This post was inspired by WarrenStupidity who described an example of this strategy quite well in this thread re: Fox vs. Limbaugh.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2484287&mesg_id=2484287My response to his thread is below and linked here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2484287#2484838If you read the original OP referenced above and my below message I'd like to use them both as an example of how the rightwing attempts to level objective differences between various types of political and social action. The Michael J. Fox and Rush Limbaugh episode is just one example in a long line of examples, each of varying consequence; some of life and death, others of livelihood. Every different political episode will involve its own particular strategies of leveling or hiding the true differences that exist within political discourse. I only want to point out that this is a strategy so that the counter-discourse we develop as a response is much more focused on the actual differences (oulined via an example below). I think this might strengthen the potency of the message so as to not mince words (e.g. avoid the "softy" label branded on some democrats by rightwing media outlets and propagandists). In other words, call them at their own game by pointing out the elephant in the room.
Read WarrenStupidity's post first and then read below.
They try to set up equivalencies in order to counter the power of such a message (as Fox's commercial). They've already done it with social class. The massively wealthy vs. the struggling worker. They've gone after Michael Moore with who they argue is his equivalent; with rightwing screechers that attack common citizens whenever they become too influential or come too close to the power center. Instead of ridiculing the elite they (e.g. Ann Coulter, Madeye Malkin, and the goons) ridicule relatively powerless people; the people whose power is limited to alliances with like minded elites (which is why they attack Soros so often) and organizing (which is why they denigrate public protest movements and unions). When Ann Coulter attacked the widows of 9.11 victims this is what she was doing. her defense is, "well Michael Moore does it."
They get their followers to buy into the equivalence through sarcasm and infantile mockery. The first thing rightwing automatons have done with Limbaugh is to say "well he's deaf. Don't ridicule a deaf man." There are twisted ironies in all of this. First, if you take Moore's "Roger and Me", he based his whole narrative on irony (overlaying contradictory images and sounds) in order to establish the tragedy of what happens to a community when the company it has supported and helped to thrive abandons it. The right has countered with who they cast as their own versions of the "mad as hell and not going to take it anymore crowd" by mocking working class folks and going after Moore himself. The second ironic twist can be seen by those of us sitting back and having a good laugh at the rightwingers that buy into the equivalence.
The rightwing attacks the mothers of dead soldiers, the families of 9/11 victims, of victims of progressive diseases and tell their followers it is the same thing as criticizing (or attacking if it feels that way to you) the CEO of companies that destroy vibrant communities, of Presidents who break domestic and international law, the profiteering off of mass death by the arms industry, oil companies who have captured us consumers and allow no other option, or of any elite abuse of power.
The true irony is this; an entire party of people have been alienated from the world to such an extent that they find it okay to denigrate their war heroes, the tragic loss of loved ones, the catastrophe of massive job cuts; and for what? All to salvage the reputation of a few corrupt elites who have never served, whose loss of loved ones is tempered by the inheritance of massive estates, whose experience in the job market was handled by daddy, who do not know what living with debt feels like.
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