A few weeks ago in the comments, one of you wrote that it’s impossible to understand contemporary politics without following Fox, right-wing radio, and the winger blogs. I think that is true. For example, yesterday my mom told me that grandmother picked up this meme from right-wing radio that Obama should deport all the illegal aliens to decrease unemployment, the idea being that the illegal aliens are taking jobs from real Americans. Later that day, when I was flipping through the dials, I heard a bit of a long discussion of this novel, Burkean economic initiative on the radio. Now, it is probably true that illegal immigration depresses wages, but a sudden mass deportation likely would be catastrophic for the economy. In short, it’s a crazy common-sense-sounding idea that no president would ever implement.
Occasionally some serious person, usually at Slate or TNR or Kaplan, takes a fancy to a nutty winger idea (e.g. “death panels“, intelligent design, eugenicism light), and it becomes something I, and probably most of you, hear “debated” on the Sunday shows or the Atlantic blogs or whatever. Mostly, the memes fly under the radar of reality-based observers, but even then, I think they do have a political effect.
Do any of you follow Fox, right-wing radio, and the winger blogs? I used to but at a certain point, I found it all too stupid and depressing so now I can’t do it anymore. What would people think of a once or twice a week open thread where people summarize all the nuttiness flying around in the wingosphere?
I’d be a hero but I can’t stand the stenchPost + Comments (119)