Comments on: DISSENT IN THE AGE OF OBAMA

By: Bill

Bill — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:50:54 +0000

As a democrat (i.e. an atheist, socialist, America hating, terrorist sympathizer with a religion that you don’t like) it’s fairly bizarre to see the flag waving, my-country-right-or-wrong conservatives suddenly crying the world’s ending because their candidate didn’t win. Suddenly it’s not “my country right or wrong” anymore. No, now they’re the embattled freedom fighters. Fighting to make sure that the next presidential is even more about God, guns and gays than this one.
Please.
Keep it up guys, and thanks for ensuring that Obama is re-elected in 4 years.

By: Absolute

Absolute — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:41:36 +0000

If one feeds at the well of madeness and ignorance, the results would be similar to the rantings I find on this website. The comments section in particular.

Willful ignorant hatred. Bigots and pseudo-intellectuals. And nothing anyone can say will cause a single one of you to stop and re-consider your perspective or view-point. Not a single one of the comments on this page hint at anything other than absolute knowledge of the world and all that inhabits it.

Who here can recognize that knowing it all prevents learning anything new?

For one, I still have hope for The United States Of America. And all of the dumb fucks that inhabit them. May we all learn and grow regardless of who the president is.

Who’s the bigot? The one who points out bigotry or the one who attempts to close off debate by ascribing racism and anti-intellectualism to his opponents? You simply don’t want to have your world view challenged at all do you? At the first sign that anyone challenges you to think independently and not spout talking points, you run to mama and bawl about the “racists” who disagree with you.

You have a problem bud. Not us.

ed.

By: emgersh

emgersh — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 07:34:32 +0000

So much to go into, Rick. I’m only going to address one thing. . . your contention that Obama himself will be tempted to use race to quell criticism of his administration. I think you only need to look at how he ran his campaign and all his statements during that time to know that he will not succumb to such a “temptation.” He has studiously avoided dragging race into the campaign even when directly confronted with attempts by others to do exactly that.

Let’s all leave the lunatic fringe on both sides of the divide to their ranting and raving and try to move on to a rational discussion about where to go from here.

By: Istanbruce

Istanbruce — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:17:33 +0000

Your response to #17 is a parody right? The guy (probably wrongly) criticizes Israel and you bring up anti-semitism!? No, you didn’t call him that but you brought it into the discussion. See how easy it is? And you’re smart enough to know that only morons believe the Bush conspiracy theories. (His reality was bad enough for most of us) I thought you wanted to keep the idiots on both sides out of the blog? I’ve been reading this blog for about six months and while you usually keep to the clear-thinking high road, you do have a tendency to dip down into the swamp occasionally. As you do here. Racism in Amerika is a horrible, painful part of our entire history, (yes, it continues despite Obama) and if people get a little crazy behind it, well you and I haven’t walked in those shoes. It’s a truly astounding moment in our history and there’s no precedent for it. Read the article in the Times about threats to Obama and think about all the racists that are still among us. How many racists are crying PC victimization right now? How many racists are hiding behind “it’s his policies” I object to? Over-reaction is going to be with us for a long time, just as racism is. Finally, while I think PC speak is sometimes silly, frightening, overbearing, and self-righteous, and I’ve been a “victim” of some of it’s mindless proponents, I must admit that without it for the last twenty years, Obama would probably not have won this election. Finally, PLEASE don’t equate lefties with VF! Most of us are embarrassed by things like this.

By: Kwach

Kwach — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:20:36 +0000

“it might be nice to get an apology from those on the left who advanced this preposterous idea.”

We’ll apologize for our preposerous ideas when you do. Since you have more of them to apologize for, why don’t you go first?

By: mimi k

mimi k — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:59:16 +0000

Wrong, DrKrbyLuv.

Bush NEVER governed with tyranny. His mistake was to be bipartisan and allow the Democrat party’s creepy and idiotic ideas have their way in forming unworkable welfare-type programs(Kennedy’s ridiculous education plan and example).

He should have kicked the Clinton left-behinds out the door the minute he took office.

People like you couldn’t recognize a dictator. And there is a clear possibility in the next decade we will have a dictatorship, or we will be well into socialism.

As much as I resent Bush for falling down in his last years in office. I am very aware that people who talk and think like you are the most destructive to this country — what’s left of it.

The Democrat party in charge of the economy or anything to do with the country’s security or sovereignty is a death knell.

And we’ll see how “transparent” the Obama administration will be. But then the media and the Democrat party are one in the same, so who will know the difference.

By: DrKrbyLuv

DrKrbyLuv — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:32:17 +0000

Rick,

Bush has indeed acted as more of a dictator than a president. Consider that since 911, the US has been under an official emergency status that delegates special powers to the president. Since that time, he and his administration have bombed Pakistan and Syria. And, his administration, along with Israel, armed and orchestrated the Georgian attack on South Ossetia. This attack outraged Russia and returned our nation to cold war status.

Bush has ignored the constitution in establishing special and unusual powers of the treasury department - all without over-sight and transparency.

Bush has bankrupted this country through his tyranny.

“…his administration, along with Israel, armed and orchestrated the Georgian attack on South Ossetia…”

You haven’t a shred of proof for that. Not one iota. That sounds like an anti-Semites fantasy.

As for the rest, give it up, willya? You really don’t realize that by making light of dictatorship that you are insulting people who really do live under tyranny, do you? Jesus Lord by your standards, Sweden is a fucking dictatorship.

Get your head out of your ass.

ed.

By: Ed Heath

Ed Heath — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:56:09 +0000

Well, I will just say to your first point, about liberals fears that George W Bush would proclaim himself President for Life, there was a fair amount of talk, prior to 2006, of a “permanent Republican majority”. Liberals weren’t sure what that meant, but it sounded like one party rule for the foreseeable future. But the Republicans (who only had a majority in Congress as well as the White House for four years, from 2003-2007) squandered the opportunity by behaving like politicians, and recklessly spending, cutting taxes, borrowing and not doing any regulating with regard to non-bank mortgage providers and the housing bubble. I know there were some warnings (from both sides) and at least one piece of legislation, but it all appeared to be cosmetic, to me. Certainly nothing in this regard was accomplished.

Which brings us to dissent. If the Republicans can do more than threaten filibusters in the Senate, if they can offer real, market driven (but not relying solely on the market) solutions, they may gain some popularity back. If the Republicans admit that health care is a real issue, and find real criticisms of Obama’s proposed health care plan, such as that it doesn’t do enough to keep price increases in check or something, and the Republicans offer some counter plans that do keep price increases in check, then they will remain relevant. But if the Republicans just want to be obstructionist, and maybe encourage some KKK, neo-Nazi and cross burning activities, then the American people will continue to be disenchanted with politics, and Ralph Nader might finally be our President in 2012.

By: Postagoras

Postagoras — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:46:37 +0000

Yes, an “unhinged variety of dissent against Bush was practiced by a very vocal minority of liberals during the Bush presidency,” including “some very prominent lefties.”

And no doubt a vocal minority of conservatives will have Obama Derangement Syndrome.

And no doubt lefty knuckledraggers will call any dissent racism, as right-wing knuckledraggers called any dissent anti-patriotism.

But this kind of extreme dissent and labelling are done by vocal minorities on both sides.

Thoughtful, tough dissent, as practised by your blog and many conservative and liberal blogs, is widespread and a sign of a healthy society.

By: still liberal

still liberal — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:35:54 +0000

What one can see in Rick’s writings and most thoughtful conservatives is not racism. I do see objections to the policies of some on the left in addressing racial injustice. Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton have often pressured companies to benefit their race based organizations. Quotas based on race are another issue I see conservatives disagreeing with, These are based in political philosophy, not racism. Obama is the post-racial President or so I heard from the man himself. His election moves us to a new level, I have heard. Let’s base arguments on the merits of the argument, not on BS racial suppositions.