You are so right. kinda sick eh?! you are a really good writer.

P

But I’m probably using too broad a brush here. I don’t mean to discredit the ideology of the right wing of this country, or even most of its members. There are a bunch of conservative thinkers out there who I both disagree with and respect. The problem is that the movement’s standard-bearers seem to be leading it off a cliff. The lunatic fringe of conservatism has become the face it shows the world. That can’t be good.

That said, I must both agree and disagree with the commentary offered: I agree that (at least as written), the comment by Glenn Beck is quite hateful and mean-spirited. I add the “as written” qualification because it is possible that hearing it spoken might make it plain to the listener that he was kidding (I doubt it, but I just don’t have the facts to judge). I can’t quite agree that what Neal Boortz said qualifies as hate speech. Insulting, yes, and deeply so, but hate speech? I’m not quite as sure.

The problem here is one of “confirmation bias”, where we as humans tend to notice facts and stories that confirm our own biases, and to discount or ignore those that contradict them. As an example, I invite folks to listen with a critical ear to Air America (assuming you can find it on the airwaves in your locale). I have heard statements there (though I can’t currently cite any, as I listened on the way to or from work, where note-taking was not an option) by hosts like Al Franken or Thom Hartman talking about the Bush Crime Syndicate, or suggesting killing members of the current administration. I have heard Hollywood entertainers also make such remarks, so I just don’t think I can accept this as being solely, or even largely, a failing of the American political right wing.

I think the real problem is that somewhere in the last thirty years (or so), we lost the notion that a political opponent could just be wrong, plain and simple. Somewhere, all members of the political class adopted the idea that their opponents were not merely wrong, but in fact, totally evil. It is much easier to attack ones opponents when they are evil. There is no need to negotiate, to compromise, or to make deals with evil. Evil must be destroyed utterly. Much easier to take that attitude than the more complicated one that says, “You’re plans and proposals appear misguided to me, my dear opponent. Perhaps we can discuss them, and make some changes that will fix most of the flaws that I see, whilst keeping most of the benefits that you see.”

Listening to the morons on both ends of the soi-disant political spectrum is enough to get me disgusted with the whole process. Pfui!