On his Facebook page, two of his favorite books were Mein Kampf and The Communist Manifesto. Right there is Socialism, and Communism.
Right there are two examples of completely opposing left and right wing ideologies, and it takes a special brand of historical ignorance to label National Socialism left wing like real socialism.
His list of favorite books doesn't point to any particular ideology, but rather to a person either searching for an ideology or trying to impress people watching/reading him with the alleged breadth of his political reading. If you were to take the book list as representative of him ideologically, he's all over the map and has completely contradictory beliefs (Ayn Rand, Mein Kampf, and The Communist Manifesto for example).
I just get tired of the immediate political jumping like I saw here (and why does Palin even get mentioned? Is the hatred THAT deepset and irrational?).
Palin gets mentioned because she put crosshairs over Gifford's congressional district and used terms like "don't retreat, reload" beneath it in a completely irresponsible manner when it was already obvious that the health care debate and the recent course of political rhetoric in this country had become more vitriolic and violent again (like it had in the 90s with some in the right wing and the 60s/70s with some in the the left wing). It was an existing problem mentioned by Giffords herself long before this kid (who seemingly has nothing to do with Palin's rhetoric) shot Giffords, who is a moderate Democrat with many conservative viewpoints that Palin might agree with if she wasn't so quick to jump to conclusions based on ignorance.
Just because Palin and those like her who have escalated the political rhetoric are not to blame for this particular incident doesn't mean that they get a free pass. People bringing guns to town hall meetings where their representatives are trying to give them a voice were a problem before this (in Giffords' case and elsewhere). People vandalizing this congresswoman's office were a problem before this. You can't just say that kind of thing happens in a vacuum when you have people like Palin, Limbough, and FOX News working people into a fervor and demonizing their political opponents often based on false information or hyperbole.
If you want to see how ignorant people buy into the rhetoric, look no further than
Enlisted Person in this very thread still insisting that Obama is a socialist (as if that's a bad word) despite all the evidence to the contrary. He's probably a Birther too, given his other whacky beliefs.
If there's one good thing that may come from this tragedy it's that maybe people will think twice before engaging in that kind of vitriolic, hateful rhetoric again, at least for a little while.
There is a certain counter-cultural, liberal smugness in SF fandom that I have always found a bit... ugly.
Well, this topic has certainly proven that that's not an exclusively liberal trait.
I'm just wondering, given the obvious left-lean in these forums, if everyone here would be equally appalled if Jan Brewer or Joe Arpaio had been shot/attacked... I wonder if people here would wish them an equally speedy and good recovery. I seriously doubt it... I think most people here would cheer such an event, but I do certainly hope I'm wrong... because you know... people are people, regardless of party.
I'll answer your bullshit loaded question. Yes, I would be appalled if someone shot Arpaio or Brewer. Regardless of how I feel about their policing or politics respectively, I wouldn't wish any harm on them or cheer their injury or death. What a sick, warped view of most of the people here you have. Why do you post amongst so many clearly reprehensible people if you feel that way?
I didn't cheer the death of Saddam Hussein or wish for him to be executed in spite of his many crimes (because I oppose the death penalty) - a fact which drew a hell of a lot of ire my way from some conservatives here at the time. If I can say that about a genocidal dictator I think a mild political irritant or a sheriff whose views on law enforcement and prisoner care I disagree with would get the same treatment.
LOL... look, someone earlier in the thread said that Arizona is the place for nutcases or words to that general effect... it's not rocket science to figure out they meant those who are in favor of the immigration bill, in favor of Joe Arpaio, and in other words, the "Republican right", lol... and usually when there are threads that are of a political nature, it's the Republicans or Fox news that get ridiculed... so I wanted to know... IF someone had done this to Jan Brewer, or Sheriff Joe... would the outcry of compassion be the same? Would those on "the left" also be praying for them to have a speedy recovery?
The fact that people are attacking me for daring to ask the question, and that nobody has outright come out and said "yes" kind of tells me a lot, lol. But that's okay. For the record, I am not a Democrat, and I am not a Republican... I am registered to vote under the Constitution Party. But it's amusing that while some may indeed find my question in bad taste, the fact was, I didn't word anything in a combative way, or outright accuse any forum members... I simply voiced a theory I had... and as I said, the fact that nobody has just come out and said "yes", that they'd absolutely hate for anything to happen to anyone on "the other side" of the political isle in AZ, and that they'd pray for their well-being is a bit telling, lol.
LOL, I don't believe in the power of prayer in terms of one person praying in California causing another person in Arizona to get healthier, so I wouldn't pray for their well-being, lol. I'll offer well-wishes lol, but that's more for solidarity with and the benefit of people reading here since the politician in question will likely never see it, lol.
No one attacked you lol, even though you certainly deserved it for your incredibly rude and baseless comments portraying the majority of the board members as bloodthirsty assholes who cheer on the injury and deaths of those they oppose politically despite that never happening in any serious numbers and the few jerks who do it being roundly criticized by all when they do, lol. Again, why are you a member of a board full of people you find so repulsive?
LOL, randomly typing lol all the time looks really stupid, lol. Especially when you're trying to be deliberately offensive to most of the people here, lol, but then cover it by typing lol as if that eliminates the rudeness, lol.
There is a huge difference between disagreeing with someone's actions, opinions, or even character, and wishing them physical harm. I sincerely hope that you simply not giving your posts a lot of thought, and that you can tell the difference between ridiculing a political party and cheering about the injuries or deaths of its members.
Kestra... I am not wishing anyone harm... I am ASKING if the people here who are "on the left" would feel the same compassion for someone with whom they strongly disagree.
Do you ever crawl down off your cross for a minute before responding? She wasn't saying
you were wishing anyone harm.
I give my posts a lot of thought, and I don't apologize for posting this, because it's a question I have.
No, you really don't give your posts a lot of thought, especially recently where it seems you've gone out of your way to push people's buttons when you're not playing the persecution game.
I wouldn't have expected that you would apologize for being grossly wrong about most everyone here. Why break with tradition?
As Nerys posted, there may be some here who WOULD cheer the death of George W. Bush, or Jan Brewer or Rush Limbaugh... but would they actually come out and say it? No. So that makes me wonder how they would react to someone "right-wing" getting shot or killed... I honestly wonder if their reaction would be just as compassionate, or if they would be honest enough to admit that it wouldn't.
So you admit you have absolutely no basis for that remark? Thanks for clarifying. That makes your comment even more bizarre and offensive.
You and
Nerys seem to think that because someone whose politics you disagree with is shot that that means you have to speak only in glowing terms about them. That would be disingenuous. If I object strongly to them I would either say nothing or I would say "I disagree with their politics, but I hope they have a quick and full recovery." But under no circumstances would I cheer or enjoy their deaths, and your own comments above make it clear you've never seen anyone do that either.
If you dislike my question, then of course, you need not reply... but do not attack me for asking a question, which was all I was doing. The fact that so few people have said that they would feel equal compassion says a lot, IMO.
Their disgust with your loaded question should have told you all you needed to know. The fact that you can't read between the lines or just choose to stick with your original offensive premise says more about you than it does about them.
