Sirotablog
David Sirota is a political journalist and nationally syndicated newspaper columnist at Creators Syndicate. David writes about political corruption, globalization and working-class economic issues often ignored by both of America's political parties.
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September 8, 2007 7:26 AM
Angry Conservatives Cry When Progressives Punch Back
T-minus 37 days until my book deadline - but I couldn't help but take a quick second to point this out today. It's just too funny, really.
The conservative movement is built on rage and anger - from Sean Hannity's jeremiads to the racism/xenophobia at the core of the right's ideology to the hysterical attacks from local columnists screaming that anyone who opposes the war hates America's troops and is rooting for more bloodshed.
And yet, whenever progressives have the nerve to punch back with the facts, we are then - as in today's Rocky Mountain News - called "angry" or "nasty" by the same conservatives.
To be fair, Dave Kopel's piece is measured for someone who works at a conservative think tank. I actually quite like some of his writing, not because I agree with most of it, but because he's not a Republican water carrier like some local columnists here. He's actually a principled conservative, rather than a party parrot.
But still, you just have to step back and cackle at it, don't you?
Conservatives have become so used to dominating the media and so used to bullying progressives that they freak out the moment our side shows the nerve to fight back. They really do have a Bully Complex - that is, they display all the qualities of bullies in the schoolyard. They chest thump and push everyone around, but the moment someone lands one punch on them, they collapse and run away and whine to the teacher that it's supposedly unfair.
Well guess what, you conservatives? We progressives - and the facts you love to hate - are not going away. So get used to it, grow up and stop crying. Either fight back, or exit, stage right. Your days of bullying everyone are over, whether you like it or not. And when you whine and scream and cry like little children, all you are doing is providing the rest of us with some damn good comedy.
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About David Sirota
David Sirota is a political journalist and nationally syndicated newspaper columnist at Creators Syndicate. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Hostile Takeover. He lives in Denver, Colorado. His daily blog can be found at CREDO Action. He contributes regularly to the Denver Post's Web site, is a senior editor at In These Times magazine and is working on his second book. He has been profiled in Newsweek and the Rocky Mountain News and is widely known for his reporting on political corruption, globalization and working-class economic issues often ignored by both of America's political parties. Sirota serves as co-chair of the Progressive States Network, a 501(c)3 organization that supports state legislators and that is a partner of CREDO.
You can subscribe to Sirota's e-mail newsletter by going to davidsirota.com and signing up in the lefthand corner. To find out more about Sirota, download his official biography or see his recent media appearances. You can e-mail him at sirota@credoaction.com.
The views expressed on this blog are his own, and do not necessarily represent the views of Working Assets (publisher of CREDO Action) or the institutions Sirota works for.
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Discussion
The cons will do anything to socialize poverty and terrorism to the max. The fact that they do business with international terrorists abroad and protect their identities while screwing with the Americans' is enough grounds to be deported out of this country. As for the bullying, the Democrats for the most part don't stand up to the cons' bullying or there wouldn't be a DLC or Blue Dog coalition in the first place, all the more the reason to form a progressive 3rd party even if it takes a while. Speaking of DLC and Blue Dog, it's disgusting that those two organizations are proud to be GOP copycats.
Progressives may stand up but the D.C. politicians are just as craven and owned as they were 6 years ago.
And as long as the Democratic pols accomodate Bush it doesn't matter what progressives or any Democratic activist does, because results matter not sophist slapdowns. And the only folks getting what they want are Republicans.
George Carlin is tellin it like it is at Alternet.org..
Talk about punching back let's kick them in the balls where they so richly deserve it..and start with Bill Crystal and Fred Barnes first of all those pernicious pusillanimous little shits..
God Bless you for this George..
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/61955
TJ..out..
General Strike this September 11th 2007..
Stay home get laid for America..
Republicans see their relationship with Democrats as fundamentally sado-masochistic. They do the beating and the Democrats take it.
Whenever Democrats break this essential protocol, Republicans react with fear and anger.
Jim,
I was thinking around the same too. My wife's brother out in Oklahoma has one thing to say about the two parties which keep him from voting. The Republicans are like wife-batterers while the Democrats not only accept it but attack Democrats in the party who stand up to the abuse. Frankly, I think that the braveheart Democrats left in the party would be a hell of a lot better off joining Bernard Sanders. Plus any remaining Republicans sick and tired of selling out and misrepresenting would do better to follow Jim Jeffords's footsteps.
The problem with this entry is that Dave Kopel is a life-long registered Democrat, a principled libertarian, and a member of the ACLU, who voted for Ralph Nader for President in 2000.
The problem with this entry is that Dave Kopel is a life-long registered Democrat, a principled libertarian, and a member of the ACLU, who voted for Ralph Nader for President in 2000.
Aren't we tired of being "progressive"?
Isn't "liberal" less typing?
Aakash, Ralph Nader wouldn't have run in the first place if the Democrats would stand up for what they claim they stand for. Much as I would hate to see spoiler politics again, I am equally disgusted when Democrats run a "yellow" dog campaign and then turn blue once in office. There are plenty of conservatives out there who would be happy to vote Democrat if the Democrats would take plenty of hints from Nader and incorporate his ideas accordingly. Come to think of it, Nader is only the symptom not the problem of the Democratic Party.
Max nailed the Nadar phenomena quite nicely. If Democrats behaved more like Bernie Sanders instead of corporate centrists like Hillary or Obama, Nadar becomes irrelevant.
Democrats need also to be not so supportive of sell-outs like Hillary and her ilk which only discourage voters and reinforce the perception that theres no difference between the parties.
IMO
By the way, I found an older but still worthy article by the late Molly Ivins back in 2006 titled "Use it or Lose it".
http://www.texasobserver.org/article.php?aid=2138
Bill Press also put that saying in a recent article of outrage over the Democrats caving in to "legalizing" Bush's wiretapping.
As if progressives are any less thuggish in their own bailiwicks. Just try speaking against amnesty for illegal immigrants (as David has pointed out, illegal immigration hurts labor unions by substantially increasing the unskilled and semi-skilled labor pool) or our policy toward Israel, and see what kind of reaction you get (by way of example):
http://takingplace.org/2007/05/17/the-daily-censor-at-the-daily-kos/
http://knowyourcourts.townhall.com/
Be honest, David. Progressives tend to be thugs, just like their fascist counterparts.
Whoa, hold it Coultergeist. Now I may agree with you that even the Daily Kos can be flawed and as you pointed when it comes to Israel and censorship. But to suggest that illegals purposely cross the borders to be Kossacks is utterly ridiculous and has no basis. Yes, there are those progressives/liberals who will blindly react and say "just give them amnesty". But most progressives outside the beltway who know better would have a better understanding of who's really getting the amnesty. Mexicans don't come because they want to invade America. Better take a look at the policies of "free" trade, union busting, weakening or even removal of workers' safety rights and protections, wage depressing, shrinking/removing healthcare benefits, offshoring, outsourcing, oppressive regimes backed by US taxpayer money and stolen elections, etc ... A great deal of the jobs remaining in the US have been rendered untouchable at least by any non-ignorant being who takes safety net seriously along with a job. The illegals thanks to all these policies agreed upon by both Mexico and America have found themselves in a lose-lose situation and took a no-choice option of being totally ignorant by assuming that they had no chance at anything spectacular in these rotten times. So of course these people will accept any Tom, Dick, and Harry bullshit job that pays them near-slave wages with virtually no benefits, rights, or protections. Hell, they might not even know that the Constitution even exists though that may not be relevant given the White House and Congress using it as toilet paper these days.
Coultergeist,
"So" sorry about your/others treatment at private blogs.
If you're a true conservative, you're more concerned about codified erosion of our basic rights.
Frederick Johnson's got it right. These Mexicans are are economic refugees who are victims of "free" trade as much as the workers here, who lost their jobs when the jobs, quite literally, went south.
NAFTA was only the opening shot in this mess. Other "free" trade agreements have opened up even cheaper and less regulated labor markets to greedy corporations who are finding it easier and cheaper to abandon factories and workforces and move their operations to cheaper job markets, than to deal with giving workers living wages and dealing with environmental protections, including those which would curtail global warming.
In the mean time, NAFTA allowed the big agri-businesses to dump , then cheap, corn on the Mexican economy, driving farmers off their lands because the price of corn was less than the cost to grown it in Mexico. Now that these same agri-businesses have discovered a gold mine in ethanol, that same corn is going for a much higher price, and is being diverted away from the Mexican market to ethanol producers here, who incidentally, are using petroleum to distill the ethanol giving us a zero saving on petroleum.
These economic refugees are the poor, mostly of Native American extraction and have been educated by the Mexican government almost as well as US kids in black inner-city schools, or the reservations here, which means not well at all. It's that same "They need to be smart enough to operate machinery, but not smart enough to ask questions" schoolboard mentality that I have also found in schools in southern Indiana, eastern Kentucky and West Virginia.
These "illigales" have more in common with American workers than the oligarchy wants either side to realize, because if we ever got together we could kick ass and take names with these slimeballs. So they keep stirring the pot, and playing the race card to keep both sides apart as much as possible.
BTW "Progressive" may not be as easy to type as "liberal". But get it straight. Liberal is a dirty word that brings up thoughts of the spoiled snotty Ivy League "Liberals" aka "Limousine Liberals" who thought they could "save" the working Americans with ill-thought-out pie-in-the-sky we-are-smarter-than-you boneheaded ideas in the 60s and 70s and who have done so much to disenchant the workers, who are historically the true base of the Democrat party, and drove to the lies of the Republican party in the first place.
Every single-issue-voter-issue that the Republicans have played up are issues because of these idiots who arrogantly refused to listen to the People, and have almost killed the Democratic party in the process. A job that the Republi-lites, with the help of K-street, are trying to finish. Yes, Republi-lies are known to lie about being progressive, but they are nothing like real progressives.
We need to support populist candidates, like the "gun-toting" western Democrats, and work against the Republi-lites. Contribute directly to the candidates of our choice, so none of our money will go to the Republi-lites, and vote in the primary.
Coultergeist
As one who used to post at Dkos(back when the Iraq war started)Dkos isn't what it used to be.
The Dkos of today has become a watering hole for upper class liberals and the politically correct. They are very much hear-no-evil see-no-evil sort of people and are very, very intolerant of opinions that run counter to popularily held ones. At the very least you will be labeled a "concern troll" or just be troll rated should you deviate from the norm in your postings.
And if you either contest certain popularily held positions or point out the sell-outs and crooks in the party and call for them to be shit canned - you will be banned. And sometimes they'll ban you for no reason.
BTW one should also take a look at what the liberal blogs don't cover, Take the plight of the working class being hammered from all directions, not only by illegals, but by H1-B and L-1 visa workers and off-shoring. This not even covered by the liberal blogs. Or worse the Democratic pols that are selling-them out.
So much for Democrats caring about American workers.
In the end liberals are often just as intolerant and blind as those on the right. Same mentality, different party affiliation.
"If you're a true conservative, you're more concerned about codified erosion of our basic rights." - Jumperpin
Every time Ralph Nader gets labelled as a "spoiler" by the media when it comes to issues of privacy, he would correctly bring up the fact that many rank-and-file conservatives are against shit like "Patriot" Acts I and II(got passed stealthily at the same time Hussein was captured), Military Commissions Act, "legalizing" wiretapping, etc ... As far as "liberal" is concerned, I seriously doubt that I've seen a real liberal in decades since the 60s just like I seriously doubt that I've seen a real conservative since uh, the late 80s at least as far as the pols in DC are concerned. But like the words conservative and liberal, the word progressive is being subverted. In fact, the DLC disguises itself as "Progressive Policy Institute" when in fact NOTHING in that institution is even remotely progressive.
FredJohnson: "But to suggest that illegals purposely cross the borders to be Kossacks is utterly ridiculous and has no basis."
You're missing the hypocrisy and the irony. The prevailing view at dKos is that illegals should be granted amnesty and a path toward citizenship, despite the fact that they have flouted our laws. But when someone flouts THEIR laws, in the words of one Kossack, "If you are looking for "sympathy" well I can tell you where to find it. "Sympathy is in the dictionary between "shit" and "syphilis"."
Conservatives don't have a monopoly on hypocrisy.
JumperPin: "If you're a true conservative, you're more concerned about codified erosion of our basic rights."
What "basic rights?" The Bill of Rights was voided a long time ago, and not by the Bush Administration. See, e.g., http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/8/19/93159/7328.
WaltC: "In the end liberals are often just as intolerant and blind as those on the right. Same mentality, different party affiliation."
That's more-or-less my point: The David Sirotas of the world are virtually indistinguishable from the David Horowitzes, apart from what they want. Sirota just pimps himself.
What's this H1B talk all the time, when the real problem lies with the H2A and H2B workers. They're exploited, they keep wages down among lower income workers, and there's more of them.
H1B workers are a drop in the bucket compared to the numbers of H2* workers who are conned into coming here to work, exploited by "recruiters" who charge them most of their wages, and by "employers" who routinely cheat these workers, and if the workers protest, call Immigration, say the worker hasn't lived up to his contract and have him deported to face the "recruiter" to which he is now deeply indebted.
All this so that the "employer" can have a labor force that works at less than minimum wage, and is easily controlled.
Compared to H2* workers the H1B's are middle class yuppies.
Coutlergeist, you sure didn't read Sirota's posts. David Sirota is not a hate monger unlike David Horowitz. Besides, unlike Horowitz who criticizes only liberals Sirota is happy to pound both sides. I seriously doubt that you even know what a true conservative or liberal really is based on your attitude. You need chill out and learn dude. Here's something to start you out:
THE DEATH OF CONSERVATISM
The Destruction By The Neo-Cons Of All That Was Held Dear By Conservatives Has A Growing Number Joining The Ranks Of Independents
by Samuel A Stanson
maxpayne, frederick, jumperpin,
Coultergeist is just another rightwing troll and he's going to get a tough spanking from GOD. Oh wait, I already forgot that GOD is frying his ASS just like the other rightwing BLOWJOB Brown Shirts !
"Conservatives don't have a monopoly on hypocrisy." - Coultergeist
UTTER BULLSHIT ! Liberals may not be clean either but when conservatives are the BIGGEST hypocrites as they've shown themselves to be since Newt Gingrich, Tom Delay, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Hannity, etc ... came to dominate the airwaves and make up the lie that "liberals are in control", there's no way you can argue that the current crop of conservatives have no monopoly on hypocrisy.
"What "basic rights?" The Bill of Rights was voided a long time ago, and not by the Bush Administration." - Coultergeist
Maybe but back then the conservatives promised to restore freedom but just like they proved their promises on social/cultural reform were nothing but big empties, they back-pedaled and fucked this country with BIG BROTHER ACTS I and II and all the other anti-freedom acts in just 6 years. And by the way, where fuck is our smaller government the conservatives "promised"? They sure have a track record of expanding it beyond what even the biggest spending liberal could dream of and they did a hell of a job privatizing peace and prosperity and socializing poverty and terrorism. Happy now?
"The David Sirotas of the world are virtually indistinguishable from the David Horowitzes, apart from what they want. Sirota just pimps himself." - Coultergeist
Excuse me, but unlike the David Horowitzes of this rotten world who love to TERRORIZE and BULLDOZE everything and fuck the planet to death, the Sirotas of this world believe in and put forth efforts in constructive and non-violent solutions no matter the odds. If you don't like either party, do what I do and join a 3rd party LOSER. You need to take your fucked up head out the rightwing toilet and GET A LIFE and GROW UP KID or you might as well continue to GO FUCK YOURSELF LOSER !
maxpayne: "I seriously doubt that you even know what a true conservative or liberal really is based on your attitude."
As to what a "conservative" is, Ronald Reagan put it this way:
"I think the Republican Party should take the lead and, as I say, raise that banner and say this is what we stand for. And what we stand for would be fiscal responsibility. … I think that it should be a government, or a party, that has a position that makes it plain that even though there are social faults that may lead to people turning to crime the individual must be held accountable for his mis deeds. That on the world scene we’re going to do whatever is necessary to insure that we can retain this free system of ours; in other words, we will maintain a defensive posture that is sufficient to deter aggression."
I don't know about you, but I consider that close to dispositive.
GrantBurke: "Coultergeist is just another rightwing troll and he's going to get a tough spanking from GOD."
"When you can't attack the message, attack the man!" LOL! Thank you, Mr. Hannity.
Truth be told, us libertarian types don't fit all that well in either major party. I opposed the imperial invasion of Iraq since before there was one -- not because I am a pacifist, but because it didn't serve any identifiable national interest. I advocated a switch to "green" energy during the '90s on national security and balance-of-payments grounds, as well as environmental ones. I oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants and advocate tough criminal sanctions for those who knowingly hire them, as illegals are lethal to our middle class. I advocate universal health care, on the grounds that the countries adopting it pay less than half what we do and have longer life expectancies AND that it puts American companies at a competitive disadvantage. I oppose judicial activism by the products of either party, as it nullifies the Bill of Rights.
So tell me, max, precisely where do I fit?
In this country (the parliamentary system is far better), joining a third party is tantamount to political suicide. max, you are certainly free to immolate yourself, but you will understand if I don't join in jumping off that cliff with you.
Sorry, max -- I meant Grant. Just caught it -- My bad.
Grant: "UTTER BULLSHIT ! Liberals may not be clean either but when conservatives are the BIGGEST hypocrites"
It's more like a contest between John "Wadd" Holmes and Long Dong Silver. Still, Screamboat Annie may be in a class by herself.
Ronald RAYGUN was no true conservative given his bloated military budget which actually had NO effect on the already crumbling USSR other than empowering Osama bin Laden. And slashing crucial domestic budgets without rhyme or reason? That's not conservative but backwards radical. Add that to raising taxes on the middle class while giving huge tax breaks to Big Oil and the rest of Corporate America. Thanks to electing a pro-troublemaker for president back in the 1980s along with a go-along-get-along Congress, we were given an ENRONomic mess along with Osama bin Laden and his gangs who in turn gave this country the 9/11 BOMB. Sorry dude, I believe in real hard work, not cheating and artificial hyping unlike RAYGUN and the neocons.
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