Re: [RC] The Arizona Tragedy and the Politics of Blood Libel

[David R. Block]

Ever since Shep went all weepy at the bullshit over massive deaths at the Superdome in New Orleans during Katrina (which didn't happen), his stock hasn't recovered with me either. Palin doesn't strike me as Hitler, and that is who they are blaming using a "guinsight target" on Giffords district drawn up for the Tea Party in Arizona--but wait, Giffords is also called a "target" on the Daily Kos for not being left ENOUGH. Oh dear, "targets" from the left AND the right. But it is all Palin's fault. If it is her fault, then I want her installed as President RIGHT NOW. Anybody who can control the thoughts of someone they never heard of from 1000 miles away..... Just think about the possibilities..... David "I don't understand why the same newspaper commentators who bemoan the terrible education given to poor people are always so eager to have those poor people get out and vote."--P. J. O'Rourke On 1/9/2011 9:17 PM, bil...@aol.com wrote: The article has my vote for identifying a serious problem.   But it can be pointed out , at least what I know so far, that the shooter was a strange creature whose politics leave the door open for X number of interpretations. He was both a fan of  Hitler and Marx, and also of something of Libertarian ideology, although about this maybe he was more Anarchist than Libertarian. But if Democrats can blend into hard core Leftists the problem with Libertarians is that they can just as easily blend into Anarchism.   But stay tuned. As per usual, we are only being told that part of the truth which authorities want us to know. And the shallow-minded media is doing their usual thing, condemning the shooter's rants as "rambling," as if that settles the matter. Yes, much of the stuff we now know is scarcely coherent. But the task is to pull meaning out from the jumble that was in that idiot's head so that we can know his motivation.   Only today were we told that Giffords is Jewish. Well, Mein Kampf would help explain things, but if this loon is also a Marx enthusiast did he get his anti-Semitism originally from the Left ?   There is a heckova lot more we need to know to make good sense of the killings. Like what is an idiot like that doing legally owning a gun ?   All the coverage about how sad it all is, how tragic, etc, makes me sick. Almost all that stuff misses the whole point of serious responsible journalism.   What is the point of news ?  To make us cry ? Or to alert us to dangers we then can act against ? Answer :  To make us cry, to infantilize us , and turn us into doormats.   "News" coverage of the atrocity has been almost universally disgusting. Worst that I have seen was Shepard Smith, the lightest of news lightweights under best circumstances, at his worst on Saturday, unable to see any meaning at all in the events of the day except the most superficial.   Who in hell hired that airhead ?   Fox has its own limitations.   Billy     =============================================================   message dated 1/9/2011 6:16:31 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, david.r.bl...@verizon.net writes: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703667904576071913818696964.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop “Those who purport to care about the tenor of political discourse don’t help civil debate when they seize on any pretext to call their political opponents accomplices to murder.” In addition to the credits at the bottom of the article, Professor Reynolds is also the blogger "Instapundit." http://www.pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/ Professor Reynolds is a self-proclaimed libertarian. David -- "I don't understand why the same newspaper commentators who bemoan the terrible education given to poor people are always so eager to have those poor people get out and vote."--P. J. O'Rourke -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <RadicalCentrism@googlegroups.com> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <RadicalCentrism@googlegroups.com> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <RadicalCentrism@googlegroups.com> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org