Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

Here it is, Glenn Reynolds' "blood libel" piece from Monday in the WSJ:

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » General Discussion Donate to DU
 
scarletwoman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-12-11 01:22 PM
Original message
Here it is, Glenn Reynolds' "blood libel" piece from Monday in the WSJ:
The Arizona Tragedy and the Politics of Blood Libel

Those who purport to care about the tenor of political discourse don't help civil debate when they seize on any pretext to call their political opponents accomplices to murder.

<snip>

With only the barest outline of events available, pundits and reporters seemed to agree that the massacre had to be the fault of the tea party movement in general, and of Sarah Palin in particular. Why? Because they had created, in New York Times columnist Paul Krugman's words, a "climate of hate."

<snip>

There's a climate of hate out there, all right, but it doesn't derive from the innocuous use of political clichés. And former Gov. Palin and the tea party movement are more the targets than the source.

<snip>

So as the usual talking heads begin their "have you no decency?" routine aimed at talk radio and Republican politicians, perhaps we should turn the question around. Where is the decency in blood libel?

<snip>

To be clear, if you're using this event to criticize the "rhetoric" of Mrs. Palin or others with whom you disagree, then you're either: (a) asserting a connection between the "rhetoric" and the shooting, which based on evidence to date would be what we call a vicious lie; or (b) you're not, in which case you're just seizing on a tragedy to try to score unrelated political points, which is contemptible. Which is it?

(more at link)
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
fishwax Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-12-11 01:33 PM
Response to Original message
1. Reynolds has also pointed out that Tony Blankley used the phrase four years ago
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
scarletwoman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-12-11 02:06 PM
Response to Reply #1
5. Oh gawd, I went over there against my better judgment - comments full of RWers claiming
persecution by the evil liberals.

These people are utterly beyond reason. Year after year of calling anyone left of Ghengis Khan every nasty name in the book, wishing us dead or just plain threatening to kill us -- and when we object THEY are the ones being victimized.

:banghead:

Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
kestrel91316 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-12-11 01:38 PM
Response to Original message
2. WAAAHHHHH, poor RW fanatics and hatemongers, we evil liberals
are burning them at the stake and gassing them.

Oh, the humanity.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
denverbill Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-12-11 01:38 PM
Response to Original message
3. Yes, but accusing Obama of wanting to kill your grandma is just fine.
Then again, since Obama is a communist, fascist, Islamic terrorist-supporting traitor, maybe it's ok to say stuff about him.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
ProSense Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-12-11 01:39 PM
Response to Original message
4. Instapundit joins forces with Murdoch to
"purport" Palin's status as victim and denounce "ObamaCare."

<...>

I understand the desperation that Democrats must feel after taking a historic beating in the midterm elections and seeing the popularity of ObamaCare plummet while voters flee the party in droves. But those who purport to care about the health of our political community demonstrate precious little actual concern for America's political well-being when they seize on any pretext, however flimsy, to call their political opponents accomplices to murder.

<...>



Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Wed Apr 24th 2024, 06:31 AM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » General Discussion Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC