Good Odds that Rupert Murdoch Will be Responsible for the Next Timothy McVeigh or Assassination Attempt

Submitted by mark karlin on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 9:43am.

EditorBlog

THE BUZZFLASH EDITOR'S BLOG
by Mark Karlin

Yes, with the civil war talk on the program of the recently acquired FOX News demagogue, Glenn Beck, inflammatory talk by Sean Hannity, and Rush Limbaugh's nativist rants that equate Obama to something akin to an amalgamation of Karl Marx and Adolf Hitler, the right-wing media is stirring up the dangerous angry white male resentment to a dangerous frenzied pitch.

And we all know where that ended up with Timothy McVeigh and the militia movement of the '90s, which was enabled by the right-wing media barons -- such as Rupert Murdoch -- to create a literal armed militia movement against the government of the United States.

Call it treasonous, call it demagoguery, call it treachery: it is what comes down the pike when the wealthy Democratic elites are more content to fund organizations that criticize the apocalyptic, brown-shirted Murdoch media barons rather than buying up media and delivering an alternative message that emphasizes loyalty to the truth, Constitution and democracy.

Sure, we love Media Matters, but they are just a fly on a donkey's butt as far as Rupert Murdoch and the gang are concerned. Media Matters will get an occasional correction of factual errors -- if they pull out all their guns for one, but it's too little a compensation for the energy put into the effort. And the people who take in the corporate media remember the misleading assertion, not the rare convoluted retraction.

The reality is that the only thing that matters in media is owning it. Murdoch knows that and couldn't give a horse's fart for what Media Matters has to say, nor does CBS which just hired a Democratic-hating Republican stalwart as their senior communications executive.

Nor do any of the mainstream corporate media: including radio, television and print. They will just keep on doing what they are doing because they own it and they know what they want: an oligarchy.

The troops for this formidable army of images, mistruths, and emotional manipulation are the angry white males, the guys who have felt displaced by minorities and women and immigrants ever since the Civil Rights and Feminist upheaval began in the '60s.

And these displaced white guys are armed to the teeth, courtesy of the NRA and the senators and representatives who lie down like doormats for the gun lobby in Congress.

And bristling with guns -- including the .50 caliber sniper rifle that is legal in all but California -- they feel enabled and patriotic in rising up against the legitimate Constitutional government of the United States.

As rabid as Hannity and Beck and Limbaugh may seem, their ratings have actually gone up since Obama's election. The white male who has been shafted by the wealthy elite, pickpocketed and left in humiliation, falls prey yet again to the siren song of the Murdoch/Ailes stable of Goebbels disciples and their cohorts such as Limbaugh and Savage.

This is no exaggeration. Glenn Greenwald discusses it as do the superlative FOX trackers at FOX Newshounds.

And its impact is seen drilling down to discussions on Sean Hannity's website of armed rebellion, military coup, and secession.

Those Obama supporters who think I am being hyperbolic have a short sense of history. This is what we saw in the Clinton administration that led to the domestic terrorist Oklahoma bombing and trumped up impeachment.

And before the right-wing media was as consolidated as it is today, we saw our liberal leaders gunned down one by one in the '60s, resutling in the election of Richard Nixon -- and the beginning of the well-funded corporate mainstream media consolidation owned by people beholden only to the oligarchy, not the American public.

Yes, there are exceptions, but they are few in number, far too few.

And Murdoch may do his own non-apology about his New York Post's thinly veiled racist incitement cartoon of two white police officers shooting a chimp representing -- in full bigoted Murdoch fashion -- Obama.

But when the armed angry white males decide to act because of the Murdoch/Limbaugh et al. incitement to rise up ringing in their ears, the blood will be on the hands of Rupert and his fellow right-wing corporate media barons -- and he won't be sorry for it.

He'll only feel one thing: Mission accomplished.

A BUZZFLASH EDITOR'S BLOG

Deeply ingrained, deeply personal - not easy to change...

Submitted by phatkhat on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 3:57pm.

I participate in a subject matter forum where there are several people who belong to the rabid right, which is different from being a conservative. (On some issues, like immigration, I'm even conservative.) You cannot tell them their heroes are preaching hate. They challenge you to produce something they said that is hate. This is not hard to do, but when you produce it, they say it is NOT hate, and the REAL hate is on the left. Then they quote some show on Air America which I've never heard.

Inciting violence on either side is ugly, but from most forums I visit, I have to say, the most violent aggression is from the right. They, however, simply cannot see it. To them, it is logical and is "common sense". I have given up. One of them constantly posts bumper stickers from a website called impeachobama.com. Some of it is truly alarming, but when you say something, they drag out the First Amendment! LOL! That same amendment that doesn't apply to the rest of us!

Unless you interact with right-wingers, you cannot grasp the depth of their convictions. No matter how wrong-headed, they are deeply convinced that they are right (their preachers as well as Rush tell them so), that they are the only "true" Americans, the only "true" patriots, fighting against a vast leftwing conspiracy. Leftwing media? LOL! I keep pointing out that Murdoch owns a wide swath of it, and he is hardly a leftist, but that pales in comparison to the power of Air America! (I wish.)

These people are, at heart, also hardcore racists. They will not admit it, probably even to themselves, but even their denials are filled with bigoted statements. They have defended the "chimp" cartoon, and no matter how many people point out the racism in it, they either don't see it, or they embrace it at some level.

But, at the same time, they are human beings, and I count some of them among my friends. Some of them even helped me out in an emergency, even though we have never met. I have more in common with some of them than I have with urban white-collar liberals. And I hope that the respect I have earned from them in our debates will cause them to think a little more deeply, even when they don't agree.

I think we have to understand that political/social orientation is largely a result of our natural personality orientation. People who are authoritarian, who are probably a majority, have a very black-and-white outlook, and have trouble seeing things in a more multifaceted way. Liberals tend to be non-authoritarian in their outlook, and don't understand the security needs that drive the conservatives.

And that is what drives the hate jocks. These guys are insecure, and hate anyone who threatens the status quo. Maybe the pertinent question is how can they be made to feel secure in a multi-cultural, global society? How can they be made to understand that having a Black president does not denigrate their whiteness? How can we raise boys (and girls) who are secure, and who grow into secure adult men (and women)?

An understanding of the authoritarian mindset is pretty important to understanding the right wing - and a portion of the left wing as well. A good primer is found in an online book here:

www.members.shaw.ca-drbob-theauthoritarians.pdf

You will have to cut and paste, sorry. I can't embed a link, it seems.

Spell Out What They REALLY Are. . .

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 4:42pm.

B-R-A-I-N-W-A-S-H-E-D. There is simply no other word to describe them. They're brainwashed. They need to be deprogrammed.

Can we not go there, please?

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 3:13pm.

This kind of talk helps nothing. If newspapers and mayors want to spout racist garbage, let's call it for what it is. Let's call out these folks and let the light shine on their hatred. BUT... Let's not use it to imagine dire scenarios. That's just ghoulish.

Words of Some Comfort

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 3:13pm.

It is my understanding that Obama and his administration are well aware of the dangers and have taken extraordinary precautions. Their motto is, "Take Precautions and Trust No One." Pre-Inaugural steps included asking Secret Service agents if they could protect Obama with their lives? Those who could not were transferred out of the White House detail. Secret Service agents have been doubled. New vehicles were designed to withstand just about any type of attack. The cars, the exact number a secret, are identical in every detail. No one knows which car carries the president, if any. In addition, new, highly-secret precautions have been taken that function across a wide spectrum of venues, modalities and personnel spread across the county and in other nations. Finally, Obama's close administrative handlers often keep the Secret Service out of the loop by changing personal appearance dates, times, travel vehicles and locations - - sometimes on a moments notice. Read the last sentence carefully and understand the full implications. So, can someone get to Obama? Yes. However, where the odds for Bush were 85 to 1 against, the odds for Obama have been improved to 98 to 1 against an assassination attempt. Since his election, the Secret Service has stopped many attempts and made arrests. The Service already is aware of others in the planning state and will stop them. The message? All the right wing cooks and nuts, some of them Republicans, should take note that Big Brother is not stupid and is watching and listening all over the world. Just try it and spend the rest of your lives in prison: that is, if your are not shot dead on the spot.

devil's advocate

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 2:45pm.

Wasn't or isn't there a website called The Smirking Chimp that was or is dedicated entirely to the faults and mistakes of George W. Bush?

apples and oranges

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 03/01/2009 - 2:02pm.

Equating a mindset that makes fun of a war criminal who shredded the Constitution, with a mindset that foments anger against those who are trying to rectify such completely misses the point. I suggest drink more water and maybe some super green foods to feed your feeble mind.

Smirking chimp?

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 6:52pm.

And was it "racist? And did not George Bush have many faults (which he repeatedly denied) and "mistakes" which have led our country to the brink of disaster?? The Republicans are ENCOURAGING VIOLENCE AND RACISM. What part of that don't you understand? At their rallies before the election when referring to Obama, the Republican supporters were screaming KILL HIM, KILL HIM. And the Republicans passed it off as nothing. We have been hearing repeated racial references to our new President by every right-wing talk show idiot. Not to stop there, your own senators and representatives have made racist comments, sent racist emails, and keep uttering veiled "threats". McCain referred to President Obama as "that one". Yet Obama HONORED McCain at a dinner. A gracious man facing a real lynch mob both in our government and on the news media. And facing people with your mentality. Either you want this country to be helped out of this mess, or you want it to fail just because of your terribly misguided loyalty and hatred. Get a grip. This country rallied around George Bush when 9/11 happened whether we were Democrat or Republican. As time went on, we realized he failed us miserably and learned that he had his own agenda and USED us. He MANIPULATED US. It's time for you to get behind the president whether you like his color or not or whether you like his party affiliation or not. Because if he fails at his mission without your support, THEN YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WILL FAIL ALSO. IT'S CALLED "CUTTING OFF YOUR NOSE TO SPITE YOUR FACE".

There is a difference here...

Submitted by phatkhat on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 3:52pm.

Yes, Bush was given chimp ears, and called "Chimpy" more than once. That's not racism. Bush is White, and Whites have not been denigrated with comparisons to any kind of monkeys. Not true of Blacks. Black people have been regularly called monkeys, or compared to monkeys. In the chimp cartoon, the implication is that the monkey is Obama, and it is racist. This may be a fine line, but it is a line.

organize peacefull, widespread opposition

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 1:57pm.

Moveon.org or other organisations in the US need to mobolize a boycott of these media outlets. 100 million people turing off CNN and the extremist politics they represent. Also remeber that these people are being watched by the whole world. They may have some credibility in the USA but the rest of the world will find these actions reprehensible. The states cannot operate in a vacuum. As well we need to hit Rupert Murdoch and his irresponsible networks hard with boycotts. The only thing they listen to is MONEY !! Chip away at the base. Every like minded person carry away a grain of sand and the edifice will crumble. The angry white half-wits will isolate themselves and in many ways are not worthy of comment. Above all, NO VIOLENCE !!! Norseman

Not really

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 8:15pm.

The rest of the world is treated to CNN North America. We get the dumbed down flashy bullshit. CNN overseas is much better. It's like when Newsweek ran a cover with Afghani soldiers on it, talking about the resurgence of the Taliban. Here in America we were treated to story about celebrity photographer annie leibovitz.

The M$M will never hold Murdoch accountable

Submitted by ETS on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 1:25pm.

Nor would it hold a Sean Hannity or a Rush Limbaugh or a Glen Beck to account.

Even if the evidence was clear that an article or statement by any one of the above mentioned right wing media owner or any one of the cadre of right wing radio/television bloviators directly incited a deranged individual to commit an act of civil violence against the president or Congress or federal agency, the mainstream media, M$M, would not have the courage to lay responsibility at their feet.

I beg to differ

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 5:44pm.

I guess you don't watch Keith Olbermann on MSNBC

backfire

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 1:06pm.

Hold on lads and ladies! This betrayl of civil order and outright treason may not sit well with the vast majority of the American public who may at last start to recon they are being duped. This sentiment may accelerate as people reflect upon the wisdom of the right wing rant from the local street corner. Families that have been relegated to the street and out of jobs may not, in this uncomfortable position, accept the rantings of demagogues and undermining of the country. In other words,this approach could backfire big-time on the fat cats and corporate elite. I say, beware the wrath of the American people if they ever discover what their leaders have really been doing! Espescially if they are losing their homes and livelihoods. Meanwhile we can make up the rooms in the Tower and the Bastille. Sharpen the blade on the guillotine. People may discover the Constitution is not a mere "piece of paper" when their bellies are pressed up against their spine. Norseman

More seditious than anything

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 03/02/2009 - 3:09am.

seditious |si?di sh ?s| adjective inciting or causing people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch : the letter was declared seditious.

Good comments from the

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 1:05pm.

Good comments from the choir, but no solutions as how to stop these extreme, right wing gestapo, tactics. We need a non-violent war to stop these hate mongers before it is too late.As a gun owner, I can tell you these wacko's have told me that Obama is a dire threat to the 2nd Amendment and many of these people are already paranoid and on edge about the economy, so it will not take much to push them over the edge and blame everything on Obama.

Softball vs. Hardball - Left is Losing

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 12:38pm.

Last night I toggled between Fox claiming that all Muslims,"even the moderates", favored beheadings and honor killings, and Janeane Garofalo and Keith Uber-ego-man wax on about Limbaugh's dating prospects. All the while thinking that with the passing of each newspaper and locally programmed radio station, more and more people will actually rely on TV for news of record. God help us! NPR uses the "Insert Republican Here" approach to journalism, giving the opposition free airtime to state their case without follow-up or any sign of incredulity. The Republicans have mastered the sound bite, in ways that progressives remain clueless. Call out your local media outlets to elevate their game, to stop coasting, and behave like journalists that have a stake in our shared future - for after all, in this time of media decline, they do.

Why can't they be arrested

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 12:25pm.

Why can't they be arrested for TREASON ???

Revoke Murdoch's U.S. Citizenship

Submitted by hterrya on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 12:16pm.

Murdoch got U.S. Citzenship under false pretenses. He had no interest in being an American citizen. He just wanted to own media interests here, and he couldn't do so without becoming a citizen. His incitement of treason, rebellion, and secession is reason enough to revoke his naturalized citizenship. I wonder if the Obama administration has the guts to do it?

If his naturalized citizenship were revoked, that would send a clear message to (and perhaps the fear of God into) the rest of the entrenched corporate media. If an oligarch like Murdoch could be brought down, it could happen to anybody. The message to the oligarchs: Incite riots and treason, and get your license to broadcast revoked!

Murdoch, secession, etc.

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 11:14am.

It is time to start calling out the radical right for what it is doing. Last I knew, free speech did not protect fomenting revolution, or advocating the violent overthrow of the government. This is treasonous behavior plain and simple. Limbaugh and his cronies can compare Obama to whomever they please, but it is they who are the Nazi conspirators in all this. They will say anything and do anything (or, what's worse, incite other to do anything) to get an oppressive Republican regime back in office. They are only noise, but dangerous noise, at the moment. If they are not stopped, things could deteriorate badly. They will gladly watch the country collapse in the hopes of regaining power. I don't think most Republicans in Congress are any different. I just hope the American public sees through the smoke.

Well Said

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 11:13am.

I agree 100%. Last evening on "Countdown" Keith spoke about the "Mannity"'s poll on his website. I would love to see Hannity charged with treason but it will probably take more than his poll for that to happen.

AMEN MARK

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 11:08am.

A few years ago (3-4) I listened to Limbaugh occasionally mostly out of curiosity. But I remember what made me stop. A caller on his program said he wanted to essentially "take matters into his own hands (against liberals)." The caller was not joking and sounded very serious. Therefore I was not surprised in July 2008 when a man open fired inside a Universalist Church in Tennessee because he hated liberals. Limbaugh/Hannity are blatant liars who incite hatred and anger with their rhetoric. They are heros to the ignorant and, I guess, inspiration to the mentally unstable.

Mark Karlin's editorial on Rupert Murdoch

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 11:04am.

Mark: Thanks so much for writing this piece. It is high time someone like yourself point out exactly what Rupert Murdoch and people like Rush Limbaugh are doing to incite some right wing nutcase into making an attempt on President Obama's life. I will be using your editorial on my blog: CORKSPHERE; http://corksphere.blogspot.com as a way of alerting the thousands of people who view my blog what is being said about Limbaugh, Murdoch, Hannity and Beck. Bill Corcoran

Be forearmed

Submitted by godistwaddle on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 10:59am.

This is why the Dems attempts to control firearms are dangerous. Every progressive, liberal-radical atheist like myself needs to be armed to the teeth.

Weapons for the left

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 1:26pm.

It is sad, but I have known some gay and lefty friends who recently started visiting the gun stores and buying up handguns and ammo for self-protection. They are not cheap. I have never seen a need to bring a firearm into my house, but am seriously considering getting a firearm owner ID and going to a gun store myself. This is a dangerous trend.

Hate to confess, I have done the same.

Submitted by elder693 on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 2:08pm.

I have never liked guns in general, but everyone has a right to self-protection.

People like Limbaugh, Hannity, Coulter and other right-wing terrorists say and do what they do because they believe their own propaganda; that liberals are wimps who could not whip their way out of a wet, paper bag with a machete let alone fire a gun.

My grandfather taught me to shoot when I was 9 years of age. I've never shot at anything but tin cans and targets. I consider myself moderate to liberal and I know they are wrong. I'm prepared to defend myself if I have to. When we live, as we do, in an open air mental institution, we should all be prepared to protect our selves from ditto-heads and other followers of the evil blow-hards like Hannity, Limbaugh, and the rest, who are finally pushed over the edge by their hate-speech.

What do we do?

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 10:54am.

Murdoch, Limbaugh and the rest of them must be seething with rage now that their taxes are going to be raised, and they cannot write off their contributions to their favorite charities. Rush is calling for his lunatic right to do something, and I'm very afraid there will be blood. They need to blame someone, so why not Obama and the liberrrals? What can we do with these hate-mongers? I don't know, but maybe we should tune in to listen to Rush as he explodes....literally! We can only hope!

Tough toenails

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 11:03am.

>> Murdoch, Limbaugh and the rest of them must be seething with rage now that their taxes are going to be raised ***** They are part of a tiny rich minority and you know what that means in a democracy. They can always leave the country if they don't like it. The backlash against the rich is just getting started. ***** Luxury Cars Getting Torched in Germany http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=auZeM63nrgzo&refer=home

right on

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 10:36am.

This is the way nazi germany came to power by preaching to the mindless rabble and finding scapegoats,never mind that the problems were caused by the people they chose.I read on Alternet another liberal web site that hate groups are once again spreading all over America and growing.With neo nazi stations like Murdocks we have a self fullfilling prophecy.i say decent Americans should be very,very worried.Conservatives have always believed violence is the best way to solve all problems

Exactly

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 11:09am.

I agree with everything that has been said here. Fear mongering and spreading dangerous misconseptions by using misinformation campaigns and promoting violence is exactly like the Fascist methods of Adolf Hitlar and is the very same way the Right-Wing Neo-Nazis like Rush Limbaugh operate. Rush Limbaugh acuses Liberals and Liberal Socialists of being Nazis when he is actually a lot closer to being a Nazi himself. There are many dangerous misconceptions that he right wing spreads like wild fire. The warped idea that Socialism is communism/ Fascism is one of those dangerous misconceptions.

Nations like Sweden; who never experience any difficulties unless the World economy is suffering,should be proof of how well Socialism can operate, sustain, maintain, and preserve a Democracy when applied correctly. Swedish citizens actually have more civil liberties and personal freedoms than American citizens and they haven't been in a war in well over three hundred years or longer. Nuts like Rush Limbaugh are not heard on the airwaves in places like Sweden; nor, do they have any of their own nut jobs like Sean Hannity in the media like we have over here. I'll rest my case on that point. When asked if an American auther would be considered for the Nobel Literature prize; the man from the Swedish Academy in charge of the nominations for that category said something to this effect...

The following is an excerpt from radio sweden's coverage of the Nobels..

"In an interview with the Associated Press, Horace Engdahl, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, says the United States is too insular and ignorant to compete with Europe when it comes to great writing."

With this information... I rest my case.

Sweden has its problems too

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 12:36pm.

Actually, the younger generation in Sweden bought into the right wingers who were getting advice from Karl Rove. Recall how Rove skipped out on a congressional hearing to attend a meeting in Sweden? These jokers got elected. Sweden is stuck with that administration until 2012. This continues to be a worldwide strategy to co-op "democracy". Murdoch is Australian with media tentacles around the world. The World Trade Organization, based in Switzerland and controlled entirely by a select world mega-corporation club has been ceded trade rights and control by many governments including ours.

Nazi Germany got its power

Submitted by Cole... on Fri, 02/27/2009 - 1:42pm.

Nazi Germany got its power by control of its media and its judicial--with those it could remove all opponents and build the rage against all who were not just like them: white, pure arian, 'got mit uns', cheering for unity and launch wars based on lies. Does that discription fit our 'Pug party? and the go along democrats? Is it a solution to be 'armed to the teeth'? Only if you intend to go into the 'clear cut' forest and hide out. I don't know, in my point of view, what a solution could be but it sure has to start with getting us out of that "war is good" mode. This is the most weaponed country in the world and the most scared. Can there be anything worse than that for the Planets longevity?

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