When these sorts of words are used to describe those with whom we disagree politically.
"sexual predator"
"pervert"
"deviant"
engaging in "atrocity"
"evil".
"childish"
"ridiculous"
engaging in "horrible acts or promoted atrocious policies"
Why are we surprised that someone is motivated to try to start to eradicate the "evil", to engage in active resistance?
When "art" is actively engaged in dramatizing the assassination of the sitting president, does it surprise us when people follow the examples set .by those in the public eye?
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When the president of the US calls liberals and the press "The Enemy."
When conservatives everywhere treat liberals and others citizens they disagree with as unpatriotic or communists or non-Christian or (as my KY governor did the other day), "GOD HATERS..."
When so many conservatives make up lies about reality, about liberals, about "the gays" or minorities or women, and do so casually, with no regards for how stupid the lies may be...
Why are we surprised when so many conservative groups form to offer armed resistance, as they are in Tennessee? Why are we surprised when conservative people in huge numbers plan and commit deadly acts of violence on a pretty regular basis? Even to the point of being a bigger threat than terrorists?
Why, when conservatives look at the speck in their neighbors' eyes, do they ignore the logs in their own and think that liberals should just acquiesce to lies and demonizations in silence?
You DO recognize that all of this can be said about conservatives and a much greater case can be made by looking at reality that it's a serious problem on the right? Or are you not able to see it?
~Dan
More questions:
Why, when the leader of the GOP is CLEARLY a pervert, a liar, a fraud, a con-man, a deviant and a world class ass, probably clinically narcissistic and possibly sociopathic, do they continue to support him and denounce those who call a spade a spade? WHY would decent conservatives also not be outraged by this pervert being our leader?
Where is the morality and family values they used to vaunt? Have they abandoned basic human decency?
~Dan
Look, if you want to excuse behavior by those on your side by playing the "the other side does it" card go right ahead.
The problem you have is that there's a difference between a bunch of guys running around in the woods or mountains with guns, and actually shooting people. When was the last time you saw conservatives burning, looting, and rioting?
I've been consistent over time in calling out people who are or claim to be conservative when they've crossed lines, and will continue to do so.
But I can't ignore the fact that the rhetoric on the left doesn't help in these situations.
I can't help but notice that in two comments you've somehow managed to not mention the guy (who said a lot of similar things to what you've said) who actually shot people to further the political side you favor. While raising a bunch of red herrings to demonize people you disagree with.
I guess silence really is consent.
I know it's inconvenient for you to acknowledge what I've actually said about Trump and about those on the "right" who go too far. I know it's easier to simply lump me in with your perceptions about other groups. But that's just denying the reality of the situation.
Not that I'm giving him a pass, but Dan may simply be suffering from the guilt of being associated with the side of the political spectrum that is responsible for more of the violence in this country than is the other. I would be, too. But as you say, Craig, it isn't hard for us to call out our own, as we both did with Trump during the primaries, as you have by not voting for him, and as we both will continue to do throughout his presidency.
This goes back to recent posts where the three of us spoke about violence and which side is most responsible for it. Dan calls those on his side "outliers", as if they are somehow untypical. They are not. Mark Levin, on a recent episode of this internet TV show, presented at least a half-dozen examples of leftists attacking Trump supporters, usually in gangs of mask-wearing punks, most engaging in cheap shots and hit-and-run punches to people with their heads turned in another direction. They vandalized, looted in some cases, and chased people in order to punish them for daring to support Trump.
Dan continues to whine about center-right people voting for Trump, who Dan joins with his left-wing loonies in referring to Trump in the nastiest terms, most of them incredibly hyperbolic or exaggerations and others quite similar, if even to a lesser degree, to that which can be legitimately applied to his predecessor. Further, he ignores the fact that of those who voted for Trump, a sizable percentage were like me...voting to prevent a person of equally low character (arguably worse, and likely so) from continuing the damage to the country perpetrated by Barack Obama. Some of us don't see doing nothing as the better move when faced with such a choice. But to Dan, that's enough to warrant smearing fellow citizens as being on board with all the bad things Trump may have done or is hoped was done by such as Dan.
Dan begins by whining that Trump calls libs and the press "the enemy". He's had good reason. The left's policies have been damaging to America and the press goes out of its way to do as Dan does, and focus on anything possible to smear him, in a complete 180 to their insistence that America give Obama a chance. But "enemy"? Obama pretty much regarded most of America as the enemy, and certainly beneath contempt. Based on that link, and every cited link within it, it doesn't appear Obama regarded anyone favorably.
more....
"When conservatives everywhere treat liberals and others citizens they disagree with as unpatriotic or communists or non-Christian or (as my KY governor did the other day), "GOD HATERS...""
Again, with good reason. It is the left who is fond of disparaging this nation, focusing on all the bad for which it is responsible as if there has never been any good, and as if there isn't far more of it. Always comparing us unfavorably to other countries. Is that patriotism? It's not like conservatives ignore or dismiss the bad things America has done in its history. But we don't define America by it as so many on the left do. For example, they still consider this nation racist (and do so as if it isn't their side that is responsible for keeping that flame alive). Dan refers to Trump as likely racist himself, but certainly one who stirred up people with racist rhetoric, which wasn't racist rhetoric at all, but hateful spin by the left.
The left is far more socialist, and thus far closer to communism, than ever before (and that's sayin' something!), to the extent that many of them support and idiot who is proudly socialist. It's a fine line between socialism and communism. It's a fair charge even if a bit hyperbolic (but only a bit).
And since the Dems removed any mention of God in the party's platform. When they decided to present the notion to the delegates at their convention, it was actually controversial. So yeah, while it might be a bit much to use the term "God haters", it is based on their actual aversion to the concept.
"When so many conservatives make up lies about When so many conservatives make up lies about reality, about liberals, about "the gays" or minorities or women, and do so casually, with no regards for how stupid the lies may be..., and do so casually, with no regards for how stupid the lies may be..."
Dan would have to provide a few examples of what he believes are lies about reality, about liberals, about "the gays" or minorities or women (and do so casually, with no regards for how stupid the lies may be...) in order to respond in less than a general way. But I'd say Dan's again not being honest.
Craig touched on the inane comment about militia groups. But then Dan talks about lies again. Fine. Let's hear one or two. He supports a group of people whose agenda relied upon lies to get to a point where 5 morally bankrupt justices imposed a false definition of marriage upon the nation.
So no, there's nothing said about the left that can automatically or easily be said about the right. I can give a far more accurate critique of what's wrong with the GOP than Dan can, so taken is he with cliches that are no more than blatant falsehoods and spin.
I think one reason why you or I could give a more reasonable and accurate criticism of what the problems are on the right, is that I think we realize that it's in our best interests to avoid giving acceptance and credibility to those on the extremes.
As opposed to making excuses for the burning, looting, and rioting or not denouncing those who threaten and engage in violence against police.
We're watching a DFL governor attempting to pressure the legislature into rescinding laws that he negotiated, agreed to, and signed by disbanding (defunding) the legislature for at least the next two years. It's clearly a violation of the state constitution and an attempt to marginalize a co equal constitutionally established branch of government, yet he's giving it a shot.
I can't imagine a GOP governor doing the same thing.
Well, we have a not guilty verdict for wonder what the reaction will be? Given previous events of this Type, it's entirely possible that things will not be pretty.
So far the protests have been peaceful, but they've decided to block the highway again.
Apparently we live in a world where justice means "getting the result we've predetermined to be correct without regard to anything else".
Apparently we also live in a world where it's perfectly acceptable to redefine words with specific meanings to suit our purposes.
Can you show me even one post you made when Obama (and his wife and children!) were demonized and called everything from socialists, to "the enemy," to secret, lying Muslim, to monkeys, to, "he should be shot," to well, perhaps you remember how virulently he was demonized. I never heard conservatives saying, "Hey guys, maybe we should tone down the rhetoric."
And Obama and his family were extremely virtuous people!
If you can't defend extremely virtuous people against ugly rhetoric, then it's a bit difficult to take this line of argument seriously coming from the Right. Now, people on the Left can and do and should make this argument, but your concern for this POS president (taking his regular, casual lies, idiocy and ugly behavior into consideration) is dubious.
Consistency. It goes a long way towards making your arguments more credible.
And before responding defensively, you could be more credible if you begin by acknowledging that, "No, I never did defend the Obamas against the idiotic and harsh rhetoric against them - at least not on my blog... I probably should have."
And speaking of lacking in credibility, is this video for real?
http://washingtonjournal.com/2017/07/04/trump-just-made-4th-july-releasing-gross-video/
(And if you have the same reaction as I did... nope, it's real. The First Baptist Church of Dallas and their choir did this piece of vomitus)
https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/7/4/15913590/muscular-christianity-make-america-great-again-trump-hymn
Is this not the kind of thing that would have elicited howls from conservatives if it were done about Obama?
Where is the consistency?
Since I don't address every topic on this blog every time, it's a ridiculous standard to apply retroactively.
Clearly you not only didn't defend Bush from the scurrilous attacks on his character, you joined them. So why would you expect a higher standard from me than you hold yourself to?
I've defended P-BO both here and elsewhere ( or at least limited my criticism to actions and policies), as well as failing to attack him on personal issues.
The fact that you can pluck an obscure example of bad judgment from out of nowhere and try to demonize others for not jumping in the bandwagon only works if you do the same thing and if you choose to try to tar people with the actions of others.
To your point. You and others have been all over social media with all sorts of drama whenever any black man gets shot by the police. This usually involves threats and premature conclusions.
But, what do we get from you when a female black police officer is shot in cold blood? Silence. Apparently that black life doesn't matter one damn bit to y'all
So please, let's stop this idiocy of trying to create some false equivalency or to blame other people for your actions.
The fact is that because some people behaved badly to P-BO you don't have license to say whatever nasty crap you want to about Trump.
It's just rank hypocrisy.
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