with no relation whatever to the thoughtful appeals to reason and common values that historically have characterized presidential leadership in this country.
Poor little Paulie got scolded…Now he’s gonna soil his diaper and not tell anybody he needed to go potty. They’ll be sorry once they get a whiff of him.
Krugman’s closing says it all for me:
So let’s not be civil. Instead, let’s have a frank discussion of our differences. In particular, if Democrats believe that Republicans are talking cruel nonsense, they should say so — and take their case to the voters.
…but I’d say that attacking their basic premise and calling them on ITS lack of civility, both regularly and loudly, is hardly mean.
Watching conservative faux indignation lately I have to assume that something is circulating to coach them on demeanor. When suggesting even a modest reverals of the ongoing transfer of wealth to the richest a speaker will scolded in a tone implying they know their own suggestion is wrong…in much the same way you would talk to a child who has been caught red-handed, doing something they know they ought not do. Sometimes this is accompanied by a sharp warning a-la-dog whisperer…”AH!”, as if to say “I caught you…how dare you!”
Given that most of America’s eyes are as glazed over as Tommy Chong’s when it comes to grappling with the facts, this works. They see someone implying “I got you, I caught you, you know better…everyone knows better.” And as quickly as they forget what it was about they are left with only a vague sense of what transpired. However, it’s nothing more than preying on the built-in deference — a psychologically internalized attitude on the part of common people that the aristocracy are better people than they are. OK…well, they have more money. But this shouldn’t stop anyone from questioning the sorry trend that has made the rich even richer at other’s expense.
But the tactics on the right in no way call for the frank discussion so I’m taking Krugman’s words for their rhetorical value. That frank or adult discussion will not happen with them. They’ll have an endless litany of ifs, ands and buts for every point made to them. They’ll wear anyone down who tries to reason with them.
Their premises need to be attacked, sharply. When they suggest we need to save before people are asked to pay more taxes immediately rectify the sly misstatement — Intentionally reducing revenue by given the richest a tax holidaywhile running up debt with two off-the-books wars while telling people that more money to the rich will help everyone else….well, it hardly qualifies one to start of lead that frank, adult discussion. They won’t even have that discussion much less lead it. They’ll lead at shell games, sleight of hand, and doubletalk as they’ve done for quite a while.
Krugman is absolutely correct about calling them on their cruel nonsense. Call it that. After all, isn’t that what it is? That’s not mean, it’s telling it like it is. If you have to stop and ask whether this is being mean then step out of the way and let someone else say it for you.
. . . former GOP presidential aide Pete Wehner notes, “now that he finds himself intellectually outmatched by Paul Ryan . . .
Give me a break: Obama is “intellectually outmatched” by Ryan?!!!! There isn’t even one Republican in Congress who can match Obama’s intellect. What a bunch of fools.
Ooooh! Mean and ugly! Seems the Conservatives can only dish it out, not take it. Are we on the playground?
The WaEx editorial could have been written by ‘The Onion.’
Here are my two favorites:
“…claimng tax cuts must be “paid for” is a hoary piece of Democratic class-warfare demagoguery,…”
Ah, now I rmember – you never have to pay for tax cuts. You just skin some children and seniors.
And class warfare? Really? Well yes it is, but it ain’t the Democrat’s waging it. But, I guess you have to make exceptions for our Conservative punditry – they see the world through ‘red’ colored glasses.
And this – “odds are we will see more of this meaner side of the Obama persona in the months ahead because, as columnist and former GOP presidential aide Pete Wehner notes, “…now that he finds himself intellectually outmatched by Paul Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee.”
Now that there is some pure comedy gold!
This pussilanimous pipsqueek Ryan cries when Obama points out how stupid his “budget” is, and how it doesn’t even begin to eliminate the deficit for 30 years. 30 YEARS! But in the meantime, cuts education and care for seniors. If a society, as is said, is defined by how it treats its children and its elderly, than there were many tribes of cannibals around the world who would have a better record than Conservatives and Republicans.
And God bless Krugman for calling out the gullible ones in the punditry – including his not so subtle dig and David Brooks.
And, like Pat above, I agree. Let’s NOT be civil. Call it like you see ’em, and don’t try to be all nicey-nicey. This is a divided country. And if we continue pointing out the differences in stark terms, then maybe the rubes and fools will finally get it that the rich ain’t their buddies – but the people looking to suck every last ounce of blood and treasure from them, and all of their relatives. It’s no longer voodoo economice, it’s vampire economics!
If Ryan is as “courageous” as the press keeps telling us he is, then I’m sure he’ll have a calm, rational response based on facts and realistic projections to counter the CBO, which was “mean” to him also.
Jason Linkins on HuffPo keeps running a graph showing the causes of the deficit over the past several years. He puts it up every time a guest on a Sunday talk show tells a whopper about spending. Needless to say, it has made numerous appearances. I bet it would make Ryan cry. Courageously, of course.
Off topic, but a wonderful navigational aid on the Roadmap for America. Paulie’s little brainchild.
Six months after voters sent Republicans in large numbers to Congress and many statehouses, it is possible to see the full landscape of destruction that their policies would cause — much of which has already begun. If it was not clear before, it is obvious now that the party is fully engaged in a project to dismantle the foundations of the New Deal and the Great Society, and to liberate business and the rich from the inconveniences of oversight and taxes….
…on the playground? there I’ve never seen the bullies go from tormenting to crying vicitim so quickly at the same time they were kicking the asses of those who could not defend themselves. How much lower can they go? Wait, I take that back. I don’t really want to find out.
with no relation whatever to the thoughtful appeals to reason and common values that historically have characterized presidential leadership in this country.
Poor little Paulie got scolded…Now he’s gonna soil his diaper and not tell anybody he needed to go potty. They’ll be sorry once they get a whiff of him.
Krugman’s closing says it all for me:
…but I’d say that attacking their basic premise and calling them on ITS lack of civility, both regularly and loudly, is hardly mean.
Watching conservative faux indignation lately I have to assume that something is circulating to coach them on demeanor. When suggesting even a modest reverals of the ongoing transfer of wealth to the richest a speaker will scolded in a tone implying they know their own suggestion is wrong…in much the same way you would talk to a child who has been caught red-handed, doing something they know they ought not do. Sometimes this is accompanied by a sharp warning a-la-dog whisperer…”AH!”, as if to say “I caught you…how dare you!”
Given that most of America’s eyes are as glazed over as Tommy Chong’s when it comes to grappling with the facts, this works. They see someone implying “I got you, I caught you, you know better…everyone knows better.” And as quickly as they forget what it was about they are left with only a vague sense of what transpired. However, it’s nothing more than preying on the built-in deference — a psychologically internalized attitude on the part of common people that the aristocracy are better people than they are. OK…well, they have more money. But this shouldn’t stop anyone from questioning the sorry trend that has made the rich even richer at other’s expense.
But the tactics on the right in no way call for the frank discussion so I’m taking Krugman’s words for their rhetorical value. That frank or adult discussion will not happen with them. They’ll have an endless litany of ifs, ands and buts for every point made to them. They’ll wear anyone down who tries to reason with them.
Their premises need to be attacked, sharply. When they suggest we need to save before people are asked to pay more taxes immediately rectify the sly misstatement — Intentionally reducing revenue by given the richest a tax holidaywhile running up debt with two off-the-books wars while telling people that more money to the rich will help everyone else….well, it hardly qualifies one to start of lead that frank, adult discussion. They won’t even have that discussion much less lead it. They’ll lead at shell games, sleight of hand, and doubletalk as they’ve done for quite a while.
Krugman is absolutely correct about calling them on their cruel nonsense. Call it that. After all, isn’t that what it is? That’s not mean, it’s telling it like it is. If you have to stop and ask whether this is being mean then step out of the way and let someone else say it for you.
. . . former GOP presidential aide Pete Wehner notes, “now that he finds himself intellectually outmatched by Paul Ryan . . .
Give me a break: Obama is “intellectually outmatched” by Ryan?!!!! There isn’t even one Republican in Congress who can match Obama’s intellect. What a bunch of fools.
Ooooh! Mean and ugly! Seems the Conservatives can only dish it out, not take it. Are we on the playground?
The WaEx editorial could have been written by ‘The Onion.’
Here are my two favorites:
“…claimng tax cuts must be “paid for” is a hoary piece of Democratic class-warfare demagoguery,…”
Ah, now I rmember – you never have to pay for tax cuts. You just skin some children and seniors.
And class warfare? Really? Well yes it is, but it ain’t the Democrat’s waging it. But, I guess you have to make exceptions for our Conservative punditry – they see the world through ‘red’ colored glasses.
And this – “odds are we will see more of this meaner side of the Obama persona in the months ahead because, as columnist and former GOP presidential aide Pete Wehner notes, “…now that he finds himself intellectually outmatched by Paul Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee.”
Now that there is some pure comedy gold!
This pussilanimous pipsqueek Ryan cries when Obama points out how stupid his “budget” is, and how it doesn’t even begin to eliminate the deficit for 30 years. 30 YEARS! But in the meantime, cuts education and care for seniors. If a society, as is said, is defined by how it treats its children and its elderly, than there were many tribes of cannibals around the world who would have a better record than Conservatives and Republicans.
And God bless Krugman for calling out the gullible ones in the punditry – including his not so subtle dig and David Brooks.
And, like Pat above, I agree. Let’s NOT be civil. Call it like you see ’em, and don’t try to be all nicey-nicey. This is a divided country. And if we continue pointing out the differences in stark terms, then maybe the rubes and fools will finally get it that the rich ain’t their buddies – but the people looking to suck every last ounce of blood and treasure from them, and all of their relatives. It’s no longer voodoo economice, it’s vampire economics!
If Ryan is as “courageous” as the press keeps telling us he is, then I’m sure he’ll have a calm, rational response based on facts and realistic projections to counter the CBO, which was “mean” to him also.
Jason Linkins on HuffPo keeps running a graph showing the causes of the deficit over the past several years. He puts it up every time a guest on a Sunday talk show tells a whopper about spending. Needless to say, it has made numerous appearances. I bet it would make Ryan cry. Courageously, of course.
Off topic, but a wonderful navigational aid on the Roadmap for America. Paulie’s little brainchild.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/18/afghanistan-war-cost_n_850293.html
That WashEx piece is a joke. At least the NYT gets it right in The New Republican Landscape:
…on the playground? there I’ve never seen the bullies go from tormenting to crying vicitim so quickly at the same time they were kicking the asses of those who could not defend themselves. How much lower can they go? Wait, I take that back. I don’t really want to find out.