Posted under Conservatism & Media & Political Philosophy
One thing that really gets under my skin is how a lot of mainstream pundits, left and right, often use words like “whacko,†“nutcase,†“insane,†etc. to describe those with opinions that they view as outside the mainstream. This of course relieves them of the responsibility of actually having to argue for and support their point of view. Simply denounce dissenters as “nutjobs†and move on.
This clearly serves to prop up and sustain the mainstream, status quo. Look at how, for example, Ron Paul and Mike Gravel have been dismissed by the “serious†Beltway crowd as mere nuisance “nut cases†followed only by the “tin foil hat brigade.†Much to their chagrin, it is becoming harder to simply write off Ron Paul that way.
Happily, liberal blogger Glen Greenwald has picked up on this tendency as well. See this insightful post. (The first few paragraphs, not the Hagee stuff which requires a post all its own.)
One of the favorite tactics of super-sophisticated Beltway media insiders is to band together and point to anyone who expresses views outside of their narrow orthodoxies and laugh at what crazy and unserious “whackos” they are — in contrast to the very serious-minded, sane and insightful Beltway elite. The current roster of crazy losers includes Mike Gravel and Ron Paul — the ones opposed to the war in Iraq and to American military domination around the world. They are insane lunatics, total losers, not fit even to be heard in public discourse among the Serious.
Thus, we are treated to an endless stream of snide little insults from the likes of Eve Fairbanks and Joe Klein scoffing at these “lunatics.” And, as we all know, in 2004 Howard Dean was completely crazy — a total wacko — and Al Gore is vaguely insane, too.
By contrast, the pundits of The New Republic and Time who cheered on George Bush’s invasion of Iraq and who work for Marty Peretz and who defend George Bush’s lawbreaking and who spent years treating Dick Cheney like royalty and who carefully ponder with Great Angst whether we should start a new war with Iran are the deeply serious, very sane, mainstream thinkers who can banish the nerdy anti-war outcasts to the “lunatic fringes.”
 I believe more and more people are recognizing that the Emperor has no clothes.
Topsy Kretts on 28 Jul 2007 at 1:33 pm #
This Filmer guy is obviously a whacko, nut job. I refuse to associate with anyone outside the mainstream.
This isn’t some sort of whacko, nut job website, is it?
I think this site needs to be purged of Filmer to help restore its respectability. How dare he question the enshrined wisdom of the mainstream.
Weaver on 29 Jul 2007 at 11:29 pm #
Auditioning for President by The Southern Avenger YouTube video (open with Internet Explorer)
Auditioning for President written article (open with Internet Explorer.)
Filmer on 30 Jul 2007 at 1:33 am #
I love the SA but he makes a couple of mistakes. It is Christopher Dodd, not Christopher Todd. And Hillary doesn’t have a Y chromosome. Now that would be a story.