If you would have printed the rest of American Spirit's message most of which follows, you would have seen that what he was lamenting was the intolerance of the right, and their inability to argue the issues without resorting to name-calling..
<<Exactly, I would never call dissenters of the right un-American, I would debate
them. Problem is, they always start name-calling as soon as you start questioning
them.
They have learned this tactic from right-wing talk radio where media leaders of the
right liberally call anyone opposing Bush everything from "evil" to "traitor", without
stopping to think that those words really mean. The "evil doers" in this case
include the Methodist Church (Bush's own), Catholic Church, Vets against Bush,
war heros like Kerry, Grey Davis and Max Cleland, Jesse Ventura, Libertarians,
Greens, just about everyone in show biz or the arts, the NY Times, LA Times,
PBS, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, McCain, European allies, moderates and liberals of
all stripes. >>
And, as for his so-called name-calling, what, except for the bit about Clinton character assassination (And, yes, Clinton largely brought it on himself) was not correct? Ollie North?-the convicted criminal (he got off on a technicality), but his hands hands are bloody from the deaths of thousands of innocent Nicaraguans who wanted nothing more than we claim to want--freedom and the chance to have a better life. In my opinion, he is far more justifiably called a traitor for lying to Congress than Tim Robbins is for protesting the war. Enron? Phony erergy crisis? How is bringing those up those sad aspects of free enterprise gone amuck name-calling? Limbaugh's daily 3-hour infomercial for the Republican Party full of half-truths and outright lies? Hannity--a bully who shouts down and interrupts anyone who has the temerity to have a different viewpoint?
Do you actually listen to right wing talk radio? For every nationally syndicated tight wing talk show, there are many more local shows which are even more hateful. And, yes, they are largely owned by Clear Channel. In my town, there is a show where the host regularly has on guests who present "evidence" as to to the universal evil of Islam--no distinction between radical Islam and the versions being practiced peacefully by the vast majority of Muslims. He regularly gave voice to representatives of the Jewish Defense League--at least until one of his guests was arrested by the FBI for plotting the murders of critics. Never has there been another side presented to counter the "illegitimacy" of the Palestinian cause or the "evil" of Islam. Is it name-calling to call him a bigot?
American Spirit is but one small voice on one small venue. Can you imagine an independent or moderate talk show having a chance at being a financial success? I can't. The left would disdain it--after all they embraced the ego-centric Nader for President, costing Gore the election and giving anyone with the supposed ideals of the left, their worst nightmare. They almost seem to embrace their misery, though. The right, on the other hand, would overwhelm the lines with their hate at any mention of an alternate view that doesn't square with theirs, and no sane sponsor would want to subject itself to the abuse they would have to endure.
The moderates and independents? We just want to find solutions to problems, recognizing that often there is no perfect solution, no black or white. But that's never good enough for the right. For them, there is no win-win, only win-lose--that fits their fundamentalist view of the world. They're winning now, but IMO, our nation is the loser. Loss of personal freedoms, class warfare (in spite of Limbaugh's claims, it is the middle class and poor who are under attack--ref. Soule's statistics re. compensation for executives vs. the working class), attacks on the environment, attacks on our allies, attacks on anyone who offers a dissenting view.
However, I sense that some of us are getting royally p----d off at the incessant hate and venom being spewed by the right and are starting to fight back. Enough to make a difference? Hell, I don't know, but I feel better.
Jim |
