Al Jazeera nails it -

[malaise]

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/07/201172412744740495.html?utm_content=automateplus&utm_campaign=Trial5&utm_source=SocialFlow&utm_term=tweets&utm_medium=MasterAccount
<snip>

When news emerged that the perpetrator of the murders - the terrorist - was a man whose religion and skin pigmentation closely resembled those of the editors of the NYT, the story changed. The terrorist became a deranged "Christian extremist" whose tactics clearly mirrored "Al Qaeda's brutality and multiple attacks". In that way, the paper linked the terrorist with Muslims, despite his strong antipathy for them.

All indications are that the hate-mongers - who are on the same side of this war, irrespective of religion - are winning in America. The unreflective, superficial, wan editors of the NYT are an indication of just how successful the right wing has been at eviscerating the left.

But not all liberals are created equal.

It is a credit to the Norwegian people that their prime minister did not respond to the terror attack with scorched-earth rhetoric or a carpet-bombing campaign. A real liberal with strong principles, he did not succumb to fear or vicious speculation.

Instead, he pledged to strengthen Norwegian democracy. This is what he said shortly after the terrorist attacks: "Our answer is more democracy, more openness to show that we will not be stopped by this kind of violence." His words illustrate the difference between a society that takes liberal principles as a foundation and one that treats them as an inconvenient luxury.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. What? Those Norwegian wusses aren't going to invade Algeria? Or, initiate a "Patriot Act"?

[malaise]

2. And Freepers are very very upset

:evilgrin:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. They're upset because they have their camouflage panties on backwards.

[malaise]

4. How ironic that this mass murderer

also lived with his mother

[monmouth]

8. In her basement eating Cheetos and on any and all rw spewing sites..n/t

[anamandujano]

10. Please don't link any cheese nibble with the crazed right wing,

especially Cheetos.

More importantly, great respect for a fearless leader.

[truth2power]

28. Re: living with his mother. If I may comment on that, malaise...

First of all, I am as sick as anyone else of all the nit-picking that goes on around here over the use of various words or phrases, and I am loathe to add my voice to the mix.

HOWEVER, in our "new economy" as the corporate media likes to call it, there are going to be more and more adults living with their parents.

My adult son is a professional with a good job, as measured against what some people are struggling with these days. But I have told him that he will always have a roof over his head as long as I draw breath.

That is, he could always move in with me if it came to that (and I don't have a basement, to my regret). In fact, and I say this only somewhat facetiously, it may eventually become the norm that whole families are domiciled under the same bridge.

Just sayin'

[ooglymoogly]

38. +1 nt

[TxVietVet]

43. That's because some of them have "duty" bunk.

:rofl:

[HysteryDiagnosis]

5. Perhaps he will be the one who finally finds

wmdz in Iraq. Good for this man, he blatantly displays his lack of ignorance for all the world to see, meanwhile we live with the legacy of 50% of this country supporting a war criminal.

[Scuba]

6. K & R

[malaise]

13. Another good article

<snip>
The news coverage of the Norway mass-killings was fact-free conjecture

On Friday night's news, they were calling him something else. He was a suspected terror cell with probable links to al-Qaida. Countless security experts queued up to tell me so. This has all the hallmarks of an al-Qaida attack, they said. Watching at home, my gut feeling was that that didn't add up. Why Norway? And why was it aimed so specifically at one political party? But hey, they're the experts. They're sitting there behind a caption with the word "EXPERT" on it. Every few minutes the anchor would ask, "What kind of picture is emerging?" or "What sense are you getting of who might be responsible?" and every few minutes they explained this was "almost certainly" the work of a highly-organised Islamist cell.

When it became apparent that a shooting was under way on Utoya island, the security experts upgraded their appraisal. This was no longer a Bali-style al-Qaida bombing, but a Mumbai-style al-Qaida massacre. On and on went the conjecture, on television, and in online newspapers, including this one. Meanwhile, on Twitter, word was quickly spreading that, according to eyewitnesses, the shooter on the island was a blond man who spoke Norwegian. At this point I decided my initial gut reservations about al-Qaida had probably been well founded. But who was I to contradict the security experts? A blond Norwegian gunman doesn't fit the traditional profile, they said, so maybe we'll need to reassess . . . but let's not forget that al-Qaida have been making efforts to actively recruit "native" extremists: white folk who don't arouse suspicion. So it's probably still the Muslims.

Soon, the front page of Saturday's Sun was rolling off the presses. "Al-Qaeda" Massacre: NORWAY'S 9/11 – the weasel quotes around the phrase "Al Qaeda" deemed sufficient to protect the paper from charges of jumping to conclusions.

By the time I went to bed, it had become clear to anyone within glancing distance of the internet that this had more in common with the 1995 Oklahoma bombing or the 1999 London nail-bombing campaign than the more recent horrors of al-Qaida.

[louis-t]

40. Has Limbaugh called him a 'leftist' yet?

Only a matter of time.

[Kaleko]

7. Wow. Sanity speaks.

And it's a clear rebuke to the Bush gang in a single sentence that will go around the world.

Kudos to that man.

[dipsydoodle]

9. K & R

.

[jwirr]

11. K&R

[girl gone mad]

12. k & r

[Fearless]

14. If I paid my taxes to them would I get shafted in a deal with the wealthy?

Doubt it.

[upi402]

15. "Our answer is more democracy, more openness to show that we will not be stopped by this kind of..."

Wow. I'm going to go grieve for my country for a while now.

Liberalism is an evil to be attacked here.

[McCamy Taylor]

16. When the Oklahoma City fed building was bombed, conservatives all across the country

blamed it on Iraq, even though 1) it was the anniversary of Waco, 2) no one in Iraq had ever heard of Oklahoma City and 3) a foreign terrorist would stand out like a sore thumb in Oklahoma City. The conservatives were calling for an invasion of Iraq. The only thing that shut them up was when the police accidentally pulled over the real born in the USA right wing culprit.

A columnist in Fort Worth actually wrote "when it is proved that Saddam did it, we should invade Iraq." Not "if". "When." And he and his other right wing buddies were determined to "prove" it by a campaign of conjecture.

[ThoughtCriminal]

17. Another similarity

It was pre-internet, but after McVeigh was arrested and his background and ideology became known, there were plenty of interviews with right-wing militia members. There was a common theme of condemning the violence... and they would say "we can understand why someone would do something like this". Take a look at the right wing message boards - they really "love" democracy as long as they win. When they don't, violence and murder are justified.

And these basement dwellers are sufficiently ignorant and isolated from reality to believe that because Norway is a progressive country, that life there MUST be the same as it was in Stalinist Soviet Union.

"Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent" - Isaac Asimov (Foundation)

[oldhippydude]

21. its mainstream

Sharon Angles 2nd amendment stuff was a barely veiled threat.. I'm rather surprised we haven't had another Oklahoma City size event.. the difference this time around, would be outlets like fokkks, spinning the perpetrators as victimized patriots

[gateley]

18. And the big 100th rec! Wow - this is GOOD! nt

[AverageJoe90]

19. Kudos to Norway. =)

[suffragette]

20. K&R

[Arrowhead2k1]

22. Oh, fuck yeah! K&R.

And I'd like to nominate Ahmed Moor, the author of that piece, for a Pulitzer Prize!

[malaise]

24. It really is brilliant

:hi:

[democrank]

23. K & R

[Bryn]

25. Excellent! K&R

USA should be ashamed!

[formercia]

26. Very well said.

K&R

[malaise]

27. The most profound line for me was:

The unreflective, superficial, wan editors of the NYT are an indication of just how successful the right wing has been at eviscerating the left.

[formercia]

41. Ah, yes, 'Good Germans.'

They go with the flow, ride with the tide, until one day, they get left high and dry.
Then they exclaim: "We were just being 'Good Germans'."

:hi:

[Pacifist Patriot]

44. Indeed

[defendandprotect]

29. Thank you -- the answer is more democracy --

[JEB]

30. I can only wish

that we are all Norwegian. Their Prime Minister is showing the world what real leadership looks like.

[riverwalker]

31. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg

True meaning of a leader and hero. Norway is blessed to have him at this critical time.

[Glaisne]

32. The problem is Conservatism

The radical Muslims who preach and practice hate and violence are CONSERVATIVE Muslims. The radical Christians who preach and practice hate and violence are CONSERVATIVE Christians. The radical Jews who preach and practice hate and violence are CONSERVATIVE Jews. Most extremest political movements and politicians who preach and practice hate and violence are CONSERVATIVE political movements and politicians. The problem is CONSERVATISM. Conservatism is a serious and dangerous mental disease and the world will not be safe until conservatism is eliminated.

[Smilo]

33. They rush to

judgment, yet the man they all claim to worship would shun them.

May peace be with Norway

[kestrel91316]

34. Wow. Excellent.

[L0oniX]

35. BREAKING: NORWAY ATTACKS USA ...SAYS USA IS A HAVEN FOR CHRISTIAN TERRORISTS.

Just say'n.

[bemildred]

36. And that's why Norway is a great place to live.

It's government does not suck.

[dgibby]

37. If I were younger and in better health,

I'd pack up and move to Norway.

[Solly Mack]

39. Oh my! An actual adult in charge.

"Instead, he pledged to strengthen Norwegian democracy. This is what he said shortly after the terrorist attacks: 'Our answer is more democracy, more openness to show that we will not be stopped by this kind of violence.'"

True sanity. A people living up to their beliefs and ideals, and sticking to their principles. Someone who knows that bullets won't ever stop hate or cure ignorance.

[tcaudilllg]

42. You're dead wrong.

Extremists are extremists due to their genes. Learn socionics and maybe you'll start to see the big picture. Positive vs negative forms of the information elements is what it's all about.

[ej510]

45. Our nation shits on liberals when we made the country what it once was a great nation,

that would've been greater without the racism.

[Ferret Annica]

46. A great picture of the people of Norway

People gather to offer flowers in tribute to the victims of Friday's twin attack in Oslo outside the cathedral of Oslo

[Douglas Carpenter]

47. thank you for posting.. kick and recommend

[Sarah Ibarruri]

48. Fundies make me sick, all of them, no exceptions at all. However, our country is right now dying

And Repukes are killing it.