Apr 17, 2006 
Michelle Malkin declared herself judge and jury, found some student protesters to be guilty of sedition, and published their names and phone numbers so that they would be harassed.
And she calls them moonbats.
The students were protesting military recruiters on campus. For the record, I disagree with the students’ position. The military services are not our enemies; they are not the ones who make decisions to wage unjust wars. Blame the bleeping idiot civilians running the military for that. As long as the recruiters are not press-ganging students into boot camp, I say leave ‘em be.
But as long as the protests against the recruiters are nonviolent, they’re not anyone’s business. They are especially not that bleeping blogging Nazi’s business, if she is not a student or faculty member of the college. If the students committed acts of vandalism, as some have alleged, then charge them and let the criminal justice system take care of it. But stirring up vigilante mobs is crossing a line.
Now Crooks and Liars reports the students are getting death threats nonstop. The students asked Malkin to take their contact information off her site; she refused.
Malkin’s hate-mongering is the stuff of legend. She’s even been criticized for it by Cathy Young at the Boston Globe, who is hardly a leftie. Now Lulu has put some college students in real danger. If any of them gets so much as a scratch because of Malkin, I sincerely hope somebody prosecutes her fascist ass.
And you want to know what else I’m pissed off about? This weekend, the Right Blogosphere whooped over the WaPo “angry left” and smugly boasted of their moral superiority because they are not as “angry” as we are. Which is bullshit, as Glenn Greenwald documented — see also The Wege at Norwegianity — but never mind. People bullshit themselves about themselves all the time; we all do it. If they want to point to the anger in us and ignore the bile and hate in themselves, fine. Sticks and stones, etc.
But right this minute I’m very angry. Most of the time I’m not, but now I am. I admit it. Malkin has crossed a line. Now let’s all step back and watch the Right Blogosphere’s knee-jerk defense of Malkin. Righties don’t threaten the lives of students out of anger; it’s just concern. Hate the sin, love the sinner. If somebody gets hurt that would be so unfortunate, but you know — stuff happens. If those young people don’t want death threats they should keep their mouths shut, right?
Nazis, I say.
I know I’m not supposed to, but I pity Michelle Malkin. Really, I do. Punditry is a game of incentives, encouragement, luck. You write a hundred articles before striking paydirt with one. That zeitgeisty dispatch activates an eruption of applause and adulation, so you try to repeat it. Soon enough, you’ve got a niche, a style, a persona. The lucky ones, among whom I include myself, find their path opening towards responsible, serious commentary. The sort of articles that allow us to wake up, yawn, look in the mirror, and feel good about what we see. And then there are the unlucky ones, the Michelle Malkins, who achieve acceptance through hatred and venom, and find themselves groping down the darkest path to political success. …
…Malkin has created an identity of outrage, she trades in hate because she proved unable to achieve recognition for anything more elevated.
Sorta related — see also Digby, David Neiwert and James Wolcott.
Update: Malkin is today’s Countdown Worst Person in the World.
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