re: #622 jayzee

LVD, blaming Bush for good “left leaning” folk turning into anitsemitic far left socialists is like blaming Obama for “right leaning” people becoming paleocon birchers. Until people either start taking responsibility for their insanity, or people stop finding excuses for other people’s craziness, we will be doomed to repeat the cycle. What do I know though? I am classless and uneducated. ;)

You make a very interesting set of points.

There is just one major difference to be accounted for. Bush really did do al sorts of horrible stuff. For a young idealistic kid in search of a cause, the hatred of Bush was easy and obvious and that made such kids into easy fodder for propagandists. The most dangerous lies for such a kid start with a measure of truth. The discussions on campuses started with Bush exceses and then Israel got attached to it.

The dynamic that is making teabags though is something totally different. It isn’t youthful idealism, but rather fear of losing lily white America by the middle aged and older. It is nothing more than a dose of carefully aimed prejudice aimed at a hand wringing and cowardly class. Those people already fear certain lies so much, that the lies can start without a dose of truth.

I hear your point about stupid people who think they are clever being the easiest prey for manipulation though.