Uncovering hypocresy
Hypocresy
I read this in "The Art of Imperfection", the blog with the most beautiful name. At the same time it is an excerpt of an article that you can find in Common Dreams. As I said in my comment, I challenge the right to write something similar with respect to how the left thinks and lets see if there is at least 10% of their hypocrisy.
Here is the excerpt:
"Think about it for a second. Here's the way the extreme right-wingers - i.e., people you hear every day, all day, on TV and radio - have termed the debate:
If you fight for civil liberties, you're pro-criminal.
If you fight for justice in U.S. foreign policies, you're anti-American.
If you think people should have a right to determine their life partners and give them health benefits, you're pro-queer.
If you question the justice of a war based on false intelligence, you don't support the troops.
If you think the U.S. government should not be spying on its own citizens, you're pro-terrorist.
If you think the United States should not be torturing those it holds captive, you're coddling murderers.
If you think people should not be held indefinitely without trial or lawyers, you support terrorism.
If you think society should help the poor, you're soft on the shiftless.
If you want equal education for all, you're pro-black at the expense of whites.
If you want health care for all, you're a socialist.
If you think everyone has a right to a fair trial, you're soft on crime.
If you hope for a fairer tax system, you're for higher taxes.
If you want a government that helps people, you're for big government."
posted by Doctor Marco at 15:02
8 Comments:
Gindy:
This is an excerpt of a larger article, and obviously it can create some controversy. Unfortunately, many of the phrases listed in the excerpt are what the people who receive the messages from the right-wing media understand.
The fight between conservatives and progressives is the same in America and the same in Peru, the same in the modern world and the same in the classical times (optimates vs populares in the Roman world). The will to preserve an unfair status quo (billionaires and homeless co-existing in the same society) makes the conservative side always more hypocritical.
There is one more thing I wanted to tell you. I consider you a very smart guy. The fight is not against conservatives, it is against the fascists. Somehow, they have infiltrated the conservative movement and are using it to achieve their goals. The only ones in the right who seem to have acknowledged that are some of the libertarians. You should be with us, against the fascists that will end up chewing up my freedom and your freedom. Read this article (a conservative viewpoint), it is very interesting:
http://www.lewrockwell.com/rockwell/red-state-fascism.html
My vacations are going fine, thanks
To Dianne and Sarah:
I do not have much time blogging, however I already had a negative experience when I posted a comment in a blog form the right. I commmented in a post regarding the number of vacation days in France and Germany (January 6, 2005) asking a question about what was wrong with long vacation periods. An individual named Roman Wanderer replied the following:
"Is Rong to work long houRs, is very Rong. Is good to have ah bReak from 1 to 5, to go eat a nice lanch. Then, is good to have smoke bReaks every 10 minutes, is very important for the health."
Obviously he was trying to imitate how people who speak Spanish as their first language have their language. So the question is. Is this the same pattern of behavior you have identified?
One more thing, to answer Dianne´s request. I usually find some interesting and thoughtful conservative posts in www.antiwar.com
To Greg and Whynot:
I agree with you both
To Rhonda:
Thanks for your words, as you probably saw, you already have a place in my blog.
To Gindy:
I am interested in your opinion about the article I suggested you.
As a fiscal conservative social liberal, and not well versed in constitutional arguments, I'm not sure I'm the best person to answer this challenge. I believe this is how I hear the left - be it the opinion pages in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the speeches at any awards show or concert, or the slant of many ABC/NBC/CBS stories - portray the right:
If you fight against favoritism based on race or sex, you're a racist or a misogynist
If you fight for US foreign policy to be strong and preventitive, you're a war-monger
If you're okay with "under god" and crosses in flags, you're a whacky christian and you're trying to destroy church/state separation
If you think that you pay enough taxes, you're greedy
Likewise if you think Social Security needs reform.
If you think that torture of terrorists in certain situations is okay, you're evil
If you think businesses should have less restrictions and be able to make and spend money as they please, you're on the take
If you think that the second amendment applies to all citizens, you're a gun nut and/or you support gun crime
If you think that there should be penalties for frivolous lawsuits, or any other limit on non-punitive damages, you're a tool of the corporate machine
If you question any situation involving a minority, you're full of hate
If you believe in welfare reform, you're cruel and heartless
In short, all emotional reactions. So I'm guessing that I'm not doing a good job of this, since none of the original list was "emotional", though it was quite derogatory.
(*)>
Irrational polarization is never a good thing. What should be encouraged is to really know what left and right mean. And also the subdivisions of them. Everyone has a place in the political spectrum. Norberto Bobbio has a nice book that explains very clearly that, I will post about it in the near future... when the beach stops tempting me.
Peru is full of remains of ancient cultures that keep appearing all the time. What I learned in schoolbooks is now obsolete.
Dr. Marco, here is what people on the right hear from the left…
If you say the ACLU has gone over board you’re a fascist.
Unless you agree with the French, Germans, Russians, and UN you’re a fascist.
If you fight to defend the traditional definition of marriage you’re a bigot.
If you defend the decision because it was based on the best intelligence you’re a liar and an idiot.
If you think the US government isn’t spying on its citizens you’re an ignorant back-woods hick.
If you think loud music, sleep deprivation, and scaring captives isn’t torture you’re a Nazi.
If you think combatants caught in Iraq, out of uniform, have waved their civil and Geneva rights you’re a Nazi.
If you think social programs have failed to help the poor you’re a self-righteous right winger.
If you think black parents have failed their children instead of the educational system you are a bigoted, red-neck, racist.
If you think federal health care will fail as badly as every other federal social program you’re a selfish, anti-black, anti-woman bigot.
If you think the trial lawyers are out of control you’re pro-business.
When you say you want a fairer tax system, you really mean you want to tax the poor.
If you think government is a necessary evil that should be minimized you’re anti-black, anti-woman, you’re anti-gay, your pro-business, and you’re an ignorant back-woods redneck.
Q
Why are you a right winger? You will earn my respect if you give me an intellectually solid and honest answer. Please do not respond by asking me why am I leftie. I will let you know when you answer me (If you want)
Dr. Marco,
I responded via e-mail instead of via a post. It was long. I consider it to be between us. My e-mail address is xxxxxxx@ktc.com.
Do I need to resend?
Q
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