Just Dreaming
Bill McGurn ·
Aug 2, 2011 at 12:07pm
Wouldn't it be nice to hear a reporter ask President Obama this: "Mr. President, in Tucson only a few months ago, you told us that "only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to our challenges as a nation.' Are you troubled by the dispatch in Politico reporting that the Vice President and other Democrats in a meeting on the debt-ceiling referred to tea partiers as 'acting like terrorists'?"
Actually I believe we are too sensitive about such language in the heat of political debate. However, it really is galling to be lectured on our lack of civility by the same people who seem to indulge in it most liberally, (pun definitely intended).
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Jul '10
Re: Just Dreaming
In the Athenian democracy there arose the practice of one day a year, putting names into a pot and, at the end of the day, the man whose name appeared most often would be banished from Athens for ten years. The banishments were of mixed quality of result. A victorious general might have said something that was misconstrued on the wrong day and *BAM*, out he goes. But it also helped prevent all manner of powerful miscreants from wreaking harm.
Clearly, as a republic numbering 310 million rather than just a few thousands, we might need to go with daily rather than annual drawings, but just imagine how the tone of conversation might change.
Re: Just Dreaming
On Bill Maher's show a couple weeks back liberals were discussing their aggressive rape fantasies of Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum.
Oh the civility!
I've decided to turn off Bill Maher's show for awhile.
Aug '10
Re: Just Dreaming
[Ed.: Comment deleted for violating the Code of Conduct]
Edited on Aug 2, 2011 at 6:55pmRe: Just Dreaming
Still would be nice to hear the question asked of the President. When someone on the right side of the aisle uses this kind of language, everyone is asked to condemn. Doesn't seem to go the other way.
May '11
Re: Just Dreaming
Here are the rules people. When a liberal calls conservatives "terrorists" or "hostage takers" it's cute, funny and satirical. When conservatives assemble and make speeches about cutting the size of government it's hate speech that insites violence. It's obvious. Let's shape up and follow the rules. We don't want everybody at MSNBC blowing a gasket.
Jun '10
Re: Just Dreaming
Tommy De Seno: On Bill Maher's show a couple weeks back liberals were discussing their aggressive rape fantasies of Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum.
Oh the civility!
I've decided to turn off Bill Maher's show for awhile. · Aug 2 at 1:26pm
If you listen long enough, people will tell you exactly who they are. And sometimes, as with Bill Maher and some of his friends, the answer is frightening. I think if they had the kind of ultimate power that Joe Stalin had, they'd be building gulags for Tea Party folks. They have no time or sympathy for dissent from the right. At their core, they're bullies.
Jan '11
Re: Just Dreaming
They're having to get nastier because they've already worn out "racist," "bigot," "ignorant," "stupid," and "Islamophobe."
At the rate they're using "hostage taker" and "terrorist" those labels will be threadbare within the month.
I wonder what the next phase of Civility will be. Any bets?
Jan '11
Re: Just Dreaming
As I have written here many times, it is pointless to listen to Democrats or to take their arguments seriously, so don't do it. Democrats don't believe in anything, except that they should be in power and live comfortable lives. They will say whatever they think will allow them to get over on you today.
The best example highlighting this political amorality was presented yesterday, when Rep. Giffords returned to the House of Representatives, and Senator Robert Menendez of NJ said that, “The radical right wing of the Republican Party...is holding the American economy hostage – a gun to its head – threatening to the pull the trigger if they don’t get their way.”
Perfect.
Aug '10
Re: Just Dreaming
For the record I would like it to be known that my above code violation was a pretty direct allusion to an infamous unguarded comment by the Vice President on a happier occasion for him, edited for reasons of taste but obviously not enough.
Edited on Aug 2, 2011 at 11:37pmJan '11
Re: Just Dreaming
We should relax a little more about words and symbols which obviously have different meanings in different contexts. Just as it is obvious to any person not looking for a political gotcha moment that Sarah was targeting political districts with her graphics, a completely legitimate activity, it should be obvious that Biden is not advocating that the little old Lady with the live free or die sign is OBL (may his soul receive a just finis). She is a fiscal terrorist to any one like Biden who can't imagine a solution to any problem that doesn't have big federal government written on it and whose motto is you work for me. She should be proud (and probably is proud) to be Biden's fiscal terrorist. The whole political gottcha over words and symbols reduces the richness of political discourse. If your going to play that game why not just be honest and say Nanannananah (Ihope I spelled that right) I don't like your politics and I'm using this moment to persuade dim wits that your not a nice person.
.
Jan '11
Re: Just Dreaming
On the other hand I was recently at a Family reunion where I accidentally pushed a button on a liberal first cousin-in-law (he and his wife, my cousin, actually work for move-on.org for free). This occurred when I made it clear that I did not appreciate how our last Governor tried to ruin private post secondary schools like the one I teach at. Perhaps he was sensitive because the voters handed this one term Governor a resounding, see you later, in the last election, or because the current governor was actually doing what he was elected to do, get state spending under control. I don't know his reasoning (he is a PhD in biochemistry) but he opined that " I hope someone comes into a bar and shoots him (our current Governor)". I don't think he was being metaphorical. When I opined that this was typical liberal talk like the videos of liberals saying they wanted to string up Clarence Thomas (those were probably more metaphorical) he was not pleased. He threw up Tom Noe, I might have mentioned Charlie Rangle, and by this elevated discourse we resolved Ohio's and the Nations problems..