Instructions for Assembly of Circular Firing Squad

[arendt]

When I post in this forum, it is to decry "The Permanent Campaign". But, we now have the bastard son of TPC and Rovian manipulation: the racism/sexism political lobotomy.

Wake up, idiots!

It doesn't matter what race or sex starts World War 3 - we'll all be just as dead. It doesn't matter what race or sex is in charge when the corporations tell the Chinese to cut the U.S. loose to sink - we'll all be just as screwed. It doesn't matter which race or sex is "forced" to declare martial law because of a "terrorist event" - all of us DUers will be getting skybox seats at the nearest Club Haliburton.

It is real issues that matter, not some perceived snub or insult to some group. The real issues will determine our lives and our children's lives, our country's and our planet's future. And you really think that having the right sex or skin color is more important than having the right plan to stop the corporate takeover of our country?

Do you comprehend how you are all being played like a fiddle? The corporate media is calling the square dance: "Stab your partner, do-sey-do. Vote today for a corporate ho."

I hate to say that I called this, but I called this almost a year ago (Feb, 2007):

The media frenzy over Barack and Hillary is a remake of the (Clarence) Thomas nomination, right down to the "any criticism of a woman/black, no matter how legitimate and fact-based, is sexism/racism".

So, when Hillary defends her vote on the Iraq War in the face of 70% disapproval, when Hillary cozies up to Rupert Murdoch, when Hillary spends all her energy looking "tough" and invoking the Neanderthal libertarian Maggie Thatcher, when Hillary sends out her pet attack dog, James Carville, to repeatedly bash Howard Dean for doing his job well, some Democrats might be wondering what kind of a Democrat she is. But they can't wonder. That would be sexist.

And, when Barack takes the turncoat bum Joe Lieberman as his "advisor", when Barack is handed celebrity on a silver platter by a totally GOP-subservient corporate media (which normally would piss on a Democrat and, on a good day, report on one neutrally), when no-record, blank-slate Barack is jumped over a field of candidates who have views (and records!) much more representative of the majority of Democrats, some Democrats might be wondering just which corporate heavy hitters put the fix in for this guy. But they can't wonder. That would be racist.

The corporate media has some clever writers for "Clarence 2". They understand how infinitely distractible the Britney Generation is. They understand most people don't have enough historical awareness to debunk even blatant propaganda, much less the sophisticated shadow boxing of Hillary/Barack.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/arendt/80

The corporate media is gleefully pouring lighter fluid on exactly the dustup that they wanted to happen, that they planned to happen, that they worked hard to have happen. And, shockingly, DU GD-P is passing them the cans of gasoline.

Frankly, Scarlett, I don't give a damn who started it. It was inevitable, given the front-loaded primary season and the corporate-friendliness of HRC/BO, that (after a year of TPC carpet-bombing of the lesser funded) these two would be fighting for the votes of the clueless with the handicap of not offending their corporate paymasters. The only strategy left (with Edwards and Kucinich and their progressive issues safely "disappeared") to reach the mass of Democratic voters was to go negative on some superficial, but hugely emotional, issue.

And, indeed, the great mass is finally engaged. To wit - angry black women criticize Oprah for favoring Barack over Hillary. This is the GOP's wet dream. Black women - a doubly-oppressed minority - are busy ripping each others' and the Democratic Party's guts out. I fricking give up. The rank-and-file of the Democratic Party is looking too stupid to resist the invitation to "shoot somebody, anybody - especially if its not the GOP".

And, just so you don't think I'm playing favorites - YTF did Edwards put his tie into this wringer? He could have just stayed on his message. If he thinks the coverage he will get is worth it, he is mistaken. He will just get "dirtied up", something the GOP hold the patent on.

I'm going home and have a drink. Maybe if I stupefy myself enough, this will begin to make some kind of sense.

arendt

[Dogmudgeon]

1. Ah, a voice of sanity

You're sure to be attacked within minutes.

But even the stuff you cited a year ago, I find inconsequential. I don't care how rough anyone plays, or whom they talk to, or even selected votes -- I'm interested in the candidates' overall ability to enact progressive legislation. Let them wheel and deal, but make sure they do it better than the other (i.e., Republican) guy. I am not sure why "our side" demands a kind of moral cleanliness that is absurd in a political and administrative arena.

The truly distressing part about the mudfight is how mechanical the arguments are, even to the identical phrasing of arguments. I always thought that we were the rhetorically-adept party.

--p!

[arendt]

3. This doesn't even rise to the level of "moral cleanliness"...

Its just tribalism.

And that is NOT a racial reference. Tribalism is another word for factional fighting. Someone called the Middle East "tribes with flags". The Democratic Party is becoming "tribes with celebrity spokespeople".

arendt

[Dogmudgeon]

7. "Tribalism" -- I use the same word, and often

The decades of social splintering are taking their toll.

The moral cleanliness I referred to is one of the reasons given for tribalism. A lot of these charges involve upholding a certain standard of behavior by accusing the other tribe of transgressing it. Generally, it's a selective attention.

If there were major differences between the antagonists, the moral minutiae would be ignored and the bigger issues would be used. But the Hillary/Obama factions are extremely similar. It should be a "positive problem" but it's positively turning into a pain in the ass.

--p!

[arendt]

8. We are on the same page...

You said:

If there were major differences between the antagonists, the moral minutiae would be ignored and the bigger issues would be used.

In my OP, I said:

...fighting for the votes of the clueless with the handicap of not offending their corporate paymasters. The only strategy left...to reach the mass of Democratic voters was to go negative on some superficial, but hugely emotional, issue.

------

How can we distribute more copies of the book with this page in it?

arendt

[2rth2pwr]

9. What have you got against Native Americans?

[arendt]

10. Thanks for the sense of humor. Its desperately needed here for some perspective n/t

[bunnies]

2. You lost me at idiots. nt

[arendt]

4. Fine by me. n.t

[no name no slogan]

5. You add nothing to the circular firing squad

begone with you

[SaveOurDemocracy]

6. It's amazing to watch one-time admirable DU's spouting...

obviously contrived and twisted 'facts', as if there aren't huge chunks of reality missing from the mix.

Then, when the entire evidence of the event, or statement, or connection to a campaign is brought forward and laid before them ... they squeeze their eyes shut, stomp their feet, and start screeching that the documented truth is the lie ... and their half-truth, twisted logic talking points are the ONLY truth.

It's sad to see so many bamboozled.

[arendt]

11. Its worth than sad. Its scary and disheartening to see how easily...

the mass is manipulated by the media.

Just repeat something often enough, and no matter how stupid or self-destructive it is, people will eventually accept it and parrot it.

arendt