Why the Coffee Party doesn't cut it
Why the Coffee Party doesn't cut it
I was going to write a longer essay on the issues raised here, and probably will at some point, but here's a piece that cuts to the chase on why the "pushing for more civility" thing -- also known as bringing a knife to a gunfight -- doesn't work in American politics. (Plus, I wanted to leave the politics-crazed commentariat a little red meat for the rest of the morning.):
Moderates and liberals are responding to this rising threat with feckless calls for "a return to civility," as if all that's needed to put things right again is a stern talking-to from Miss Manners. Though that couldn't hurt, the sad fact is that we're well past the point where it's just a matter of conservatives behaving like tantrum-throwing spoiled brats (which they are). When a mob is surrounding your house with torches and telling you they intend to burn it down, "civility" really isn't the issue any more.
You hear a lot about the Tea Party -- the Coffee Party, not so much. I think the reasons for that are fairly obvious.
Comments (117)
---}}} This isn't sedition, nor was it organized, which was the topic of her article. {{{--- Wow! A rightwinger murders two people because they were "liberals," but it wasn't "sedition."— Talking point sleuth- "Wow! A rightwinger murders two people because they were "liberals," but it wasn't "sedition."" Yes, murdering two memebers of his church is proof positive that he was plannign on overthrowing the government. You've gone off the rails again.— RG
- ---}}} Oh, and TPS the Adkisson murders happened before Obama was elected, {{{--- Wow! A rightwinger murders two people because they were liberals - but it isn't relevant today because it happened before Obama was elected. Your pandering gets better and better with each post, RG. I do have to give you credit; you are the most creative panderer I've ever encountered.— Talking point sleuth
- TPS clearly doesnt understand the definition of necessary or necessity. "A guy with a bigger club came along, hit you over the head, and stole everything you owned, RG." Can you source these claims? Any crime rates, etc you'd like to provide or is this another baseless statement?— RG
- "A rightwinger murders two people because they were liberals - but it isn't relevant today" Just let me know what it has to do with sedition.— RG
- ---}}} "Investigators do not see threats of violence in the group’s message" {{{--- OK. Forget that mr. "fiscal conservative" thinks it unimportant that the FBI has to spend money investigating organizations that sent these letters, lets see what the FBI actually thinks, shall we?" --snip-- The bureau said they contain no direct threat but asserted that their implied threat to governors could serve to spark lone-wolf violence. In response, several states increased capitol security Friday. All entrances except the main doors were closed at the Nevada capitol. --snip-- So, the FBI says this kind of activity can spark violence, and in response, our government no doubt increases expenditures on security. But mr. "fiscal conservative" sees no cause for concern. LOL!— Talking point sleuth
- "So, the FBI says this kind of activity can spark violence, and in response, our government no doubt increases expenditures on security." Do you think they have a color coded threat level, ala the DHS?— RG
- Banging the drum for another stimulus. Color me shocked. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36322228/ns/business-businessweekcom/— RG
- ---}}} Just let me know what it has to do with sedition. {{{--- LOL! The man who murdered two liberals spouted rhetoric very much like that you hear on Fox daily. He was obviously inspired by the likes of Goldberg, Hannity, and O'Reilly. Read the article, RG. --snip-- Openly advocating acts of sedition has become the conservatives' main political stock in trade over the past year. (The SPLC offers a strong summary here.) You hear it everywhere from Rush to Glenn to Michelle Malkin to Michelle Bachman. Everybody on the right is now roundly convinced that the fairly-elected President of the United States isn't even a citizen. He's a Muslim, and thus in treasonous league with terrorists. The main goal of his administration is to turn the country over to the One World Government. He's a socialist. He's a fascist. All of these are direct attacks on Obama's fundamental legitimacy and authority to lead the country -- and thus a deliberate incitement to revolt against his administration. --snip-- You're certainly entitled to disagree with the argument, but what is so telling is that you read the article numerous times, "took it apart" in great detail, followed the links (and ignored the links to rightwing violence), and still have to ask what the argument is. Stupor, RG. Stupor. These narratives are coupled with a rising us-versus-them blaming of progressives for all the problems of the country. These days, the screeds sound eerily like free-market fundamentalists freebasing Hitler: they're clouded over with the typical eliminationist vitriol that reduces liberals to subhuman vermin that must be violently exterminated from the body politic in order to restore the virtue of the country. (For those who groove on that sort of thing, there's even a slight dash of anti-Semitism in the mix.) This is dangerous stuff. And in the context of the conservatives' longstanding effort to delegitimize the government, it's also an open invitation to sedition. --snip--— Talking point sleuth
- "The man who murdered two liberals spouted rhetoric very much like that you hear on Fox daily. He was obviously inspired by the likes of Goldberg, Hannity, and O'Reilly." And this fits the definiton of sedition how? "Everybody on the right is now roundly convinced that the fairly-elected President of the United States isn't even a citizen. He's a Muslim, and thus in treasonous league with terrorists. The main goal of his administration is to turn the country over to the One World Government. He's a socialist. He's a fascist." Once again, no cites for this outrageous claim. Yes, everyone on the right beleives all of these things. "And in the context of the conservatives' longstanding effort to delegitimize the government," Conservatives have did nothing but gorw government, Bush added a cabinet level dept in DHs, passed Medicare D, Reagan raised the SS tax and spent money havd over fist. Another ridiculous claim with no hsitoical basis.— RG
- Everyone is going to have an opinion anyway, so why do we waste our time resorting to rigid bipartisan politics? The two-party political system only serves to allow people who don't want to concern themselves with reality just blindly follow whoever they are told to follow. Get your heads out of the sand people and stop wasting so much time with pandering and name-calling. Extreme in either direction is bad for everyone.— JustaGuy
- ---}}} Yes, everyone on the right beleives all of these things. {{{--- I don't agree with the hyperbole in the article either, RG. Obviously, the author paints conservatives/Republicans with far too broad a brush. But that doesn't mean I will simply dismiss the obvious linkage between the over-the-top rhetoric among rightwing pundits and violent rightwing extremist groups. Nor am I willing to be so dismissive of the Republican Party's pandering to extremists. But keep your head in the sand, RG. It does amuse.— Talking point sleuth
- "I don't agree with the hyperbole in the article either, RG. Obviously, the author paints conservatives/Republicans with far too broad a brush." Yet you've spent multiple posts arguing pointlessly in its favor.— RG
- ---}}} And this fits the definiton of sedition how? {{{--- You're certainly entitled to disagree with the argument, but what is so telling is that you read the article numerous times, "took it apart" in great detail, followed the links (and ignored the links to rightwing violence), and still have to ask what the argument is. Stupor, RG. Stupor. Here we go, read it again: --snip-- These narratives are coupled with a rising us-versus-them blaming of progressives for all the problems of the country...This is dangerous stuff. And in the context of the conservatives' longstanding effort to delegitimize the government, it's also an open invitation to sedition. --snip-- Have a good evening, RG.— Talking point sleuth
- "and ignored the links to rightwing violence" There was one example of violence, Adkisson's murders enarly two years ago. The Hutaree were the only example of sedition, and they've yet to be convicted. The rest was conjecture and hyperbole.— RG
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