Jousting Nutcases
Marty Peretz, a genuine, thoughtful Obama supporter, posted a sobering comment on is blog, which included this video:
The campaign goes on, however. And so, before we get too righteous about their nutcases, let us look at some of our own. Here, off youtube, are Obama supporters behaving like, well, yes, nutcases. What's more, the setting is the upper west side of New York City, a weekend street fair on Columbus Avenue, north of Lincoln Square up to 96th Street. This is Obama territory. Lots of PhDs, shrinks and customers of shrinks, readers of the New York Review, mostly Jews, liberals for sure, with fantasies of persecution by the Feds. A group of McCain supporters walks into their midsts. They go bananas, ugly bananas. Actually, uglier than the man who carried an effigy of Barack Obama as Curious George. You get it? Yes, a monkey. Ha, ha.
By coincidence, Terry Glavin, a Canadian observer of the southern elections, also posted a video today, also about nutcases, with the stunned comment:
Sweet Holy Weeping Blessed Virgin Mother of Baby Damn Jesus but will these batshit crazy bastards ever just calm the hell down?
I really like Glavin who is a Eustonite and a thoughtful Drink-Soaked Trot, and I usually find his opinions interesting and engaging even when I remain sceptical (usually around the subject of Slavoj Zizek..). His work on behalf of Afghan-Canadian friendship is a model which goes beyond mere verbal activity into real and clearly-defined actions. But this comment I found to be lopesided and somewhat unfair.
posted by The Contentious Centrist @ Tuesday, October 14, 2008
14 comments
14 Comments:
You know as well as I do, that the Anti War Left, and the Pro Palestinian Anti Semitic Left are Obama supporters. Farrakhan, etc.
And that more mainstream Leftwingers see these peoples actions as justifiable thoughtful rage, not ignorant haters, violent thugs, and assorted ne'er do wells.
Here is my favorite video that captures the Obama supporter.
This one even has a poem for the literary inclined.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RkT6gmcnAlo
"And that more mainstream Leftwingers see these peoples actions as justifiable thoughtful rage,"
I wouldn't consider that forum in which you participate as "more mainstream Leftwingers". I wouldn't even know how to define it. The Incoherent Left? The Schmatte Left?
For mainstream Left I go to Dissent, Democratiya, Normblog, TNR, Slate, etc. I think we have gone around this one before.
I have encountered far-left types online who consider themselves broadminded because they agree with far-right types like Buchanan. The logic is, "Buchanan is on the right, but he agrees with me so he must be moving to the centre, and I agree with him so I must be in the centre."
Dolts.
Im more well travelled than that, Noga. However, I would say that those folks are firmly in the mainstream Left.
Additionally, as you well know, the Left has taken on the position of "no enemies to my Left." The mainstream Western Left has apologized for numerous mass murdering mass human rights abusing Revolutionaries and Governments, Movements, etc.
Much as the Islamic Jihadists swims in a sea of sympathy. The Islamic center may not approve of violence, however they do approve of the goals, and movement towards Shariah and Islamic supremacy.
What say you?
BTW, you list of "Mainstream Left" rags is somewhat skewed. Eustonites are not mainstream although they may be more centrist. If you broaden your scope to Time, Newsweek, New York Times, LA Times....you are getting closer.
Im reminded of these news sources coverage of anti War marches, which overestimate the numbers(always), and selectively remove the anti Semitic and Maoist Marxist Leninist flags with video editing....and they wouldnt dare pick someone at random to interview. These people are sympathetic to the nutters and radicals on the Left. The FARC is a freedom fighter, not a terrorist....ditto Hamas.
Maybe you are right. I know the journals and blogs I mentioned consider themselves Classical Left, in the style of Orwell.
"For mainstream Left I go to Dissent, Democratiya, Normblog, TNR, Slate, etc."
If only this were the case! The mainstream left in the U.S. is the NYT, MSNBC, Moveon.org, etc.
With the exception of Slate, most self described leftists who I know do not read Norm, Dissent, Democratiya or even TNR. The latter three (esp. TNR and Democratiya) are dismissed as "neocon" propaganda...
I second The New Centrists comment.
Noga:
You and I are of one mind with respect to the corrosive idiocies that have eaten away at the left in recent years. This doesn't absolve either of us of the duty to expose lunatics on the right.
I get your point, all the same.
Affectionately,
TG
transmontanus, the lunitics on the right are not apologized for by the so called Right.
The KKK and the Aryan Nation arent given forums to spout off(such as Farrakhan at the State of the Black Union), one example of many....or their rage apologized for as righteous anger and understandable violence, indeed revolutionary brothers.
BTW, Christianity(especially of the Protestant variety) and Classical Liberals both primary constituents of the Republican Party are on the Left.
The KKK, Aryan Nation, and Neo Nazis do not form a core of the American Conservative Right, and they are in fact denounced and shunned. The same cant be said for nutters on the Left.....PETA/Animal Rights extremists, and Enviro-extremists, among many others.
Olbermann lectures McCain on nasty attacks, then compares him to a Nazi
Olbermann is a clown, and not even a very good clown.
Olberman might be a clown. But he is a clown with a big microphone in the media and a large audience of fellow clowns.
You underestimate where the bulk of the Left is. The Center has been moving Left for decades via school indoctrination and MSM cheerleading, spin, and control and framing of the issues. The radical Left of the 60s is now the Mainstream Left of today.
Bring back JFK and FDR, I say. The decent Left.
BTW, the Left doesnt seem to understand how lucky they are to have Classically Liberal Christian Europeans as the majority population....as their main "opposition."
I want to see these jokers work on other cultures. Unfortuately, quite a bit of the Left declares that criticism of other cultures is off limits, and in fact have adopted them as victims of the West...to be supported in their crusade for "justice."
Infuriating!
Dis-empowering the West will not be progressive or lead to progress. Its regressive. I understand that self criticism is important....but too much self criticism is destructive(a mental disorder).
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