A couple of days ago there was a diary on the rec list on the topic of boomers and their treatment here at DK. This is not a diary to rehash that subject. Rather this concerns some of the comments in that diary that suggested that it was divisive and as such was pleasing to Vladimir Putin.
Really?
To be blunt, this continuing neo-McCarthyite nonsense here at Daily Kos is becoming quite ridiculous, pointless and IMO, self-defeating.
It seems that we can no longer disagree without one side or the other suggesting that those on the other side are doing Putin's work.
Yes the site does have a policy that prohibits directly calling someone a Russian troll without some concrete evidence. That doesn’t stop commenters from making insinuations that imply that disagreement is tantamount to doing the Russians' bidding.
This is a blog. People disagree on a blog. Go figure. Moreover this is a Democratic blog. Democrats are famous for disagreement. Back in the 30s Will Rogers is alleged to have said, "Democrats never agree on anything, that's why they're Democrats. If they agreed with each other, they would be Republicans." Along the same line was his more famous quote, "I'm not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat.” In that sense, Rogers would feel right at home in today’s Democratic Party; and that’s a good thing IMHO.
Attempts to frame disagreement as aiding the Russians is reminiscent of the tactics of the McCarthyites and others in the 50s and 60s that equated any dissent as supporting communism. Union organizers, civil rights activists, peace advocates ... anyone who challenged the status quo was branded as a communist, or as being their pawn. We were "pinkos", "fellow travelers", or "Moscow agents". Even MLK was branded as a commie stooge.
Now I am not suggesting that being labeled a Russian enabler here at DK is as serious as the red baiting of the Cold War era. Many lives were ruined because McCarthyism. No one's life will be ruined because of a stupid comment on this blog.
Nonetheless the tactics and aims are similar: stifle disagreement and enforce conformity. It was unwise and irresponsible back then, and it is unwise and irresponsible now.
If the best that someone can do is to imply that those with whom they disagree are assisting the Russians and are the modern day equivalent of "fellow travelers", then they have basically lost the argument.