About Us
Mission Statement
Rules of Conduct
 
Name:
Pswd:
Remember Me
Register
 

Where were they?
Author: BobR    Date: 08/14/2009 12:34:10

The right-wing has been getting a lot of press lately for their protests. It seems that every time you turn around, they're having a tea party, or disrupting a town hall meeting. There's going to be a large shindig right here in Atlanta on Saturday. Don't these people ever work? More importantly though - where the hell have they been for the past 8 years?

They complain that the budget deficit is too high and that government spending is out of control. Have they seen this chart? Budget deficits were really only going down under Clinton (and they'll never give him credit for it). They've been skyrocketing the last 8 years, and that's with Bush not including the Iraq war spending in the budget. Why weren't they protesting against the war in Iraq, considering we've spent close to 700 Billion dollars there so far?

They complain that taxes are too high. Yet for most of these people, their income taxes have actually been going down. Why weren't they complaining during Reagan, Bush I or Bush II?

They complain that the new health care bill will allow the government to collect information on them, or that the Obama Administration is compiling an "enemies list" based on emails they receive (both untrue). Where were they the last 8 years when the Bush Administration broke wiretapping laws and began automatically parsing data and voice streams? Oh yeah - they said "I have nothing to hide".

They complain that their civil liberties are being curtailed. Which ones? And where were they the last eight years when the Bush Administration wiped their collective asses with the Constitution's Bill of Rights? (except for the 2nd Amendment, of course).

They say their voices are being stifled at town hall meetings because they're not being allowed inside or not allowed to carry signs. Where were they the last 8 years when people wearing the wrong T-shirt were not allowed inside a Republican event? Why weren't they complaining about the "Free Speech Zones" set up at the conventions? Why weren't they complaining about people being swept off to jail simply for protesting?

They complain that a health care bill public option is "socialism", yet many of these people are on Medicare, or enjoy the benefits of socialized police and fire services.

Most recently, the cries of "socialism" have changed to "Nazism", along with comparisons of Obama to Hitler. How they've come to that conclusion is beyond even my ability to get inside their heads. Perhaps they don't really understand the basic tenets of Nazism. Perhaps they don't understand the absurdity of applying that epithet to a mixed race person. Most likely, though, is that it makes it easier to destroy someone if at first you find a reason to hate and dehumanize them. That's what makes this last development particularly dangerous.

I suppose that answers the questions though. None of these complaints that they raise should be taken at face value. They are using projection to attach labels that apply more to themselves in an effort to discredit this president and those that support him. These are the actions of a small minority that is lashing out in fear and hatred of a popular president with different ideologies and different skin color.

It's hypocritical and disingenuous. It's also disturbing because this is mostly being driven by the right-wing media (talk radio and FAUX News). Students of history will remember how effective that was in Germany and Rwanda. Here's hoping the average American is more discerning, and that future historians won't look back, wondering about all the sensible people in the country and ask "where were they?"


 

50 comments (Latest Comment: 08/14/2009 22:28:58 by livingonli)
   Perma Link

Share This!

Furl it!
Spurl
NewsVine
Reddit
Technorati