Leaked RNC document reveals that the GOP will attempt to fundraise off scaring the shit out of their donors with words like "socialism" and pictures of President Obama as the Joker.
Also water is still wet, and ice is still cold.
Yawn
Showing posts with label fearmongering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fearmongering. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Yelling Fire In A Crowded Theater
At what point will the mainstream media start calling out Glenn Beck and his dangerous rhetoric? Are they really going to stand on the sidelines and wait for people to get killed after he gins some crazy asshole up enough to have them go out and commit murder because they are living in the fearful bubble he is creating? We already have several incidents which are likely linked to him but I guess that isn't enough huh? Somebody is going to have to explicitly say Glenn Beck told them to kill somebody before our media wakes up and points out that the son of a bitch is inciting violence with his listeners.
This shit makes my stomach turn and our media can't fucking die soon enough for me.
This shit makes my stomach turn and our media can't fucking die soon enough for me.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Terror Trial In New York.....From Last Week
Did you know there was a terrorist trial last week in New York who had a connection to Khalid Sheik Muhammed?
Im sure you probably didn't because only a handful of journalists even wrote about it and of course there was no Right Wing freakout over it either.
And not a thing happened. No mutants with laser beams coming out of their asses broke the terrorist out nor did a bunch of jihadis invade New York and start shooting death rays.
Funny how that works.
And you know what the result was?
A conviction.
I bet you won't see anything about THAT on FoxNews though...
Im sure you probably didn't because only a handful of journalists even wrote about it and of course there was no Right Wing freakout over it either.
And not a thing happened. No mutants with laser beams coming out of their asses broke the terrorist out nor did a bunch of jihadis invade New York and start shooting death rays.
Funny how that works.
And you know what the result was?
A conviction.
I bet you won't see anything about THAT on FoxNews though...
Friday, May 22, 2009
President Obama Must Be Psychic
Remember this part of President Obama's speech yesterday?
Well right on time I present you with one of those 30 second ads President Obama predicted fresh from the RNC.
Now most people realize that the image of the child playing in the field is taken from the infamous "Daisy" ad Lyndon Johnson released in 1964.
Of course that was a whole other level of fear mongering back then. Still the fact that the RNC thought it would be a good idea to use footage from that particular ad just serves to make it more ridiculous than actually effective. Don't get me wrong, Democrats opened the door to such attacks against them, but, at least in my assessment, using that footage will just make the RNC lose even more credibility. Let's look back at what happened back when the original "Daisy" ad actually ran.
So to recap, the war and torture endorsing RNC used footage from an ad that was meant to scare people over Barry Goldwater's war mongering that had to be pulled almost immediately by President Johnson because of blowback from its obvious fear mongering. Yeah, just keep it up RNC. At this rate you might actually insure that Republicans don't win the Presidency again for a generation.
As our efforts to close Guantanamo move forward, I know that the politics in Congress will be difficult. These issues are fodder for 30-second commercials and direct mail pieces that are designed to frighten. I get it. But if we continue to make decisions from within a climate of fear, we will make more mistakes. And if we refuse to deal with these issues today, then I guarantee you that they will be an albatross around our efforts to combat terrorism in the future. I have confidence that the American people are more interested in doing what is right to protect this country than in political posturing. I am not the only person in this city who swore an oath to uphold the Constitution - so did each and every member of Congress. Together we have a responsibility to enlist our values in the effort to secure our people, and to leave behind the legacy that makes it easier for future Presidents to keep this country safe.
Well right on time I present you with one of those 30 second ads President Obama predicted fresh from the RNC.
Now most people realize that the image of the child playing in the field is taken from the infamous "Daisy" ad Lyndon Johnson released in 1964.
Of course that was a whole other level of fear mongering back then. Still the fact that the RNC thought it would be a good idea to use footage from that particular ad just serves to make it more ridiculous than actually effective. Don't get me wrong, Democrats opened the door to such attacks against them, but, at least in my assessment, using that footage will just make the RNC lose even more credibility. Let's look back at what happened back when the original "Daisy" ad actually ran.
The ad was designed to capitalize on comments made by Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater about the possibility of using nuclear weapons in Vietnam. The Johnson campaign attempted to portray Goldwater as a dangerous warmonger who would needlessly, and recklessly, escalate the conflict in Vietnam.
As soon as the ad aired, Johnson's campaign was widely criticized for using the prospect of nuclear war, as well as the implication that Goldwater would start one, to frighten voters. The ad was immediately pulled, but the point was made, appearing on the nightly news and on conversation programs in its entirety.
So to recap, the war and torture endorsing RNC used footage from an ad that was meant to scare people over Barry Goldwater's war mongering that had to be pulled almost immediately by President Johnson because of blowback from its obvious fear mongering. Yeah, just keep it up RNC. At this rate you might actually insure that Republicans don't win the Presidency again for a generation.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
GITMO And Transparency
Today President Obama delivered a speech on National Security. Here is the video.
Here are what I thought were the high points of the speech.
First President Obama led of the speech by going through all of the measures he has initiated since assuming office that helps our national security including redirecting resources to the conflict in Afghanistan and Pakistan, investing in 21st century technology to help with intelligence, working on nuclear non proliferation that will attempt to track down all "loose nukes" within the next four years, protecting the border, renewing alliances in the war on terror and renewed diplomacy. He said our fundamental values are what help keep us safe and that the founding documents of our country are what we need to cling to in our search for liberty and justice. He made the point that we can't turn our back on those values just for expediency sake.
He made the point that in the past WE were the ones who shut down torture chambers from all over the world.
He made the point that post 9-11 we had to come up with new tools in order to prevent attacks along with prosecuting them after they had been committed or attempted.
He said in the past (see during the Bush Administration) we made national security decisions out of fear rather than facts for expediency's sake.
"We went off course"
Obama made the point that both he and Senator John McCain called for the closing of GITMO and the voters in both parties made them their general election candidates which indicates they agree.
The President before he came into office we were working with an ad hoc legal approach to fight terrorism which was neither effective nor sustainable.
I liked that President Obama used the phrasing "so called" in reference to EITs which most of us know is just a euphemism for torture.
President Obama said HE is the one who sees all of the intelligence and he categorically rejects the notion that waterboarding was or is the most effective method of gaining information and that it undermines the rule of law, is a recruitment tool for terrorists, increases the will of our enemies who will no longer surrender because they believe we will torture them, puts our troops' lives in danger, and did not advance our war on terror.
He made note of the fact that Senator McCain has also spoken out about the propaganda value of torture for terrorists trying to recruit more people into their ranks.
Obama shifted to closing GITMO. He talked about the fact that the Military Commisions have only convicted 3 detainees in 7 years.
The President pointed out that in 2006 the Supreme Court invalidated the Military Court system.
He points out that the whole premise of opening GITMO was to put detainees somewhere that the Bush Administration felt they could hold them beyond the law and that the Supreme court rejected that notion.
He says GITMO itself helped to weaken our National Security.
President Obama asserts that the costs of keeping GITMO open far exceed any complications from closing it.
Obama also pointed out that he was cleaning up a mess that he hadn't created.
He says the problems that exists aren't from GITMO closing, they are from GITMO opening in the first place.
He refuses to pass this problem off to the next President.
He calls out those who have politicized the issue of closing GITMO with fear mongering. He said that those who would do this are using their words to scare people rather than solve the problem.
Unequivical statement that he will not release anyone who threatens national security and or the American people.
He points out that some detainees will end up in SuperMax prisons where nobody has ever escaped in the history of this country.
He references a statement from Senator Lindsey Graham where he said the notion that we couldn't handle these detainees in American jails is ridiculous.
President Obama put detainees into 5 categories.
President Obama acknowledges the political difficulties of closing GITMO. He references fear mongering 30 second Tee Vee ads and direct mailings. But he says we can't govern out of fear and the American people want him to get it right, not political posturing.
Then President Obama shifted to Security and Transparency. He contrasted his decision to release the 4 OLC memos recently with his decision to block the release of the torture photos. Makes the case that sometimes its appropriate to keep some things secret if members of the military's lives are at stake.
But he says that he will insist on oversight from both the Congress and Judicial branches of government. He says someone must always watch over the watchers.
He is concerned about overuse of the states secrets doctrine but has to be used at times.
He says he will not hold back information from the public just because it reveals an illegal act or something that is embarrassing.
He wants a stricter legal test for invoking states secrets.
Obama once again says he will focus on bringing more oversight from "co equal" branches of government.
He then talks about how some people still want to relitigate debates they have lost. IE Dick Cheney still advocating torture.
He is more interested in the Congress and DOJ investigating wrong doing from the Bush Administration than an independent commission.
President Obama talks about the two differing sides on torture on the extremes. On the left those who think we should reveal even our most important intelligence secrets. On the right there are those who, in President Obama's words, think "anything goes". Those who think the President can do whatever they want provided its a President they agree with. He says both sides in that debate are wrong.
Maybe the strongest part of the speech was the ending where President Obama said national security has to be an issue that brings us together not something that divides us. He talks about how some people (*cough*Republicans*cough) try to use national security as a wedge issue. But this is a time for the American people to come together to insure all of our safety.
I thought the speech while not necessarily strong on details of how he will ultimately deal with GITMO was pitch perfect for the American people and what a lot of people in the middle needed to hear from them. We simply can not allow fearmongering to take hold again in this country when we are talking about the serious task of keeping us all safe.
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Here are what I thought were the high points of the speech.
First President Obama led of the speech by going through all of the measures he has initiated since assuming office that helps our national security including redirecting resources to the conflict in Afghanistan and Pakistan, investing in 21st century technology to help with intelligence, working on nuclear non proliferation that will attempt to track down all "loose nukes" within the next four years, protecting the border, renewing alliances in the war on terror and renewed diplomacy. He said our fundamental values are what help keep us safe and that the founding documents of our country are what we need to cling to in our search for liberty and justice. He made the point that we can't turn our back on those values just for expediency sake.
He made the point that in the past WE were the ones who shut down torture chambers from all over the world.
He made the point that post 9-11 we had to come up with new tools in order to prevent attacks along with prosecuting them after they had been committed or attempted.
He said in the past (see during the Bush Administration) we made national security decisions out of fear rather than facts for expediency's sake.
"We went off course"
Obama made the point that both he and Senator John McCain called for the closing of GITMO and the voters in both parties made them their general election candidates which indicates they agree.
The President before he came into office we were working with an ad hoc legal approach to fight terrorism which was neither effective nor sustainable.
I liked that President Obama used the phrasing "so called" in reference to EITs which most of us know is just a euphemism for torture.
President Obama said HE is the one who sees all of the intelligence and he categorically rejects the notion that waterboarding was or is the most effective method of gaining information and that it undermines the rule of law, is a recruitment tool for terrorists, increases the will of our enemies who will no longer surrender because they believe we will torture them, puts our troops' lives in danger, and did not advance our war on terror.
He made note of the fact that Senator McCain has also spoken out about the propaganda value of torture for terrorists trying to recruit more people into their ranks.
Obama shifted to closing GITMO. He talked about the fact that the Military Commisions have only convicted 3 detainees in 7 years.
The President pointed out that in 2006 the Supreme Court invalidated the Military Court system.
He points out that the whole premise of opening GITMO was to put detainees somewhere that the Bush Administration felt they could hold them beyond the law and that the Supreme court rejected that notion.
He says GITMO itself helped to weaken our National Security.
President Obama asserts that the costs of keeping GITMO open far exceed any complications from closing it.
Obama also pointed out that he was cleaning up a mess that he hadn't created.
He says the problems that exists aren't from GITMO closing, they are from GITMO opening in the first place.
He refuses to pass this problem off to the next President.
He calls out those who have politicized the issue of closing GITMO with fear mongering. He said that those who would do this are using their words to scare people rather than solve the problem.
Unequivical statement that he will not release anyone who threatens national security and or the American people.
He points out that some detainees will end up in SuperMax prisons where nobody has ever escaped in the history of this country.
He references a statement from Senator Lindsey Graham where he said the notion that we couldn't handle these detainees in American jails is ridiculous.
President Obama put detainees into 5 categories.
1. Those that will be tried in federal courts. Points out we have tried many terrorists in federal courts for a long time.
2. Those who have violated the laws of war will be tried into the military commisions courts which have been a tradition in this country. He points out that this is not a reversal of his position and that in 2006 he wanted reform of the military commission that did not happen but he didn't reject the institution outright. He further stated that he will put in the reforms now that he called for then to make them compliant.
3. Those who have been ordered released by the courts of which there are 21 people who fall into that category now. 19 of those 21 were ordered released before he got into office. Because we are a nation of laws he has to respect the courts' decisions.
4. Those who can be tranferred to another country. Fifty people so far fit into that category.
5. Those who can't be prosecuted but also can't be released because they are dangerous. He says he will exhaust all legal avenues to insure they never get out.
President Obama acknowledges the political difficulties of closing GITMO. He references fear mongering 30 second Tee Vee ads and direct mailings. But he says we can't govern out of fear and the American people want him to get it right, not political posturing.
Then President Obama shifted to Security and Transparency. He contrasted his decision to release the 4 OLC memos recently with his decision to block the release of the torture photos. Makes the case that sometimes its appropriate to keep some things secret if members of the military's lives are at stake.
But he says that he will insist on oversight from both the Congress and Judicial branches of government. He says someone must always watch over the watchers.
He is concerned about overuse of the states secrets doctrine but has to be used at times.
He says he will not hold back information from the public just because it reveals an illegal act or something that is embarrassing.
He wants a stricter legal test for invoking states secrets.
Obama once again says he will focus on bringing more oversight from "co equal" branches of government.
He then talks about how some people still want to relitigate debates they have lost. IE Dick Cheney still advocating torture.
He is more interested in the Congress and DOJ investigating wrong doing from the Bush Administration than an independent commission.
President Obama talks about the two differing sides on torture on the extremes. On the left those who think we should reveal even our most important intelligence secrets. On the right there are those who, in President Obama's words, think "anything goes". Those who think the President can do whatever they want provided its a President they agree with. He says both sides in that debate are wrong.
Maybe the strongest part of the speech was the ending where President Obama said national security has to be an issue that brings us together not something that divides us. He talks about how some people (*cough*Republicans*cough) try to use national security as a wedge issue. But this is a time for the American people to come together to insure all of our safety.
I thought the speech while not necessarily strong on details of how he will ultimately deal with GITMO was pitch perfect for the American people and what a lot of people in the middle needed to hear from them. We simply can not allow fearmongering to take hold again in this country when we are talking about the serious task of keeping us all safe.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Thank You HIlzoy
I guess I am not the only one who thinks the GOP's NIMBY campaign is utterly ridiculous. Hilzoy made this video in response to the new GOP fearmongering GITMO detainee video and I think it perfectly encapsulates the absurdity at work here.
Hopefully a Democratic lawmaker will see this video and step up to the plate.
Hopefully a Democratic lawmaker will see this video and step up to the plate.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Minority Outreach Fail
I am sure by now most people saw the fearmongering video the House GOP released yesterday asking if you felt safe. But did you know that one off the images in the video was a picture of President Obama meeting with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus? One has to ask why that image was interspersed with images of terrorists right? Well it turns out the CHC is pretty pissed off about the inclusion of the picture as well as the ad itself.
How is that minority outreach going for you GOP?
“Latinos contribute to the progress of this nation, and have a long standing history of serving of our country,” Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.), chairwoman of the CHC, said in an accompanying statement. “The video posted on Congressman John Boehner’s official website is a completely inappropriate message for the leader of the minority party to send to the American people.”
“It’s disrespectful to the hard-working Latinos across the nation, serving in every sector of our economy and on our military’s front lines,” Velazquez’s statement continued. “The CHC demands an apology from the Minority Leader for this insensitivity and that the video be removed immediately.”
How is that minority outreach going for you GOP?
Friday, March 27, 2009
Its Time To Show Michele Bachmann To Her Padded Cell
Seriously, this chick has totally gone off the deep end. If some idiot ends up doing harm to their fellow man because of something she said we need to call for her expulsion from Congress and possible criminal prosecution. Free speech is one thing, yelling fire in a crowded theater quite another.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
The Evolution Of What It Means To Be Patriotic: WingNut Edition
For 8 years liberals and progressives were told by the FoxNews crowd that to question the President was unpatriotic. For at least 6 years we were also told by these same people that questioning the War on Terror equated to hating America and wanting her to lose. For the 7 years after 9-11 we were told that we were in the middle of a crisis so everyone should support the President. Funny how time and a few elections changes things.
Glenzilla knocks it out the park again today, taking FoxNews and Glenn Beck over his knee and giving them an old fashion ass whupping for the fearmongering they are trying to stoke with their "report" on the possibly/probably coming civil war in the United States. This "report" by Glen Beck with FauxNooz's tacit approval is truly reprehensible. At a time of great crisis in this country they choose to try to exort our citizens to take to the streets and engage in violent acts against their government primarily because President Obama is now in charge. I know that the media is afforded wide latitude with our country's protection of free speech but how this "report" isn't the very definition of an act of treason I will never know. There is absolutely no acknowledgement that there are people in this country who aren't right in the head and will take this "report" as a sign that they need to act. And my question is if and or when that happens will FoxNews and Glen Beck be held liable?
Recently it was revealed that Jim David Adkison, the guy who shot up a church killing several members had written a suicide note before hand. In the note, in his own words, he described the motivation to go out and murder these people as being because another conservative talking head and frequent FoxNews guest, Bernard Goldberg had written of 100 people (mostly liberal Democrats) who were ruining America and this guy thought it his duty to go out and violently do his part to stop them. According to his note he felt he couldn't actually kill any of the 100 people on Goldberg's list so just killing any liberals he could find would have to do.
Now was this guy already mentally ill? I would have to say probably so. But still would he have gone out and murdered these people if he hadn't been convinced by right wing media that they were a threat to our country? I don't believe that for a second. But Goldberg continues to walk around a free man and as far as I know no civil lawsuits have yet been initited against him. We arrest people in this country for yelling "fire" in a crowded theater. When are we going to do the same to right wing media figures who encourage violence against other people in the name of "patriotism"? At some point 1st amendment rights have to have some responsibility attached to them just as in the theater scenario and our media figures have to be held account for their words and actions.
I have absolutely no problem with conservatives opposing President Obama over ideological differences. I think its good and healthy to debate the pros and cons of his actions and that is something our country has been founded on. But when that opposition turns into over the top fear mongering based on lies and propaganda in order to advance a poltical party a line has been crossed in my opinion. When you get on cable news and tell more than 3 million viewers that a civil war is coming and they need to "prepare" that line has been obliterated. I really hope that no one is moved by beck to carry out an attack on their fellow citizens but if they do we must demand that he and FoxNews are held liable so this kind of bullshit stops. This is not an example of free speech, this is an example of hate speech. And whether protected by the constitution or not, actions should have consequences. When a white supremecist tells his followers to go out and do harm to minorities and they go out and do so, we arrest that guy. I would expect nothing less for Glenn Beck and his FoxNews cohorts.
Glenzilla knocks it out the park again today, taking FoxNews and Glenn Beck over his knee and giving them an old fashion ass whupping for the fearmongering they are trying to stoke with their "report" on the possibly/probably coming civil war in the United States. This "report" by Glen Beck with FauxNooz's tacit approval is truly reprehensible. At a time of great crisis in this country they choose to try to exort our citizens to take to the streets and engage in violent acts against their government primarily because President Obama is now in charge. I know that the media is afforded wide latitude with our country's protection of free speech but how this "report" isn't the very definition of an act of treason I will never know. There is absolutely no acknowledgement that there are people in this country who aren't right in the head and will take this "report" as a sign that they need to act. And my question is if and or when that happens will FoxNews and Glen Beck be held liable?
Recently it was revealed that Jim David Adkison, the guy who shot up a church killing several members had written a suicide note before hand. In the note, in his own words, he described the motivation to go out and murder these people as being because another conservative talking head and frequent FoxNews guest, Bernard Goldberg had written of 100 people (mostly liberal Democrats) who were ruining America and this guy thought it his duty to go out and violently do his part to stop them. According to his note he felt he couldn't actually kill any of the 100 people on Goldberg's list so just killing any liberals he could find would have to do.
"This was a symbolic killing," Adkisson wrote. "Who I wanted to kill was every Democrat in the Senate and House, the 100 people in Bernard Goldberg's book. I'd like to kill everyone in the mainstream media. But I knew these people were inaccessible to me.
"I couldn't get to the generals and high-ranking officers of the Marxist movement so I went after the foot soldiers, the chicken (expletive) liberals that vote in these traitorous people."
Now was this guy already mentally ill? I would have to say probably so. But still would he have gone out and murdered these people if he hadn't been convinced by right wing media that they were a threat to our country? I don't believe that for a second. But Goldberg continues to walk around a free man and as far as I know no civil lawsuits have yet been initited against him. We arrest people in this country for yelling "fire" in a crowded theater. When are we going to do the same to right wing media figures who encourage violence against other people in the name of "patriotism"? At some point 1st amendment rights have to have some responsibility attached to them just as in the theater scenario and our media figures have to be held account for their words and actions.
I have absolutely no problem with conservatives opposing President Obama over ideological differences. I think its good and healthy to debate the pros and cons of his actions and that is something our country has been founded on. But when that opposition turns into over the top fear mongering based on lies and propaganda in order to advance a poltical party a line has been crossed in my opinion. When you get on cable news and tell more than 3 million viewers that a civil war is coming and they need to "prepare" that line has been obliterated. I really hope that no one is moved by beck to carry out an attack on their fellow citizens but if they do we must demand that he and FoxNews are held liable so this kind of bullshit stops. This is not an example of free speech, this is an example of hate speech. And whether protected by the constitution or not, actions should have consequences. When a white supremecist tells his followers to go out and do harm to minorities and they go out and do so, we arrest that guy. I would expect nothing less for Glenn Beck and his FoxNews cohorts.
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