Why Cheney's hunting accident matters - By Stan Goff

[kliljedahl]

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 10:14:30 -0800

Right-wing diehards are trying very hard to “move on” about Dick Cheney shooting his rich hunting buddy. But there are moralists from left of the midline who are making the demand to back off on Cheney’s mishap, albeit in a more oblique way.

“He has committed many worse crimes,” the grievance goes. “Why should we focus on this?”

I’ll tell you why.

This is the age of postmodern politics – the age of impression management. This is the time when the narrative is used to trump reality. No doubt perfidy has always characterized politics, but the good old days of no-bullshit thuggery and patrician patronage has given way to the construction of puerile caricatures. And many thought that Bush was the mediocre narcissist who liked to dress up in flight suits and caper across the decks of aircraft carriers.

This incident exposes Cheney himself as just another costumed buffoon, and not the Darth Vader figure he and his desperately insecure admirers seemed to relish.

Gender is the elephant in the political living room, of course.

This is an administration who ran election campaigns that would make a Louisiana police chief blush; and they did it by constructing George W. Bush – a besotted pampered frat boy from a wealthy political dynasty – as a cowboy.

Dick Cheney has constructed himself as a hunter…consistent with his supposedly intimidating predator image.

These are hegemonic masculinities, but only in the most theatrical sense. The cowboy and the hunter are idealized archetypes from a mythical past.



Keith’s Barbeque Central

[Tace]

1. Stan Goff's Great!

And I think he's right about Cheney.

[ixion]

2. he makes a fantastic point

that I wish would somehow work it's way into the collective psyche.

[kliljedahl]

4. The point of the article is

"Ridicule is a potent political weapon. It is a form of resistance."

Humor in general is also a very powerful weapon. (see The Daily Show).
A much overlooked strategy on this and other sites.



Keith’s Barbeque Central

[Individualist]

14. A very good point

The cabal can't stand being laughed at. They can't spin ridicule into propaganda.

Nice avatar, by the way. :thumbsup:

[SpiralHawk]

3. EXCELLENT

K AND R

[KoKo]

5. Good One....K&R....n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

6. Oh yes, he's got it. See also THIS THREAD - LINK:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x464667
thread title (2-19-06 GD): Jane Hamsher Explains the WIDER IMPORTANCE of the Cheney Shooting Story
Comment/excerpt: Very insightful analysis by Jane Hamsher of firedoglake. As Jane sees it, Fuddgate has weakened Cheney, and this has in turn lessened his clout in strong-arming Congressional members into toeing his line, at least for now. One major issue impacted by this, Jane believes, is the status of NSA Spygate investigation.

[meganmonkey]

7. Interesting take on the situation

It really does knock down the usual impression of Cheney.

(fancy meeting you here ;) )

[robbedvoter]

8. Why it doesn't - by me (and Ted Rall)

[kliljedahl]

9. I remember that TOON

very true. I like to put stuff out for postulation, I'm a cynic myself.



Keith’s Barbeque Central

[lonestarnot]

10. wooooodamn whoooooooo! Keef's barbie!

[lonestarnot]

11. Just think of the image appeal of wanfucking simpleton shootin' his

hunt'n-easter-eggs "acquaintance" freakshow friend in the face. This bitch in the the spot of Vice President of the United States! OMG :hide: or put on your steel pot!

[Dragonfli]

12. Drinking is no accident

Neither is stonewalling the cops until you get a chance to sober up.

I like your new avatar by the way, what do you think of mine?

[kliljedahl]

15. Very nice

I do love mathematics



Keith’s Barbeque Central

[Bjornsdotter]

13. Interesting

...comments. It is important, especially because he tried to hide the shooting.

Glad to see you back! Love the avatar....lol!

Cheers :toast:

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. What's up with that avatar?

Very interesting. :evilgrin:

[kliljedahl]

17. Just like mathematics I guess

Got tired of Pigpen



Keith’s Barbeque Central

[Binka]

19. Slick!

These two had a bad day yesterday....

Oh shit....

Shut Up! Just Shut The Fuck Up....(The Italian dream of gold in the shitter)

[Binka]

20. My 2000th Post

The agony of "Da Feet."

[PuraVidaDreamin]

18. humor! I live for and love humor

[scarabus]

21. Imagery matters!

A couple of Danish cartoons, and the result is worldwide death and destruction. Just a couple of images, that's all.

Nervous speakers are told to imagine that the members of the audience are sitting out there in their underwear. If they look silly to you, you won't fear them.

The Great and Powerful Oz is terrifying. But the funny little man behind the curtain is just laughable.

Darth Cheney is scary. But a drunk, nasty rich guy who mistakes a 78 year old man for a quail at what we now know after ballistic research was a range of 15-18 feet and shoots him in the face is just a contemptible jerk.

So your new avatar is quite appropriate, Keith. Images always are noticed more than words. That's why the administration doesn't mind our reading statistics about the slaughter in Iraq, but it will not let us see images of the maimed and the dead. No flag-draped coffins! And if Al-Jazeera shows those images, we bomb them.


And I would add a complementary thought. This incident is an emblem of or metaphor for the entire Bush/Cheney administration operating style. The entire range of their crimes is beyond what most people can grasp or envision. This they can see, though. So this should be kept afloat and should also be presented explicitly, not as an end in itself, but as a mere example of what those guys do every single day, to everyone in this country and lots of people in other countries. Whittington got off easy!

[newyawker99]

22. Hi scarabus!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: