Power Line on Democrats: "Betrayal of America"
Hot on the heels of John Hinderaker's profanity-laced email, the following Blogumentary interview clip with the Power Line guys is suddenly getting big attention in the progressive blogosphere:
QUICKTIME CLIP: What Power Line Thinks of Democrats [4 MB]
I tossed out the observation that what side you're on in this country depends on whether you think we're at war with Islamofascism or George W. Bush. John Hinderaker took that and ran to a very divisive place. An excerpt:
As far as I can tell the Left doesn't care about terrorism, doesn't care about the Islamofascists, doesn't care about hundreds of thousands of people being murdered. All they care about is their own power. [...] The whole mainstream of the Democratic Party, I would say, is engaged in an effort that really is a betrayal of America.
Terribly disheartening words. Not only because they aren't true, but they betray a lack of respect —loathing, really— for people like me and half of this country. For militaristic neoconservatives like Power Line, protecting America from terrorism is exponentially more important than anything else. They take this to the extreme - whatever it takes, to Islam's last breath, and our children's last dime. If you have any less fervor on this point, you are a "betrayal of America."
This bigotry and extremism represents the very worst of the neoconservative agenda. The Power Line bloggers are actually very nice guys in person, but they're way out of line with mainstream American values, and the world needs to know that. We Democrats are the very fabric of this country, woven together with Republicans who recognize the value of working together toward common goals.
IGNITING AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE:
Hullabaloo: Poisonous Fruit: "Hinderocket speaking the words of a paranoid totalitarian. It's quite chilling."
Matthew Yglesias: "That there would be a very serious problem for our nation's security, and I take it the call to start up a new Gulag won't be far away."
Q&O Blog: "Powerline appears to be as vicious--and nonsensical--as anything they've criticized on the Left."
Daily Kos 1: "This is what we are dealing with folks---SLANDER."
Daily Kos 2: " Time Magazine, with its 4,189,981 subscribers worldwide, named this jackass's rantings as the 'blog of the year.'"
Unfogged: "The Rocket Man knows he's being outrageous, and feels the thrill of scaring us poor cowering lefties."
Spymac: "Is this the Side you right wingies want to be on?"
In Search of Utopia: "...don't ask me to excuse the actions of a bigoted reactionary who believes that anyone who does not agree with him should be hanging from the nearest tree."
Lastly, a comment from Matthew Yglesias' blog:
You know what: I'm an American. I have never been anything but, having been born here. I have no meaningful contact with foreign nationals. I have spent little time outside the country. It's actually impossible for me to "betray America" in this sense.
I am an American, goddamn it, and I am sick and tired of Republicans trying to co-opt that word and turn it into a synonym for "Republican." I think you folks over there on the right are misguided and wrong on most counts. But you're still my countrymen and women. If you can't return the sentiment, you have a entered a dark, dark place. The folks at Powerline need to take a long, hard look in the mirror and ask themselves what they have become.
Because the language they are using to describe Democrats is the language of war. Do they really want to go there?
posted by Chuck Olsen @ 3:19 AM |
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5 Comments:
What elegant defense, "I'm rubber, you're glue..."
Do they really want to go there? They have. They want to stay there. They are going to. The question is what are you going to do?
(So far sniveling about the lack of respect for diverse opinions isn't doing it.)
Keep acting like losers. You'll keep being losers.
Anonatroll: You're part of the problem.
No Lorika, they don't want to be unamerican, nor facist, nor stay in their "dark place.".
What you present is a false dilemma. There are an infinite number of courses of action, and its not just your way or theirs.
Worse, you really betray a prejudice. Its clear that you are unwilling to assume that your political opponents have good intent.
We can all disagree and maintain real respect for one another. For example, you may believe in universal health care and believe that it should be socialized. I can respect that. It shows compassion and caring which are qualities I admire. However, I oppose it, not because I lack compassion or caring, but because I believe that competition will result in lower cost care that will be more widely available and it will further drive innovation.
I don't suspect you of wanting to stagnate new developments in medical care or limit avaialbility. I can assume you have good intent.
When the left looks at the right, do you see good intent? Be honest. Until you do, you won't be able to move forward, and its really up to you to open your mind and try to understand.
Exactly. I think most people have good intent. Hardcore ideologues (left and right) tend to be the nasty ones - at the expense of civil public discourse, and indeed the public good.
Power Line, which is in line with the far right ideologues behind this administration, has called us a betrayal of America, and openly admits being committed to destroying the left. I'm not paraphrasing. Tell me - where is the good intent in such contemptuous attacks? They don't respect us; they despise us. Hard right neocons of that nature are at war with us, in spite of their current power. We have to defend ourselves, and our country.
The country should never swing too far left or too far right. Government should represent the people, and that means working together for the greater good of everyone.
The country has swung too far right. Extreme right wing ideologues like Power Line and operatives like USA Next are uninterested in talking to or compromising with anyone outside their small dome of true believers. Their words and tactics reflect disdain and war-like mentality.
You're obviously a very reasonable person, Anon. I believe most conservatives place a high value on defending the country and the free market. I can respect that, and we can have a conversation about those things. There are indeed many courses of action: that admition alone shows you're a sensible, rational person.
I feel we have to, one one hand, reach out to reasonable conservatives like yourself with an olive branch. Respectful conversation, agree to disagree on many things I'm sure, but also find common ground.
In the other hand, we must have a battle ax. We have to defend ourselves from extremists that are trying to destroy us. They're trying to drive us into the rigid trap of their dogma, at the exclusion of the rest of us in the real world. I believe they think they're doing good. But their words and methods are reprobate - it's their way or the highway. Such extremism, which is currently very influential, is a danger to the republic and we must reject it!
Dec 20 05
You know, I have been a life long libertarian with a conservative slant (economically) however have voted for Democrats. I went to the polls thinking I was going to vote Kerry, I changed my mind because I thought what might happen if things get rough in Iraq, I did not think that Kerry or the majority of the people on the left had the backbone or the sober idealogy to do what is right and not let Vietnam happen again. I had really regretted voting for W until this week. All the talk of pulling out, downing the patriot act, letting our enemies know our Defenses if it is politically advantagous for the left, for example the wire tapping. The left is much more at war with our President than they are anyhting else in the world IT IS ALMOST TREASONOUS. Now I am not saying that Democrats are traitors, I will die for your right to speak as I have risked in the past, however the far left like the Feingolds and Barbara Boxers and Nancy Pelosi's of the world have some tough questions to ask, like why does everyhting that is classified that they don't agree with have to be brought out to the NY Times and CNN and fought in public. I don't necessarily disagree with them, however I am trying to recall when ANYBODY on the left including the politicians, my friends and co-workers, my wife, have had absoulutely ZERO ZILCH NO counter plans presented, thats what checks and balances is supposed to be. Not political meddling and whining and complaining and putting OUR lives and our TROOPS lives at stake with frivilous arguments that will have no other effect than damaging sombodies polls. Please, let us all be American first, then Liberal or Conservative or whatever you like. If you are on the left and think your party is perfect and republicans are all evil and dumb just don't no any better, shut up and move, get out of the country I defended for you, or change your ways and agree to disagree. If you are on the right and you think every person on the left is a pot smokin delusional traitor, you can follow the other people and get out of this country if you will no t allow a difference of opionion. The left and right is filled with idiots alike, probably an equal level. The only worse are the people that sit on there butt and watch Judge Judy and don't vote, they don't get an opionion.
Anyway, thats my rant, I am sick of the left attacking the policies Bush has for no other reason than the foaming mouth hatred SOME have, the damage is to our country, not Bush. The left is supposed to be the smarties in their own view, I have not seen one intelligent idea (pulling out now is ridiculous, did they get that from Jane Fonda?) from the left thus far. And those of you too far on the right? Yeah, W is not perfect, you are not morally above anybody, but your W got my vote and until this week I was disappointed, let's see if Condoleeza and Cheney can keep him in line.
Minneapolis
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