A right wing sh*tfest too far?

By Steven C. Day
God knows, when it comes to progressives fighting back against right wing smear campaigns, low expectations are generally in order. So I’ll probably be proven wrong here.
Still, I honestly believe that the far right (and their media enablers) may finally have gone too far by pushing this Obama school speech insanity. And I’m not simply talking about them turning off independents. That kayak sailed oodles ago anyway. No, this time they’ve done something more than that — something nearly impossible to do: they’ve finally pissed off the broader progressive community (as opposed to just the netroots) badly enough that we may start doing something more than just bitching about it. We may actually start to fight back and ultimately kick their sorry butts all the way back into the Jurassic Age (they’re already in the Stone Age).
Yes, of course, there have been much bigger things to get angry about. There is, however, something about this particular bit of insanity — the total inanity and plain racism of it — that’s stirring the blood of progressive Democrats like nothing else has. Even those of us who are growing impatient with Obama feel the fire in our guts.
What is being done here is simply evil. There’s no other way to say it. These bastards lost the election, but instead of accepting the will of the majority, they are doing everything in their power to delegitimize the president. And the corporate media, which long ago surrendered its collective soul to Mickey Mouse and other God’s of Wall Street, is more than happy to play along. Yes, just like they did with Bill Clinton.
I think more and more people are ready to ask the question: What sort of a country has this become when the President of the United States can’t speak to children about the importance of staying in school and working hard without it causing a hurricane of paranoia?
But then let’s be fair: it isn’t as though anyone is claiming that it’s objectionable for just any president to speak to school children. After all, both George HW Bush and Ronald Reagan gave similar speeches without generating anything like the current opposition. So I guess it’s just Democratic presidents who are barred from the classroom. Or perhaps just black Democratic presidents.
Word this morning is that the nuts are winning — again: more and more schools are refusing to show the broadcast of the speech. Some school officials have even been dumb enough to state their objections publicly. Take, for example, Superintendent Kevin J. Kapp, in Prescott Arizona, who, according to TPM, sent home a note to parents saying: “As the superintendent of schools, I am not comfortable with school district resources being used for this purpose; therefore Prescott Unified School District will not carry the speech either via television or via computers in our schools.”
Yeah that’s the ticket: let’s protect the kids from the evil African guy, who really isn’t an American anyway, who wants to tell them the importance of studying hard. Thank God we have people like Kapp willing to stand up for what’s right.
But my guess is that in most of the cases where schools have declined to carry the speech the reason has been less overtly political: they just decided that dumping the speech was the safest bet. And why wouldn’t they? If they show it, they’ll have to put up with right wing nuts berating them for allowing this “socialist” pretender to the throne to propagandize their kids. If they shit-can it, on the other hand, they can be fairly confident that progressives will merely grumble to themselves a little and then go about their business. I mean why wouldn’t they feel that way? That’s pretty much what progressives always do in these situations, isn’t it?
Or at least that’s what they’ve done until now. Is there change in the air? I don’t know, obviously, but I’m guessing there is, at least to some degree. Apparently, parents in some communities are organizing to protest against local authorities declining to air the speech. That’s good news, but, in truth, these counter protests probably won’t amount to much. There just isn’t enough time to organize. And even if they could have grown to good size the media would probably have ignored them. (If liberal responses to right wing attacks fall in a forest and no one hears them do they really make a sound?)
But ultimately overt pushback on this particular disgrace isn’t what’s important anyway. The real significance is the degree to which it may represent a teachable moment to the broader progressive community. And from what I’m seeing and hearing, it’s a lesson many progressives who are not part of the “hardcore” base (who, after all, already pretty much knew the score) are taking to heart. What has become too obvious for anyone to miss, of course, is that today’s right wing is made up of people you can’t compromise with. They are people you have to expose for who they are and politically crush.
In fact, this is a lesson that I suspect is coming home even to Barack Obama and the rest of the Beltway Democrats. And if I’m right, the fiery speech we saw Obama give Monday on health care won’t be his last.
LAST CHANCE DEMOCRACY CAFE
- Login or register to post comments
- Printer-friendly version
Buzz this on Buzzflash.net




Technorati Tags:
Not everyone quiet
Was listening to the Bubba The Love Sponge radio show this morning and he was so upset about his kids' school refusing to let the kids view Obama' s speech that he called his wife on the air and had her call the school and demand a meeting with the Principal so he can ask them WHY they chose to not let the kids see it.
I hope this latest right wing zealot nonsense has kicked the collective butts of those sitting on the sidelines shaking their heads or just not paying attention into speaking up. These nutjobs are organized and can cause some real long term damage to this country if we don't.
Actually, Obama's speech was _very_ political
Ronald Reagan's whole schtick was that you, and only you, can legitimately decide what you want to do -- and you have the right to do it. The world, environment, future, mankind? Screw 'em all. My Porsche beckens. "The Man," in the guise of the president, telling the offspring of these psychopathic children of the Reagan Era what they "should" do! How dare he go over their heads! Communist!!
Well, actually, "community" but they are often confused. If you aren't psychopathic today, you really aren't an American.
Heh! It's About Effing Time!
What has become too obvious for anyone to miss, of course, is that today’s right wing is made up of people you can’t compromise with. They are people you have to expose for who they are and politically crush.
I really don't know what to tell you... I saw this happening back in the late 70's when I decided that France was looking a hell of a lot better than the United States. At least the grownups acted like, Grownups. I have a funny story to tell of my Naturalization day and becoming a French Citizen. I received a telephone call from the secretary of the Tribunal here on the island that I live on and was told that I had to come in as my French Nationality had arrived and the Judge was going to present it to me.
When I showed up, I was ushered in to the Judges Chambers and there was a split of champagne iced down and 2 glasses, the judge asked me to be seated, brought me a sheaf of papers and asked me to sign the top one, which I did, he explained that it was to receive my documents that attested to the fact that I was now a French National. He then poured 2 glasses of the bubbley and toasted me and made about 10 minutes of small talk and then dismissed me... I was very suprised and I guess my face showed it as the Judge asked me what was wrong and I asked him if there wasn't an oath or a pledge of allegiance that I needed to recite or swear to? He laughed and said to me, We're all grownups here, we made you do many things to insure that you really wanted to become French. We welcome you as a Frenchman, and as such we would never have anyone take an oath or pledge allegiance to the government. If we are correct then we expect no problems, if we are not, we expect you the common man to take up the paving stones and use them against us... It is a little story that will live with me and make me very proud until I pass from this mortal realm. That was back in 1984 and it is as clear today as it was then...
America has lost it's way, the beacon I once believed in has been extinguished and all there is are shadows and fear, Too much religion, too little education, too much greed and too little humanity... A nation of those who no longer care for their fellow man no matter what his color or background is... I saw all of this happening when Reagan crushed the air controllers and no one did anything. I knew it wouldn't be long before Fascism reared its ugly head, and I see Facists everywhere I look in the United States today...
Before you start yelling at me for being a turncoat, I would like to let you know that I am a retired Navy Chief and spent 5 years of that time either in Viet Nam or its waters... I consider myself a patriot, but unable to beat the system, I decided that I could find a good live where freedom and liberty were not just words but visions and ideals...
Just this old chief's 2 cents
P.I.G.
Plunder is groundless.
Bi-partisanship Kills
Bi-partisanship Kills Americans
what if...?
;-) ;-) ...maybe it's all a plot...stay with me now... If you set a bunch of kids down in a room and say, "Now listen to what the President says," their eyes will glaze over before he even starts talking...but if you say, "Don't you dare listen to that evil speech by that horrible man! Your teacher better not show it to you! You better not go to school that day if they show it!" , then the kids will be looking up the transcript of it online when no one's watching...
He dropped the Ed Dept guidelines
and neutered his speech. And you little Obama whores who blog for each other, ignored by America, tell each other this means all those outraged parents and taxpayerswere just imagining that you and he are fascists. Rofl. Your days are numbered sows. It's the chopping block for you, come the revolution.
Bruce Majors Guillotine operator Anarcho-capitalist pledged to eliminating the tax predator ruling class and their media whores
we have a winner.
"Obama whores" = unAmerican. I'm betting no one tops that unabashed outburst of insanity at least for the rest of the day.
regarding evil
See what I mean?
"What is being done here is simply evil."
Yes it is. And I thank you for calling it out for what it is. It has been my experience that whenever "evil" is out and about, the first thing that is diagnosed is "insanity". As in, "these people are crazy, irrational, beyond reason." They have "issues". And, oh yeah, all that is so, but to leave the diagnoses there is to leave oneself open to the evil that simply poses as insanity. Insanity poses as evil's first ploy: confuse everyone. Create an atmosphere of such confusion that evil's target becomes incapable of telling up from down, right from left. That is what they are doing when they accuse the left of being just exactly like the right. Those in the middle, trying to figure out what the heck is going on, are soon so confused that they simply throw up their arms in dismay. They throw away their weapons and run away because they no longer can trust the facts. Or, they throw away their weapons because they are so "disappointed" because they, all along, believed that there was really no such thing as "evil" (well, rhetorically, they used the word "evil", but that was just to make a point, not to point out an actual reality) and they take refuge in the idea that they are "correct", "disappointed", and therefore, completely justified in giving up the battle. Evil gloats at this. Pure, innocent, hopeful, hard-working, everything invested-in-it people desert their standard bearer. They leave the field of battle. They change alliances. They leave their "Hero" alone and make their new alliance with a splinter group who dreams an impossible dream because it actually is, impossible. But, they feel good about themselves. Evil's final victory comes when the Hero is destroyed, his/her minions are spread to winds, and the Corporate Takeover of America is complete.
you've convinced me
I should have characterized the above poster as "evil," just posing as "insane." Thanks for explaining how it works.
Conservatism is not the
Conservatism is not the enemy - Bipartisanship is the enemy, Centrism is the enemy, Civility is the enemy. This is a TIME OF WAR, respect THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF, or YOU ARE A TRAITOR. Down with bi-partisanship, Down with turning the other cheek, down with understanding the other side.