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You are here: Home / To the Fainting Couches

To the Fainting Couches

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Apparently DougJ has upset the delicate discourse in the rarified air that Andrew Sullivan breathes.

The only upside in a Romney victory is that the vicious assault on gay rights that will no doubt happen (along with everything else DougJ mentioned and more) will at least cause Sullivan some personal pain. It will be horrible for everyone else, but at least Sullivan will for once have something at stake. Because as we have learned, the only thing he cares about is things that impact him personally.

*** Update ***

The post in question was the following:

Suppose for the sake of argument that our national debt has become a huge problem. How did it become a problem? Because of the Bush tax cuts, the Iraq War, and the recession (which, whatever its root causes, came about under Bush).

Suppose for the sake of argument that future spending on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security has become a huge problem. How did it become a problem? Because of massive increases in the cost of medical care, which has been exacerbated by Republican obstruction of national health care policy (the US spends about 50% more on medical care as a proportion of GDP than other western countries).

If Romney wins, and uses the so-called debt crisis to end collective bargaining rights, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid as we know them, it will be nothing less than another Reichstag fire.

My personal favorite thing about this Moore award nomination is that he attributes it to “Metrosexual Black AbeJ,” which is the joke name DougJ is using this week. Anyone who reads this site, and I mean, actually reads it and participates, knows there is no “Metrosexual Black AbeJ.” Which shows you what Sullivan and his interns are all about- they aren’t about discussing the content of the post, following the flow of other websites, or even understanding who they are talking to. Nope- they’re just all about trolling the intertron to find things that give them the vapors in their continuing effort to control the public discourse. DougJ ends the post with “Tell me I’m wrong.” And Sullivan and his bots won’t answer that, because they know if Romney wins and uses the current crisis to overturn 80 years of social advances in favor of our Galtian overlords, it will be the modern American Reichstag fire. Sullivan will figure it out after Romney packs the court with two more Scalias and they determine there is no constitutional right to be gay (“NO ONE MENTIONED GAY RIGHTS IN THE FEDERALIST PAPERS! ORIGINALISM! VICTORY IS MINE!).

It’s enough to give David Broder’s rotting corpse a stiff erection. Fucking villagers.

Reader Interactions

128Comments

  2. 2.

    Warren Terra

    I am shocked, shocked that Sully is outraged by this offense against Civility – preferably the sort of civility that involves Slashing taxes on Sully and his dear friends and benefactors, slashing the safety net for everyone that isn’t Sully (lord knows, none is needed by his dear friends or benefactors), and being nice to Gay folks like Sully but not necessarily to Women.

    ETA I’ve said this before, but I really hate DougJ’s practice of fiddling with his ‘nym, and particularly this instance where even the “Doug” part is gone.

  3. 3.

    slag

    I’m not clicking the link. Did DougJ congratulate Sullivan for being a post-Diamond Jubilee David Broder?

  5. 5.

    Comrade Jake

    Sully also posted that he was “psyched!” about McMegan joining him over there at the Beast. Good times.

  6. 6.

    Brian R.

    @PeakVT:

    It was the one that pointed out that the debt crisis was entirely a Republican creation and predicted that, should Rmoney be elected, he’d use that crisis to gut Democratic programs and preferences.

    It’s entirely correct, but in likening it to the Reichstag Fire, the post apparently hurt Sullivan’s widdle fee-fees.

  7. 7.

    Cassidy

    @slag: Believe it or not, it was one of the milder ones. If that’s the kind of thing that upsets poor little Sully’s fee-fees he needs to never stop by here on days ending in -ay.

  9. 9.

    Hunter Gathers

    Want to know what’s really funny about all of this? I’m pretty damn sure that Sully handed out the Moore Award based on one of DougJ’s own (non-DougJ) e-mails. In fact, I can almost guarantee it.

  10. 10.

    beltane

    Sully is so predictable. A Romney administration’s vicious attack on gay right’s would only cause him temporary angst because some Republican, somewhere, will say something less than 100% hateful about gay people and Sullivan will be purring and rubbing himself against that person’s legs because his Hayekian modesty demands it.

  11. 11.

    JPL

    Congrats go to Doug . Sully copies Doug’s post and says it is a Moore nominee and provides a link to Balloon Juice. I think that is a winner.

  12. 12.

    RossInDetroit

    @slag:

    No. Just quoted 3 paragraphs, which were very good.

    “Suppose for the sake of argument that our national debt has become a huge problem. How did it become a problem? Because of the Bush tax cuts, the Iraq War, and the recession (which, whatever its root causes, came about under Bush).
    Suppose for the sake of argument that future spending on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security has become a huge problem. How did it become a problem? Because of massive increases in the cost of medical care, which has been exacerbated by Republican obstruction of national health care policy (the US spends about 50% more on medical care as a proportion of GDP than other western countries)
    If Romney wins, and uses the so-called debt crisis to end collective bargaining rights, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid as we know them, it will be nothing less than another Reichstag fire,” – “Metrosexual Black AbeJ,”

    Who could read that and not be convinced that the GOP is evil and/or stupid?

  14. 14.

    Villago Delenda Est

    There’s a reason why people like Sullivan so admire Burke.

    Burke was appalled at the French Revolution.

    Because assholes like Sullivan lost their heads during it.

    Literally.

    Sullivan just hates it when those he so admires are accurately compared to fascists.

  17. 17.

    dmsilev

    Apparently DougJ has upset the delicate discourse in the rarified air that Andrew Sullivan breathes.

    I think the only thing to say here to DougJ is “Congratulations”.

  18. 18.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Warren Terra:

    I really hate DougJ’s practice of fiddling with his ‘nym, and particularly this instance where even the “Doug” part is gone.

    Funny, I find myself looking forward to DougJ’s ‘nym changes. Sometimes they’re either obscure or hamfistedly obvious, but for the most part they are clever and pertinent to whatever is going on in the world at any given time.

    DougWhateverYou’reCallingYourselfTodayJ, I’ve got your back!!

  19. 19.

    Dave

    The funny thing about Sully’s awards is that the Malkin award nominees usually reflect right-wingers saying over the top, batshit insane drivel. His Moore award nominees usually reflect left-wingers speaking uncomfortable truths.

  20. 20.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    It’s easy to make fun of Sully for not caring about things that aren’t personal to him but that’s the essence of his Oakeshottian conservatism, that is, to prefer the familiar (himself) to the unfamiliar (anyone who is not him) and the known (himself) to the unknown (for him, really anything outside of barebacking and smoking dope.)

    Combined with the recognized Straussian dictum that one cannot study nature without considering one’s own human nature, it is doubly difficult for poor Sully to escape the bounds of his own narrow self-interest.

    With his heroic Burkean humility weighing him down even further, we’re just damned lucky he writes a public blog from a fairly public location instead of holing up in a cabin in Idaho, writing bomb threats.

  21. 21.

    beltane

    It will be handy to have Megan McArdle over at the Daily Beast, kind of like one-stop-shopping for blogs that are to be monitored and mocked as needed.

  22. 22.

    piratedan

    dammit it doesn’t matter if it’s true… it matters because Doug is comparing our own homegrown fascists to Nazi’s and that simply cannot stand because its too fucking painfully close to the truth. Since it’s anti-minority, anti-everybody but Christians and anti-science it shouldn’t be tough to connect the dots.

    welcome to Amercia wher I got mine, so fuck you and screw you if you think I even intend on sharing any of it….respect my belief system that I am more deserving than you because I am pigmentation challenged.

  24. 24.

    Mike Dixon

    Fortunately, Andrew doesn’t allow comments, so he’s spared a hundred “so, what? Name one thing he’s wrong about”s.
    Frum and Kurts blogs are both comment-enabled, but I suppose the ’email’ button ensures Burkean personal-responsibleness in your interaction with Tha Dish.

  31. 31.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @JPL:

    provides a link to Balloon Juice. I think that is a winner.

    I agree. I’m kind of gobsmacked to be an occasional (very occasional, and not usually on topic, but let that pass) contributor to a blog that is evidently followed by all kinds of media stars ( not least of whom is John’s mother).

  32. 32.

    Baud

    The only upside in a Romney victory is that the vicious assault on gay rights that will no doubt happen

    It’ll be worth it for the increase in the level of sophisticated discourse that a Romney administration would no doubt bring about.

  34. 34.

    The Other Chuck

    The “Reichstag Fire” business was just a sloppily-constructed sentence. Took me several readings to realize that it was referring the debt crisis being said fire, not the resulting damage to social programs.

    Given the way it was casually inserted at the end, it’s quite clear that DougJ successfully trolled Sully yet again.

  35. 35.

    wiscomom

    Will DougJ get a chance to see/confront Sully in Providence (Netroots) this weekend? If so, take pictures and report back, please.

  36. 36.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @John Cole:

    Yes, that was among the best. What I think is very cool is that whenever he changes his nym, it has a retroactive effect — go back in the archives and you’ll see the new nym on very old posts.

    At least, that used to be true – I haven’t checked it out since the most recent upgrade.

  37. 37.

    Anne Laurie

    Congratulations, DougJ!

    Although fairness compels me to note that, given the bareness of the Daily Beast post, the possibility that one of Sullivan’s many nameless “research assistants” did a cut-and-paste without bothering to show it to Sullivan himself cannot be ruled out.

    Leaving civility-monitoring to the little people would be very Burkean, as I understand it.

  38. 38.

    Sullivan Hyde

    Any person of Catholic upbringing named Sullivan who not only supports the UK Tory party but also actually worked for Bloody Margaret obviously doesn’t have even the modicum of survival indtict the good lord gave a blind vole.

    Worse than the Herman Cains of this world imho.

  39. 39.

    KS in MA

    @dmsilev: “I think the only thing to say here to DougJ is ‘Congratulations.'”

    Me too. Congratulations, DougJ!

  40. 40.

    cckids

    This is OT, but I just picked up tickets for me & my kids to see Prez Obama on Thursday, and we are looking forward to it!
    Has anyone here been to a presidential speech lately? I’m wondering if I can bring my oldest. I realize there is security & lines, but do most places have special arrangements for people with special needs? He’s in a wheelchair, uses oxygen, & really cannot be in a line in a parking lot in Vegas in June for an hour or so. The guy giving out the tickets was noncommittal. (I don’t think he had a clue)
    My spouse can arrange to stay home with him, but I’d love it if he got to go. We met Prez Clinton during his re-election bid, turned down a chance to meet W.

    Any ideas?

  42. 42.

    MikeBoyScout

    Whatever you do don’t let Sully know that an Rmoney administration with a Republican majority in the Congress presents a 50/50 chance that they’ll ship his GAY immigrant pot smoking ass out of the country; probably to Uganda.

  43. 43.

    JPL

    @cckids: Try sending a note to the campaign. It’s a long shot but it’s worth the few minutes that it would take.

  44. 44.

    r€nato

    the only thing he cares about is things that impact him personally.

    in other words, he’s a perfect fit as a conservative. Time and time again, conservatives don’t care for any government program unless and until it benefits them personally.

  45. 45.

    Villago Delenda Est

    In the hopes that Sullivan is reading this, let me just add:

    I’ve felt for a very long time that Sullivan is one of those gays who secretly wishes to be a Kapo in Pat Robertson’s Vernichtungslager for fags.

    He’s that fucked up in the head.

  47. 47.

    slag

    @cckids:

    I realize there is security & lines, but do most places have special arrangements for people with special needs?

    I’ve been to a few BO events and, from what I could tell, they’ve all had accommodations. But it could be a local thing.

  50. 50.

    Scott S.

    Ehh, like Sully cares about what happens to gays in America. If it gets too rough for him, he can go back to England.

    He probably hasn’t noticed that the UK’s conservatives are about as crazy as the ones in the States.

  51. 51.

    jl

    Congratulations, Evile DrangeJ Head of Insanity!

    Maybe DougJ can get more nominations, each under a new nym.

    That would be cool, and and example to our precious youth of the importance of striving for excellence.

  52. 52.

    Yutsano

    @cckids: Legally they have to accommodate you within reason. Try to contact the sellers of the tickets and let them know what you require. They should be more than willing to get you whatever assistance you need. And if the person sounds clueless ask for a supervisor. Sometimes these things need to get kicked up the chain a bit.

  53. 53.

    Valdivia

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I am with you. I love the change of names. And I love that Doug was gunning for the Moore award and got it. But my favorite part is that this BlackMetrosexual nym is what got published. Delicious.

  54. 54.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @martha: I am at work. Waiting for the polls to close. It has been a very busy and exciting day here. Really, really high turnout.

  55. 55.

    jl

    @Roger Moore:

    Seems like Sullivan and his serfs have progressed to nominating hipster bloggers snarking around for a few hours on a slow day.

    Maybe that is progress, or regress, or something.

  56. 56.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @cckids:

    I don’t know about the logistics people, but from everything I know and intuit and believe and hope about President Obama, your oldest would be more than welcome. Please make sure the batteries in your camera are fresh, we want pictures!!

    Signed, Envious

  57. 57.

    The Dangerman

    I’ve been watching Fox News (hell, I’ll take one for the team, after taking more than one for me, of course).

    Anyway, for the last couple hours, they’ve been saying “Can’t tell you the exit polls, that would be wrong” followed by actually showing the exit polls anyway. I don’t get it; are all the channels sharing that information they shouldn’t be sharing?

  58. 58.

    Thymezone

    On the eve of D-Day, 2012, Balloon-Juice discovers that Andrew Sullivan and his elves are a bunch of useless dicks.

    In other news, David Broder remains dead.

  60. 60.

    Baud

    Anyone who reads this site, and I mean, actually reads it and participates, knows there is no “Metrosexual Black AbeJ.”

    I have faith that he exists.

  61. 61.

    piratedan

    @The Dangerman: it’s okay if the exit polls are talked about by their “entertainment” staff/people because that then becomes the “people are talking about” talking points for their news staff… see how that works?

  62. 62.

    DonkeyKong

    DougJ needs to start using the intertoobz nom de plume “Oakshott Succor DildoJ” just to see if Sully is really the one posting his own Moore Awards.

  64. 64.

    cckids

    Thank you to all for your suggestions! I will take him, as long as he is having a decent day. Can’t wait.

  65. 65.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @cckids: contact the local campaign office? I guess it’s a long shot, but maybe you’ll get lucky and somebody with some influence will be around

  66. 66.

    The Dangerman

    @piratedan:

    …see how that works?

    Yeah, but’s it’s been their hard news people doing the sharing – right after saying they are contractually obligated not to share it. Weird practice, but it’s Fox…

  71. 71.

    jl

    Unless of course, Sullivan is another one of Double Didjridoo JayZJ’s meta spoofs, in which case, DougJ nominated himself, undercover, for some reason.

    I hope he fesses up to all his tricks soon.

  73. 73.

    JPL

    This is from tpm…

    9:01 PM: Wow, initial exit polls say it’s 50/50 Walker v. Barrett. Looks like a long night

    .

  75. 75.

    Only the Facts

    So it looks like some liberals are getting their hopes up about Wisconsin. I sure hope they do. Because they’re going to come crashing the fuck down. Walker, the Koch Brothers and the Super PACs have already won. Walker wins. Count on it.

  78. 78.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    IIANM, Dems need one seat to win the state senate in WI? as much as I want Walker gone*, that would be pretty good, too, wouldn’t it? I don’t know if the WI state senate has Liebermans and Nelsons.

    * what galls me most about this election is that while everyone pretty much acknowledges that Walker’s anti-union platform was hidden, people are (from what I understand) still mewling that they just don’t like recalls, darn it! this is a do-over that forces Walker to run on his real platform.

  81. 81.

    Linda Featheringill

    Richard Adams at the Guardian said that in the exit polls, Obama beat Romney by 12 percentage points.

    That is, of course, good news.

    Wonder if it reflects the condition of the recall effort.

  82. 82.

    lol

    @Baud:

    “Ugh”? After several weeks of “Walker’s got this in the bag” in the press and 538 giving him 95% chance to win, I’d say a long night is a clear reason to celebrate at this point.

  83. 83.

    Hill Dweller

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Dems just need one seat. Then if Walker does win, he won’t get shit done. Hopefully he’ll get taken down in the John Doe investigation regardless of tonight’s outcome.

  84. 84.

    Yutsano

    @Only the Facts: Awww did you get your butt banned again? Per thang. And nice that you admit where you will cheat if things don’t go in your favour.

  86. 86.

    Baud

    @Linda Featheringill:

    Richard Adams at the Guardian said that in the exit polls, Obama beat Romney by 12 percentage points.

    I’ll never understand vote-splitters. I can see an independent voter choosing a moderate Republican in one race and a moderate Democrat in another. But WTF supports both Walker and Obama?

  87. 87.

    hilts

    Has anyone been compiling a list of all the different aliases under which Doug has posted to Balloon Juice?

  88. 88.

    Stuck in the Funhouse

    Anyone who reads this site, and I mean, actually reads it and participates, knows there is no “Metrosexual Black AbeJ.

    I don’t believe it, I can’t believe, anymore than the know it alls that deny Santa Claus, or the easter bunny. Metrosexual Black AbeJ, LIVES, in the hearts of spoof bots everywhere, and The Man, he can never take that away. Fo shame, drawing such conclusions on a blog fueled by hot air.

  89. 89.

    Jebediah

    @Only the Facts:
    If he loses, or wins by less than the Waukesha Cheat factor, will you go the fuck away?
    Or, in the alternative, will you finally answer the question you have dodged over and over – why is it a good thing for America that the very rich can buy elections?

    ETA: What do you know – I typed the bit about Waukesha before I saw your comment crowing about it. Admit it, squirrelfucker – you just plain hate democracy.

  93. 93.

    Hill Dweller

    @Baud: Apparently the recall itself hurt the tender sensibilities of some people in Wisconsin. That could explain the disparity.

  94. 94.

    Yutsano

    @Jebediah: Please. The loser can’t even give a reason to vote for Willard. Not a good reason. ANY reason. That’s confidence in your candidate right there!

  95. 95.

    David Koch

    the exit polls, Obama beat Romney by 12 percentage points.

    This spells DOOOOM for Obama!

    How can Obama possibly win when he has a narrow 12 lead? !

    Panic!

    *

  102. 102.

    arguingwithsignposts

    Damn, where’s my Moore award? I’ve been telling that Tory bastard to fuck off for years now!

  103. 103.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Only the Facts: Kewl. Outspend the oppo by what, 10 to 1, to get it just close enough so that stuffing a few ballot boxes is all you need? Wow, sure smells like VICTORY! Really dealing from strength.

  104. 104.

    Monkey Faced Liberal

    As much as it pains me to say this, I am with Sullivan on this one. I really really hate whenever anyone on the right attempts to compare things the left is doing to the Nazis. It is silly, and frankly does a disservice to all those who suffered and died during that period as a result of Nazism.

    Given this, until I see Romney and the right go from wearing hats with tea bags waving signs saying “Keep government hands off my Medicare” to marching around in jack-boots with elephant arm bands with signs saying “Kill the dirty (insert minority group here)”, lets lay off the Nazi analogies.

    Of course, I have to admit, I read Sullivan a lot. Yes, he is self-indulgent. Yes, for a man who says he is always working to see beyond his nose he seems to be deliberately short-sighted. Yes, he loves to raise his fist and march in unison for the glorious cause (of the day/week/month). That said, when he is on, he is on. And for a villager, he ain’t that bad.

    Plus he posts a lot more than you do John. So really, it is your fault. Quit watching your cat and write more. :-)

  107. 107.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @Monkey Faced Liberal: I must respectfully disagree. Sullivan is a shit. he’s always been a shit, and he’ll always be a shit. The only good thing I could say about him is he’d be less of a shit if I punched him in the nose, hard. He’s a Tory bastard and he wouldn’t be any better if I wiped him off my shoe. Fucker.

  109. 109.

    mclaren

    Great tag line, John.

    But the “Reichstag fire” analogy isn’t quite accurate. Wasn’t the Reichstag fire a crisis staged by the NSDP to create the false impression that the nation was under attack, and thus enable the passage of various repressive pieces of legislation like the Enabling Acts that ultimately destroyed Germany’s democracy?

    By that analogy, 9/11 would be America’s “Reichstag fire,” wouldn’t it?

    Or am I completely wrong here?

  110. 110.

    RalfW

    Andrew Sullivan is just raw emotionalism wrapped in a sheen of Maggie Thatcher iron stockings. It’s pathetic.

    And when he goes out of town, the blog gets Xinfinity worse, which just shows how useless his underbloggers are.

    Thanks for the continued surveillance on Sully’s crap, so I don’t have to bother to go over there.

  111. 111.

    eemom

    In honor of this momentous occasion I finally succumbed to googling WTF a Moore award is. Wiki sez:

    the Michael Moore Award is named after film-maker Michael Moore. It is for divisive, bitter and intemperate left-wing rhetoric.

    It also says Andrew Sullivan is a year younger than I am, which was a surprise. He always struck me as intrinsically elderly.

  112. 112.

    MikeJ

    @mclaren: You’re completely wrong, as usual. The US was actually attacked on 9/11, even if the only reaction was overreaction.

  113. 113.

    Stuck in the Funhouse

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    People are funny about stuff like this, especially those who don’t bother to think through what happened. Walker did exceed whatever mandate he was given last election, when the public unions agreed to give up much of what they had won through collective bargaining, he got greedy and over reached, demanding their union death nixing collective bargaining, and the fact that republicans ran the entire government, his over reach was joined by the gooper legislature.

    I think that is rotten, but to me is not enough to overturn last election, as there will be another via regular order of elections. The reason I support what they are doing for a recall, is solely based on the outside infusion of corporate cash and legislation from ALEC, to subvert what should be an instate state matter. And I can’t believe those who don’t like Walker, nor what he has done with unions, are not sickened by the unholy alliance of the Koch brothers, and Citizens United monies pouring into GOP and Walkers coffers. If that happened in my state, my rage would be palpable, and it should be for dems and indies, and even repubs in WI.

    But I am guessing that a lot of voters, are going to split the baby and vote for Walker, but neuter him from further shenanigans by giving dems control of the state senate. Until next regular election.

    && though if true and turnout is near 100 percent in dem stronghold in Madison and Mill-walk-ee, they might just throw the bum Walker out. fingers crossed.

  114. 114.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Baud:

    I just want to go to bed knowing who won.

    Me, I just want to go to bed. Suddenly SLE-E-E-EPY!

  115. 115.

    Citizen_X

    @jl:

    Unless of course, Sullivan is another one of Double Didjridoo JayZJ’s meta spoofs

    Gawd, that would be the Galactic Best Trolling of All Time, Evar.

  116. 116.

    mclaren

    @Monkey Faced Liberal:

    As much as it pains me to say this, I am with Sullivan on this one. I really really hate whenever anyone on the right attempts to compare things the left is doing to the Nazis. It is silly, and frankly does a disservice to all those who suffered and died during that period as a result of Nazism.

    Given this, until I see Romney and the right go from wearing hats with tea bags waving signs saying “Keep government hands off my Medicare” to marching around in jack-boots with elephant arm bands with signs saying “Kill the dirty (insert minority group here)”, lets lay off the Nazi analogies.

    (Emphasis added.)

    Okay. Here you go:

    “Progressivism is the cancer in America and it is eating our Constitution. And it was designed to eat the constitution. To progress past the Constitution.

    “It is big government – it’s a socialist utopia. And we need to address it as if it is a cancer. It must be cut out of the system because they cannot co-exist. And you don’t cure cancer by – well, I’m just going to give you a little bit of cancer. You must eradicate it. It cannot co-exist. — “Full Transcript of Glenn Beck’s Keynote Speech at CPAC, February 20th, 2010”, Gather, 22 February 2010

    “I want my constituents armed and dangerous.” — Michelle Bachmann, 2 September 2010

    “We need to execute people like John Walker in order to physically intimidate liberals, by making them realize that they can be killed too.” — Ann Coulter, speech at the Conservative Political Action Committee, 2002

    Colmes: “You hate liberals. You despise liberals. This is unbelievable.We should execute them to make liberals scared?”
    Coulter: “Right. Right!”
    — FOX News Hannity and Colmes, 10 February 2002

    The Nazi analogy is appropriate. Republicans have been using Nazi-style eliminationist rhetoric, explicitly calling for people to murder us, for more than 10 years now.

    It’s important to be clear here about the nature of our sickness. It’s not a general lack of “civility,” the favorite term of pundits who want to wish away fundamental policy disagreements. Politeness may be a virtue, but there’s a big difference between bad manners and calls, explicit or implicit, for violence; insults aren’t the same as incitement.

    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.

    Source: “Climate of Hate,” Paul Krugman op-ed, The New York Times, 9 January 2011.

  119. 119.

    Cacti

    @efgoldman:

    By then, it will be much too fucking late.

    Srsly.

    If you go by the board hall-monitors’ reaction, you’d think fascism sprang from the ground fully formed, and started herding people off to death camps on day 1.

    The “tea party” is a proto-fascist political movement.

  122. 122.

    Xenos

    Did Dougj use the Baldwin reference as an excuse to commit a Godwin offense, or use the Godwin offense to make the Baldwin reference work?

    Did Sullivan even catch the Baldwin reference? Did he even understand the subtext, that this is the 1870s all over again, with depression leading to oppression and decades of exploitation (collapse of New Deal being like the collapse of reconstruction)?

    Again, again, and again, Sullivan is too ignorant of American history and letters to get the fucking conversation going around him. All those years in the Widener library were just fucking wasted on him.

  123. 123.

    Left Coast Tom

    TBogg has this award, its about time Metrosexual Black AbeJ was similarly honored. I’ll happy vote for Mr. Metro when the time comes.

  125. 125.

    Chuck Butcher

    NBC calls it for Walker, Kleefish, and Fitzgerald…

    Now there isn’t much doubt what kind of place WI is. Too bad, I liked it a quarter century ago.

    Oh yeah… Sully is still an asshole.

  126. 126.

    El Cid

    Anyone who treats this blog like it’s supposed to be some serious, somber analytical site — and/or some Democratic Party strategizing section — needs to have their head examined, preferably after it’s removed from their ass.

  128. 128.

    David Koch

    @El Cid:

    Anyone who treats this any blog like it’s supposed to be some serious, somber analytical site—and/or some Democratic Party strategizing section—needs to have their head examined, preferably after it’s removed from their ass.

    /fixed

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