Think Progress is insulted by the attempts of David Brooks and conservative bloggers to associate Osama bin Laden's latest video with the progressive blogosphere.
Much as I like Think Progress, I couldn't disagree more.
It's almost always a mistake for people on the left to be "outraged," "denigrated," or "insulted" by conservatives. When conservatives write or say racist, misogynist, homophobic stuff or accuse people on the left of pedophilia, treason, or effeminacy, they're usually trying to stimulate exactly that kind of emotional response. When liberals and those on the left fall into the "outrage" trap, it traps liberals into a narrow moralism that loses sight of the big social and political pictures. Really, what more can a person say after they've accused someone of insulting them. It also confirms the conservative view of people on the left as "wimpy," "emotional," "soft," and easily manipulated, and gives them an unearned sense of superiority.
Ann Coulter is the master of the "outrage the left" rhetorical game but the whole right loves to play it. It makes conservatives feel powerful and effective in their sophomoric kind of way and should be pitied more than anything else. Given the disastrous failures of their Bush administration, their Republican Party, and their war, it's easy to see that "outraging" liberals is pretty much the only thing conservatives can do to feel superior.
There are lots of better responses to conservative "outrages" than outrage. It's important to tie conservative race-baiting back to their racial bigotry, to emphasize the racism in color-blind rhetoric about race, and point out all the ways that the Republicans play the racism card like Bob Corker did in his Senate campaign against Harold Ford in 2006. As racist as most right-wingers are, they are still "very sensitive" at being called racists and even more sensitive about being tied to the virulent racism of so many Republican voters. Who knew?
Like Glenn Greenwald and Digby, I also enjoy picking on the comic-book masculinity of right-wing figures from George ("we're kicking ass") Bush, to Karl Rove, the helium-sucking twerps over at the Department of Justice, and macho blowhards like John Bolton. The most recent example is NRO's Mark Hemingway, a super wimpy-looking guy who writes Terminator-tough. Having failed at traditional masculine athletics and (one suspects) dating activities, right-wingers now project the biggest macho gestures they can imagine. Greenwald treats these guys as hypocrites. I call them "weenie-boys." Let history decide which one of us is right.
That brings us back to bin Laden. Instead of being insulted, Think Progress could have mentioned that 9-11 happened on Bush's watch, that the search for bin Laden was called off due to the invasion of Iraq, and that bin Laden is currently staying in the territory of Pakistan, one of the Bush administration's allies. Given that bin Laden owes his fame and continued existence to George Bush, Dick Cheney, and friends, he probably includes them in his prayers.
Ther's also reason to think that bin Laden is getting more practical assistance from current or former Bush personnel. Just as Karl Rove tried to promote John Kerry's candidacy by attacking John Kerry, it looks like bin Laden is trying to promote the Bush administration by releasing a video just before the crucial testimony of Gen. David Petraeus. Bin Laden's interest in helping Bush is obvious. If the war in Iraq winds down, there's going to be less business at the bin Laden terrorism store. Bin Laden's counter-intuitive manuevering here is such an obvious Karl Rove manuever, that it's tempting to think that the "boy genius" himself is responsible.
But, I think it's more likely that one of Rove's protege's is consulting with bin Laden on his current publicity campaign. Maybe Dick Wadhams is trying to get his mojo back after the failed George Allen re-election campaign.
Whoever is consulting bin Laden, we can be sure that neither Rove nor his proteges would have any ethical objections to helping bin Laden out.
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8 comments:
Right this way folks... Please store your reality in the bins to your left... Thank You.... Welcome to Caric's mind.
I think it's more likely that one of Rove's protege's is consulting with bin Laden on his current publicity campaign.
This is a joke, yes? I thought the Craig assassination plot was the height of stupidty, I was wrong. Are these thoughts reserved for non-educational communications or do you use this same brain when interacting with students?
"timb said...
"The hate part is about making sure that those groups have an "other" to find common cause against, lest they notice that their own agendas don't quite jive."
You mean like the geniuses on your side who compare their countrymen to the rhetoric of a foreign terrorist? Yep, no need for that "other" there."
Anxiously awaiting reconciliation.
...and that bin Laden is currently staying in the territory of Pakistan,"
Last time I checked Pakistan was a sovereign nation, who are they a territory of now? And do you have a street address for Bin Ladin? Or maybe a GPS fix?
I know some folks who would be really interested in that.
Hey, quit challenging the narrative.
Actually, what I find interesting about caric's musings here is that it is another instance where something comes along that challenges their preconceived conclusions, in this case that the latest video irrefutably contradicts their surrender now rhetoric as the way to defeat OBL, and necessitates a fabrication of a whole new conspiracy to explain away the convergence of the rhetoric of the terrorists with their own.
It couldn't possibly be that the libs and AQ have come to share a common purpose. No,no, Rove has to be involved.
No, see Rove is teaching OBL reverse psychology, which apparently is all the rage now among us reThugs. Which means we are actually in favor of socialized medicine, gay marriage, and taxing the economy into the gutter. Who'da thunk it?
Come on now.... you have to have it wrong there. Rove wouldn't really want those things. Maybe it is reverse psychologizing, but only to make those issues appear unamerican and therefor allow rich wgite males to subjugate the rest of the population. The brilliance is he's now duped the dems like 5 times and AQ once. The man is a genius.
I think Professor Caric was mad that his diatribe about President Bush potentially ordering the assassination of Senator Craig did not get noticed far and wide, and as such, he is going to ratchet up the crazy until somebody takes notice.
When Bin Laden starts spewing moonbat talking points, Rove must be involved? Only in your world, Ric, only in your world.
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