David Corn-"The Angry Left"

[realFedUp]

(I'd say most of us were real fed-up!!!!)

http://www.tompaine.com/feature2.cfm/ID/8898

Anger-Baiting On The Right
David Corn

David Corn, Washington editor of The Nation, is the author of The Lies of George W. Bush: Mastering the Politics of Deception (Crown Publishers), which will be released on September 30, 2003.

Perhaps I'm being slow on the uptake, but I've noticed that the Right has found a way to try to diminish left-of-center partisans. In recent weeks, conservative commentators have branded the Bush opposition "The Angry Left," which apparently is not meant as a compliment. Some examples: James Taranto of The Wall Street Journal's OpinionJournal.com observed that Sen. Joseph Lieberman wants to "save his party from the Angry Left." (Taranto also wrote in early August, "Oh dear, now the Angry Left is angry at us. The Wall Street Journal has been hit by a mass e-mail campaign, spurred by our... item in which we characterized MoveOn.org as a ‘far-left, pro-Saddam group.’" Now, wasn’t it silly of MoveOn-ers to be offended by that? ) Fox News Channel’s John Gibson recently asked a guest, "Is as angry as The Angry Left?"

When I appeared on a public radio show the day after George W. Bush said he needed an additional $87 billion for his endeavors in Iraq and Afghanistan, my fellow guest, National Review's Byron York, at one point cracked that I -- by complaining that Bush had proposed no means of paying for his occupation of Iraq -- was effectively presenting the viewpoint of "The Angry Left." And on various Web sites, bloggers and chatheads of rightward tilt and of no name recognition have been deriding The Angry Left for months.

The Angry Left has yet to be certified by Ann Coulter as the conservative movement’s official description of America’s traitors, but I suspect that the commentators of the Right will increasingly resort to this label to dismiss what might well be a growing opposition to Bush (or, at least, an opposition growing in passion). The moniker is designed as a put-down, one meant to signal that those afflicted with anti-Bushism are motivated by emotion, not rationality, that they cannot be reasoned with, that they and their ideas need not be taken seriously.

-continued-

[seventhson]

1. I AM a proud member of the Angry Left!!!

And we will kick the chickenhawks asses at the polls!!!!


DEAN/Edwards 2004!!!!

[mhr]

2. Turn The Tables

When this comes up just ask the Republicons (misspelled on purpose) if anger is a valid human emotion.

They will say yes.

Then say well I guess that all the right-wing anger over Clinton was disingenuous and hence misplaced.

That should stop this reasoning immediately.

Always, always, turn the tables on these folks.

[wryter2000]

3. Something someone else suggested

Can't remember who, but someone here posted a link to a column titled "Just say 'no.'" It positted that when the assholes ask you one of their stupid, leading questions, don't get profound and try to see both sides and behave reasonably. They have no intention of fighting fair, so why should we?

If someone asks "Are you a member of the Angry Left?" just tell them "no." "Isn't that an Angry Left thing to say?" "No." "(insert democrat of your choice) is no more than the Angry Left." "No."

Then, when they give you that Bob Novack arched-eyebrow "I can't believe anyone would say anything so stupid" look, you tell them calmly that polls show that the majority of the American people believe Bush* has f*cked up the economy and the war. They can't all be the Angry Left.

Ta-da!

[KoKo]

4. Yes, Proud Member of the Angry Left, here! We should be Angry.....and I'm

not ashamed of it.....

These folks are really "grasping at straws" if this is the best "label" they can come up with.

As their PNAC and Supply Side Economic theories fall down upon their sorry heads......of course they are scrambling. Pitiful.

[candy331]

6. Always

good to find a label or attack persons rather than deal with the substance isn't it? The repugs are too self conceited and hate mongers to realize that they are driven by anger. So if anger is what it takes to drive Bush and his cronies out of office I say "Let us drive on and speedily".

[Fovea]

5. In the midst of Tarranto's massive whine

Do not miss the key words...

'hit'
'mass'
'campaign'

He mutters those words in his sleep, I am sure.
Well, there is only one thing for a member of the angry left to do...
Mackrel slap the fascists with another hit, from a mass campaign.

The Angry left got a surge of new memebers this morning on the news of
the resignation of the head of the NYSE and his 140million dollar paycheck.

Gods it feels good to hear them whine in pain...

I think of what Krisha said to Arjuna...
'I was born to destroy the destroyers...'

[JohnyCanuck]

7. Corn still hasn't clued in to the big picture

I get e-mail all the time from outraged lefties (or liberals or progressives) who quite sincerely suggest that Bush has brought the country to the edge of fascism. Such loose and hyperbolic talk is foolish.

[realFedUp]

8. yes, Corn's a bit too safe for me.

Name calling doesn't really address the facts but
fascism is a definite word in the dictionary which
can be used to describe some aspects of what this
current administration practices.

[Blue Adept]

9. Corn

I used to read him continually back in the late 90's when he was writing about the impeachment and other related issues. I learned a hell of a lot from his writing and what he talked about when I caught him on C-Span. But to me, ever since 2000, I've connected less and less with his work and thoughts. It's unfortunate because he's quite good at what he does, but I simply think that he's not seeing everything in the same context we see it. Which is only natural, he's inside the beltway and dealing with what comes with that.

For those of us not in the beltway or politics in general, all we see is everything falling apart.

[KoKo]

23. Blue Adept......same for me here with him. Something happened in 2000

that he suddenly became "different." More timid in his reporting....or something. I felt the same as you about this article. He doesn't get or doesn't want to get the "big picture." I find it so hard to understand why they don't get it....

[newyawker99]

35. Hi Blue Adept!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[hyphenate]

10. I, too, am a proud member of the Angry Left

I respond quite emotionally to some posts, and if that means name-calling, or saying something snide or nasty, so be it. I am an emotional person, and don't pretend to be otherwise. We need people like me as much as we need the cold, hard logical types. The world operates with both, so it's necessary to show we are all types.

[realFedUp]

12. a lot of us are just mad at the injustice, lies and policies

of this administration. Not brain science to understand
why we're angry with the direction the Bushistas are
taking this country.

[mbee]

14. I'd say we're members of the Angry Majority because

it was the majority in this country that was cheated out of their vote. The bullies just use the same ploy in every situation and that is if you repeat a lie often enough the gullible public will accept it or so they think. If they label it as the angry left it sounds like it's some small group when in reality it's the majority. Just like the media takes unpopular chimpy and labels him as a popular president. That is the biggest bunch of hogwash but they just keep repeating it over and over again even when his approval rating is 45%.

[ameriphile]

11. The angry MAJORITY is more like it! n/t

n/t

[Skittles]

13. PROUD MEMBER OF THE ORIGINAL ANGRY 10% HERE

and all these repug whores can F*** THEMSELVES.

[Ardee]

15. Ive been a 1%'er for decades( Harley reference)

and have nothing good to say about the right wing religiously motivated fascists who have usurped my nation. But Ive also enough anger saved for those who have usurped the Democratic Party, cost it a victory in '02, refused to fight hard enough over the stolen election of '00 and will, undoubtedly contribute to the continuing erosion of that which makes my nation worth defending.

[Awakened Dreamer]

16. Angry? Of course!

What we should strike here is, what I think, the fundamental assumption that we've nothing to be angry about.

The implied meaning is we (the left) have nothing to be angry about so we're just a bunch of crack pots raving at television screens.

The fact is bush lied about a war that has cost several lives, he's managed to squander all good will felt for america, practiced cronyism at the highest eschlons of the government bureaucracy, forced american soldiers to return again and again to dangerous situations with no benefits, alienated allies, invigorated enemies, curtailed civil liberties, broken promises, trashed the economy, and generally made a muck of everything.

So the question isn't why is the left angry, but rather why isn't EVERYONE angry?

[scarletwoman]

17. Excellent question: "...why isn't EVERYONE angry?"

Too true... Or in other words -- a favorite of mine -- If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention!

sw

[realFedUp]

19. good bumper sticker!

thanks sw.

[hippywife]

30. Amen!!

I don't know HOW anyone paying even a little bit of attention could NOT be angry!! :mad: :mad:

[Davis_X_Machina]

18. I've been telling people...

...for three years that I belong to the "Bite Me" wing of the Democratic party.

Damn straight I'm angry.

[grasswire]

20. Is Corn...

...still taking money from Rupert Murdoch? He's been running hot and cold for the last couple of years since he gets paid by both sides.

Regarding his argument, he IS slow to catch on. Several weeks ago I posted virtually the essence of his article, arguing that the characterization of the left as angry was meant to assign moral equivalence to criticism of Bush and criticism of Clinton, thus providing cover for the VRWC. There is no moral equivalence.

[glitch]

25. I love it

count me in.

[ProfessorGAC]

21. Why Is That An Insult?

One of their mantras, was that gov't was a mess, they were angry and weren't going to take it anymore.

Well, i am ok if something thinks that the incompetence and hubris of the current administration has me pissed off. I AM pissed off. Why anyone would think they were insulting me is as baffling as trying to understand how conservatives can live with themselves being wrong about everything.
The Professor

[PATRICK]

22. Not insult but marginalization

The angry Move-oners were on track to becoming the majority of the American public as in the rest of the civilized and uncivilized world until talked-to-death points like this staved off the truth that the media actively suppressed.

I am not an angry socialist, but what's left of the American center that is not blinded and lost under them arrogant dominance of the ever angry and PO'd-for-no-earthly-reason-Right.

We are Americans against anti-people anti-worker anti-democracy pro-money privileged extremists. The Right(as ever) is a threat to life on earth, not a pet peeve or rival in a beauty contest. My real anger though is mostly reserved for people purporting to be champions of better things, but not doing their jobs.

[kwolf68]

24. Angry?

How about a political doctrine that HATES...

Hates Liberals and wants to execute a man to "intimidate" them. How about a belief system grounded in HATE of an elected and accountable form of government?

How about a group who HATES Islam and considers it a "false" religion?

How about a belief system hell bent on inflicting their paradigm of morality on the rest of the world and to persecute those who partake in acts or have dispositions different than their own?

ANGRY? How about 1994...When a group of right-wing hustlers were voted into office on a mantra of "Hate"...hatred for the sitting President.

ANGRY? How about demeaning the young daughter of our sitting President at the time, calling her a "dog?" How about calling those you don't agree with whackos, Nazis, traitors?

ANGRY LEFT? Bullshit...If we should be scared of anything, it's the ANGRY RIGHT.

[piece sine]

34. I see what David Corn means

..in your response. The term "angry left" is rapidly becoming entrenched as the latest political cliches of popular culture. Like all pop buzzwords, it has both a grain of truth and a dash of exxageration. We ARE angry -- and thousands of DU threads make the case vividly -- but we also seek a more gentle government.

Even though I am sympathetic to most writers here, I wince when I see some of the overflow anger here because this site is quietly canvassed by the Right, looking for ammo. They may be censored from commenting, but they just post outrageous DU quote from here on other political websites and blogs where DU monitors have no control. And what do we get for all our trouble? The monicker "Angry Left!"

So stay angry, fight hard and live with the stereotype, or cool it, think and write strategically, and prove pundits like Corn to be incorrect.

[SharonAnn]

26. They're calling "The Angry Center" people "The Angry Left"

If someone says that to me I'll say "No, it's the Angry Center."

[TygrBright]

27. Why, yes, we ARE angry. Thank you for noticing...

...finally.

ironically,
Bright

[lindashaw]

28. This will not hold...the reason is two words...body bags.

[KG]

29. David Corn-"The pink tu-tu Left"

don't worry dave, angry left will man the barricades while your still bemoaning the semantics of revolution.

[teryang]

31. "Angry left " is a jingo meant to instill fear

It is a code phrase meant to imply bolshevism and reinvigorate a climate of fear which is challenged by the junta's looming military and economic failures.

It provides cover for McCarthyite tactics of the junta and their supporters. Anyone who doesn't recognize that we are on the edge of fascism with illegal pre-emptive warfare and the Patriot Act II campaign underway is living in comfortable self denial. Congress and the mainstream press have already failed in their constitutional functions. Now that we are on the cusp of the permanent burial of the republic, Korn is of the opinion that pronouncement of any fascist threat to self governance is hyperbolic "loose talk."

In fact, the urge to rationally engage the massive lies, deceptions and frauds of this administration, rather than characterizing their tactics for what they are falls within the pattern of liberal democratic failure in the face of destruction of the institutions of democratic government and sound international relations. The inadequacies of fiscal and military planning for ill considered policies of conquest and the creation of a banana republic will push the junta toward even more desparate measures rather than rational discourse. This is what must be recognized. Perhaps Korn is biased by his contractual relationship with Fox, as if this organization and the right which promote ridiculous "flat earth" discourses is interested in rational dialogue.

Rather than admit that we have "lost an argument" about terrorism and world power, I'd say multi million repetitions of "I told you so" are in order. No elaborate or dispassionate rationale is really needed. Bush and his cronies are no less fascists than Mussolini.

[bemildred]

32. So, he just noticed this?

He's never heard, say, of "Feminazis" or "Eco-terrorists"?

"David Corn, the gullible, ignorant left."

[FauxNewsBlues]

33. Money Quote

Bush said, "Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised."

Chimpy said that 2 days before the first strike on Saddam's palace. That is pretty emphatic... "NO DOUBT", not one tiny little doubt. They wonder why we are pissed.