The left has this narrative that conservatives who object to the current fiscal insanity of our Democrat controlled Congress are responsible for dangerous rhetoric and resulting violence. They say it is the "Teabaggers" who are going to go "McVeigh" on the USA.
And so it was on Saturday night. A fundamentalist, far right wing, American nutcase tried to blow up Times Square in NYC. What could be more fundamentalist than the Taliban? What could be further right than a religion that actively suppresses woman, and stones gay people? What could be more nutty and reclusive than living a quiet life in Connecticut, while planning to blow up NYC? Faisal Shahzad must be the elusive Teabagger about whom we hear so much from the left.
Just why is the left continually searching for that terrible white Christian guy that fits their narrative of the bitter clinger, all the while ignoring the elephant in the room that is continually coming up just shy of bringing down an airliner or filling the streets with blood and terror?
And which party do these aggressive Santa Cruz May Day protestors belong to? They brought the Jackboots out for quiet grandmas in Quincy, but there's been few lefty commenters connecting the dots on just who caused the thousands of dollars of damage to businesses in Santa Cruz.
It's time for the left to face up to the fact that yes, dissent is patriotic, and most Americans disagree with their economic insanity whilst remaining quite calm and rational. And that meanwhile, there really is a fundamentalist threat that is not coming from middle America. The uncomfortable truth for the left is that no matter what Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews dream about, the danger and violence are not coming from everyday American conservatives and independents who disagree with the President's agenda.
Posted by JeffB. at May 04, 2010 10:27 AM | Email ThisThey are going to become increasingly angry as it dawns upon them that most Americans are opposed to them and are sick of being called racists.
I've been to several tea parties. I've never talked to anyone who had a racist bone in their body. I've hired and mentored people of all races. I've been in an interracial marriage for more than 31 years. I'm insulted that the left calls me a racist. I think most Americans feel the same as I do.
Please. You've pretty much given up any credibility whatsoever by whining about how people generalize about you, and then moaning about how all leftists are "furious and violent". (I'll give you three guesses as to which side of the ideological divide I've received casual death threats from...)
You may not be a blatant racist, but you sure are a hypocrite.
Posted by: demo kid on May 6, 2010 06:06 PMGetting to the main point of this post, the left can certainly deal with the fact that terrorism is an issue, and the actions of a few pathetic anarchists represent modern progressives just about as much as abortion doctor shooters or Tim McVeigh represent the right.
On the other hand, the right thinks that someone stockpiling weapons and threatening to use them for political purposes is a "patriotic act".
Posted by: demo kid on May 7, 2010 05:40 AM"It's time for the left to face up to the fact that yes, dissent is patriotic, and most Americans disagree with their economic insanity"
That's one possible interpretation.
Another is that facing up is done by one party or another via elections. We all know that Jeff intends left=Democrat, but he doesn't do a very good job of explaining why most Americans voted for the left in the last 2 national elections. Amazingly, the left garnered more seats in Congress in democratic elections than the non-left (Republicans?) did during its time in power.
"The uncomfortable truth for the left is ... the danger and violence are not coming from everyday American conservatives and independents who disagree with the President's agenda."
No, of course not. Everyday Americans, whether they be conservative, liberal, moderate, Christian, Jewish or Muslim, are neither violent nor dangerous.
But then again we have the leftist violence of the Weatherman in 1970, and the violence of Charles Alan Wilson. Clearly the pundits should be talking about Bill Ayers in 2010.
Posted by: MikeBoyScout on May 7, 2010 06:28 AM"We have home-grown terrorists among us," Brown said at a Capitol Hill press conference, mentioning attacks at Fort Dix and Fort Hood, as well as Sudbury resident Tarek Mehanna, who was arrested in October on federal terrorism charges for allegedly planning attacks that included targeting people at a mall. "They remain determined to try and infiltrate.""Our enemies today are even more willing than the Nazis or fascists were to kill innocent civilian Americans here in our homeland," Lieberman said.
Surely it is only a coincidence that the Senator from Connecticut has introduced a measure to expatriate US Citizens whose acronym identified it as the TEA Act.
You can try to pretend that it's all relative, but the reality is that there is a huge voice on the left that is downplaying violence and Islamic terror, while accentuating even the slightest slip by anyone who can remotely qualify as anything but a card carrying supporter of Team Obama.
And the proof is overwhelming that violence and anger are owned on the left. The right is simply saying that we are in an economic disaster, while our president makes it worse. And we disagree with his agenda. And most Americans agree, which is why so many Democrats are jumping ship before the elections, and so many polls show that a large majority don't support the president's healthcare plan.
The Tea Parties have almost all been so peaceful to the point of being boring. What's got you riled, is that you can't imagine anyone questioning your beliefs. Get used to it.
And with the right, there is rampant paranoia, inaccurate generalizations and blatant lies about violence on the left and about Muslims in general, while minimizing some pretty distressing behavior on the part of other conservatives.
The difference, of course, is that I'm quite willing to say that those d-bag anarchists on the left are on the far fringe, and do not in any way shape the debate. For the right, rampant paranoia, blatant anti-intellectualism, and hysterical hypoerbole are the "base".
The right is simply saying that we are in an economic disaster, while our president makes it worse.
And conveniently ignored the problem for years. Wasn't there an important member of the previous administration that said something to the effect of, "deficits don't matter"?
What's got you riled, is that you can't imagine anyone questioning your beliefs. Get used to it.
No, what amuses the crap out of me is that the "Tea Party" movement hasn't got a clue about much of anything at all. I place just about as much stock in what they have to say as naive anti-war protesters that have unrealistic perspectives on the way military policy works.
Posted by: demo kid on May 7, 2010 08:02 PMAnd I'm not saying Bush and Republicans didn't make a big mess. They did, with some of the same economic policies. But two wrongs don't make a right. And Obama has doubled, and trebled down on almost all of Bush's mistakes. If as we agree they were bad under Bush, then why aren't you against them under Obama?
And you are wrong to think that the Tea Parties are a movement. They are not. They are too disorganized. The media needs to portray Teap Parties as a movement, because they need to pin unrest on some entity. That's why Contessa Brewer lamented the fact that the Time Square terrorist was not a Tea Partier.
What the Tea Parties represent is a sentiment. A sentiment and realization that years of fiscal irresponsibility, and politicians living like movie stars, and simply buying reelection with pork has created a big mess for this country.
Incumbents are going to find out more about this sentiment later this year. Especially Democrats. Because Nancy Pelosi has now presided over quite a recession. If she didn't like Bush's policy, she's had plenty of time and control of the House since 2006 to make changes. But all she, Reid and Obama have done, is make things worse. And we are not out of the woods yet. There's still plenty of toxic assets in the banks, and a lot of large struggling states both domestic and foreign. Unemployment is trending up again, even as Obama promised it would go down.
In 2006, they told us that housing prices could never fall. And they did. Now they are telling us, that interest rates will remain low, as long as the Fed keeps control. But it doesn't work that way. Inflation is coming, and it's going to be owned by Obama.
Posted by: Jeff B. on May 8, 2010 12:51 PMWho are the they who (according to you)
"In 2006, they told us that housing prices could never fall."?
And Jeff, just in case anyone ever again tells you prices can never fall or rise, don't believe them.
Posted by: MikeBoyScout on May 9, 2010 08:34 AMThe left was so arrogant when Obama was elected. It's fun to watch them disintegrate and once again show how angry they are. Even Obama, (who looks more foolish every day), used the term "teabaggers" a couple days ago.
They're desperate. How hard was it to predict that once things began to go badly for Obama the race card would be played?
Sure, they'll infiltrate tea party gatherings with signs calling Obama a Nazi. It's to be expected from these people. They'll throw every dirty trick they can think up at conservatives before election day. Wonderful people, aren't they? I'm shocked, shocked that socialists would behave that way.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on May 9, 2010 12:31 PMPot. Kettle. Black.
It really is amazing that you can't realize that. For someone crowing about being victimized by angry "socialists", you just tend to spew out the angry, whiny bile, don't you?
Posted by: demo kid on May 9, 2010 03:39 PMWant to see "angry, whiny bile?" Watch Keith Olberman, or Bill Maher. Or perhaps watch Obama himself and members of his Administration.
There is rarely anything pleasant about leftists. Those protests about immigration where they were throwing bottles at police officers were simply par for the course. That they were not widely reported was also typical. Guess what leftists...we have YouTube now. People all over the country saw how you behave, and we are sick of you.
Maybe it's because deep down inside leftists know their programs have always, virtually without exception, been failures.
They can't manage anything. They can raise taxes which is always their answer to everything. We're about to have a tax on bottled water of all things.
"Teabaggers". Leftists are so crass and uncivilized. What a big surprise.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on May 9, 2010 03:58 PMWho are the they who (according to you)
"In 2006, they told us that housing prices could never fall."?
That would be Barney Frank and Chris Dodd who said - at worst - housing would fall 10% over a decade. And that the banks were already over-regulated. This is back in 2005 and 2006, when they were demanding the loosening of lending requirements on Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and the continued inflation of the credit bubble.
Posted by: Shanghai Dan on May 9, 2010 04:27 PMSure I remember that.
Barnie Frank and Chris Dodd, both members of the minority party in 2005 & 2006 in their Congressional chamber, fighting over regulation and demanding less regulation.
Sadly, the Republican controlled House, Senate and executive branch all bought in to the quips and quotes of these powerful hypnotic svengalis of deregulation and it led to our doom.
And now Franks and Dodd, with the help of the underpants gnomes, have removed all the evidence of their evil hypnogenius.
I've heard that when Alan Greenspan said in 2005
"Even if there are declines in prices," he said, "the significant run-up to date has so increased equity in homes that only those who have purchased very recently, purchased before prices actually literally go down, are going to have problems."
that Franks and Dodd had drugged his water. Too bad Greenspan's hero, Ayn Rand, wasn't around to set him straight on the need for more effective regulation.
That about right?
Media Matters is a socialist front group.
I've got news for you leftists. You are maybe 25% of the nations' voters, if that. Your poll numbers go down every day. You've got veteran politicians jumping overboard saying they will not run.
America finally gets that the left isn't anything JFK would recognize. The sleeping giant is awake and we're going to throw your socialist butts out of office. Thanks, Obama
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on May 9, 2010 06:25 PMAnd hey... I've got news for you! You are maybe 25% of the nation's voters. Assuming that other folks are drinking your partisan Kool-Aid? Pretty foolish.
Posted by: demo kid on May 9, 2010 06:46 PMIt's right in the left's playbook. Everyone's a victim. Blacks, Hispanics, women, It's what the left constantly does. It's done far more to divide us than unite us.
You must not read well. I'll say it again. I've been in an interracial marriage since 1978. I have gay, lesbian, and friends of all persuasions. I've never had a racist bone in my body but Obama and the left have now accused me of being a racist. I resent it, and I resent the pure garbage you are spewing here. You have no idea what you are talking about.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on May 9, 2010 06:47 PMGood to know that you aren't a bigot cuz some of your best friends are different from you.
Posted by: MikeBoyScout on May 9, 2010 07:03 PMModern conservatives have achieved a hell of a lot of political mileage from playing on fears about immigrants and the lower class. To believe that this wouldn't result in blowback is insane.
And the "some of my best friends are..." card! Brilliant! Of course it makes all the difference when you have gay and lesbian friends! Never mind that the modern conservative movement sees fit to regard gay and lesbian couples as not deserving basic rights under civil law to enter into marriage contracts, or protections under the law to prevent discrimination.
Never mind that you cannot address the statements that I posted. Somehow, your partisan mind twists everything around to believe that leftists are the fault for all the world's problems, and conservatives are the saviors. What a loser.
Posted by: demo kid on May 9, 2010 07:14 PMHere you go, Barney Frank wanting to loosen regulations and reporting of banks. December 11th, 2006 after the Democrats had won the elections, and Frank was describing what the Democrats would start in less than a month.
Facts are hard to overcome, especially when you have video of Barney Frank saying that.
Posted by: Shanghai Dan on May 9, 2010 07:19 PMAnd how did Barney Frank's wanting to loosen regulations and reporting of banks in December 2006 change anything?
Was there a bill sent to president Bush to that effect?
In any event, Jeff B said In 2006, they told us that housing prices could never fall. You claimed that Barney Frank said this, and now you have pointed us to an article where Barney Frank says in 2006
"I think it's a good thing that housing prices are dropping. A few speculators get stung, that's icing on the cake. The cake is .. the cake is that people can afford to buy houses now. A 10% drop in housing prices is a good thing. Housing was over-valued."
So, which is it Shanghai Dan?
Are you claiming Barney Frank told us housing prices could never fall?
Or unable to support that are you more comfortable in changing the argument?
Just to be clear, Franks as a ranking minority member of the government got it wrong. He was not alone in this. But the party in the majority from 2003 to 2007 with the responsibility and authority to govern and enforce regulation failed us.
Yes they are, and decent Americans are sick and tired of it.
We're sick and tired of the left that puts people into groups of victims so they can get their votes. They haven't done a thing to help African Americans. Instead their welfare policies destroyed their families. 70% of African American children are born to single mothers. Does Obama care about that? Of course he doesn't, he was a child of privilege. All he and his people care about is fooling African Americans and making sure he keeps getting their votes. I've seen the destruction their policies have caused and it truly makes me sick.
Then they play the race card when conservatives point out the damage they've done.
I worked in the inner city for years. I've seen the horrific damage. Turn on the TV news any weekend and you can see young African Americans gunned down or gunning down innocent people. It just turns my stomach, and we're so jaded now we think it's normal.
Demo kid, and MikeBoyScout I doubt either of you have had the experiences I've had. I bet you've never seen African American males beat the heck out of their girlfriends in downtown Seattle like I did many times when I worked down there. I bet you didn't have a young 26 year old wonderful man you hired get gunned down on Cherry Street. Well, I did. You think I'm not just a little angry about the leftist media, and even the President calling us racist "teabaggers"? I am so sick of you people that don't have a clue.
You'd have never seen the current African American murder rate 45 years ago. I doubt it was intentional but LBJ's welfare state is largely responsible for the inner city nightmare we now see in every city in the country. You can look up the statistics and watch it skyrocket from the late 70's.
Shame on you leftists who never own up to the messes that you make. Do your policies ever work? Does Obama address inner city violence? Only in the most casual way. It ought to be one of his biggest priorities. People die every single day from inner city violence and all leftists still want to do is talk about Bush and Iraq. And how's that going? Are we not still in Iraq? Is Gitmo not still open.
Most Americans get it now. Democrats will get it this November.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on May 9, 2010 08:06 PMApparently you don't remember the filibusters and the loud ranting of Frank and other Democrats to NOT add the oversight and rein in the recklessness of Freddie/Fannie that the GOP wanted.
And now you support these same hypocrites in excoriating the banks for not reporting enough.
Once again, you are shown to be a hypocritical partisan hack... Enjoy!
Posted by: Shanghai Dan on May 9, 2010 08:12 PM"Apparently you don't remember the filibusters and the loud ranting of Frank"
You know, I don't remember a filibuster in the House of Representatives.
You sure you want to change the argument to Barney Franks and filibusters in the US House of Representatives?
And goodness, gracious! Barney Franks was loud is your excuse for failed Republican governance from 2003 to 2007? Really? That's your best most persuasive argument?
It's always the same garbage. Conservatives want to throw people out onto the streets. Liberals know it isn't true. We want people to go to school and get an education. Instead the drop-out rate climbs.
It's a game and liberals are finally going to lose it.
JFK and Reagan understood that reducing taxes and encouraging business builds prosperity. Liberals always want a population that is eternally dependent upon the government. Where has that ever worked?
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on May 9, 2010 11:06 PM
Leftists commenting here didn't read Jeff's original commentary. It showed leftists smashing windows on May 1st. It showed Obama's handlers commanding riot police to round up grandmas at one of his appearances.
I recall the screaming of the left when they said that the Bush Administration "crushed dissent" .
One more time leftist trolls. America finally understands you, and they don't like it at all. You are going down.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on May 10, 2010 11:14 AMThere's a big difference between generalizations, and a personal slam. There's no reason for you to slam Bill here DK. You can get your point across with out the personal attacks, I've seen you do it before. You usually conduct yourself pretty well here, and your comments do add to the debates. But occasionally you break down and attack, usually in a very mean spirited, and childish manner. Not sure why you feel the need to do that.
Posted by: Jeff B. on May 10, 2010 04:42 PMHonestly, I have a theory about why people end up on the left. They generally are people who live to control the way we live. They are in government, they are attorneys, they are teachers and professors, or they are in the media. They've never worked in actual business, never met a payroll, never managed a budget. In some ways they are like spoiled children who never grew up.
Challenge their socialist beliefs and they simply cannot handle it. So they call names. What amazes me is you can absolutely count on it. It doesn't matter if it's the trolls here, or your old liberal friends, or liberal members of you family. They all act the same if you disagree with them.
I just laugh. All these people live in cities filled with leftists. All their friends are leftists. They banish anyone who disagrees with their views. These are the people who talk constantly talk about diversity?
I do think America has figured these truly nasty people out. It drives me nuts that so-callled conservative commentators like Michael Medved still don't have the courage to call Obama a socialist. Medved was a socialist. How much evidence does he need? Surely he should know one when he sees one. We were both there back in the day. Medved seems to not remember who these people really are. Then again Medved doesn't own a television and is a vegetarian, and pushed McCain (who completely bought "global warming"), Can you say liberal hangover?
I think most of them have been indoctrinated with group-think. It started back in the late 1960's. I was around these people. They wanted a "revolution" against capitalism. That's what Obama and his cadre are attempting to do.
America gets these people now, which is why we have tea parties. We are finally entirely sick of these people who have been in our faces for years. Its time to for us to get in their faces.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on May 10, 2010 06:29 PM