Tea Party Subbcumbs to Terminal Case of Godwin's Law

[corsair]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_iowa_obama_billboard

The North Iowa Tea Party began displaying the billboard in downtown Mason City last week. The sign shows large photographs of Obama, Nazi leader Hitler and communist leader Lenin beneath the labels "Democrat Socialism," "National Socialism," and "Marxist Socialism."

Beneath the photos is the phrase, "Radical leaders prey on the fearful & naive."

I especially love the ironic tag about radicals preying on the fearful and naive. I mean, were they really that stupid that they didn't realize that they were preying on the fearful?

That was a rhetorical question, by the way - yes, they are that cosmically stOOpid.

And yes, I realize it is succumb - massive brain fart (I succumbed to Murphy's Law).

[WarrenM]

That was a rhetorical question, by the way - yes, they are that cosmically stOOpid.

The problem is that the people they are targeting are even more stupid, so it'll work.

[Musashi]

Supposedly the National Tea Party denounced the leadership of the Iowa Tea Party over this - for what it's worth (which is basically nada).

I hate to say it, but these people are finally starting to make the radical left look reasonable - that's a mighty epic achievement.

[Timemaster Tim]

What I want to know is "Whatever became of Orly Taitz?"

[corsair]

Supposedly the National Tea Party denounced the leadership of the Iowa Tea Party over this - for what it's worth (which is basically nada).

I hate to say it, but these people are finally starting to make the radical left look reasonable - that's a mighty epic achievement.

The radical right (basically the whole religious right movement) has made the radical left look reasonable for a long time now.

[corsair]

What I want to know is "Whatever became of Orly Taitz?"

Gnarly Titz was defeated in a run for political office in California and slapped around by the courts for being a cosmic doofus. She's probably sulking somewhere for the moment.

[Brettmcd]

Supposedly the National Tea Party denounced the leadership of the Iowa Tea Party over this - for what it's worth (which is basically nada).

Ok this makes no sense, I hear people say many times why wont the repubs or the national leadership denounce things like this. So they go ahead and denounce it and now that means nothing. Make up your mind please.

[Musashi]

The radical right (basically the whole religious right movement) has made the radical left look reasonable for a long time now.

You're right - but in some ways I could wrap my head around the whole Christian Coalition, family values schtick. I don't agree with 99% of it, but I can grokk where they're coming from.

These Tea Party people are from fucking Planet Zebulon Theta Six. I don't think even they grasp what they're pushing for.

[Musashi]

Ok this makes no sense, I hear people say many times why wont the repubs or the national leadership denounce things like this. So they go ahead and denounce it and now that means nothing. Make up your mind please.

I think the National Tea Party Leadership happily agree with the message the Iowa dweebs were making, they just wish they wouldn't be so damn open about it. 'Yeah, we think Obama's a Socialist / Communist / Martian / Whatever too - but we have an election to win here, people. Keep the tin foil hats under the bed until we get into office.'

Just my take on it...

For what it's worth, I'll be the last person you hear demanding the Tea Party denounce the whackos. Let your freak flag fly. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

[Kurdel]

Calling Godwin is much worse than comparing something to Nazi Germany or Hitler IMO.

[CLWheeljack]

Ok this makes no sense, I hear people say many times why wont the repubs or the national leadership denounce things like this. So they go ahead and denounce it and now that means nothing. Make up your mind please.

The understanding i had was that the various "Tea Party" organizations are all pretty loosely affiliated, and there isn't any actual hierarchy, strictly speaking. So, the national organization (one of many?) condemning them doesn't really hold alot of weight.

Also, I don't think you win a lot of brownie points for denouncing this particular billboard, you just don't lose sanity points.

[Anti-Bunny]

What I want to know is "Whatever became of Orly Taitz?"

MSNBC got bored with her, so you have to go to youtube to see her crazy.

[Flowers]

Calling Godwin is much worse than comparing something to Nazi Germany or Hitler IMO.

I agree. You may as well be flinging pogs into the air during the macarena wearing nothing but snap bracelets.

[Flowers]

The understanding i had was that the various "Tea Party" organizations are all pretty loosely affiliated, and there isn't any actual hierarchy, strictly speaking. So, the national organization (one of many?) condemning them doesn't really hold alot of weight.

Also, I don't think you win a lot of brownie points for denouncing this particular billboard, you just don't lose sanity points.

Are we playing first edition rules, where you can't regain sanity points? Because that makes a difference.

[Flowers]

What I want to know is "Whatever became of Orly Taitz?"

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Orlytaitz rmurdoc wgah'nagl fhtagn.

[Brian Rucker]

This is awesome. I can't really call it Godwinning. I'm not sure what the hell it is.

Williams [spokesman for the Tea Party Express] contends that it's actually the NAACP that's being bigoted.

"You're dealing with people who are professional race-baiters, who make a very good living off this kind of thing. They make more money off of race than any slave trader ever. It's time groups like the NAACP went to the trash heap of history where they belong with all the other vile racist groups that emerged in our history," Williams said.

Charges of racism against the Tea Party flared after African-American congressmen said they were heckled, spat at and were assailed with racial slurs by Tea Party supporters during a demonstration at the U.S. Capitol

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...89&sc=fb&cc=fp

Sure, the NAACP is doing some self-promotion by targeting high profile issues like, well, the behavior of some Tea Partiers. Then again...I can't be the only one who sees the trend over there. Whether it's spitting on black Congressmen or Rand Paul saying that private business should be able to segregate or some of the awfully racist posters and mailers circulating around.

When Stormfront's giving you the thumbs up it might be time for a little more critical self-examination and a little less idiotic indignation. Then again, look who I'm talking about.

[MatthewF]

Williams [spokesman for the Tea Party Express] contends that it's actually the NAACP that's being bigoted.

"You're dealing with people who are professional race-baiters, who make a very good living off this kind of thing. They make more money off of race than any slave trader ever. It's time groups like the NAACP went to the trash heap of history where they belong with all the other vile racist groups that emerged in our history," Williams said.

[corsair]

This is awesome. I can't really call it Godwinning. I'm not sure what the hell it is.




http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...89&sc=fb&cc=fp

Sure, the NAACP is doing some self-promotion by targeting high profile issues like, well, the behavior of some Tea Partiers. Then again...I can't be the only one who sees the trend over there. Whether it's spitting on black Congressmen or Rand Paul saying that private business should be able to segregate or some of the awfully racist posters and mailers circulating around.

When Stormfront's giving you the thumbs up it might be time for a little more critical self-examination and a little less idiotic indignation. Then again, look who I'm talking about.

There is not one, but two official names for that:

1. "I know you are but what am I?" ego-defense mechanism.
2. "I'm rubber, you're glue..." ego-defense mechanism.

Or, to recapitulate: they are that stOOpid.

[scharmers]

To wit: the party on the left is now the party on the right.

Or: cognitative dissonance; when yots on the far right call somebody on the (supposed) far left left "Hitler", and not in an admiring way.

[Musashi]

...and the irony continues.

Here's Jonah 'Liberal Fascism' Goldberg (an author I'm sure most of the Tea Party folk are familiar with) on the flippant use of 'Nazi' in denouncing one's political foes:

Which brings up the appropriate response to such accusations. Calling someone a Nazi is as bad as calling them a “nigger” or a “kike” or anything else you can think of. It’s not cute. It’s not funny. And it’s certainly not clever. If you’re too stupid to understand that a philosophy that favors a federally structured republic, with numerous restraints on the scope and power of government to interfere with individual rights or the free market, is a lot different from an ethnic-nationalist, atheistic, and socialist program of genocide and international aggression, you should use this rule of thumb: If someone isn’t advocating the murder of millions of people in gas chambers and a global Reich for the White Man you shouldn’t assume he’s a Nazi and you should know it’s pretty damn evil to call him one.

However, if you’re not too stupid to recognize the difference, but you just think saying such things will get you more attention from the press, make you a hero to some constituency, or simply makes you sound impressive, than you deserve to be socked in the goddamn face.

Of course, that was nearly ten years ago.

[rhinohelix]

...and the irony continues.

Here's Jonah 'Liberal Fascism' Goldberg (an author I'm sure most of the Tea Party folk are familiar with) on the flippant use of 'Nazi' in denouncing one's political foes:



Of course, that was nearly ten years ago.

That last line in his piece is famously part of what William F. Buckley said to Gore Vidal after the latter called him a "crypto-Nazi".

[Matthew Gallant]

Of course, that was nearly ten years ago.

And in all that time, nobody ever fixed the than/then error.

[Musashi]

And in all that time, nobody ever fixed the than/then error.

You...grammar Nazi!

[Matthew Gallant]

*sock*

[Aleck]

There was a great piece on NPR today about the Tea Party in Manassas, VA. They quoted numerous folks talking about how the gubmint was destroying the constitution. When asked what was being destroyed in the constitution, they all got vague -- but several insisted they knew what values the country was founded on and knew a lot about the constitution.

The cognitive dissonance really is kind of jarring. I accept that NPR is probably cherry picking, to some extent, but it's still pretty amusing.

[Matthew Gallant]

The billboard has been taken down.

[Musashi]

Awwww. Too bad.

I loved this bit:

Some tea party members criticized the sign, and North Iowa Tea Party co-founder Bob Johnson acknowledged the pictures overwhelmed the intended message of anti-socialism.

No...I think we got the point.

[bago]

I hear people say many times

Many times. Many times? MANY TIMES!

[corsair]

The billboard has been taken down.

Radical leaders prey on the fearful & naive

And the final score is:

Radical Leaders: 0
Not-so fearful or naive: 1

Yeah, right, their message about "socialism" got lost in the iconography. The truth is their bluff got called and they beat feet to get outta town hoping no one noticed the real message that they were attempting to prey on the weak and fearful through outlandish fear-mongering.

Brave Tea Party ran away.
Bravely ran away, away.
When danger reared its ugly head,
They bravely turned their tail and fled
Yes, Brave Tea Party turned about
And gallantly they chickened out
Bravely taking to their feet
They beat a very brave retreat
Bravest of the brave, Tea Party!

[Anders Hallin]

That last line in his piece is famously part of what William F. Buckley said to Gore Vidal after the latter called him a "crypto-Nazi".

Crypto-fascist.