The Violent Left, Part 1
Virtually all political violence over the past century has demonstrably come from the "far-left."
The recent killings of abortion doctor George Tiller and a guard at the Holocaust Museum in Washington have sent leftists in the U.S. into a frenzy of manufactured outrage and alarmism — with the left-dominated mainstream media seizing on the shootings as evidence of growing “right-wing” extremism and attributing this “escalation” in part to Obama’s victory.
Not for the first time, the left is of course projecting.
Because while the terms “left-wing” and “right-wing” are notoriously vague, relative, and misused, a glance at last century and this one shows that virtually every act of political violence — from the murder and enslavement of millions to street thuggery and petty vandalism — has been committed in the name of what are broadly left-wing ideas. By contrast, violence in pursuit of right-wing aims has been virtually non-existent, to the extent that it has had to be invented by the left.
As Rand Simberg explained here a couple of weeks ago, there was nothing “right-wing” about James von Brunn, the Holocaust Museum shooter — insofar as he had a coherent political ideology at all, he had more in common with leftists.
And while Scott Roeder, the man accused of murdering Tiller, may have had ties to anti-government extremists, he was also mentally ill. And the ideology that led him to kill — opposition to abortion — is no more a “right-wing” position than von Brunn’s anti-Semitism. Conservatives are more likely than liberals to oppose abortion, but just because someone is repelled by the killing of unborn babies, it doesn’t follow that they’re also in favor of limited government and a strong national defense.
But whoever controls the medium controls the message, and the left’s dominance of academia, the media, and the arts has enabled it to frame the debate and shape the language, including the very definitions of left and right.
Leftists have succeeded in hijacking the term “liberal” in order to make themselves appear virtuous, tolerant, and reasonable, while simultaneously turning the term “right-wing” into shorthand for all that is evil, intolerant, and unfair. Both labels have stuck, along with the categorization of racism and extreme religious convictions as “right-wing” when both are in reality extremes of human nature. (Ironically, many former “liberals” now prefer to call themselves “progressives” after the right turned the tables by using “liberal” as a term of abuse).
The most effective and insidious example of this revisionist obfuscation has been the left’s characterization of “fascism” as a right-wing phenomenon, when Mussolini’s Fascists in Italy and Hitler’s Nazis (who weren’t strictly fascists in the Italian sense) were corporatists, and in many respects socialists, with nationalistic and racist baggage. The full name of the Nazi party was the National Socialist German Workers Party.
Both movements were widely admired by statists and “progressives” across Europe and in the U.S., but fell into disrepute when Germany invaded Russia and Stalin, whose brand of international socialism was even more popular with leftists than the nationalist variety, condemned the “fascists” as enemies of the revolution. (For a detailed analysis of the subject see Jonah Goldberg’s indispensable Liberal Fascism.)
Racism is these days universally accepted as a “far-right” phenomenon. There are of course racists on both the left and the right, if we use those terms to broadly describe attitudes to economic and social policy. But so effective has been the left’s propaganda campaign against its opponents that in Britain, for example, the racist British National Party is routinely described as being “far-right,” when many of its policies — including nationalized health care, support for unions, and opposition to free trade — are hallmarks of old-school socialism.
There’s racism aplenty in mainstream political parties too. In the U.S., the Democratic Party, home of the modern left-liberal, was the party of slavery and Jim Crow. The most racially charged political campaign in recent U.S. history was the Democratic primary contest between Obama and Hillary Clinton. The racism of the left is far more insidious than a simple mistrust or fear of foreigners; it seeks to divide people into groups which can then be exploited and played against each other for political gain.
Page 1 of 2 Next ->
Mike McNally blogs at Monkey Tennis Centre.
 |
 |
 |
Podcasts |  PJM Home |
Pajamas Media appreciates your comments that abide by the following guidelines:
1. Avoid profanities or foul language unless it is contained in a necessary quote or is relevant to the comment.
2. Stay on topic.
3. Disagree, but avoid ad hominem attacks.
4. Threats are treated seriously and reported to law enforcement.
5. Spam and advertising are not permitted in the comments area.
The clause regarding "hate speech" has been deleted because readers criticized it as being too loosely defined. We agreed.
These guidelines are very general and cannot cover every possible situation. Please don't assume that Pajamas Media management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment. We reserve the right to filter or delete comments or to deny posting privileges entirely at our discretion. If you feel your comment was filtered inappropriately, please email us at story@pajamasmedia.com.
82 Comments
1. Mike Murray:When it comes to “reporting,” members of the mainstream media have never let truth get in the way of a good (as they see it) story: conservatives, bad; liberals, good.
Establishment “journalists” have long been guilty — as have been their cohorts in academia — of presenting fiction as fact. And, in the Age of Obama (and of “narrative reporting”), it has only gotten worse.
Jul 20, 2009 - 4:34 am 2. "progressive"watch:McNally’s Grand Slam: dividing people into racial groups and exploiting and playing them against one another is racism.
The left also denied that Alger Hess was a leftist spy and that Adolph Hitler was really a leftist; Hitler fought the Communists for power and hated them,but he and they had leftist goals and beliefs. Two kinds of leftist in a power struggle.
von Brunn was a leftist; but the left can’t admit who it is and exit.
Jul 20, 2009 - 4:50 am 3. David S:How large is the audience that believes this garbage? This Godwin-baiting meme of Hitler as a leftist is would be merely silly if it were not so sinister.
Claiming that the left is the source of political violence does not make it so. A quick review of history reveals the ignorance of this assertion. People are not motivated to violence by democratic collectivists. They are motivated to violence by authoritarian leaders who harness nationalistic and religious memes to further their own political power.
The characterization of Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot and Castro as somehow representing democratic socialism only demonstrates the ignorance of the author.
Peace.
DS
Jul 20, 2009 - 5:53 am 4. SmartGrunt:“The right doesn’t need to use violence to make its point; the truth is a far more potent weapon.”
Yeah, but I do feel better after punching a lefty in the face until they punch back. It tends to make my point about “reasoned dialogue” being inadequate to solve all problems.
Jul 20, 2009 - 5:58 am 5. davimcg:Mike, It seems you have fallen for the left’s claptrap. The Clinton and Obama Democratic primary contest wasn’t “racially charged”. Oh, the Obama folks said it was, but they were just using the left’s playbook – any criticism of Obama, a black man, is inherently racist. While the charges of racism were nothing more than vulgar, leftist political theater, it was enjoyable seeing Bill Clinton squirm under the rules he helped author. Remember, the race-card bone is connected to the “progressive”-bone.
Jul 20, 2009 - 6:37 am 6. now and then:“Virtualy all” means the same as “Not all.”
Jul 20, 2009 - 6:45 am 7. Broadsword:It continues to puzzle me why the abortionistas were so upset about Tillers murder. After all, if one likes abortion, what’s wrong with murder?
Jul 20, 2009 - 6:48 am 8. Joshua:Leftists consider the Nazis “far right” instead of “far left” today for one reason, and one reason only: Because Hitler betrayed them in WWII by invading Stalin’s USSR. Otherwise, they’d all still be one big happy “family” – in the Charlie Manson sense of the word, of course.
Jul 20, 2009 - 7:24 am 9. Mike McNally:David S:
‘democratic collectivist’ is about as glaring a contradiction in terms as it’s possible to imagine.
‘democratic socialist’ isn’t far behind. Most people who vote for socialism are either lied to, bribed or coerced.
Davimcg: Maybe I wasn’t clear – I’m aware that Obama was using the left’s playbook. Perhaps I should have written “charged with imaginary racism”, although there were elements of genuine racism too on the part of some Hillary supporters.
Jul 20, 2009 - 7:24 am 10. Pee Wee Herman, Community Organizer:Godwin baiting? Spoken like a master.
Jul 20, 2009 - 7:29 am 11. Realist:An INCONVENIENT TRUTH for all left wing Obambi worshipers is that the three greatest mass murderers of the 20th Century were just like Obambi all socialists too Mao, Stalin and Hitler
Jul 20, 2009 - 7:31 am 12. robotech master:I think the author makes some classic mistakes when talking about the left wing vs right wing argument.
First right wingers can’t be racist… its not possible. If you have any form of “racism” the farthest right you can get is center-right and even there I’ve never heard of one. Only left wingers can be racist because only left wingers view ppl as “groups” aka collectives’. Right wingers view ppl as individuals which means that judging ppl as a “group” aka racism is completely opposing a right wing view.
Another thing you say is that “conservatism” is right wing this is also not true. Conservatism spans a range from center-right to center-left. I know no conservatives that could be classed as “rightwing”… unless you count someone like ron paul as “conservative”. Most conservatives believe in religion… religion is of course a left wing ideal. Pretty much any major religion(jews, christians, muslim) are at best centrist but normally left wing depending on the branch.
The reason that leftist hate the “older” left wing ideals is just that… jews and christians are both old ideals and “failed” ideals. This is why many ppl call things like communism or lately global warming a religion…. because it is for the most part.(and most of all from the followers who believe in it)
The problem is in todays world is that that the left has made “right wing” and “left wing” as vague as possible to basically blame anything on the rightwing… however if you take the time to read more classic books that follow historic standards of left and right and then match them to ppl of today you see they’re are no “right-wingers”.
You also see that hitler is really “rightwing”… because by todays standard anyone RIGHT of stalin is rightwing.
Jul 20, 2009 - 7:55 am 13. blotto:DavidS: “Claiming that the left is the source of political violence does not make it so. A quick review of history reveals the ignorance of this assertion. People are not motivated to violence by democratic collectivists. They are motivated to violence by authoritarian leaders who harness nationalistic and religious memes to further their own political power.”
Your use of “meme” is tiring; It does not make your argument any more intelligent. In fact, this drivel is so full of contradiction and mendacity, it needs no further refutation.
Jul 20, 2009 - 8:27 am 14. BettyBlue:i guess David S. wants us to believe that the Ukraine famine, the Gulags, the death of thousands of Chinese under Mao, Castro’s prisons and Pol Pot never really happened.
Peace. (Not.)
Jul 20, 2009 - 8:37 am 15. Rob Crawford:“This Godwin-baiting meme of Hitler as a leftist is would be merely silly if it were not so sinister.”
Except that it’s true.
Jul 20, 2009 - 9:17 am 16. Rob Crawford:“People are not motivated to violence by democratic collectivists. They are motivated to violence by authoritarian leaders who harness nationalistic and religious memes to further their own political power.”
Who was the “authoritarian leader” who harnessed “nationalistic and religious memes[sic]” to give us the 2001 race riots in Cincinnati?
Hint: the folks who stoked that fire, like the ones who have stoked most race riots in American history, were Democrats.
Jul 20, 2009 - 9:20 am 17. Realist:David S so you dont accept that the NAZIS were the ‘National SOCIALIST German WORKERS Party’ then how sad and how deluded you ‘libtards’ are.
Jul 20, 2009 - 9:22 am 18. Realist:Or to put it another way David S the ‘Nazional SOCIALIST Deutche ARBEITERS Partie’ to give it its German name. Stalin and Hitler were two sides of the same coin and both killed people in concentration camps in their millions. Watch out USA Obambi is so similar to Hitler its frightening.
Jul 20, 2009 - 9:30 am 19. Anneke:David S. seems to have fallen for the meme that “authoritarian leaders” are necessarily and by definition “right-wing.”
Jul 20, 2009 - 9:34 am 20. Joe Bison:I’d characterize leftists as those seeking
an earthly messiah to lead them to an earthly
promised land based on some earthly ideology.
It just ends up being a trip to hell. “Democratic
Socialism” is the same trip done in slow motion.
Sort of like the one degree at a time lobster
in the pot. The advantage of Democratic
Socialism is that you still have time for
buyers remorse.
Stalin made pacts with Nazi Germany and
Imperial Japan not France and England-
how come? Oh well David Peace would say
he intended to break or eventually did
break the pacts-how comforting.
Well David Peace will say Germany persecuted
communists and the USSR did the same to
Nazis. This proves they are different
poles. But didn’t the USSR destroy Trotskyites
as well-hmm. But the Nazis persecuted Jews
and the Soviet Union-umm lets move on.
Fact of the matter Fascism grew out of
Socialism and the Nazis were a flavor of
Fascism. Lets give it a religious analogy-
the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic
Church-last time I checked they were all
Christians with differences.
The Nazis and Communists are both of the
stuff-totalitarian, murderous, earthly,
man made and Darwinian. Violence is their
stock-in-trade-Hitler/Rohm, Stalin/Trotsky
internally and externally.
The final recourse David Peace has is to
something that happened hundreds of years
ago. David Peace-we are talking about living
memory and the here and now.
Enjoy
Jul 20, 2009 - 9:43 am 21. Moho:JB
Are you aware of the many acts of terrorism perpetrated by supporters of segregation in the South from the late fifties to the sixties? They included fire bombing and assassination–these people were ofen exonerated after being apprehended by sympathetic judicial systems. In conclusion, find your reason for existing on this planet. It certainly isn’t journalism.
Jul 20, 2009 - 9:52 am 22. tom:Wow. I hope this is a central theme in the 2012 push to get back the White House.
Jul 20, 2009 - 9:59 am 23. dan:Fascism was an improvised, basically incoherent political mood whose main animating force was resistance to Communism/Socialism (particularly its atheism). Look at Germany, Italy, Spain, Romania – wherever Fascism prevailed, it did so because the aggressive Socialism which everywhere preceded it had alienated many people and the political center had either been discreditted, evaporated, or co-opted. Fascism is “national socialism” in the sense that the people at the time wanted tremendous state aid, no one really knew what was supposed to happen after the empires/monarchs fell, and therefore the basic impulse throughout almost all Europe was to identify power with the government. And everyone knew the Bolsheviks were coming since they in fact tried several militant “revolutions” in Germany, Poland, Hungary and elsewhere throughout the first decade after WWI – the “red scare,” which was supposedly an invention of “the right.”
Turns out, “the right” is basically a socialist propaganda word for “not left” – just as “capitalism” is just a socialist propaganda word for “not socialism.” That is, “the right” is an invention of Socialists.
Jul 20, 2009 - 10:02 am 24. BettyBlue:So because supporters of segregation committed crimes during the 50’s/60’s, this means that:
1. There is absolutely no violence on the left. Once again, the Gulags, Pol Pot, Mao’s purges, etc., did not happen, so stop saying they did! Somehow, the fact that segregationists were evil proves there can be no evil on Left.
2. Because Moho thinks the author of this article is wrong, he has no reason for existing on this planet. Somebody died and made Moho God, since he now has the power to decide whose existence is worthwhile, and whose isn’t, and he knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what they shouldn’t be doing.
Jul 20, 2009 - 10:10 am 25. BettyBlue:#19 Anneke, that’s the “meme”—you should only pardon the expression—the Left has taken, ever since the Hitler/Stalin fell through in WWII. As far as they’re concerned, all totalitarianism is “facist.” They can see no evil on the Left side of the spectrum.
Jul 20, 2009 - 10:13 am 26. David S:Despite historical revisionism, it is undeniable that fascism is a right wing ideology.
…as Mussolini stated in 1932:
That’s about as primary a source as one can cite. The common thread in the violence cited by the author is this authoritarian strain – not leftism, but totalitarianism.
I also can assure you that the alarm and outrage over Dr. Tiller’s murder is quite genuine and likely to galvanize another generation of women and physicians to protect women’s reproductive health, despite the threat posed by right wing violence. Only authoritarians believe they have the right to engage in murderous political violence.
Peace.
DS
Jul 20, 2009 - 10:17 am 27. Jawk Strawp:Realist:
http://fredshelm.wordpress.com/2008/06/05/barack-the-black-hitler/
Yep.
Jul 20, 2009 - 10:25 am 28. lou1785:I’m meme’d out – wait, did I just create a meme?
Jul 20, 2009 - 10:31 am 29. xqqme:What conservative actually believe in is human nature and natural law.
Jul 20, 2009 - 10:39 am 30. robotech master:All the rest is attempted control. You can only control for so long. It inevitablly fails.
Social engineering fails 100%. Human nature/natural law succeeds 100%. Time is the variable factor.
The ‘progressives’ attempt to ‘morally sanction’ conservatives is at best ludicrous.
To 26. David S
Lol david your kidding me right? Fascism is know for being right-wing… SOCIALISM. Thats why ppl look at fascism as “rightwing” because its the most rightwing aka centrist socialist policy.
That quote is such a joke as well should we quote hitler on all the times he believed in “equal rights” and any of a host of other issues.
Fascism is socialism that works… unlike communism which can’t work in either its “idealistic” or realist form.
Ppl like you simply amaze me. On one hand you have stalin on the other hand you have ppl like hitler… hitler and stalin were basically the same… sure they were “mortal enemies” but no more then the protestant and catholic churches… yeah they were “mortal enemies” too… so do tell me which was the far left wing and which was the far right wing… because they were the fricking same.
Jul 20, 2009 - 11:29 am 31. P Stroud:One important aspect of the discussion that should be included is the vast difference between the “right” in the USA vs Europe. These are two entirely different things. In Europe both the left and right are entirely authoritarian… just in slightly different directions. The “right” came from the French experience where the loyalists to the King sat on the right side of the chamber. In the USA different a dynamic evolved where we have the proponents of totalitarian govt power, the Left, who are identical to the fascists and socialists of totalitarian Europe and we also have the proponents of personal liberty, the “Right”. There is a great difference in the “Right” in the USA since it grew from the people who prized independence, private property rights and self-reliance. There was no analog to this viewpoint in monarchist Europe. So while leftist apparatchiks like DaveS are “correct” when they quote Mussolini’s comments about the “right” they are purposefully obfuscating the issue in an attempt to position the American “right” with Fascists. Fascists are of the same stripe as “progressives” and communists, they just use slightly different methods. The Fascist system of govt control of privately owned companies has been the Democrat agenda since their demi-god Frankie The Limper wheeled his collectivist ass into the White House during the great depression. Recently the Fed govt started directly acquiring private businesses and is now discussing even taking over ownership of individual mortgages… communism. In a communist system the concentration camps are seldom long to follow and the process has begun with the Homeland Security Dept’s attempt to label all returned veterans and libertarians as potential terrorists. The Hate Crimes laws are being strengthened for the purpose of stifling all non-progressive speech including religious beliefs. Insane totalitarian ideas like “mandatory volunteerism” are being implemented. Only a fool can’t see what’s coming.
Jul 20, 2009 - 11:35 am 32. now and then:Finally, a credible source for our greatest fears:
http://www.arizonamilitia.com
Jul 20, 2009 - 11:36 am 33. Saltherring:“women’s reproductive health” = leftist code for a perceived “right” to murder unborn children for the sake of convenience.
David S.’ postings are based upon the old adage “if you can’t dazzle them with brillance, baffle them with bull$hit”. Your childish opinions don’t fly here, David, as conservatives (unlike leftists) continue to think, evaluate evidence and educate themselves long after reaching puberty. Too bad you didn’t.
Jul 20, 2009 - 11:51 am 34. dan:robotech nails it – you know many different kinds of “Right deviationists” were denounced by Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin & Co.?
for that matter, ever read “Left-Wing Communism: an Infantile Disorder”?
fascism was “right” to the extent that it was not Bolshevik – that is, they weren’t going to kill the king and the pope and etc.
who was Mussolini? Il Duce. Hitler? Der Fuhrer. And Stalin? The Vozhd.
it’s all a posture, all manipulative, all monstrous, all perverse. the words are just a part of the insidious game.
socialists just cannot understand that theirs is the ideology; the rest of us just muddle along doing what we like, saying “NO” to socialism and its enfants terribles.
Jul 20, 2009 - 11:52 am 35. David F:David S
Jul 20, 2009 - 12:04 pm 36. Frank:“The characterization of Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot and Castro as somehow representing democratic socialism only demonstrates the ignorance of the author.” Who are you trying to kid? They were all avowed communists or socialists. They all claimed the leftist mantel. And always remember, Stalin killed twice what Hitler killed, and Mao killed twice what Stalin killed. If you want murder in massive numbers, you want socialism.
The holocaust memorial shooter wasn’t even “right wing” in any way at all. National Socialists are far from “right wing”
Hitler was a leftist.
Jul 20, 2009 - 12:17 pm 37. Former Marine (Colorado):Republican Convention protests turn violent as 250 arrested, those weren’t Conservatives that were arrested!!
Tea Parties happened and not ONE PERSON was arrested!
Jul 20, 2009 - 12:39 pm 38. ding:David S.
Open your eyes, man! Life isn’t a debating society; it’s all about power and control. Who controls you?
If you can’t acknowledge the weaknesses that are inherent in your own political worldview, then you are just a tool for the collective.
Hitler and Mussolini were devils. Right, left . . . maybe a little of both?
Would you consider that many politicians skew left because that’s where the votes are? That deep down in their dark hearts, what they truly desire is power and control?
My favorite cautionary tale for the left is the story of Robespierre, a dude out of the French Revolution. Here’s a guy that started life before all the commotion as a liberal lawyer vehemently opposed to the death penalty. A few years later and guess what? He’s up to his chin in the Reign of Terror! All in the name of the liberal ideals of the revolution, of course.
How do you, David, as the self-appointed spokesman for the left, promise that sanctioned leftist violence won’t happen here as the Democrats gain more control? There is a track record. You place the life of the mother over that of the child thus condemning the child to death; how do you feel about Republicans? You’re already involved in one eradication.
Jul 20, 2009 - 12:59 pm 39. GCPSteve:21. Moho:
Are you aware of the many acts of terrorism perpetrated by supporters of segregation in the South from the late fifties to the sixties?
I’m not sure you realize they were all Democrats.
Jul 20, 2009 - 1:01 pm 40. Moho:Bettyblue. You really are stupid.
Jul 20, 2009 - 1:03 pm 41. Donna V.:P Stroud is right- “right” has an different meaning in Europe, and Europe’s “right-wingers” are not what an American conservative would recognize as conservative. They’re statists.
Mark Steyn on Europe’s “far right”:
“On closer inspection, Europe’s “far right” doesn’t seem to go very far at all. The British National Party’s parliamentary victories are a very belated breakthrough for Fascism, for which in Britain there were few takers back in the Thirties. So what do they stand for? Well, they won’t accept blacks or Asians as members. Typical right-wing racists, eh? Also, they want protectionist laws limiting the import of foreign goods. And they favor giving workers shares in their bosses’ companies. And they want to nationalize the public utilities, railroad companies and so forth. Economic protectionism. Worker cooperatives. State ownership. Boy, these right-wing nuts with their crazy ideas on free market capitalism.”
Thatcher was unusual in that she truly was an American-style conservative who believed in individualism and free trade. That helps explain why there are no Thatchers on the horizon today.
Conversely, I’ve thought for a while now that Pat Buchanan, ironically, really is not a very “American” conservative. His world view seems much closer to BNP-type “rightism.”
The real divide isn’t between left and right (the right as defined by the left) but between statists and anti-statists.
Jul 20, 2009 - 1:19 pm 42. Mike W.:When confronted with the fruits of their hate – the recent murders of innocent churchgoers, of police officers, of a Democratic party leader, of a Holocaust Museum security guard, and of a nine year old girl shot to death by Minutemen, the right wing’s amoral reaction – absolving themselves of any responsibility while simultaneously blaming their opponents as equally guilty – is truly befitting of sociopaths.
It’s not a very far leap of logic at all to understand the current wave of political violence as being linked to the violent anti-liberal, anti-establishment, anti-minority rhetoric that currently froths from the mouths of right-wing hate talk on the radio and television.
After all, when right-wing radio hosts and GOP party leaders repeatedly demonize and urge violence against Democrats, against immigrants, and against minority groups, who can honestly be surprised when, after being constantly warned by Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck that only armed revolt will save the country from liberals, a reality-divorced right-wing conservative pulls the trigger on some hapless individual?
It’s commonly known that hate radio played a large part in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Radio Rwanda disk jockeys encouraged Hutus to ‘kill the Tutsi cockroaches’ and told people that the Tutsis were the enemy. Apparently following their lead, Glenn Beck calls the progressive movement “a cancer” that needs to be destroyed.
Clearly, right wing hate is being catered to, and fed by, right wing media and even by right-wing leaders such as Michelle Bachmann, who continues to spout baseless, X-Files-inspired conspiracy theories about FEMA concentration camps created to indefinitely detain conservatives.
Anyone can objectively look at the situation and observe that although the Conservative movement and the GOP cannot be reasonably expected to take responsibility for the violent actions of any individuals, nor police their members, it is clear that the Conservative movement and the Republican Party do have somewhat of a responsibility to the safety of this nation and its citizens, and must do the bare minimum to ensure that the hate spouted on hate radio does not become integrated into the mainstream conservative message.
However, rather than mitigate any fears, the right-wing would rather stoke flames of instability, clearly, because the right-wing and the GOP see chaos and violence as legitimate tools to undermine a Democratic administration.
Why else would the GOP and extreme right wing manufacture false rumors that President Obama would take your guns away, despite there being no evidence of this? Why else would the right-wing continue to spread false stories of concentration camps, of forced abortions, of Obama-led “brownshirts”, of eugenics, of white women having the letter B carved into their face by violent black men?
Clearly, because it is a desperate political movement, run by desperate individuals who in their desperation to reclaim political power have put party loyalty not just before, but at the expense of, the safety of American citizens. Apparently, right-wing political strategists seems to be under the impression that getting whites angry and fearful enough will compel this group to vote GOP. That it might also compel them to act violently, however, does not seem to be a concern at all.
Recently, after innocent liberals were murdered in a church by an extremist who had taken right-wing writer and frequent Bill O’Reilly guest Bernard Goldberg’s book to heart, or after a Democratic party leader was murdered in his own office by another unhinged right-wing extremist, the GOP had an extraordinary opportunity to have a discussion about hate and violence within its own ranks. Naturally, it squandered this opportunity.
Again, no one is looking for an apology. Rather, we are just hoping for some kind of statement from somebody in the Conservative leadership confirming that they truly are concerned that hyper-partisan and violent rhetoric espoused by right-wing leaders and commentators does at the very least have a destructive, coarsening impact on our political discourse and that conservative leaders ought to show some backbone in countering those within their movement who would address their liberal opponents in the same de-humanizing manner as the Hutus addressed the Tutsis.
Yet, the right wing cannot even manage to do this bare minimum, because to do so would be seen as some kind of admission of guilt or a political defeat.
Instead, rather than acknowledge that it shares any responsibility for the safety of American citizens, the right-wing, always first in line to blame the “liberal media” for the coarsening of American society, immediately claims that right-wing commentators and leaders simply cannot be expected to be held responsible for the actions of individual conservative extremists.
And then, after denying its own responsibility, the right-wing does what it always does best – falls back on predictable and pathetic arguments like the ones laid out in this crappy piece of writing: “But Hitler was a socialist” and “But liberals do it too.”
Whether or not Hitler had actual socialist inclinations could be debated indefinitely. What cannot be debated is that a nine year old girl was recently shot to death in her own home, in front of her mother, by leaders of the Minutemen, because she was Hispanic.
Obsessed with violent fantasies about armed rebellion against liberals, does the right wing simply not understand that its feverish dreams of bloodshed and destruction will inevitably result in the homicides of innocent nine-year-old children, or have they simply come to accept the proliferation of murdered little girls as an inevitable byproduct of their war against the left, minorities, gays and non-Christians?
Jul 20, 2009 - 1:25 pm 43. Saltherring:How right you are, GPCSteve @ 39. Included among the segregationalist southern Democrats was Bill Clinton mentor, former Arkansas Senator J.William Fulbright, former Tennessee Senator Al Gore Sr., who voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd, former member of the Ku Klux Klan. And Democrats still hold blacks in “slavery”, by means of failed, open-ended, government-sponsored entitlement programs. So much for enlightment….
Jul 20, 2009 - 1:33 pm 44. dan:Actually, Mike W., you are witnessing a milder, American version of the anti-Communism which gave rise to the phenomenon “fascism” right at this moment.
You demonstrated your fanaticism during the Bush years, Mike W. We were shocked. Your liberties were not threatened; you claimed Bush/Cheney would declare Empire; that we were invading Iraq for oil; and sundry other things. Day and night, incessantly. You have converted my apparently stupid friends to your cause. Therefore, now that your apotheosis has gained the White House, we cannot trust that you will be other than what you were for 8 long and miserable, America-undermining years.
Whatever comes, you cannot say you do not deserve it. I wish it were otherwise.
Jul 20, 2009 - 1:54 pm 45. ding:Mike W.:
I didn’t get past the first two paragraphs of your opus. So unpleasant you are. Cut your word count by at least two-thirds and resubmit pls.
Jul 20, 2009 - 1:59 pm 46. robotech master:To 42. Mike W.
Few problems… rush limbaugh isn’t right wing… glenn beck is . 2nd The GOP is barely more rightwing then the DNC…
Jul 20, 2009 - 2:09 pm 47. gnomepunter:@42
Posts like that are the source of the TL;DR acronym.
Jul 20, 2009 - 2:28 pm 48. tim maguire:The southern racists of Jim Crow may have been Democrats, but they were conservative. They were Democrats not because they wanted their children to be hippies dropping acid at Woodstock, but because the Republicans are the Party of Lincoln.
Timothy McVeigh was undoubtedly of the Right.
The point is not that no right-wingers are violent and calling out violent right-wingers does not undermine the point of this essay. The point is that leftists are responsible for nearly all political violence. And that is inarguably true.
Leftist violence is common, mainstream. In college, who stole the opposition’s newspapers? It was ALWAYS lefties stealing conservative ppaers. Who shouted down opposition speakers? ALWAYS lefties. Who invited opposition speakers and gave them a microphone for fair debate? ALWAYS righties.
Jul 20, 2009 - 2:54 pm 49. Moho:GCPsteve–well, I doubt the individuals in question were all Democrats, but it doesn’t make any difference to the point I was making. They certainly weren’t members of the left–how absurd. Anyone who’s going to write a history of political violence of the last century and leaves out the reign of terror by segregation supporters is simply disinterested in an honest debate. Which is not surprising, given the site the work appears on.
Jul 20, 2009 - 2:59 pm 50. robotech master:48. tim maguire
“Timothy McVeigh was undoubtedly of the Right.”
Thats not really correct… McVeigh was arguable center right but not right wing. Plus he was basically incited and had his actions approved by leftwingers who were out to exploit any acts they that he’d take.
As for southern dems being “conservative” thats a bit of a stretch… even if arguable that doesn’t make them right wing. “Conservatives” have never nor will they ever likely be rightwing.
Jul 20, 2009 - 3:04 pm 51. shau-jan:robotec master.” Right wingers view ppl as individuals which means that judging ppl as a “group” aka racism is completely opposing a right wing view.”
pretty much.
32.comedy gold….i bookmarked that one for later,after i’ve had a few cold ones.
as far as the left vs. right body count debate…..beating a dead horse.,bodies mean nothing to th left,other than having to figure out ways of disposing of large quanities of them. “the ends justify the means” mentality that permeates their thinking.forced famine,human wave attacks,gulags,concentration/re-education camps……they think too far into the future to be concerned about anyone in the present.
Jul 20, 2009 - 3:06 pm 52. Donna V.:Mike W: When Mumia murdered a cop, did any leftwingers “confront the fruits of their hate?” Of course not – they demanded that the murderer be set free.
When the Weathermen killed people (and they would have killed many more if not for their own incompetence), the Left’s response was to make heroes out of Ayers and Dohrn (a woman who openly admired Charles Manson) and to reward them with cushy jobs.
A Muslim murdered 2 soldiers the same weekend the abortion doctor was killed. Who got all the media attention?
Similiarly, we don’t hear much about the Jew who was stabbed by a Muslim in Canada a few years ago, or the Jewish girl who got a swastika carved into her in France.
Do you, as a leftist, feel personally responsible for any of those crimes? According to your logic, you should. After all, Mumia was a radical black, the Weathermen were protesting the Vietnam War, and anything Muslims do is rationalized and excused by the left.
A kook shoots people at the Holocaust Museum or kills an abortionist and all conservatives are supposed to apologize for their actions and wear sackcloth and ashes. Kooks and nuts who are either avowedly leftist or members of one of the left’s pet groups commit crimes and the left rushes to defend and excuse them.
And then moonbats accuse us of evading responsibility? Nice case of projection you got going there.
Jul 20, 2009 - 3:30 pm 53. Peter the Bubblehead:Donna @ #52:
There is only one thing the lifty liberal loons are experts at, and that is the art of projection.
I started noticing that in the months leading up to the last Presidential election. I’ve noticed it even more now that The Won and his administration are doing every one of the things the left accused Bush of planning to do for 8 years.
Jul 20, 2009 - 3:51 pm 54. Roderick Reilly:RE: Hitler was a leftist. Too late. That horse left the barn decades ago. I too have written through “clever analogy” that Hitler could be defined as a leftist, but people in general won’t buy it, and those who push that narrative too hard will sabotage their argument.
What people will buy is that totalitarianism and its stealthier cousin, authoritarianism, are what is bad. Frame it that way, and people will have as little use for Stalin and Mao as they do for Hitler.
Von Brunn, the Holocaust Museum killer, shares many of the same views as Cindy Sheehan and Michael Moore, but neither of the latter would gun down a security guard. But Von Brunn has no affinity for, nor any use for genuine conservatives and libertarians. Also, the radical right that Von Brunn belongs to is not even in the same room as, say, conservative Republicans, libertarians, or even Pat Buchanan. The Von Brunns, the Klansmen, and the neo-nazis, etc., are shunned by the general American right. Over on the Democratic side of the divide, on the other hand, the equivalent of the radical right fringe ARE in the same room as their less radical cousins. They may be in the shadows and along the back wall, but they are allowed to be present and to have influence in the modern left’s affairs that is not true for pathetic dregs like Von Brunn. Can you say Bill Ayers, Bernadine Dohrn, Jeremiah Wright, Father Flegle, or Code Pink, and assorted other creepy lunatics? If you think those people really are “shunned,” or “under the bus,” then I can graft a pair of wings on a pig and make it fly.
Jul 20, 2009 - 5:04 pm 55. Sandra:@Broadsword
Jul 20, 2009 - 5:39 pm 56. Stephen Brady:Oh come on, you know the truth about this Broadsword. It’s not that someone was murdered that they are angry about, it’s who decided the murder. Maybe if this was a lefty nut job or a gang banger illegal alien that killed him for street cred we wouldn’t hear about it.
@Broadsword
“It continues to puzzle me why the abortionistas were so upset about Tillers murder. After all, if one likes abortion, what’s wrong with murder?”
For the same reason that you should be against abortion … it is murder.
I much prefer that Mr. Tiller would be put in front of a court and tried for Crimes against Humanity, than shot by a vigilante.
Jul 20, 2009 - 6:06 pm 57. Frank:#3: David S:
You claim it’s bullshit that Hitler was a leftist… Ok, so define “right wing” and then explain how Hitler fits that definition.
You won’t do it. Nor will any other leftist. Because if they actually define their terms, their bullshit memes fall to pieces
Jul 20, 2009 - 6:06 pm 58. blotto:MikeW: “When confronted with the fruits of their hate – the recent murders of innocent churchgoers, of police officers, of a Democratic party leader, of a Holocaust Museum security guard, and of a nine year old girl shot to death by Minutemen…” 1. A stretch to lable him as right only because the UU church is so far left, but I’ll begrudingly give it to you 2. Huh??? 3. Still unknown as to the motives of this murder. 4. definitely not true that he was right wing. and 5. of the news clips I’ve read it seems more like a drug crime less than an hate crime. being mexican seems to have had little to do with it. I think DonnaV clearly crushed your attempt at debate.
The rest of your diatribe is ususal left wing hyperbole. It is useless to refute any of it. I only wanted to out your lies of the killings. I suspect the rest is also just your fanatical, irrational imagination at work.
And using Mussolini as a source is really a stretch. You can continue to belong to the aluminum hat club, but it is obvious that to debate you is useless. I hope Kos pays you enough.
Jul 20, 2009 - 6:44 pm 59. robotech master:To 57. Frank
Pretty much… leftist run themselves in such a center and either paint everyone far right because “True socialism aka true communism aka can only happen in a world where a perpetual motion exists” run into the problem that either their massive ignorant of history and thus have false beliefs about what hitler, stalin, insert any other leftist stood for… and thus get slapped around. Or they pull the super detail nitpick where “the” doesn’t mean “the” and “is” doesn’t mean “is” BS.
David S little link tries to play that game and you can just smell the BS before you even first the first 3 lines. Its a complete running contradiction of history and itself.
Jul 20, 2009 - 8:06 pm 60. Class Clown:For years, I’ve had a little phrase I try to implant in students’ minds. “Don’t let the vocabulary do your thinking for you”.
“Right” and “Left”, used as labels (by Mussolini or anyone else), are virtually meaningless. They can be so bent and twisted that they lose all meaning. And yet the words get thrown out, and foolish people let the vocabulary do the thinking for them.
However, oppression and tyranny are real. The oppressors and tyrants of the twentieth century all had at least the following in common: forced collectivism, centralization, an obsession with class, a police state, and atheism (or at least a contempt for religion, combined with a willingness to co-opt it for the use of the state).
Now, can anyone see, in the world today, a political philosophy based on collectivism, centralization, class warfare, etc.?
That would be the “Left”. That is why they are scary.
Jul 20, 2009 - 8:16 pm 61. paul_unalaska:DavidS, you HAVE to be a Sociology major. You’re throwing out right wing definitions as described by.. Mussolini! It makes sense. Seeing as how Teleprompter Guy and Mussolini have similar ‘looking down their nose at the plebs’ when speaking.
Cut the ponytail, quit the coffee shop and find a more worthwhile path. Ward Churchill and his ilk are phonies. Kind of what you’re striving to be.
Also, I always enjoy your ‘points’ regarding ‘galvanize another generation of women and physicians to protect women’s reproductive health’.
A ‘women’s reproductive health’. I’m not pro life, for there are circumstances I believe that warrant a person’s choice, but ‘reproductive health’?
How many women succumb to death when delivering compared to those who survive? I bet the percentage is nearly as low a percentage as all gunfire rounds shot across the country, with no one being injured/ killed to that of the few idiots who hadn’t properly stored their firearm and an accident is the result.
That’s my ‘meme.’
Jul 20, 2009 - 8:55 pm 62. Anonymous:Wow. It looks like the hard left is still dropping acid after all these years.
They are no closer to being reality-based than a bad trip.
Jul 20, 2009 - 9:08 pm 63. WhyamInotsurprised?:#7 Broadsword – I think they don’t like it because then it would be “late term abortion” instead of murder and then the tables might turn on “them.” That they just might not like so much! ha ha
Jul 20, 2009 - 9:34 pm 64. WhyamInotsurprised?:#26 David S – you quote Mussolini to us as a primary source? What a dufus!
Jul 20, 2009 - 9:37 pm 65. WhyamInotsurprised?:#40 MOHO – “I think, therefore I exist.” Betty Blue is stupid according to you. But she thinks. You obviously can’t think, therefore you must not exist. poof! only a nasty smell remains …
Jul 20, 2009 - 9:43 pm 66. BettyBlue:Heh, heh, heh. . . when he can’t refute something, Moho just calls names.
And, no, he obviously can’t think.
Jul 21, 2009 - 7:40 am 67. TMLutas:German naziism’s economics was so bad that a scapegoat had to be found, dehumanized, and killed in mass numbers. Soviet communism’s economics was so bad that a scapegoat had to be found, dehumanized, and killed in mass numbers.
Fascism did not, in any real economic sense, work. It sold off assets (Germany’s gold reserves), robbed peter to pay paul, and then turned to stealing from the jews and others whom they labeled scapegoats. Soviet communism was a bit more flexible, being willing to compromise ideologically (see war communism’s 1917-1918 performance versus the NEP of 1918-1921) in a cynical relabeling of what true communism is. But even the NEP failed. It just failed slower and thus the need to find more and more class enemies throughout Stalin’s reign. His successors lost their stomach for mass killing on Stalin’s scale but never solved the economic problem which is why they were still imprisoning and confiscating goods into Gorbachev’s time.
Totalitarian poor economics leads to scapegoats being selected, killed, and their goods seized to cover up the failures of the system. In this Naziism and Communism are very similar. Hitler was a leftist.
Jul 21, 2009 - 8:55 am 68. Carolynp:This was a great article. Nicely written. I’m amused that so many on the left have really forgotten that segregation was a Democrat party center piece. I’m equally amused to see how you have someone on the left actually suggesting that the Rwanda massacre was somehow caused by talk radio. Have you really forgotten that your party via Madeline Albright directed UN soldiers to hand people over to be slaughtered? Trust me, the Rwandans haven’t. I need to look into this. I have to truly think about “right” violence, but I can’t think of anything off hand. Perhaps the unibomber?
Jul 21, 2009 - 10:20 am 69. Middleman:I suspect the people who claim Hitler was a leftist are the same people who believe Obama is hiding his birth certificate because he’s really a communist reptilian from Planet X.
Jul 21, 2009 - 11:17 am 70. shau-jan:This is nothing more but a political game of 3-three card monte they are trying to play where they always win and you always lose.
Fortunately, history speaks for itself and the ties even up today between far-right groups and neo-nazis are undisputable. To top it off, in my opinion the threat of Christian dominionists is just as large as the Islamic threat.
Enough with the revisionist smokescreen. Some hayseed from sticks may buy it, but most people see through it.
69.middleman.”I suspect the people who claim Hitler was a leftist are the same people who believe Obama is hiding his birth certificate because he’s really a communist reptilian from Planet X.”
okay professer,why don’t you just read his book?
http://www.amazon.com/Mein-Kampf-Adolf-Hitler/dp/0395925037/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248202949&sr=8-1
…..unless it is just another example of one of the many clever ruses perpetrated by the evil JUICE!
“the ties even up today between far-right groups and neo-nazis are undisputable.”
do you know the ideological differences between nazis and “neo-nazis”?night and day.
“my opinion the threat of Christian dominionists is just as large as the Islamic threat.”
congratulations,you are on the same intellectual level as rosie o’donnell….are you a troofer’,too?
Jul 21, 2009 - 12:23 pm 71. shau-jan:68.carolynp.”Perhaps the unibomber?”
he was an anti-technology/capitalism/globalism,eco-nut.with the unibomber,mcveigh..all of those loner nutcases,i don’t think ideology matters at that point.they are insane and looking for any rational to lash out.
Jul 21, 2009 - 12:34 pm 72. Middleman:#70,
Please enlighten me on the difference between nazis and neo-nazis? Are you trying to imply that neo-nazis are misunderstood? The poor little creatures.
Nope, I’m not a troofer, I just live in the Bible Belt and here the talk straight from the horse’s mouth and it typically is anything but democratic.
Jul 21, 2009 - 2:04 pm 73. shau-jan:72 google and 30 min of you’re time will “enlighten” you(i like to discuss nazis about as much as i like talking about abortion).
Jul 21, 2009 - 4:25 pm 74. shau-jan:i cannot disagree with your second point,any religion that espouses an apocolyptic ideology is unnerving.the problem with your earlier statement equating the two(radical islam/ christian fundamentalism?)is that all the christians i know are very charitable and try to maintain a positive roll in the community.i guess they’re just too durned busy do-gooding to mutilate women and blow up children.
52.donna v.this guy deserves a medal.tookie williams vigal:
http://www.zombietime.com/tookie/sarcasmdude.mov
Jul 21, 2009 - 4:43 pm 75. Moho:Shau Jan…
“i guess they’re just too durned busy do-gooding to mutilate women and blow up children.”
Two words: Northern Ireland.
Jul 21, 2009 - 7:41 pm 76. donttreadonme:…AAANNNNDDDDD in the red corner we have the Right Wing Nut kook jobs, the pro-lifers, the ex-military jaded isolationists….
Jul 22, 2009 - 6:23 am 77. Michael:….ANNNDDDD in the blue corner we present the MAoists, the Leninists, the Communists, The Socialists, the Trotskyists, the Janet Renoists….
DING DING DING
Mao 30,000,000 dead, Hitler 9,000,000 dead, Stalin, 22,000,000 murdered, Reno 100 killed..
McVeigh 350 dead, misc abortion doctor snipes 13, abortion center bombings 6, border defense senseless murders 3….
ANNDDD the WINNER and STILL CHAMPION of the Political BAsed Genocide is the LEFT WING!!!!!! Yippeee….
It all comes down to conservatives equal individual freedom and liberals equal forced collectivism. Noitce the term “forced”.
Jul 22, 2009 - 8:54 am 78. wayne r welsh:Violance by the left (the liberals) is all by ignored by the goverment run( or state run) media, even when they do have to report about it, they (the liberals and their buddies in media) try to make excuses for it, and quickly move on to the next story. In terms of violance (over 50 million dead, add up the above numbers from donttreadonme, which do not include the numbers of unborn children murdered from abortion) and intimidation (do we all remember the black panthers at the polling place last november with billy clubs as a example) the liberals and the left are the clear winners.
Jul 22, 2009 - 7:33 pm 79. beast dog:One of many things about the left (liberals) to remember is to them the ends justify the means, in other words do what ever it takes including mass muders and other violance to acomplish their goal: forced collectivism and a socialist utopia ( but like in the book animal farm, some animals will be more eqaul than others). Today to support the Deceration of Indpendance, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, God, Jesus, guns, the unborn, our war heros, liberty, freedom, terditional marriage all the things that made this country great some how makes one a extremist and also to the eyes of liberals and the left makes one a dangerous threat.
Jul 22, 2009 - 8:12 pm 80. Jones:how does an article like this not even mention the name ‘timothy mcveigh’?
Jul 23, 2009 - 3:40 pm 81. Mark:Cheese and rice. McVeigh was a liberal? Bush and his violence on Iraq was a liberal idea? The abortion Doctor murderers were liberals? Stalin was a liberal? Mao was a liberal? Hitler, for gods sake, was a liberal? The Catholic Church is a liberal institution? Good golly, you’re nuts!
Sep 23, 2009 - 11:07 am 82. John:The first thing the fascists and communists do when they take over is take over the media and get rid of private gun ownership. Which side wants to do that (Fairness doctrine)
Sep 23, 2009 - 12:00 pm