I remember speaking to my favourite uncle when I was twenty [1997] about talk radio. Now uncle Richard was a staunch East Coast Republican and socially liberal. He was one of the warmest people you could ever meet, and I miss him so much if only for his sheer joy of life.
I said "Its really quite funny at times tonton, how can anyone take it seriously?"
He replied "Mark my words ma belle, its a cancer that will spread."
Well it looks as if he was right and I totally missed the boat.
CPAC: First Rush Limbaugh now Glenn Beck leading CPAC, these are not conservatives these are crazy people. All the while hugging the conspiracy theorist John Birch Society close to its fake teat is beyond comprehension.
Frank Rich in the NYT today hits the nail squarely on its twisted head.
But these leaders do have a consistent ideology, and that ideology plays to the lock-and-load nutcases out there, not just to the peaceable (if riled up) populist conservatives also attracted to Tea Partyism. This ideology is far more troubling than the boilerplate corporate conservatism and knee-jerk obstructionism of the anti-Obama G.O.P. Congressional minority.
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The absurdity of it all is wrapping yourself in an American flag and the spouting rhetoric that goes against it very founding principles.
Threatening those who do not believe in your lunacy with being cut out is dangerous in the extreme. Its not just an innocent threat its a full blown cry to violence.
Unfortunately for me I have listened to Glen Beck's diatribe and quite frankly I feel physically menaced by his words.
There is a dangerous mix of religion, sexism, racism, and nationalism in this populist movement that has taken in many unhappy Americans, it has duped them into believing that our social cohesion is the enemy.
The rewriting of history with respect to the goals of our constitution and development of our nation is abhorrent to me. One nation not that long ago went through this same torment and fell for those same lies.
I hate direct historical comparisons as there is always a difference, however there is a distinct correlation in the methodology.
To those institutional republicans in DC I say this:
Take care as this movement has no respect for you as you are part of the system, in trying to use them for your own gain you will lose.
To those republicans seeking election who are using some of the same rhetoric for political gain:
You are playing with fire, you cannot 'hijack' their movement as they will consume you.
Their only wish is to replace the Republic which our founding fathers created with some form of Talibangelical paradise.
Their plan is to cut out all those who would resist this shift and I leave their words to let you decide for yourself what they actually mean.
Here is O'Reilly trying to find a way around and deny the reality
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Bill, I tell you one thing, when and I say when the Tea Party movement finds a charismatic leader they can unify behind it will be too late to worry. All your apologizing will be for naught.
No, I don't think Sarah Palin [or Pawlenty/Brown] will be their chosen one.
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When I see falsehoods being written into the text books in Texas, and these will be distributed around the country my heart sinks.
Can we really be headed down this road to self immolation?
Its time Republicans and conservatives publicly distanced themselves from this movement and called it for what it is, sheer and utter lunacy.
It would also help greatly if they stopped being obstructionists we need action not politics.
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[Note my diary on the Tuareg/Berber people is not yet ready, next sunday]
Update:
Oh dear Alessandra you have hate mail.
Hey Dickhead
So talk radio is a cancer? Why because Demcorats can't outlaw, regulate or tax it? Do you know what free speech is jackass? It 's the same thing that lets you post such stupid and arrogant nonsense. If you want to see a disease take a step back and look at the scum that is DailyKos. A bunch of know nothing, anti-american, freedom hating, "government is my Daddy" -living in their Mommy's basement freaks and degenerates.
How can anyone take Obama seriously? What did he ever do again? oh, yea he worked for Acorn and he was Chicago slumlords bitch. Wow. Let's see-what kind of an ass hires a communist to create green jobs again? What kind of jackass has a Maoist as his White House communications director? Do you think the school safety czarr shold be a gay rights activist who advocated the reading of gay porn by school children?
yea, this is really serious stuff....We better not talk anymore about it. I know Keith Olberman is a scholar and of course Rachel Maddow is a very wise woman. Hey Mommy's calling. She has your chocolate milk, Oh-and you uncle was a jackass.
-JT
Not as good as what Kos gets, but its better than most I receive. I forgot the emails title, which sort of made me smile.