Now, no one is suggesting that there shouldn't be some reaction to genuinely toxic ideas, or that all criticism of racist or unpatriotic comments is unfounded. But what we're getting with all of these scandals isn't a sober exchange of ideas but more of an ongoing attempt to instill in the public a sort of permanent fear of uncomfortable ideas, and to reduce public discourse to a kind of primitive biological mechanism, like the nervous system of a squid or a shellfish, one that recoils reflexively from any stimuli. And the campaign is where you really see this process at work full-time. It's something I noticed while spending so much of the last year (and, before, so much of the years 2003 and 2004) on the campaign trail talking to prospective voters, listening to their complaints and their fears and their (often fleeting) enthusiasms. During this time, I started to notice a pattern, comprised of several elements.Digby adds "Or a blogger, perhaps?" Yep. Or a blogger. Or two.
The first is a truly remarkable tendency of seemingly intelligent people to work themselves into genuine outrage over information they didn't even know about twenty minutes ago, until they heard it on television, or coming out of the mouths of a candidate.
Friday, March 28, 2008
"We're all suckers"
Digby points to this article in the Rolling Stone by Matt Taibbi and I thought the excerpt she used matched my observations exactly:
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7 comments:
I can name one - and his or her prolific work on Fridays makes me hate the weekends.
I posted the following over at TLC the other day;
Further confounding the liberal framing, (Robert) Reich said, is Obama's multiracial background and the historic nature of his candidacy, which may distract from the usual political definitions. "Voters are amazed. They say, 'Here's the son of a black African and white Kansan, brought up in Hawaii and Indonesia, a star at Harvard Law School.' It's not a traditional biography," Reich said. "So right away people are open to the reframing that he's offering."
It's from a Washington Post article about Obama that SoS linked to. Now, if you are familiar with the entirety of what Geraldine Ferraro said in her infamous interview it's clear that Reich's comments basically express the same sentiments. He just gave word to them in a much more eloquent way.
I haven't heard anyone getting outraged at Robert Rubin for basically saying that people are excited by the concept of the Obama candidacy.
I'm feeling a little loopy and maybe its just me...
But dontcha think all people are just way tooo touchy lately?
Seems no one can say a damned thing without someone getting up in arms about it being offensive or un-American or un-Patriotic or "ist" of some sort.
It is getting really old, all the crying of foul.
I am actually concerned that it has more to do with the larger shut down of speech in our society - back to Senate resolutions condemning Move-On and the City Council of Berkelely and that kind of stuff.
It is really ridiculous and I do not remember everyone being so tight-assed before.
But dontcha think all people are just way tooo touchy lately?
Hell yeah. And what, a month until the next event? I think everyone should pace themselves.
jeebus!
I been busy working the past couple of days and you all have been a really depressing bunch. Death and destruction.
How about some colored chicks!? (and I meant the cute easter baby chickens dipped in the egg dye...don't be so friggin touchy!)
Gots to go, we are watching "Sicko" tonight.
I got yer colored chick right here!
And she snores some times.
But you didn't hear it from me.
Yikes!
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