Okay, so I'm not the best diarist, but I do try to pay attention to what is going on and speak intelligently about it. I certainly enjoy writing, and this is one of those instances where I have to say what's on my mind because I really think we as liberals could be doing more about the growing lunacy.
So as the conservative alternative reality continues to surface, I feel it would be wise to not let them get carried away with their misconceptions. It seems to me that this kind of mania precludes heinous acts by a small group of people seeking the maximum possible impact. And without our help, I sincerely doubt their mental capacity to "snap out of it."
I mean, this is seriously starting to get out of hand. After 8 years of doing as they please and fucking it all up royally, they come back with more of the fear game. You know what? It's time for simple answers for simple minds. Otherwise, and mark my word, the right will rev their fear engine so far into the red that the results will be just as bad or perhaps worse than any national disaster we have faced in the past.
I too look at most of these stories in disbelief, and think that no one could possibly be taking the blowhards seriously. But there is a big part of me that tells me to be more cautious of what is going on before it comes to a head. I know we have plenty of more important issues to discuss, and we feel like taking any time at all to rebut such nonsense is a waste. So if nothing else, look at what I'm saying like this: why allow them to put this poison out there uncontested when we should be countering, and thus disarming or maybe even recruiting the minds that they hope to reach?
All the wingnuts have left for us is the fear game, and we need to resume blowing massive holes in their logic. I see a bit of complacency on our side recently, almost as if many of us have decided that no one is paying attention to the hogwash and has moved on to more important issues like we have here on the Kos. We practically assume everyone shrugs off right wing lunacy just like we do. I believe that we could not be more wrong to think that way. We didn't win an election because of some media bias or because we rigged the election. We won because the nation is exhausted from fear mongering and hate. We won because we recruited in places we were weak. We won because we saw the nation coming unglued at one of the most important chapters in US History.
I also strongly believe that in order to shut conservatives up, you really do have to stoop to their level. Now, I know what you're thinking, and I'm not talking about fabricating events or scenarios, acting like fourth graders (with the grammatical skill of a second grader), or breaking out bibles or anything like that. What I mean is that we need to condense our message down to rapid fire responses that stonewall their efforts to typecast things they don't understand. Not necessarily a talking point, but more like a conversation ender.
Take for example the conservative insistence that Diplomacy can't solve problems. Typically, our arguments on this (and other issues) tend to be long winded. A republican won't listen beyond the first few words you say, let alone listen to an entire diatribe of how diplomacy saves lives and money. So why over-explain this concept in public discourse at all? Simply say, "Diplomacy cost less than war." Did you see that? 5 small words that deliver a BIG impact. You can repeat it over and over again until your opponent realizes that he/she can no longer change the subject. It even fits on a bumper sticker. Another good one comes to mind: "How is banning Gay Marriage freedom?" Six words that make you stop and think...
I've always felt that this is what is lacking on the response to irresponsible accusations from the right. Make the retort short, sweet, and to the point, and you will do much more damage. This also helps to recruit new Democrats as well. Sure you can argue that we have a healthy advantage among the youth, but every little bit counts.
Now is not the time to sit back because now that we are in power, now is the time to show the world what it means to be liberal in the United States. Our message hasn't reached the full potency because we aren't making it unquestionably clear what we are all about as a culture, philosophy, and as a political philosophy. We need to show the world that liberals in the US know the importance of tolerating our individual differences, and that we respect individuals rights. And we should let there be no doubt that we are thoroughbred Americans to the core. And at the same time, we need to point out the growing disrespect of a party that has to routinely cheat, steal, and lie it's way back to power.
The media understandably plays a role in all of this, as some of this reporting is as irresponsible as the wingnuts making the comments. But we can't just lay blame and then walk away either. At some point we have to get in their faces and let them know just how wrong they are, regardless of how trivial we think the issues are. I can't stress the importance of this enough, because regardless of how you feel about it, the media is reaching people that feel like the wingnuts do, and fear and hate will ultimately lead to action like it did on 9/11 or for Dr. George Tiller.
Republicans have made it clear that they refuse to respect the democratic process, which by default is to disrespect the American People. They don't respect human rights. They don't respect civil liberty or individual rights to freedom at all. They feel this current disrespect is justified by our outrage over the last 6 years. We didn't disrespect George Bush on or after 9/11. We disrespected him after he sold us another war and we found out that the evidence was fabricated. We disrespected him after he sent our forces out to make the ultimate sacrifice with inadequate armor and no exit strategy. In other words, we gave George Bush a chance to fail before we began the dissent that they are prematurely trying to repay to us.
What it really comes down to is that this is the same feedback loop of fear and hate that we saw in the campaigns. The wingnuts get so fixated on an idea that they begin to draw conclusions based on what they hear, no matter how sensational the stories may be. It doesn't matter if we are listening to the stories or not. They will work themselves into a state of panic, and rest assured, a few irrational people will begin to take action based on fabricated information and unfounded beliefs. To let it go on unchallenged is to be just as irresponsible as those who publish this garbage in the first place. As much as it leaves a bitter taste in our mouths, we have to collectively rise up and put an end to this nonsense once and for all. Otherwise, they will continue this behavior to the point of ruin. And they will probably ruin a lot more than their own party in the process...