re: #20 Ian G.

Of course it’s a reflexive defense mechanism. It’s there to ensure that none of the right-wing media industrial complex has to do any soul-searching when someone actually takes their “revolution! Obama is a traitor and tyrant!” rhetoric seriously and starts shooting.

It reminds me of radical Muslim clerics blaming terrorist act by a Muslim on Jews or the Mossad. It’s an attempt to wash the guilt away from their fire-breathing sermons that some dumbass took seriously.

This x100.

The right wing noise machine frequently gets into stochastic terrorism rhetoric (e.g., the murder of Dr. Tiller, abetted by Bill O’Reilly with high probability).

As usual, they want it both ways —- they like the effect their rhetoric has on making the US less governable (e.g., the Bundy ranch mess), while denying the existence of violent kooks on the right that are triggered by such rhetoric.