Monday, January 10, 2011

Vulture Culture



The political Left and mainstream media have a new hero...and his name is Jared Lee Loughner.

Like the born-again Christians these groups so frequently mock, they "hate the sin (of the shootings), but love the sinner" because he's become the latest vehicle they can use to attack Sarah Palin, the Tea Party, Talk Radio, and conservatives in general.

This despite the fact that evidence (currently being erased from the Internet) seems to indicate that Loughner was actually a "left-leaning liberal." Which shouldn't matter; this wasn't about politics - it was about insanity. And whatever Loughner's personal demons or schizophrenic belief system, it would be preposterous to try to saddle either the Left or the Right with the blame.

But it's happening anyway. Jane Fonda, who famously posed with North Vietnamese anti-aircraft guns, now says that Sarah Palin's symbolic use of crosshairs on a campaign map caused the violence. NY Times columnist Paul Krugman blames a "culture of hate" fomented by Palin, Beck, Limbaugh and the like. And in a particularly transparent bit of journalistic masturbation, Andrew Sullivan of the Atlantic seems to suggest that the "incandescent rage" exhibited in the Palin camp's denial of involvement is proof that they're capable of incandescent rage...and therefore guilty as charged.

By the way, the use of "therefore" and "thus" appear a lot in the tortured writings of Jared Lee Loughner. By following any two oxymoronic and unrelated statements with the word "thus," he thought he was achieving some sort of logical truism. But logic doesn't work that way - even if the Leftwing media does.

For instance, should we believe: "Liberals hate George Bush. Judge Moll was appointed by George Bush. Thus Judge Moll's killer was a liberal."

Or: "Liberals hated Ronald Reagan. John Hinckley shot Reagan to impress a Hollywood actress. Thus liberals will attempt to kill because they think Hollywood wants them to."

Or maybe: "Squeaky Fromme tried to kill a conservative President. Squeaky Fromme was a member of the Manson family. Thus anti-conservatives share the murderous beliefs of the Manson family."

We could go on for days...but like the vulture in today's cartoon, and unlike the mainstream media, we don't have the stomach for it.

-

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is there any evidence Jared Lee Loughner saw Sarah Palin's flyer sent to well-to-do Republicans to raise funds? No. Was there any evidence Jared Lee Loughner went to Tea Party rallies? No. But Mr. Loughner like Drowning Pool's song Bodies well enough he added it to his flag burning video. What are the lyrics (#x means number of times repeated)?

Let the bodies hit the floor (4x)
Beaten why for
Can't take much more
Here we go... (3x)
Nothing wrong with me (4x)
Something's got to give (3x)
Now
Let the bodies hit the floor (6x)
Push me again
This is the end
Here we go... (3x)
Something's got to give (3x)
Now
Let the bodies hit the floor (7x)
Skin against skin blood and bone
You're all by yourself but you're not alone
You wanted in now you're here
Driven by hate consumed by fear
Let the bodies hit the floor (4x)
Nothing wrong with me (4x)
Something's got to give (3x)
Let the bodies hit the floor (6x)
The floor (4x)

Which sounds more violent, a piece of paper with a few gun targets imposed on a US map or someone repeatedly whispering and screaming the above lyrics? Still not sure? Listen for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JZ9djZa180

Steve said...

Wow! - this hits the truth very very well.
The 'drive-by' media have become a bunch of shameless thugs - they believe in "any means to an end', and no matter how outrageous their assertions, that is no matter.

This too is the culture of the 'NOT-reverend' Jesse Jackson, the punk Al Sharpton too. Both these race-baiting reprobates have no shame for whose death they indirectly cause, or who they financially rape through extortion.

Suzy said...

We KNEW this would happen. Giffords was PRO gun and conservative in other ways...she was not really an Obama-crat. And the shooter was not a crazy Montana-freeman-tea-partier..... but the media would love to have us think that Palin paid a hitman to pick off Obama and then took Giffords as the second best choice. Sheesh. Its disgusting! I hope America can see through this by now. Although the "Bush-haters" will purposely decide to believe CNN I'm sure.....

Its sad and SICK SICK SICK that we are using these injuries and death as a means to a political end (actually survival) for the democrats and ultimately, Obama, right now. Come on! Have some respect and honor!!!!! Oh yeah....Obamacrats HAVE NO HONOR.

Anonymous said...

I agree Stilton, you nailed it. The people trying to take political advantage of this situation would make a vulture sick. Jared Loughner shows all the signs of being a paranoid schizophrenic nutcase. He did the shootings. Case closed. But we cannot ignore nor let rest the double standards and blatant bigotry shown by left leaning pundits, the MSM, etc., who have been so quick to blame conservatives from Sarah Palin to tv/radio personalities for inciting this killing. Where was this same labeling after the Fort Hood incident or the attempt to bring down an airplane a year ago Christmas Eve? Weren't we warned about jumping to conclusions? The hypocrisy makes me very angry. Be careful about stirring this pot Sheriff. We take notes and remember. But most importantly, we don't try to hurt anyone; we VOTE!
Earl

Anonymous said...

Sorry. By Sheriff I'm talking about the one in Tuscon who really needs to be muzzled by someone. His comments are reckless. I watched him yesterday being interviewed on FOX and he was specifically asked if he didn't think he was "stirring the pot." He said he'd let the viewers decide.
Earl

Doc - Northern Nevada said...

Here is what I posted yesterday to our western US group ... understand much of it is "toungue in cheek" statements.
Those of you I spoke with yesterday know that I warned you the Obummer political gang would do EXACTLY what they are now doing!! They learned thier lessons from 'Dead Fish' Emanuel very well!
Riddle me this: How can you possibly equate a hard line left wing whack job who kills, or tries to anyhow, one of his own left wingers (albeit she reportedly was more moderate than most of them) with being inspired and driven to do it by Sarah Palin and the Conservative Tea Party Movement? When they represent everything he openly despised, posted about and studied?
Answer: Never, ever, waste a good crisis! Spin It against your political opponents!
Already the Progressive Socialist Liberals are trying to spin this to be the Conservative movements fault! The MSM is falling right in line and blasting it all over how it was 'Palin's fault'. (They must be REALLY, truly and seriously scared of her!)
WE, YOU AND I, drove him to this! Don't you understand? What's wrong with you right wing gun nuts? We need to take away all your guns and common sense, you silly misguided Conservative Constitutionalists!
This is tantamount to saying the bank teller caused the robbery, the United States caused the Islamic Fundamentalist terrorists to attack us and the rest of the world, the rape victims caused the sexual assaults, McDonalds caused the clumsy oaf to spill coffee on herself and get burned, and video games made them do it! Oh wait ... the bleeding heart Progressive Liberal Socialist whiners have ALREADY SAID THESE THINGS and the Judges like Sotomayor have already 'made laws from the bench' supporting it!! It is NEVER EVER the perpetrators fault ... his Mommy, her Daddy, or 'Society' made them do what they do!
What has happened to being responsible for your own actions? Why he got like he is, is not my concern, nor do I give a rat's A@@ "why". I am sorry he is a few toys short of a Happy Meal, but it is no one else's fault!
He did it, he should pay for it. I'll even volunteer to hook up the IV's and push the damn plunger in for them! I won't lose a single seconds sleep over it either, while saving the State of Arizona (or the Feds) the multi-million dollar fees it supposedly costs to execute someone!
I have no doubt when all is said and done (mark my words for future reference) - we will be supporting this whacked out S.O.B./P.O.S. for the rest of his miserably long life in some federal country club - living better than a whole lot of our fellow citizens!
I hear them whining in my nightmares already .... "Poor baby, he didn't mean it ... he is just a misguided young person, tortured by his rejection from military service, the mean old tea party that wouldn't kiss his a@@ and give him everything he wanted for free, and besides Sarah Palin 'targeted' Giffords and friends for removal during the election - so he just did what they said - it is nooooot hiiiiiis fauuuuult!"
Off my soapbox for now ... but please trust me when I predict ... "the El Toro Poo Poo is just starting to impact the oscillating air movement devices!" (Cover your heads!) Have a pleasant rest of your weekend!
Doc

Scooter Jay said...

Folks, this appears to me as much a "turtle on a fence" as any I have seen in the past two years. I can't help but believe this was a coordinated effort to stop the repeal of obamacare. Time will tell, and I hope that time will prove me wrong.

Anonymous said...

To set the record straight (and avoid anyone reading trying to assign blame to Drowning Pool), those lyrics are about dancing in a mosh pit, not killing people. However, they can be easily misconstrued, especially by an insane person looking for meaning. And that's the point.

In my opinion, any person that decides violence is the answer, whether due to mental illness or calculated malice, is disturbed in some manner. Even, if the killing was politically motivated, that is not an excuse to blame any groups he may have identified with either on the right or the left or anywhere in between.

Unknown said...

Oh my, apparently my last post included too much irony. I thought the Cheese man was a master at humor and irony, but I guess I only used half the word.

Angry Hoosier Dad said...

Suggesting that Sarah Palin had anything to do with that madman's motivations is a form of political Butterfly Effect unheard of in the past and sustainable only by a liberal media incessantly bleating like a sheep with it's foot wrapped in barbed wire. Indeed, it is enough to gag a maggot, let alone choke a vulture.

Anonymous said...

Hey Mitch, can you answer a question for me?

Here goes, "If all opinions are equal, how come a liberal who disagrees with a conservative is open-minded, but a conservative who disagrees with a liberal is a bigot?"

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

Mitch- Actually, your post was deleted because it seemed to bear no relevance to today's topic. If your intention was ironic, I'll confess it must have been too subtle for me to catch.

Here is what you posted:

"The think (sic) I find most abhorrent about Andrew Sullivan is his three-hour a day radio program, his weeknight hour on Cable News, and how all those hate and invective shows are repeated, ad nauseum over weekend radio."

I'll confess that I still don't catch either irony or relevance here... but readers can judge for themselves.

But here's a suggestion: why not try engaging in some honest conversation here, and share your opinions? I genuinely welcome opposing viewpoints from people who have something substantive to say. I've even been known to concede an argument or two...so it can be done. But only by those who bring facts to the table instead of snark.

Unknown said...

Mr. Cheese, while you and your club are defending Sarah Palin, I thought you should consider the wider world of talk radio (three hours a day on the radio, get it now?). That's the real breeding ground for invective and ill speech. Next time I'll bring it to your level so you can more easily understand me.

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

Mitch- How dare you threaten me with the word "club"?!

Meanwhile, I understood your "three hours a day on the radio" but couldn't understand your point: Sullivan doesn't (to my knowledge) have such a show, and Rush Limbaugh - whom I listen to - doesn't in any way encourage violence or physical actions of any kind.

Do you listen to Limbaugh? Or Hannity? Or Beck? Or any talk radio? Or are you just spouting what you "know" to be true without personal evidence?

Please, put the game-playing aside for a bit. I've invited you to engage in a little civil and honest discourse, but that doesn't seem to be what you want. I'm trying to help promote you from troll to "loyal opposition," but you need to work with me by providing the occasional fact.

Anonymous said...

I tune in talk radio every day and have for many years. I started doing this when I heard about the angry rhetoric of Limbaugh. I wanted to find out for myself what his alleged "hate speech" was all about. I was pleasantly surprised. He was nothing like how he was labeled. I found and continue to find him a breath of fresh air amidst the deliberate smog from others in the media. Most people who condemn him have never listened to him and only repeat the lies perpetrated by his jealous detractors. Rush doesn't tell us what to think; we listen to him because he speaks our minds with intelligence, common sense and humor. He is particularly helpful reminding us of hypocrisy from the left. There's so much of it, one mind can't remember all the misinformation. May he live long and prosper. The same goes for you Stilton. You're a kindred spirit.
Earl

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

Anonymous Earl- It's funny how much is revealed about a person any time I hear them accuse Rush of "hate speech." I immediately know that I'm dealing with a person who doesn't know what they're talking about, who forms opinions without facts, who subsitutes emotion for logic, and is too ignorant to either know or care that they're doing all of the above.

Unknown said...

I believe the term is "selective perception."

Anonymous said...

Hey Mitch, Why won't you answer the question?

"If all opinions are equal, how come a liberal who disagrees with a conservative is open-minded, but a conservative who disagrees with a liberal is a bigot?"

We're all waiting...

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

Mitch- I guess I need to buy a vowel to decipher your ironic meaning. You say "selective perception" but don't even hint at what you're talking about.

Are you saying that you listen to Rush Limbaugh regularly and DO hear hate speech and calls to violence that other people don't hear? Have you had this problem long? Does it happen even when the radio isn't plugged in?

Suzy said...

"Selective Perception" means he has to go check CNN real quick for what to say next....

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

Current score: Suzy 1, Mitch 0

Unknown said...

Yes, I have - for years - listened to Hannity, to Beck, to Limbaugh, to Weiner, to Gene Burns, to Phil Valentine, to On Point Radio, to Diane Rehm, to Talk of the Nation.

Lately I prefer the latter to the former, with the exception of Valentine.

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

Mitch- Okay, good, now we're having a conversation.

Seriously - you really do believe you hear hate speech and incitement to violence on the conservative shows you listed? Can you share any examples? In complete candor, I've never heard anything remotely like that - and would be extremely bothered if I did.

Have I heard an occasional yahoo caller who has said something stupid? Yes...and they're always immediately shot down (if you'll pardon the expression) by the host. And I've heard similarly stupid callers on more left-leaning shows, but don't blame the host for the idiocy of the caller (as long as the host immediately distances himself or herself from the sentiments).

I can't say I'm a frequent listener to the various NPR shows you've listed as favorites. I do know that Ellen Weiss, the senior vice president in charge of News, resigned last week after an internal panel found that she had acted improperly in the firing of Juan Williams (and publicly accusing him of insanity - which seems like attempted career assassination).

But to be fair, let me say that it's to NPR's credit that their own panel found Weiss's behavior and news judgement unacceptable and encouraged her to find the Exit door. I'd like to think that it might indicate some desire on their part to start moving more toward the center.

Williams, a black liberal, said of NPR that there is "a culture there that is not open to real news, that is not open to all points of view, that is not open to the real world around us and to the many different dynamics, perspectives and life stories that animate America."

So it's good that you're listening to multiple news sources and viewpoints (which is a good idea for all of us)...and interesting that you think you hear what I don't on the conservative side, and apparently haven't noticed what seems to be missing or misrepresented on the liberal side.

Blind spots? Selective perception? We probably all have them, and need to work to get past them.

Anonymous said...

Hey Mitch, Answer the question...

"If all opinions are equal, how come a liberal who disagrees with a conservative is open-minded, but a conservative who disagrees with a liberal is a bigot?"

Or maybe you can't Mitch... because all you seen to be able to do is pull a "Full Alinsky".

Pete(Detroit) said...

Hey, Doc, haven't you heard? 'Happy meals' don't come w/ toys anymore..
or fries
or burgers
just a couple of carrot sticks, some fruit and some eco-friendly stickers.
Hardly a meal, and not much happy...
/sarc (but only half)

Unknown said...

I'm sorry, Mr. Cheese, I didn't realize this would be a written examination.

Of course, I don't make notes of incendiary comments I hear on talk radio, but I have heard them, often, from the hosts: usually along the lines of 'all liberals are evil devils and should be purged from the earth,' I'm surprised you don't hear that.

@"anonymous," how did you arrive at the conclusion that "all opinions are equal?" Compared to what? Is a "full alinsky" akin to shouting "SOROS!" in a crowded theatre?

Unknown said...

Oh, and Mr. Cheese, there are folks who respect Ellen Weiss: http://bit.ly/hDTUva

Stilton Jarlsberg said...

Mr. Mitch- Yes, of course there's a written examination. This is a political blog, and I include links to numerous sources to explain, or at least illuminate, my daily opinions. We're all playing by the same rules here.

And to reply to your comment, I've never heard ANY conservative talk radio host say that "all liberals are evil devils who should be purged from the earth," let alone that they should be dealt with anyplace other than the ballot box. So absent evidence, you're either in error or (and I say this with deep regret and honest concern) delusional. Let's assume it's the former, because I'd like to think we're friends now.

You then go on to cite the "folks" who have respect for Ellen Weiss of NPR. Although you actually only manage to cite one folk: Andrew Sutton, who was her once her employee, and whose company later provided "research, marketing, and management consulting services to public radio" - in other words, someone who continued to receive paychecks at Ms. Weiss's pleasure. Nope, no conflict of interest there.

Can you cite any journalists who admire Ms. Weiss's standards? Do you believe that Juan Williams should have been fired? And do you think NPR violated their journalistic integrity by showing Ellen Weiss the door, and are now less journalistically reputable than they were before?

See, there's actually a written examination here every day.

Doc - Northern Nevada said...

Pete in Detroit ... actually I knew they no longer come with toys! I am from N. Nevada, right across the Sierra's from the 'Land of Pelosi', so we get the news each night from them as well. That was just my kind of backdoor way of citing another stupidly lame thing our liberal, self-appointed 'caretakers' have seen fit to put their usually over educated noses into. The point being, the more absurd the item, the more it points at too much education, no jobs, no common sense; so 'make up a crisis so [they] can collect money and force others into my belief structure'. Before I am accused of being "jealous" of their educations ... I AM a degreed professional, but actually WORK and produce product. I don't get rich scaring people and forcing them to like what I like, eat ehat I eat, drink what I drink and worship how I worship, whether they like it or not, as so many of our liberal friends dedicate their lives to doing.
But of course, I do also realize you are 'just pulling my chain' ... ROFLMAO
BUT, If we let them continue ... soon the Happy Meal will be just that! (though without the sticker, because I don't beieve they can get one that is 'green enough' for the folks who live in 'the land of fruits and nuts')

Anonymous said...

Poor Mitch can't answer a simple question. All he can do is spout nonsense and pull the "Full Alinsky".