Monday, January 18, 2010
Know-Nothings Redux
The elevation of Miss Sarah to analyst at Faux News has me thinking about the old Know-Nothing party of the 19th Century. An anti-immigrant, nativist movement, it raised questions about who was (the descendants of English immigrants) and wasn't (Irish and German immigrants) a Real American.Such movements play best to the most ignorant Americans. Identify them as the real thing, cast aspersions on everybody else, and you have the worst of the grass roots movements.
Faux News has been created on the mass consumption model, the Twinkie version of the
truth. You remember Twinkies: they were used as the keystone of the defense of the late San Francisco supervisor Dan White, who murdered Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk in the late 70s. White had been consuming vast amounts of junk food, and therefore was not responsible for his actions when he gunned the two down in City Hall. He got off with involuntary manslaughter, only to commit suicide after getting out of prison, since his problems weren't eliminated with the death of his rivals.So junk food and the culture it symbolizes functions in the political arena today, and Faux News is its greatest disseminator. Masked as a news organization, its Fair and Balanced: You Decide motto (you could never accurately call it a mission statement) dishes up vast amounts of untruth by showmen and bimbos masked as analysts who work under the adage, say
something often enough and it becomes the truth.The satanic spawn of Karl Rove.
As a retired schoolmarm, I can't help but wish that education were the answer to Faux News. There are many states that don't require knowledge of the Constitution as a high school graduation requirement. That's why it's so easy for LaSarah to pretend that her Rogue campaign is in its defense. I've seen Sarah-fans mouth their enthusiasm for her in terms of Getting Back to the Constitution, and I know full well that they haven't the faintest idea of what's in that venerable document. And I know that even some of the students who did squeak through a civics class didn't emerge with a strong foundation in the daily ins and outs of what the Constitution means.
One of my frustrations with the current political scene is that the liars seem to be the only ones who have adopted an education function, or in their case, a mis-education role. What Democrats need to do is to stop cowering in the halls of Congress and to get out and work with the young who were so inspired by Obama's candidacy. They showed up to vote; now they need to be given information and access to the ideals for which their candidate stood.I could criticize Obama for not stepping further into his professorial role, but his plate does seem full, both with what Bush&Co. left behind and what he has both wisely and foolishly appropriated for himself.
Till somebody hears the call and picks up the task, the Twinkie-Winkies have the floor.
# posted by Lulu Maude @ 9:07 AM 
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Welcome back, cutie!
If you drop in on the Hysterical Raisins blog, Nonnie has a transcript of the interview with Beck and Palin.
Palin's syntax is unbefreakinlievable! I think she has some kind of learning disorder.
For reals.
If you drop in on the Hysterical Raisins blog, Nonnie has a transcript of the interview with Beck and Palin.
Palin's syntax is unbefreakinlievable! I think she has some kind of learning disorder.
For reals.
I was just reading the ACLU newsletter.... honestly- they have really been doing the heavy lifting in terms of investigative reporting.
While these jokers talk about "real america", the ACLU uncovered Abu Ghraib & other torture practices, immigrant deportation practices that resulted in deaths, extreme anti terrorism laws & how they impact innocent American Muslims.
They have disclosed government misconduct, and abuse of power.
I wish the Faux snooze channel had an embedded bull-shit-o-meter so when the lies flow, at least viewers would have a heads up.
While these jokers talk about "real america", the ACLU uncovered Abu Ghraib & other torture practices, immigrant deportation practices that resulted in deaths, extreme anti terrorism laws & how they impact innocent American Muslims.
They have disclosed government misconduct, and abuse of power.
I wish the Faux snooze channel had an embedded bull-shit-o-meter so when the lies flow, at least viewers would have a heads up.
A bull-shit-o-meter! What a great idea! The needle would break from over-twitch in about a day and a half.
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