Certain Republican Senators have decided to be an asshole and depriving over a million Americans of unemployment benefits starting today. Thank goodness their actions are ignored on the Sunday Chat Shows. That way we can focus on the important things like allowing “President” McCain to reinvent history a couple times a month or White House social secretaries.
Meanwhile, David Sirota, notices something particularly ominous and never challenged (other than by us filthy bloggers of course) from the likes of Glenn Beck:
Beck taught us that a once-principled conservative movement of reasoned activists has turned into a mob — one that does not engage in civilized battles of ideas. Instead, these torch-carriers, gun-brandishers and tea partiers follow an anti-government terrorist attack by cheering a demagogue’s demand for the physical annihilation of those with whom he disagrees — namely anyone, but particularly progressives, who value “community.”
Former FDL contributor David Neiwert recognizes such notions:
It often further depicts its designated Enemy as vermin (especially rats and cockroaches) or diseases, and disease-like cancers on the body politic. A close corollary—but not as nakedly eliminationist—are claims that opponents are traitors or criminals and that they pose a threat to our national security.
Replace ‘progressive’ in Beck’s rants with ‘Jew’ and you recognize the portent.
Just imagine if Obama really governed as a progressive.




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When one understands how projection functions in the psyche (projection is where we attribute to others the characteristics and behaviors we can’t see or refuse to accept about ourselves), one can see that regardless of one’s opinion of Beck, the truly dangerous one here is Sirota.
Again, understand that what he sees and reacts to in the world is simply himself. (This is true of all of us.)
And so what seems to have been intended to expose the dangerous, evil truth about – the “hideous image” of – Glenn Beck and his supporters is in reality a revelation of the truth about David Sirota and those like him.
Wouldn’t be difficult to whup Glen’s ass. Bring it, ya halfwits.
I think you might be overthinking this, EV. Beck said in his CPAC speech that progressivism should be eviserated from the country or some shit to that effect.
Fuck em.
Yeah, from the link above.
“To wild applause, he labeled this alleged tumor of “community” the supposedly evil “progressivism” — and he told disciples to “eradicate it” from the nation.”
It does sound like Hitler, don’t it?
Thank you Dr Freud.
You must be one of those rocket surgeons.
If Obama really governed as the progessive he claimed to be in the campaign, his popularity numbers would be as high as they were immediately followng his inauguration. Obama’s unpopularity is fodder for the hatred of Beck and his followers.
I remember reading a book by Arthur Schlesinger years ago in which he said that the political pendulum swings from left to right every few decades. The corporate media, centrists, and special interests refuse to let the pendulum swing. Hopefully, the unwashed masses someday will rise up and say “enough” as they have done in the past.
Ah, indeed.
What the hell are you talking about? Glen Beck is a menace to society. A crazy nut-job person. Someone trying to beat out Limbaugh and Colter on the spectacular front. Go back and check Attaturk’s links.
When your own ideology has absolutely nothing to offer, you attack the ‘other’ and try to take the attention off the lack of anything real to offer.
this seems to be the only appeal of the right wing these days.
He’s trying on healthcare, climate change, and nuclear non-proliferation. He really is! It’s the senate that’s all screwed up.
Imagine if he tried to take on the real issues like the dept. of Justice and the CIA torture right now…not that he shouldn’t, it just appears to be impossible right now.
You mean black really is white?
I’m sure he’ll get right on that.
And the Senate is stopping him?
Right. Well, the torture has presumably been stopped (although who knows when Odienero says they need more time in Iraq), and the more immediate needs are local…
How to prioritize?
But yes, the Senate is stopping him. Underwear bomber, closing Guantanamo, etc. Every step he takes.
If you get the time, try watching the Senate on CSpan sometimes. Every single step, the wingers oppose, even when it’s their own legislation. Just to keep anything from happening. The session will go on with one attack after another, even when then most of the wingers even vote for the bills – as happened on jobs last week. The Dems have had to cut off amendments accepted because the right would put in hundreds, often just duplicative, so they could take up the time to debate them. yes, the Senate right wing is adamantly opposing doing its job.
Bunning is damn near 400 years old (78) and has a comfortable net worth, a federal pension, full health care and gives not a sweet pidoody about those struggling to get by in this depression. He is the poster child for the FU gop. He is the epitome of the YOYO politics exercised by goopers and blue dogs and embraced by the tea party faithful.
Let me guess. You’re either two months into Business Psychology 101 and made a D on the first exam, or your read a T-shirt saying:
I’m rubber you’re glue,
your words bounce off me
and stick to you!
Torture investigations are not impossible rather a policy decision.
I do watch the Senate quite a bit, I regard it as my classical music program now that NPR has gone to all talk all the time. The point I am making is there is plenty he can do without the Senate getting in his way. He can, for instance, call for a special prosecutor to go after war crimes, something that is required by international law. I know he cannot appoint one but he does have a “bully pulpit” to use for other than championing the bank executives. He can also close Guantanamo by executive order.
Imagine a gang of rapists loose on the town.
A new mayor is elected and says there will be no more rapes in town, now let’s look forward.
Would you feel safe knowing the rapists walk among you and as long as rape isn’t reported anymore is everybody really happy.
The torturers still have there jobs and still draw a paycheck, but I’m so sure no one has been tortured since 1/21 because they all turned over a new leaf?
Well, it would be the right thing for the congress to get on this issue of torture, for sure. No debating that. But, do they need votes to hire a special prosecutor? I don’t know…I don’t understand this process. If they do need the votes, would it need 60 votes?
Sorry, but championing bank execs is a pov that I don’t see, as O’s version of TARP required caps on CEO bonuses and he’s called them on the carpet and gotten the TARP paid back to a great extent. And closing Gitmo is great, once he can find a place to put the detainees.
Appointments can be held up by one Senator putting a hold on it.
I know there’s free speech and all but isn’t insighting violence illegal?
if so, someone can make a citizens arrest on beck me thinks
If Obama was a man with a spine he would have released the photos of torture and MURDER. He became part of the criminality with that gutless decision.
Don’t look for Obama to bully the bullies, he’s chicken.
The Senate rules are what screw everything up. When is the ACLU or another group going to challenge the senate rules?
And with the current supremes, what good would it do?
Coffee Party, anyone???
Bank exec praise
There are plenty of places to put the “detainees”, that is a red herring. And, by the way, if they released all those illegally imprisoned there would be far fewer people to deal with. No other civilized country seems to have any difficulty in criminally prosecuting so called “terrorists”. We, without doubt, have a president that can claim to be the “Can’t do” president.
How is that Constitutional? That’s stupid rules and nothing more.
Sirota is now charging anti semitism at the tea parties…is that right…that’s an interesting turn. In any case, why would progressives take the bait and lower the debate down to Beck’s level, giving him status as a legitimate nemesis in a co-dependent relationship, letting him define what progressives stand for. That’s nuts. Most of America don’t know what progressives stand for (apart from what Obama stands for, which itself is foggy these days). A clearer definition would probably help.
I agree. This jerk is calling for riots. Limbaugh is calling for death, in a coded way. How is this legal? How is this tolerated?
Or else he knows that he’s dead if he pushes too hard. KNOWS he’s dead. The guy has a wife and kids.
They are the exact same rules george used to screw up the country.
The democrats lack the courage of their convictions then blame those republican meanies.
Like I’ve told my employees in the past ” if you run out of good excuses come see me for one because I’ve heard them all.”
“There are plenty of places to put the “detainees”, that is a red herring.”
would you please name some, that have accepted them?
Agreed, but changing rules is not easy.
He wanted the job knowing the risks. One would have to be incredibly naive to think that the crazies would not be energized by a black, “socialist” president.
Obama is trying to buy a SuperMax prison in Illinois to house the Guantanamo prisoners. The GOP won’t let him. Why would you blame Obama for this??? It’s still on the drawing board, and the dems support it. GOP folks are holding it up.
We can blame Obama where it’s appropriate, but we can’t blame him for something he’s been trying to do and the SENATE holds him up.
Good morning, pups. It’s Monday, so that means it’s The Pasty Little Putz and Prof. Krugman. The Pasty Little Putz made me laugh out loud this morning. In “A Republican Surprise” he squeals that Mitch Daniels, Republican of Indiana, has become America’s best governor. Is that enough to drive a presidential campaign in 2012? Oh, be still, my heart. For anything you ever need to know about Mitch Daniels I will refer you to the wonderful Doghouse Riley (who actually lives in Indiana). Here’s his latest discussion of Daniels. Prof. Krugman addresses the “Financial Reform Endgame,” and says no financial reform is better than a weak reform that would only create a false sense of security then fail in the clinch.
Here they are.
The coffee, tea and hot chocolate are ready, and the biscuits are out of the oven. Here we are in March already (gasp! where did January and February go?) and it still feels like January. Maybe (fingers crossed) it will come in like an lion (heh — echoes of Attaturk) and go out like a lamb. I’m itching to plant something… Have a great day.
He knew that before he took the job just like Eric Holder knew if he didn’t prosecute Torture/ Murder he would become a war criminal also. This is supposed to be the best American to handle the job, not cozy up with the criminals.
Federal prisons do not have to “accept” prisoners they are sent to. There is one Marion Illinois that Sen Durbin has asked that they be sent to but there are dozens of federal prisons to house these people, most of them very secure and some that are extremely secure “lock down” prisons. As I say, a red herring.
Thanks, Marion, our March is roaring around our ears out here right now.
Love Krugman pointing out that the right spouts Adam Smith on free marketing, never getting in far enough to the actual theory to find out he totally recognized regulation of banks was necessary for the most essential operation of that free market.
There is one difference. It is an article of faith among Republicans that government doesn’t work. They prove it by their appointments and policies when in power and by their absurd obstructionism when out. It’s a little harder for a party which believes that government can solve problems, when the the other party, and even some of their own supporters, actually want to tear everything down and see what happens.
Please give an example of Sirota claiming that progressives are claiming tea partiers are anti-semitic.
Read mine at 39. There is no need to build or buy a prison. The feds own a bunch that house the worst of the wort criminals. After all if we can house deranged crazies known as “domestic terrorists” why the hell can’t we house those non-domestic terrorists?
Which process requires many permits – and have you observed that immediately when a prison is suggested for gitmo detainees the entire right wing erupts into horror at visiting these threats to their safety on the locals?
Gotta go do things, but on the subject of Gitmo, today’s news is about four detainees are being sent to Albania and Spain;
‘Since his administration took office in January 2009, 48 detainees have been transferred overseas and one has been sent to New York to face criminal charges for the 1998 bombing of US embassies in Africa.’
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/02/201022423250919279.html
There was no “permit” needed to put McViegh in the pokey. There was no “permit” needed to put the shoe bomber in the pokey. There was no “permit” needed to put the underwear bomber in the pokey. It is, as I said, a red herring. Hell it is a red herring coming from the NF side of the aisle!
Oh, heavens, no. I never want the torturers (and mainly the Cheney types) to be forgiven for their lawlessness. Never.
But what I am saying is that the healthcare issue is more immediate in terms of people, and in terms of our economy.
I want nothing more than to see Dick Cheney, George Bush, and Donald Rumsfeld in Court for war crimes and torture. And their buds.
Are you aware that these people were arrested here, not in foreign countries and shipped to Gitmo?
“I want nothing more than to see Dick Cheney, George Bush, and Donald Rumsfeld in Court for war crimes and torture. And their buds.”
agreed, and as the DoJ finally gets Pres.O’s people in place, there will be means to prosecute – and there are suits now before the Int’l Criminal Court that are working through the process.
and now, off to get things done. have a good March 1st.
Time to start our seeds today. Yesterday was all about getting the seed trays ready. Come on spring!
Maybe I’m reading too much into it. Sirota suggests a tea party parallel with Nazis on Jews in the manner of elimination, exile, extermination, evil, vermin. Hot button words in any case.
These same willful ignoramuses will also likely say that the Nazis’ beef was with Judaism but not Jews..
What motivates this kind of talk and behavior is called eliminationism: a politics and a culture that shuns dialogue and the democratic exchange of ideas in favor of the pursuit of outright elimination of the opposing side, either through suppression, exile, and ejection, or extermination.
Rhetorically, eliminationism takes on certain distinctive shapes. It always depicts its opposition as beyond the pale, the embodiment of evil itself, unfit for participation in their vision of society, and thus worthy of elimination. It often further depicts its designated Enemy as vermin (especially rats and cockroaches) or diseases, and disease-like cancers on the body politic.
Good morning all.
Anyone see End of Empire? Barbarians from within.
I agree that the dems are going to have to show courage. If they can’t do it now, they’ll have to be voted out in November, and replacement dems will have to be voted in in the districts with blue dogs.
I don’t know Sirota well enough to know his views on Israel and the wars.
May i kindly disagree. I’ve never seen in my life, a one trick congress which is what health care did to the congress last year.
I felt, with an overwhelming dose of righteous indignation, the President would have stated on 1/21 a complete investigation into torture and who did what.
Would it have torn the government to pieces you bet, just like the unopposed republicans tore our beloved constitution to shreds but in the end it would have put the outrageous republicans and their politics of fear on trial and righted the ship of state. Mr. Obama had his chance to do right and has chosen not to and it will follow him to his grave.
If Krugman wants serious financial reform with consumer protection, he should call for Congress and the Administration to give more power to Elizabeth Warren, not take power away from her.
OMG. The sun broke out from behind the clouds. First sun in ???
Thanks again, Marion.
Replace “Bankster” with “jew” in any number of comments or posts on this site or huffpo or dailykos and you get a whole lot closer to hate mongering than anything you are alluding to….maybe also bolstered by the fact that quite a large portion of those bank figureheads also happen to be jewish might be more compelling than what the percentage of progressives who happen to be jewish is.
Is there is six degrees of racism game that you like to play that I have missed….sort of liek the kevin bacon one….just without the bacon;-)
Ah, you must also believe rape is the woman’s fault, correct?
Gee. Who’d a thought that hate mongering criminals would be likened to hate mongering ethnic groups.
Who’s asking them to cozy up with criminals? Not me.
I’ll never understand why he didn’t transfer all the criminals in January of 2008. It wouldn’t have been a terrorist issue then.
I wish I’d been able to advise him. Seems like a regular American could have done a better job.
OOOH, a brand new troll! It’s been a while.
Regular American understands just about everything better than the prez. That’s because regular Americans don’t rely on lobbiests to support themselves.
No issue. We can lock up the crazies.
i pretty sure that’s not actually a rule. if i’m wrong, hopefully someone will give me a linky for it.
What does it look like? can you send me some?
It’s this big yellow orb. Very bright. Clouds seem to be closing in again, so none left over for you. :-(
Yes. These war criminals must be brought to justice. If Obama doesn’t do so, he will be part of the conspiracy. No doubt.
Take a dunk.
no sun here either. reminds me of cleveland winters and makes me grumpy. :(
Oh, selise! I don’t claim to be any kind of an expert on Senate rules. I always just assume it’s a rule if it’s stupid.
Naw, I think we’re just saying that anyone who really believes that there is an “invisible hand” which efficiently and equitably regulates the nations’ wealth is really dumb, regardless of their race, religion, or national origin. Do you know someone arguing that the 2008 near collapse of the world economy was related to race?
LOL. stupid is everywhere.
imo, the expert on senate rules is powwow. i’m just trying to learn a little bit from the expert (don’t blame powwow though if i get it all wrong, i’m perfectly capable of being stupid all on my own *g*).
Swim is up top…
i think it’s a little more complicated than this (and the extension will probably be passed tomorrow), but this isn’t an issue i’ve been following. best to read powwow for the details.
I’m still not up to speed with the vernacular here. Who are the “hate mongering criminals” and the “hate mongering ethnic groups?” Or is it just a generalization.
“Just imagine if Obama really governed as a progressive.”
It would be no different, they would be doing exactly what they are now, THAT’S the problem. No matter what he did they would be screaming. Birthers are a good example, yes the Birth Certificate has been produced but they still keep asking for it! IT DOES NOT MATTER, so he should govern as a Liberal. (what’s a progressive anyway?)
I kind of think it would be quite a bit differant;
governing as a progressive he would publicly laugh at their attacks and say, “it’s because of people who ran government thier way we are in the position we are in, to get us back to economic success we MUST govern with the policies that brought us there in the first place”
or something less verbose
however governing as a neo-con he actually gives their “critisism” credability
Spot on.
Reminds me again of a NYT piece Naomi Klein did about civil rights then and now, but could be about anything, and how today we are experiencing the negatives of a push-back against a progressive revolution without the positives of actually having one.
It wouldn’t change one iota. Regressive Republicans would still attack, lie, and smear with equal vehemence. Which makes you wonder why some Democrats even go to all the trouble of trying to govern just like them.
If Obama had governed as a Progressive, the Tea Party movement would have been drowned out by the majority’s unqualified support of his presidency. It’s precisely because he HAS NOT governed as a progressive that gives the Tea Party it’s power. There is no buffer from the other side. The middle class is disheartened with Obama and young people are disgusted with his about face. Apathy is the product of Obama’s behavior, and the Tea Party movement feeds on apathy like a raccoon on corn.
“The democrats lack the courage of their convictions then blame those republican meanies.”
To me this is exactly why nothing is getting done. If I had any lingering doubts, they evaporated when I watched the Jim Bunnings fiasco live the other night and when a couple more republicans showed up the Dems turned tail and ran. It was pathetic how easily they folded when presented a golden opportunity to let the republicans shine as the stick in the mud obstructionists that they are.
I’d give up “hope” (a word I now consider co-opted into rhetoric) completely but I still have a few more tacks to spit. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.
to me it sounds like he is saying that jewish people are hate mongerers…but I might be reading that totally wrong. I know there is a strong pro-palestine, anti-israel sentiment in some parts fo the progressive movement, but I had not seen it so unabashedly expressed.
unless I am reading it wrong, it seems like eCAHN is saying that. And that it elicits hardly any response is also a bit telling.
I’m a half-Jew (Jewish mother) who grew up in the 50′s while the history of WWII was still fresh. In those times, there was a long tradition of Jewish pacifism, and all bullies and anti-Semites took it as an article of faith that if you beat up a Jew, he would not hit you back. That phenomenon is fully documented, as are instances where such bullies voiced their shock and outrage if any Jew did actually hit back. I was raised in that tradition as well, and only when I was 8 did I reject it and start fighting back and kicking bully ass. It changed my whole world.
Nowadays, of course, with the example of first the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and then the rise of Israel, nobody expects a Jew to be anything but tough. Indeed, some of the toughest guys in NYC are known to be the Hasids. Nobbody fucks with them, even though they look and talk funny.
Progressives should take a lesson from this.
New slogan: “Out of work? No unemployment? Thank the Republicans!”
Croak!
I grant that it would not have affected the Republican’s words and actions against him, but he might have actually gotten some things done to help the average American (like real health care reform effective this year) to the point that even the MSM couldn’t ignore it. It might have really made the GOP a PERMANENT minority.