Tuesday, August 18, 2009
America: Where the Crazy Tree Blooms in Every Moment of Liberal Ascendancy
Posted by Jack Silverman on Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 6:09 AM
So the birthers, the anti-tax tea-partiers, the town hall hecklers--these are "either" the genuine grass roots or evil conspirators staging scenes for YouTube? The quiver on the lips of the man pushing the wheelchair, the crazed risk of carrying a pistol around a president--too heartfelt to be an act. The lockstep strangeness of the mad lies on the protesters' signs--too uniform to be spontaneous. They are both. If you don't understand that any moment of genuine political change always produces both, you can't understand America, where the crazy tree blooms in every moment of liberal ascendancy, and where elites exploit the crazy for their own narrow interests.Oh, to be able to craft a sentence as fine as that last one. Perlstein goes on to cite numerous historical precursors, among them Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman's "20 years of treason," rumors that the civil rights movement had been hatched by the Soviet Union, the black helicopters of the 1990s, and the author's favorite:
The federal government expanded mental health services in the Kennedy era, and one bill provided for a new facility in Alaska. One of the most widely listened-to right-wing radio programs in the country, hosted by a former FBI agent, had millions of Americans believing it was being built to intern political dissidents, just like in the Soviet Union.What makes now different from then, Perlstein asserts (and he'll get no argument from me) is that the conservatives know how to play media for suckers:
Liberals are right to be vigilant about manufactured outrage, and particularly about how the mainstream media can too easily become that outrage's entry into the political debate.... Conservatives have become adept at playing the media for suckers, getting inside the heads of editors and reporters, haunting them with the thought that maybe they are out-of-touch cosmopolitans and that their duty as tribunes of the people's voices means they should treat Obama's creation of "death panels" as just another justiciable political claim.... It used to be different. You never heard the late Walter Cronkite taking time on the evening news to "debunk" claims that a proposed mental health clinic in Alaska is actually a dumping ground for right-wing critics of the president's program, or giving the people who made those claims time to explain themselves on the air. The media didn't adjudicate the ever-present underbrush of American paranoia as a set of "conservative claims" to weigh, horse-race-style, against liberal claims. Back then, a more confident media unequivocally labeled the civic outrage represented by such discourse as "extremist"--out of bounds.I've had several lengthy discussions on this topic recently, and I've tried desperately to say essentially the same thing Perlstein says, only the results were far less eloquent, articulate and profound. So let me sum up my views on the town hall fury with three simple words: "What he said."
Comments (17)
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These right wing christian conservative idiots live in a fairy tale land and do not have a grasp on any sort of reality. They base their life on a fairy tale of talking snakes and a sea being split in two, why do we think they would handle change of any kind well? They are children and need to be treated like children. If the current administration would take it one step at a time, like you do with a child, then they would tolerate it more. You can't attack everything they hold sacred all at once, you have to do it slowly. First they had to stomach a black president, then we tried to make gay marriage legal, then we said taxing pot could help the economy, then the irs starts holding up swiss banks for their rich folks money, and then the biggest of all, make health care available to everyone! Too much too fast, back off and pick your fights accordingly. I support our president. I believe everyone has the right to be married regardless of gender. And I think everyone deserves good health care. But I know the right wing well enough to know that they will not let go of their crazy so easily. It will be a slow process. I wish we could move faster with these grown up children, but you can't, they just don't know any better. They are extremist and must be treated like extremist. Have we learned nothing from being in the middle east? You can't force it quickly, you have to work it in slowly. So slow it down and you'll get what you want faster than trying to take it all away from them at once. That aggressive stance doesn't make us progressive, it makes us George W. Bush.
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"where elites exploit the crazy for their own narrow interests."
Here is the money line in this blog. This was also done leading up the wars. The elite will use PR stunts and publicity stunts or find some nut to stage something to manipulate the public to that you need to go along, otherwise you are a nut. Remember during the conventions, the war protesters that wanted to levitate the mint. Then the talking heads go on all the prime time news shows and it's "See the luny war protesters trying to levitate the mint. ha ha" So the dumbed down public thinks "Oh I better be for the war. I dont want to be in same tribe as those nuts."
Then you find out they were backed by some elite group with major funding
Most of these T halls are filled with people that are very concerned with where this country is going and why. But the establishment will want to exploit the situation for thier own gain
"where elites exploit the crazy for their own narrow interests."
Here is the money line in this blog. This was also done leading up the wars. The elite will use PR stunts and publicity stunts or find some nut to stage something to manipulate the public to that you need to go along, otherwise you are a nut. Remember during the conventions, the war protesters that wanted to levitate the mint. Then the talking heads go on all the prime time news shows and it's "See the luny war protesters trying to levitate the mint. ha ha" So the dumbed down public thinks "Oh I better be for the war. I dont want to be in same tribe as those nuts."
Then you find out they were backed by some elite group with major funding
Most of these T halls are filled with people that are very concerned with where this country is going and why. But the establishment will want to exploit the situation for thier own gain
"These right wing christian conservative idiots live in a fairy tale land and do not have a grasp on any sort of reality. They base their life on a fairy tale of talking snakes and a sea being split in two"
Newsflash- Obama claims that he is a Christian
Alex DeLarge, you may want to do some research on the religous beliefs and rituals of the past and present inhabitants of the White House.
First off, Obama being christian has nothing to do with what I said. Second, I understand that our country was founded by mostly christians so you can spare me the "in god we trust" bit. The fact is, if you believe in the teachings of jesus christ, then you would not be at a town hall meeting, WITH A GUN, screaming that socialized medicine is wrong. You would care for your fellow man instead of not caring about anyone outside your own family or faith. I act more like a "christian" than 99% of the christians I know which is one of the main reasons why I have no respect for the right wing conservative christian community.
Well I dont think giving the task of fixing healthcare to the people that screwed it up in the first place would be "caring about your fellow man" AND people dont believe Obama either. For one thing he's a politician and he's beholden to the international bankers and the military industrial complex as his policies have clearly shown. Of course we need healthcare reform but just like freedom amd democracy in Iraq, we aint gonna to get it.
I got a very interesting email from Dennis Kusinich's office today. It says it all
Wow speaking of white house religion read this, especially the very end.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/11/obama-apologize.html
The people that screwed up American health care in the first place? That would be the insurance companies, anon.
Yeah the mega insurance companies definately were a major part of it along with the lawyers, big pharma and our government that serves the world's elite class. It is governmet's role to serve the people and to pass policies that will help not destroy healthccare. It's also government's role to not selectively enforce laws and regulations so that only a top few of the largest corporations can thrive.
This is part of what Dennis Kucinich sent out today
HEALTH CARE WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE
The masquerade is over! The "public option" is ... dead.
Health care reform is now a private option: WHICH FOR PROFIT INSURANCE COMPANY DO YOU WANT? You have to choose. And you have to pay. If you have a low income, under HR3200 government will subsidize the private insurance companies and you will still have to pay premiums, co-pays and deductibles.
The Administration plan requires that everyone must have health insurance, so it is delivering tens of millions of new "customers" to the insurance companies. Health care? Not really. Insurance care! Absolutely. Cost controls? No chance.
You will next hear talk about "co-ops." The truth is that insurance company campaign contributions have co-opted the public interest.
If you are worried about a few rednecks at town hall meetings, you should watch Big Brother Big Business. It is on CNBC right now. This is the kind of thing we need to be really worried about
Some health care fun facts courtesy of PBS:
1900's:
Doctors are no longer expected to provide free services to all hospital patients.
America lags behind European countries in finding value in insuring against the costs of sickness.
1920's:
General Motors signs a contract with Metropolitan Life to insure 180,000 workers.
1930's:
Social Security Act is passed, omitting health insurance.
Push for health insurance within the Roosevelt Administration, but politics begins to be influenced by internal government conflicts over priorities.
Against the advice of insurance professionals, Blue Cross begins offering private coverage for hospital care in dozens of states.
1940's:
Prepaid group healthcare begins, seen as radical.
During the 2nd World War, wage and price controls are placed on American employers. To compete for workers, companies begin to offer health benefits, giving rise to the employer-based system in place today.
President Roosevelt asks Congress for "economic bill of rights," including right to adequate medical care.
President Truman offers national health program plan, proposing a single system that would include all of American society.
Truman's plan is denounced by the American Medical Association (AMA) , and is called a Communist plot by a House subcommittee.
1950's:
At the start of the decade, national health care expenditures are 4.5 percent of the Gross National Product.
Many legislative proposals are made for different approaches to hospital insurance, but none succeed.
1960's:
In the 1950s, the price of hospital care doubled. Now in the early 1960s, those outside the workplace, especially the elderly, have difficulty affording insurance.
Over 700 insurance companies selling health insurance.
Major medical insurance endorses high-cost medicine.
President Lyndon Johnson signs Medicare and Medicaid into law.
"Compulsory Health Insurance" advocates are no longer optimistic'.
1970's:
President Richard Nixon renames prepaid group health care plans as health maintenance organizations (HMOs), with legislation that provides federal endorsement, certification, and assistance.
Healthcare costs are escalating rapidly, partially due to unexpectedly high Medicare expenditures, rapid inflation in the economy, expansion of hospital expenses and profits, and changes in medical care including greater use of technology, medications, and conservative approaches to treatment. American medicine is now seen as in crisis.
President Nixon's plan for national health insurance rejected by liberals & labor unions, but his "War on Cancer" centralizes research at the NIH.
1980's:
Corporations begin to integrate the hospital system (previously a decentralized structure), enter many other healthcare-related businesses, and consolidate control. Overall, there is a shift toward privatization and corporatization of healthcare.
Under President Reagan, Medicare shifts to payment by diagnosis (DRG) instead of by treatment. Private plans quickly follow suit.
1990's:
Health care costs rise at double the rate of inflation.
Federal health care reform legislation fails again to pass in the U.S. Congress.
By the end of the decade there are 44 million Americans, 16 % of the nation, with no health insurance at all.
2000's:
National health care expenditures are 15% percent of the GDP.
I believe that I know when these GOPer teabaggers will stop protesting against universal health care - whenever un-insured and under-insured Americans start organizing, band together, and stop donating their blood and organs into the U.S. health care system...
Dissent? Sure.
Speaking up? Go ahead.
Making up lies and other obvious B.S.? That's just lies and B.S.
Anonymous posted regarding the 1990s, "By the end of the decade there are 44 million Americans, 16 % of the nation, with no health insurance at all."
The roundly disputed number includes millions of non-citizens and persons who can afford and qualify for insurance but choose to spend their money elsewhere...until they get sick and present at the emergency room where they must be treated at the taxpayer's expense.
