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Hate Sells
Author: BobR    Date: 08/20/2010 10:17:13

What happens when hate substitutes for critical thinking? What happens when lies and propaganda substitute for news? What happens when politicians, pundits, and profit-driven media organizations join forces to gain political and financial strength? The result is a populace increasingly anxious and confused over things that not only aren't important, they're not even true. The end result is America 2010.

It's not that there aren't important stories out there to garner our attention. Pakistan has experienced some of the worst flooding in its history, with over 250 square miles of land still under water. Millions of people are affected in an area that's already had to deal with the effects of the war in Afghanistan.

There's also that minor story about the last US combat troops leaving Iraq. At least you'd think it was a minor story, considering that FAUX News spent only 10 minutes on it (CNN and MSNBC devoted entire hours). They felt it was MUCH more important to pump up the non-news NYC Mosque controversy by talking about it for 45 minutes instead. This story continues to bring out the worst in people. For example:

Rudy Guiliani is opening his irrelevant mouth again and proclaiming that only a "warrior imam" would want a mosque near Ground Zero. I guess he didn't get the memo that the imam is strongly anti-terrorist, and this community center is part of his vision to help with that. Then there's professional douchebag Dick Morris saying the center will "train and recruit" future terrorists. Of course - he's basing that on the noise he pulls out of his ass. Who needs research or facts?

This non-stop anti-muslim rhetoric revolving around this community center has created some side-show ugliness as well. First, there's the retarded notion that the President is muslim. Sadly, that's believed to be true by nearly 20% of the country (check the link for other urban myths). Even worse is the Dove World Outreach Center (an ostensibly Christian church in Florida) that is planning an International Burn A Koran Day party on September 11. The city council sensibly denied them a permit, but they are doing it anyway. It's the Christian thing to do, dontcha know? Jesus would totally be behind them on this one...

Ultimately, though, the area around the former WTC site is in NYC, and belongs to NY. The people that actually live and work there (and the families of those that actually lived and worked at the WTC) are the only ones whose opinions actually matter. What do they think?

They think everyone that doesn't live there should shut the hell up. Even Republican Peter King (who opposes the center) thinks the rhetoric is way out of line. Most people that live there, though, understand NYC's live-and-let-live approach to diversity, because the city is so compressed. Hate based on religious differences just doesn't work there. As NY State Rep Jerry Nadler succinctly points out: "It's only a slap in the face if you think that the people in the congregation are responsible for al-Qaeda."

Sadly, that's a story that doesn't fit the narrative that FAUX News and the Republicans are trying sell.

 

44 comments (Latest Comment: 08/20/2010 19:37:54 by Mondobubba)
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