re: #481 OhCrapIHaveACrushOnSarahPalin

The song Breivik sings has been directly sampled from USA rwnj talking points.

Multiculturalism is evil and scary

Liberalism, women’s rights, gay rights, anyone’s rights are emasculating poor, put-upon conservative males who are no longer permitted to rule us with iron fists

Muslims are foreign influences looking to replace our laws with shariah laws. The president is one, oops Breivik didn’t say that part

Unless conservative males and their admirers eliminate the above, the west is doomed

You won’t find any of the above in anything I say. You do not have to look far to find it in rwnj blogs, newsletters, magazines, national platforms, campaign rhetoric, etc.

Look deeper. I agree that Breivik picked up on those themes. They’re wrong, and dangerous. But those themes are all RW instances of an underlying, basic theme. That basic theme is itself quite wrong, and quite dangerous.

The theme I was getting at was the notion that

the traditional means of redress do not suffice; that the other side has nefarious powers. That the other side has the ability to permanently deceive the masses, so that one’s own side, while right and in possession of evidence that would convince any fair minded observer, cannot prevail in a political forum. And yet, for the good of all that is good and right, one’s own side must prevail.

No. That’s wrong.

Consider AGW. On this point, we agree, I assume. We also agree that the Republicans are, for the most part, deceived. [Some are deceivers.] But does that mean that elections must be set aside, and matters settled by “other means”?

The power of the lie is constrained. It cannot endure. Truth, of its nature, endures. If forgotten, it can be rediscovered. If ignored, it haunts the back of the mind. If punished, it goes viral, spreading by way of joke and innuendo. If its adherents be murdered, they are deemed martyrs.

IF you are right about deficit spending, taxes, etc., then you will win, by and by, within political channels.