Monday, November 17, 2014

Speaking for ????

One of the neatest tricks of the Right is picking some obscure person and making them the spokesperson for all Democrats and liberals. Back in 2001, it was Ward Churchill--a college professor who was otherwise unknown, but mentioned that maybe U.S. foreign policy played some minor role in foreigners hating us. That sentiment was instantly attributed to every Democrat. Since then, it's been a non-stop parade of non-entities being elevated by the Right as spokespersons for the Left.


So we're stuck in this wildly unbalanced world. Obscure personalities who voice their own personal opinions are proclaimed to be speaking for all liberals. Yet, we have people on the Right who are actual spokespeople for the Right--Rush Limbaugh, John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, Reince Preibus, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, ad nauseum--who make the most outrageous statements (and can follow through with real actions) and their words are somehow NOT indicative of how all conservatives feel or think.


Part of this is due to the power of the Rightwing Wurlitzer. But there's more to it than that. The complete lack of accountability for the Right's loudest voices is due to something that I suspect undergirds our society at large. What is it? What can we do to change it?

4 comments:

  1. That undergirding is authoritarianism. People automatically support their leaders and having given all authority to those leaders, they feel no responsibility for what the leaders do. Their job is to support the leaders, not make choices and decisions and judgments. To them, right and wrong are obedience and disobedience. To us, right and wrong are determined by the effect of our actions on ourselves and others. Will this action hurt someone? Will it help? We feel responsible for the effect of our decisions. They don't.

    So when the left is accused of doing something wrong they try to figure out if they are indeed being harmful, instead of simply punching back at the accusation. It makes them seem weak to people who worship strength. That is why the right likes to punch in the first place--to see and feel the left look weak and the right look strong.

    You can't change that, you can only fight it. Which takes money, which the left won't spend unless it is on an election.





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  2. In fact, almost all political problems can be solved by throwing money at them, hence Citizen United. The problem is the left doesn't have enough money because it ostensibly regulates businesses and it never will have enough The best, most comprehensive, most effective message is one that promises greater economic equality for all.

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  3. To us, right and wrong are determined by the effect of our actions on ourselves and others. Will this action hurt someone? Will it help? We feel responsible for the effect of our decisions. They don't.

    This is as perfect an encapsulation as I've ever seen of the difference between the conservative mindset and the liberal one. I'm going to save this and use it whenever and where ever I can--with proper attribution, of course. Too bad it's too long for a bumper sticker or T-shirt!

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  4. Maybe something like this?

    Conservatives ask, "Who should I obey?"

    Liberals ask, "Who can I help?"


    Or;

    Conservatives obey.
    Liberals help.

    Good conservatives are obedient.
    Good liberals save lives.

    Conservatives obey their leaders.
    Liberals obey their conscience.

    I REALLY like that last one. God help me, I must twitter it.

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