Quote:
Originally Posted by Novelafemme
Speaks volumes:
"The point is that there’s room in a democracy for people who ridicule and denounce those who disagree with them; there isn’t any place for eliminationist rhetoric, for suggestions that those on the other side of a debate must be removed from that debate by whatever means necessary.
And it’s the saturation of our political discourse — and especially our airwaves — with eliminationist rhetoric that lies behind the rising tide of violence."
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Precisely. It is one thing entirely to say, for instance, that congressional Republicans and the national conservative movement, generally, have taken Machiavellian mendacity to new and artistic depths. It is quite another thing to say that liberals want to destroy America and that their every intent is to destroy America. If you say that Democrats want to tax and spend the money of hard-working (read white) Americans and give it to the undeserving (read not-white) then okay. It's not accurate, but that seems in bounds. If one is wont to say that Republicans want to engorge the coffers of the super-rich on the backs of the poor, alright. It may be simplistic, it may be inaccurate, but still within bounds.
Do I think that when Sarah Palin's star falls American political discourse will be the better for it? Yes. Do I think that when Glenn Beck's antics bring him sinking ratings American political culture will have improved incrementally? Yes. Do I think that Keith Olberman should, perhaps, go through the CBS archives and see how different his hero Edward R. Murrow comported himself while still speaking truth to power? Yes.
However, that's not wishing for there to be no conservatives or for Keith Olberman to go the way of the dodo. Whenever I am speaking with a conservative who looks at Palin and sees someone speaking to and for them, I ask how they would go about dealing with liberals and how they think America would be better off if there were no liberals. Most times, that brings them up short because I don't think a lot of conservatives realize just *how* eliminationist the rhetoric has become.
Cheers
Aj