Name-Calling

Jesse on Republitarian: 

“….From the military has always used slang to describe the enemy, it serves a purpose. if it’s been determined that it’s them or us, (peace being ruled out) and we believe that we should be the victors… well to use dehumanizing terms makes it easier to kill them. sad fact of war, same stuff happens to snipers in civilian situations. the sniper after a long observation on a target can become stressed(sic) after having to kill target because target became more humanized. so back to the name-calling…” 

I’ve never heard it quite so clearly and distinctly spoken.  Inferred? Yes, spoken out loud with conviction?  Not ever quite so clearly.  Name-calling dehumanizes ones enemies making it easier to kill them. Name-calling dehumanizes political opponents, making it easier to hate them, oppose them, grind them into dust, stifle their opposing opinions, in short, to RULE OVER THEM!  

When I hear name-calling I hear cowardice and fear.  I hear broken human beings who have lost the will or the desire to live at peace.  I hear them beating the drums of WAR, the drums of PREJUDICE and the drums of HATE. 

I generally skip over blog entries that resort to this kind of childish contribution.  I only hope that these folks never act on their blustering and that perhaps they are simply attempting to engage in political humor.  I’ve often talked with Jesse and he usually ends the conversation with something like, “…don’t worry dude, I’m not gonna blow your head off!  I’m only trying to jerk your chain.”  I just warn him and his friends not to get too loud because someone just might take him seriously and get an idea…..

Update: An interesting take on the idea of name-calling.

This is an interesting twist that demonstrates the obsurdity and childishness of the whole name-calling genre.

Michelle Malkin is a witch and a harpy

By marymary    ·     June 18th, 2006 at 8:02 pm

“She’s the reason women invented abortions.”

“If you don’t hate Malkin and the people who buy her books, you don’t love your country.”

“In this recurring nightmare that is Malkin, we have a debate about whether she is “an idiot” even though all sentient people know she is. Otherwise there would be debates only about whether to burn her books or assassinate her.”

“My only regret about the 9/11 terrorists is that they didn’t go to Michelle Malkin’s house.”

“We really need somebody to put rat poisioning in Michelle Malkin’s Cream of Wheat.”

“I think our new motto should be ‘Flip talks tough, flip faces consequences.’”

“I’ve never seen anyone enjoy being the victim of racism as much as this broad has. A lot of Americans have been seething over the inanities of this professional victim for some time.”

“Now that her shelf life is dwindling, Malkin better hurry up and appear in Playboy.”

*For the unenlightened, these are all Ann Couter quotes, altered slightly to make Malkin the target of Coulter’s unhinged hatred. Since Malkin thinks highly enough of Coulter to publish a video “salute” to her, I’m sure she’ll be fine with this.

It's not over for Mr. Rove

Dan Froomkin writes in today’s WaPo about the legacy of Karl Rove.  Some highlights:

…his (Rove’s) tenure will stand as an example of how divisiveness and partisanship are not conducive to successful governance.”

The Republican Party is in far worse shape as he leaves than when he began. Despite an incredible outpouring of support on 9/11, his misuse of that political wave of support has caused the demise of the GOP. 

His boss is the lowest ranking President in popularity, EVER! 

His use of National Security as a wedge issue actually made us LESS secure! He called it “political suicide” to discard the President’s War Policy during the November 2006 elections.  He was wrong.

Rove was primarily responsible for the Bush Administration’s subversion of national policy for the sake of political goals.  He was the first in the administration to accuse liberals of sympathizing with the enemy and that dissent on the war was endangering the troops. Accusing patriotic Americans of treason didn’t play well.  Making his pure hatred of everything Liberal made him the pariah of a large segment of the very voters he was trying to sway.  Bad move.

He wanted to create a Republican super-majority that would last 100 years, but his “play to the base” strategy sabotaged that effort.  By dividing us so completely, he could not bring us together for consensus on his most ambitious attempts at political realignment.  His Social Security reform went nowhere, his immigration policy went nowhere, and his national security policy is losing ground.

Rove was placed in charge of the rebuilding effort in New Orleans, a political decision more that a policy or administrative decision. We’ve seen how that turned out.

He was one of several administration officials that “outed” Valerie Plame, a felony. The whole Scooter Libby trial went on without hearing from one of the central characters, Mr. Rove.  Speculation by many, including jurors at the trial concerning Mr. Libby taking the fall for Rove is rampant.  

The political ploy of firing unsympathetic or seemingly disloyal US attorneys was a signature Rove move.  Investigations continue.  It just seems so Rovian that the whole episode originated with him…..   

It’s not over.

Cheney is my Hero! Believe it or Not!

If only this Dick Cheney were the Vice-President. What a wonderful world this would be. Thanks Steve in New Orleans for sharing the link.