Why right-wing hate speech is different than Marilyn Manson/Doom

[Rocknrule]

I have heard people compare the blame Palin and Co. have received for the Tuscon tragedy to the post-Columbine scapegoating of Marilyn Manson and violent video games. Plain and simple, it is NOT the same thing and here is why. Video games are relegated to the realm of fantasy and fiction, and do not inspire real anger and hatred in people, nor are they intended to. In fact, many modern video games contain disclaimers asking players not to imitate the actions in the game in real life, sort of like Jackass does. Right-wing hate rhetoric does the exact opposite: they do not set any boundaries between what they "jokingly" suggest doing to liberals (and gays, Muslims, etc.) and how their listeners should behave in real life. Convincing people that (insert political/religious/ethnic/etc. group here) are evil, hate and want to destroy the country, are subhuman, are responsible for all the world's ills, and don't deserve to live does inspire genuine hatred in people. If Marilyn Manson or John Carmack were to have a hitlist like Palin's, or were to explicitly say that all _____ should be shot, it would be different. Fantasy and entertainment does not inspire real hatred, real anger, and real violence, but 24/7 hate rhetoric most certainly does.

[RainDog]

1. exactly.

Sharon Angle talking about second amendment solutions and "taking out" Harry Reid to an audience made up of armed extremists is more akin to Hitler rousing the storm troopers - which, as we know, were words that had consequences in the political arena as well.

People have the capacity to differentiate between fantasy and the real world. In our real world at this time we have people on mainstream television and people running for office in one of only two viable political parties talking about murdering politicians and other political figures as a solution to problems.

There is no equivalency.

[Rocknrule]

2. I still don't get why Lieberman thinks

real violence = good, fake violence = bad

Oh right, because he's a Republican