Tuesday, October 14, 2008

"The Coming Liberal Thugocracy"

My aunt sent me an interesting piece by Michael Barone on Monday, Oct. 13, entitled, "The Coming Liberal Thugocracy." Huh - so I'm not the only one who thinks so. Like so many other concerns about Obama, this originates from something Obama said. Big surprise. Oh, don't take my word for it:
"I need you to go out and talk to your friends and talk to your neighbors," Barack Obama told a crowd in Elko, Nev. "I want you to talk to them whether they are independent or whether they are Republican. I want you to argue with them and get in their face." Actually, Obama supporters are doing a lot more than getting into people's faces. They seem determined to shut people up.

That's what Obama supporters, alerted by campaign e-mails, did when conservative Stanley Kurtz appeared on Milt Rosenberg's WGN radio program in Chicago. Mr. Kurtz had been researching Mr. Obama's relationship with unrepentant Weather Underground terrorist William Ayers in Chicago Annenberg Challenge papers in the Richard J. Daley Library in Chicago - papers that were closed off to him for some days, apparently at the behest of Obama supporters.

Obama fans jammed WGN's phone lines and sent in hundreds of protest e-mails. The message was clear to anyone who would follow Mr. Rosenberg's example. We will make trouble for you if you let anyone make the case against The One.

Uh, yep. I think we have seen just recently the extent to which Obama's followers will go to support him and attempt to obliterate anyone who has not sworn lifelong fealty to him.

Oh, but you know Obama - it doesn't just stop at trying to "convince" (read: browbeat, intimidate, threaten) fellow voters:
Other Obama supporters have threatened critics with criminal prosecution. In September, St. Louis County Circuit Attorney Bob McCulloch and St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce warned citizens that they would bring criminal libel prosecutions against anyone who made statements against Mr. Obama that were "false." I had been under the impression that the Alien and Sedition Acts had gone out of existence in 1801-'02. Not so, apparently, in metropolitan St. Louis. Similarly, the Obama campaign called for a criminal investigation of the American Issues Project when it ran ads highlighting Mr. Obama's ties to Mr. Ayers.

These attempts to shut down political speech have become routine for liberals. Congressional Democrats sought to reimpose the "fairness doctrine" on broadcasters, which until it was repealed in the 1980s required equal time for different points of view. The motive was plain: to shut down the one conservative-leaning communications medium, talk radio. Liberal talk-show hosts have mostly failed to draw audiences, and many liberals can't abide having citizens hear contrary views.

Golly gee, I reckon Obama being a big Constitutional SCHOLAR, as his minions love to claim, simply enables him in deciding which parts of the Constitution by which he will actually abide. Free speech? Not so much.

Thankfully, there are a few who still actually care what the Constitution prescribes (remember the day when our elected officials didn't pick and choose their favorite little bits out of the Constitution and Bill of Rights? Yeah, well, me neither, but holy cow, it wasn't THIS bad, was it??):
To their credit, some liberal old-timers - like House Appropriations Chairman David Obey - voted against the "fairness doctrine," in line with their longstanding support of free speech. But you can expect the "fairness doctrine" to get another vote if Barack Obama wins and Democrats increase their congressional majorities.

But you know, it isn't just limited to these thugs at rallies wearing unbelievably offensive t-shirts, or Obama plants screaming out nasty things at McCain/Palin rallies, oh no. It is more insidious than that:
Corporate liberals have done their share in shutting down anti-liberal speech, too. "Saturday Night Live" ran a spoof of the financial crisis that skewered Democrats like House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank and liberal contributors Herbert and Marion Sandler, who sold toxic-waste-filled Golden West to Wachovia Bank for $24 billion. Kind of surprising, but not for long. The tape of the broadcast disappeared from NBC's Web site and was replaced with another that omitted the references to Mr. Frank and the Sandlers. Evidently NBC and its parent, General Electric, don't want people to hear speech that attacks liberals.

If you have tried to see that video, you know Barone is correct about this. Heaven forbid that anyone actually see that our financial crisis isn't as simplistic as, "it's all the Republicans fault!!" Then again, that would require a tad of analytical thinking, something in very short supply, it seems.

You know there is more:
Then there's the Democrats' "card check" legislation that would abolish secret ballot elections in determining whether employees are represented by unions. The unions' strategy is obvious: Send a few thugs over to employees' homes - we know where you live - and get them to sign cards that will trigger a union victory without giving employers a chance to be heard.

Sigh. I'm sorry, remind me which country this is supposed to be? I need to go check my passport or something, because I THOUGHT this was the United States of America, but the way it is acting now, no, the way the DEMOCRATS are acting now, is giving me pause. Barone, too:
Once upon a time, liberals prided themselves, with considerable reason, as the staunchest defenders of free speech. Union organizers in the 1930s and 1940s made the case that they should have access to employees to speak freely to them, and union leaders like George Meany and Walter Reuther were ardent defenders of the First Amendment.

Today's liberals seem to be taking their marching orders from other quarters. Specifically, from the college and university campuses where administrators, armed with speech codes, have for years been disciplining and subjecting to sensitivity training any students who dare to utter thoughts that liberals find offensive. The campuses that once prided themselves as zones of free expression are now the least free part of our society.

True that. This is the kicker, though:
"Obama supporters who found the campuses congenial and Mr. Obama himself, who has chosen to live all his adult life in university communities, seem to find it entirely natural to suppress speech they don't like and seem utterly oblivious to claims this violates the letter and spirit of the First Amendment. In this campaign, we have seen the coming of the Obama thugocracy, suppressing free speech, and we may see its flourishing in the four or eight years ahead. (Michael Barone is a nationally syndicated columnist.)"

The Obama Thugocracy. I think Mr. Barone has coined the perfect term to describe the impact of Obama on this country - and that is the case BEFORE the election. Holy Toledo, can you just imagine the scope should he be elected (read: steal the election with the help of ACORN and Obama surrogates at your local polling place. You know, like the ones documented in "We Will Not Be Silenced" telling folks if they weren't voting for Obama, to not even bother coming in. Ah, America - America, right??). If, indeed, Obama takes over the White House, I guess women should get used to being called despicable names, because THAT kind of free speech is A-OKAY with the Obama folk. But to actually talk about who Obama IS in ads or anywhere else? Not so much. Not at all, actually. Unless you're loking for a big-ass lawsuit. All you need to know is he is The One. Nothing else matters, right? Welcome to the US-Obama/Wright/Ayers of A, folks. It's a whole new world...

8 comments:

Mike J. said...

In general I hate to make comparisons between the Nazi movement and the Obama phenomenon (for obvious reasons) but here the similarities are more plentiful than I would like.

Basically, Hitler was someone who was seen as a way of taming the popular discontent and harnessing that discontent in the service of the conservative elite. This is why the Nazis were brought into the government, in coalition with the conservative parties. Of course, the conservatives miscalculated by underestimating Hitler's power hunger.

In Obama's case, I think we are seeing something similar. On the one hand, he plays the role of the champion of the masses (and, let's not forget, it was the National Socialist German Workers Party), but behind the scenes I suspect he has already sold out. He promises the same thing to our corporate overlords, who want no universal health care, no Bush accountability, nothing that would even remotely remind anyone of the New Deal. He promises he can tame the popular discontent and harness it toward conservative causes, which could include more tax cuts, Social security privatization, and further cannibalization of any remaining public funds. I believe this is the source of his record fundraising, and the reason genuine populists running (Hillary and Sarah) had to be ridiculed and marginalized.

Of course, the big remaining question is whether our conservative elite (The Village) is underestimating Obama in the same way the German conservative elite underestimated Hitler. In this regard, the one saving grace is that I suspect Obama genuinely is a patsy.

Mike J. said...

And, just to follow up, it is striking that Obama is not about specific policies. Obama is about Obama. His campaign literature does not exhort us to vote for him because he is a Democrat (that word is almost never mentioned) but because he is Obama. His envelopes come emblazoned with "Obama for America". Hell, he even comes complete with his own little personal logo (does Hillary have one? does Bush?) that people show off much like they were showing off their swastikas in 1930s Germany.

The trick is obvious. First get the chumps commit themselves to the person of the leader, because once that happens they'll follow wherever he goes. The contrast here is striking. If McCain were to proclaim he is for abortion that would instantly kill his support among many Republicans. But Obama comes out with his faith based initiative, votes for FISA immunity, supports "clean coal" and drilling for oil, and his supporters scramble to rationalize the latest flip-flop. Wow. Clearly, if issues matter for naught to Obama's supporters, there is no explanation other than a cult of personality.

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Hey, Mike j -

As I was reading your two EXCELLENT comments, I was thinking "cult of the personality," and there it was at the bottom of your comment. I couldn't agree more.

I was just having an email conversation with an old friend who is trying to show his family that Obama is not all he is cracked up to be. But no matter how well documented issues relating to him are, my friend's relatives cry, "Right wing smear!" That is to say, they (and not just is family - O's supporters in general) absolutely do not want to hear ANYTHING abt his actual record. Or his sordid associations with questionable (at best) characters. Anything that remotely exposes him to be the poser he is is quickly dismissed as coming from the Right Wing. In other words, they won't hear a negative word spoken abt Obama - none.

That does not stop them from sewing rumor and innuendo against McCain/Palin, of course. Anything is fair, it seems to them, as long as it enables Obama's victory.

And speaking of Hitler, don't you love the Obama SIGN they have for each other?? It is scary.

But you hit the nail on the head - Obama is abt Obama - that is all. That is not presidential material, IMHO...

Thanks, Mike j!

Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein said...

Seriously, youras is one of the funniest blogs I read. I love your humor. You are one heck of a jokester and I'll fight anyone for your right to write humorous blog posts like this one.

Mike J. said...

The funny thing here is that our Obot friend fits the description of the thug you describe! On his own blog he describes an incident in which he harassed some 70-year-old guy for having anti-Obama stickers on his car. Wow, talk about tolerance of opposing points of view...

So I think I am glad my freedom to write as I please rests on much more on Herr von Monkeyweener's say so. Because if he had half the chance to shut us up, he would likely do so.

But, we kept this a free country through 8 years of Bush and Cheney, surely we can manage to do so in the next four against the hordes of Monkeyweeners.

Mike J. said...

Here's another example of the thugocracy in action:

http://cannonfire.blogspot.com/2008/10/who-is-evelyn-pringle-and-why-is.html

Just another bunch of von Monkeyweenies channeling their inner fascist, I suppose. I used to consider it a major plus that leftist publications did not shrink from criticizing Democrats, even if sometimes such criticism was overblown or unwarranted. Now, it would seem, we are going in the opposite direction. The "leftists" have found their Leader who must not be questioned or criticized, lest it damage the fragile psyches of his followers.

I am still at a loss over what adjectives to use. Liberal Thugocracy seems like an oxymoron because, well, liberalism is just that: promotion of freedom and liberty. I am not sure how much leftism there is left in the Democratic Party, given that Obama seems to be running harder and harder to the right. There was a good article in the WaPo recently about how Obama is building bridges with Blue Dog Democrats, who are basically DINOs. Is that any way for a "leftist" to behave.

So I guess I'll just stick to what Obama Himself has said, and call it Obamacan Thugocracy. Because it is aimed at squelching the criticism of the leader himself, not policies, not ideology.

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Hey, Mike -

Thanks for the link to cannonfire - that is exactly what is going on. Now, no one is even allowed to say Obama's middle name!! WTH?!?! It's his NAME - we can't pretend otherwise!

Oh, dear - I am sorry to hear you went to Dr. Monkeyman's site. Yeesh. How interesting that he ADMITS he harasses people. Isn't there a law against that sort of thing? Oh, wait - surely his Obamessiah will save him from the law.

Sigh. I don't understand this myself, Mike. I don't know how LIBERALS morphed into fascists. How, in just 8 short years, did they end up acting like Bush supporters? Actually, they may be even worse - I don't recall the Bushies being cultists on this same level. But these people absolutely refuse to really look at their candidate - they will hear no ill abt him, and go to great lengths to believe the myths. It is a sad commentary on this country...

Obama will say and do whatever he needs to say and do to get into office. FISA was clear evidence of that. Frankly, Mike, I don't know for WHAT he stands except, apparently, Socialism. Like I have said before, I have no problems with socialism with a small "s," but if Obama gets into the WH, with Wright and Ayers advising him, there is no telling where we will end up...

Thanks for your great comments, Mike!

Johnny at Work said...

Too bad Larry "No Balls" Johnson won't allow this information on his blog.


Want to see what an Obama Regime will do to the US? Look at South Africa.


By Anthony C. LoBaido WorldNetDaily.com


WELKOM, South Africa - The chanting of "Kill the Boer, kill the farmer" at the funeral of the ANC member who coined the phrase is adding more fuel to the political fire here, as the attacks on white farmers continues unabated.


The ethnic cleansing of Southern Africa's commercial farm communities has taken the lives of 1,334 farmers, farm workers and their kin since 1994, the year the ANC took power. The farmers were killed most often in violent, organized attacks, always by young African males. Add to the death toll 12 farmers killed in Zimbabwe and four in Namibia. In 85 percent of the killings, not one item was stolen from the farms and farmhouses.


South African President Thabo Mbeki has called the farm murders of whites "the final stage of the revolution."


Said Dutch journalist Adriana Stuijt, a former anti-apartheid activist based in Holland, "If South Africa's vicious farm murders had occurred in Zimbabwe, these would have been world news. But these 'only' occurred in South Africa, and so the rest of the world remains oddly silent. Post-apartheid South Africa is apparently immune from the usual investigative journalism being conducted in the rest of the Western world."


http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/447.htm

Don't try to post this on NQ. It will earn you a BAN.