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roachboy · 08-10-2006, 07:35 AM

we used to call this kind of thing "redbaiting"....now it is just a routine aspect of conservative political discourse--galvinize support amongst the rightwing extremist base by (1) erasing markers that would position extreme right politics as anything other than normal and (2) labelling political threats "extreme left"--this is not about describing the world, this is about conservative politics and its use of distortion of position to legitimate itself.

presumably newspaper editorial functionaries who themselves supported bushwar in iraq imagine that the writing is on the wall for them as well--so perhaps there is a level of self-defense that motivates their appropriation of the map of the political world according to karl rove.
perhaps the extensive use of the net to mobilize voters in ct represents a real threat to the talking heads on television and the editorial functionaries in newspapers, which they respond to by appropriating the map of the political world according to karl rove.
either way, this is straight up far right political gamesmanship that is being repeated as if it was not a problem.

conservative hysteria is just beginning around this one.
by november they will be exploring vast new frontiers in hysterical redbaiting.

on the other hand, it is doubtful that the administration's proposed changes to war crimes and their definition will pass by november--so maybe the administration is really worried about the possibility that they could be hoisted by their own bankrupt policies if they loose control of congress in november.
and hysteria is the right's strongest weapon.

08-10-2006, 07:35 AM	#2 (permalink)
roachboy Super Moderator Location: essex ma	we used to call this kind of thing "redbaiting"....now it is just a routine aspect of conservative political discourse--galvinize support amongst the rightwing extremist base by (1) erasing markers that would position extreme right politics as anything other than normal and (2) labelling political threats "extreme left"--this is not about describing the world, this is about conservative politics and its use of distortion of position to legitimate itself. presumably newspaper editorial functionaries who themselves supported bushwar in iraq imagine that the writing is on the wall for them as well--so perhaps there is a level of self-defense that motivates their appropriation of the map of the political world according to karl rove. perhaps the extensive use of the net to mobilize voters in ct represents a real threat to the talking heads on television and the editorial functionaries in newspapers, which they respond to by appropriating the map of the political world according to karl rove. either way, this is straight up far right political gamesmanship that is being repeated as if it was not a problem. conservative hysteria is just beginning around this one. by november they will be exploring vast new frontiers in hysterical redbaiting. on the other hand, it is doubtful that the administration's proposed changes to war crimes and their definition will pass by november--so maybe the administration is really worried about the possibility that they could be hoisted by their own bankrupt policies if they loose control of congress in november. and hysteria is the right's strongest weapon. __________________ a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear it make you sick. -kamau brathwaite Last edited by roachboy; 08-10-2006 at 07:37 AM..