

Do you see people yelling incendiary things at Obama rallies? Things like
"off with his head" or "bomb him"? 

Do you see his campaign calling people un-American, or referring to mythical
"real Americans" and mythical places like the "real America"?

These are very chilling things. At least to me. And the fact that many in
the Republican party still think Palin was a good choice (based on anything
other than a position on abortion and metaphysics? ) - especially after
she's been saying so many inflammatory things, well, it speaks a lot. 

I guess there are a lot of RWAs in the party that think this is just peachy.
Since her addition was a net loss in the polls for McCain, I guess there
just weren't enough...thank god. 

So, yes, invoking Hitler and the Nazis is perfectly legit, IMHO. They
whipped up a fear of the "other", and frankly, the dog-whistle politics, the
Southern Strategy and the rampant xenophobia aimed at Obama (by trying to
paint him as a "secret Muslim", "palin' around with terrorists", etc.) is
just about all the McCain campaign has been about. I guess it's what Rove
knows best....whipping up fear of the other. 

> > I'm sure everyone here has seen the signifiers of fascism...ask
> > yourself, is that the right-wing or the left-wing that is pushing for
> > those...right here, and right now? Set aside the ideology about "free"
> > markets for a moment, and really look at these, and ask yourself who is
> > going to be bring fascism here?
> 
> The government, irrespective of which party is nominally "in control".
> 
> I was looking for the quote I referred to earlier -- don't why it isn't
> in my quotations file, and came across this, which feels apropos:
> 
> There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not
> want merely because you think it would be good for him.
>  -- Robert A. Heinlein 

Again, this is looking at stuff strictly through a lens of fiscal policy, it
seems. There is much more to the picture than just fiscal policy, IMHO.

And, as I pointed out earlier, Obama is running with a Friedmanite disaster
capitalist crowd, so I don't think the Democrats are going to bring
"socialism" to this country, regardless of all the hyperbole coming out of
the 'wingers like Limbaugh, Klannity (*), Michael Weiner (aka Savage) etc..
 
(*) Reference not made lightly. Look into who this guy is buds with.

-- 
Sean LeBlanc:seanleblanc at comcast.net
http://sean-leblanc.blogspot.com
Misery no longer loves company.  Nowadays it insists on it.
		-- Russell Baker