Tag Archives: Left-wing politics

December 26, 2012 · 7:36 PM

Fox News Lies To It’s Gullible (Low-information) Readers Once Again

Once again, Fox News via Fox News Nation has blatantly lied and it seems like their hoping their readership don’t notice the lie:

Americablog

When’s the last time you met a gay-hating, Obama-hating (they think he’s literally the anti-Christ), Muslim-hating, Catholic-hating (conservative Baptists think Catholics worship Satan) evangelical Baptist church that was full of Democrats?  Oh yeah, they also really really don’t like Jews.  Well, if you believe Fox News (your first mistake), Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church is really a bunch of liberals.  Albeit, liberals who hate gays, Obama, Muslims, Jews and have the same view of Catholics as the Republican-loving religious right.

Other than that, very liberal.

This story is a perfect example of why Fox News is not a “news” network, but rather, is little more than a propaganda arm of the Republican party.  And the far right wing of the GOP, at that.

As you may know, the evangelical anti-gay activists at the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas regularly picket the funerals of gay people.  They’re the kind folks who operate the “God Hates Fags” Web site (those are also generally the type of signs they hold at their protests).  Over the last several years they’ve started to picket the funerals of non-gay people as well, including US service members, though it’s not entirely clear why, other than as a means of getting attention.

Well, this time they’re picketing the funeral of the dead children in Newtown, Connecticut.  Anonymous hacked the church’s Web site after the protests were announced, and it’s still rather difficult to pull the site up – I was finally able to get to their home page: GodHatesFags.com.  Here it is, in all of its “left wing” glory:

God Hates Fags home page

Hmm… Let’s see. The Democratic party is on the record supporting gay marriage. The Republican party is on the record opposing gay marriage. And the Baptist “God Hates Fags” church is virulently opposed to gay marriage. Let’s all guess which political party is more like to garner their sympathies.  But that didn’t stop Fox News.  Fox thrives on the fact that their viewers are dumb, unaware of the facts, and awfully gullible.  Nothing better than a gullible blank slate if you’re trying to peddle lies.  So here is how Fox News describes Phelps’ church when it was protesting the funerals of the children mass-murdered by a gun nut in Newtown, Connecticut (check the description under the photo):

Fox News says Fred Phelps is "left wing"

Did you catch that?

“Bikers turn out to protect Newtown mourners from left-wing Westboro cult”

Left-wing Westboro cult.

Uh huh.

This is how Fox News operates.  You can argue that MSNBC has a bias, and the network does – now, and in response to Fox.  But while MSNBC has a liberal bias, Fox just lies.

Now, as Kerry Lauerman points out in this Mother Jones piece from 1999, Fred Phelps was a Democrat before he went bonkers over 20 years ago.  Yeah, and I was a Republican back then as well.  I’m not a Republican now.  And it would be factually incorrect to call AMERICAblog a “right-wing Web site” because its founder was a Republican over twenty years ago before his political views shifted markedly.  Same goes for Fred Phelps, whowas a Democrat over twenty years ago, before he ventured into anti-gay crazyland, but then turned on Democrats when he saw the party embracing gays in the 1992 presidential election.  That’s when Phelps’ anti-gay animus exploded.

But don’t tell that to Fox News.  Fox News isn’t about nuance. Fox News isn’t about the truth.  Fox News is the propaganda wing of the Republican party, and truth isn’t their goal.  Electing Republicans is their goal.  At all costs.  That’s why their viewers are routinely found to be the most uninformed of any, and why studies have found that you’ll be more informed on the issues if you simply don’t watch Fox News.

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August 18, 2012 · 12:06 AM

Tea Party Nation Declares Liberals ‘Deranged’ Bloodthirsty Maniacs After FRC Attack

Addicting Info

It’s almost like I can see the future! Recently, I predicted that the right would be outraged, OUTRAGED, by the botched attack on the DC headquarters of the anti-gay hate group, The Family Research Council, by what is presumably a liberal. I also said that, magically, this one incident would overshadow the decades long pattern of right-wing violence.

Here’s Judson Phillips, founder of Tea Party Nation and hate/fear-monger in charge to prove me right,

Yesterday was a day we in the conservative movement will need to remember for a very long time.  It represents something we had better learn about and learn to deal with quickly.

What is it?

It was the shooting at the Family Research Council in DC.

It was left on right violence.

It is soon to be the new norm.

BE AFRAID! THE LIBERALS ARE COMING! Judson blathers on for a bit and finally gets to the part where conservatives are the true victims and liberals are out of control monsters:

Conservatives have been the victims of left-wing violence.  In 2009, Kenneth Gladney was beaten by leftist thugs in a St. Louis Tea Party event.   More recently we have seen violence committed by the Occupy mobs.

Ah. Kenneth Gladney? THIS Kenneth Gladney? I wonder if Judson thinks a man getting into a scuffle with two other men is the same as a liberal woman being thrown to the ground and stomped on by Rand Paul supporters? Probably not. She had it coming, after all. Just a heads up, the Gladney case ended in an acquittal for the “union thugs” while the manly stomper of women plead out for probation and paying for his victim’s medical bills. Also, notice that Judson can’t be bothered to say what KIND of violence has occurred at the Occupy protests? Probably because it’s hard to spin smashed windows and graffiti into a credible attack on conservatives.

Judson wraps it up with a textbook case of projection in which he transfers the sins of the right to the “radical left”:

Left wing media outlets and radical far left groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center are creating the hysteria that is the catalyst for violence.  The blood is on their hands. (be afraid - FLS)

I wish I could say the shooting at the FRC yesterday was an isolated incident.  It is not.  It is an example of growing violence against conservatives in this nation. (be afraid – FLS)

Fortunately yesterday, no one died.   Unfortunately, I fear it is only a matter of time before that happens. (be afraid – FLS)

The left is getting more desperate.  They are seeing their power fade and the left must have power.  They know they will lose the Senate and the White House in the election this fall and they are becoming more and more desperate. (Be. Afraid. – FLS)

For conservatives, the message is simple.  We must be on our guard. (BE. AFRAID. – FLS)

These are dangerous times for conservatives.  Before this is all over, I fear there will not only be more violence against conservatives, I fear conservatives will be killed by some of these deranged far left wing activists. (BE AFRAID! – FLS)

In most cases, I like to be right in my predictions.  In this one case, I pray I am very wrong. (OH MY GOD ARE YOU TERRIFIED YET?! – FLS)

The message here is clear: “Go out and get more guns to protect yourself and if you happen to blow away a few liberals, they probably had it coming.” This is precisely the kind of “hysteria” the left DOESN’T create but the right specializes in. Oh? he didn’t mention guns so I’m exaggerating? What, pray tell, does the right festishize for self-defense? Guns, pepper spray, tasers or martial arts? That’s right, guns. Let’s move on.

Conservatives love the idea that they are under siege and Republicans love the idea of their base being terrified of their neighbors. It makes them easier to control. It’s nice to see Judson running plays right out of the GOP handbook: “How To Keep’em Dumb & Scared – Your Guide To Winning Elections.” He’s definitely earned his Koch money this week.

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December 28, 2011 · 2:30 AM

How to argue with right-wing relatives

It’s still the Holiday Season so family gatherings are happening as we speak.  This article will keep you from pulling your hair out when hearing your Uncle Harry regurgitate Rush Limbaugh, Fox News and Newsmax talking points on almost any issue:

Salon

Responding to common conservative talking points without losing your mind

There comes a time at most large family gatherings when a heated political argument breaks out. And by “heated political argument” what I mean is “someone just repeats something they heard on Hannity’s radio show that you know to be completely untrue.” You may be the lone liberal in a conservative family, or you may have one right-wing uncle in your left-wing family, but this will happen. What to do?

If you have a “smart phone,” just bookmark Snopes now. That’ll take care of the really weird stuff. (Well, not this level of weird, but “I read that airlines don’t pair Christian pilots and co-pilots in case The Rapture happens” weird.)

But a right-wing myth generally lives on forever, no many how many times it is debunked. You are powerless to prevent its spread. All you can do is perhaps convince one person that one talk radio meme is completely bogus. But you will probably have better luck simply changing the subject. (Suggestions: Whether or not Peyton Manning will be a Colt next season, “American Horror Story,” Jay-Z and Beyonce’s baby.)

If you insist on answering back, here are some suggestions.

Barack Obama’s illegal immigrant aunt is an illegal immigrant and so is his illegal immigrant uncle, and they must be deported.

First, the immigration status of Barack Obama’s aunt Zeituni Onyango (the half-sister of Obama’s father, from whom the president was estranged for much of his life) was leaked to the press just before the 2008 election. She eventually won asylum, because she is old and sick and Kenya has recently seen a rise in political violence. “Uncle Omar” is in the news because he was recently arrested for drunk driving, and it turns out he’s lived here since 1963 and been in violation of a deportation order since the early 1990s. Mitt Romney accidentally said he’d deport him, but then Romney sort of walked that back, because he’s Romney.

Just ask what exactly is moral or beneficial to American interests in sending an old woman who is related to the United States president to a nation where she could be a target of politically motivated violence. And whether or not an appropriate punishment for drunk driving is to be sent “back” to a foreign country that you haven’t lived in in half a century. Then add that these cases have nothing to do with the president beyond involving people he is distantly related to, because the White House has never sought special treatment for either of these people. Then ask your relative if they really want these two people to go have to live underSHARIAH LAW, because why not.

That probably won’t convince anyone so maybe now would be a good time to bring up your own family’s ethnic heritage, unless you all happen to be American Indians.

Food nazi Michelle Obama is forcing children to eat vegetables even though she herself is fat and enjoys hamburgers.

“Have you ever noticed that pretty much everyone with a creepy fixation on the first lady’s fitness is a fat old white guy?”

Excessive regulation/regulatory uncertainly is killing the recovery, that is why there are no jobs!

Look, you can print out some lame chart from Ezra Klein or memorize some “statistics” about Obama not issuing any more regulations than other presidents, but those won’t help, because numbers and charts lie about everything. This is basically just a stand-in for the entire incomprehensible right-wing narrative of the ongoing miserable economy. Your best bet is just to say that it’s criminal that no Wall Street executives went to jail for fraud (unless your familiarly includes lots of Wall Street executives, in which case my only advice is to steal the silver on your way out).

Barack Obama disrespected the U.K. by sending it the White House bust of Winston Churchill.

Sure, the “correct” answer is that presidents change the decor when they move into the White House, but I’d just say, “Winston Churchill was a raging racist drunk asshole,” because he was.

Barack Obama’s Christmas card is anti-Christmas.

Sarah Palin insinuated that the Obamas’ Christmas card — which features wrapped presents, poinsettias, garland and bows — is part of his secret Muslim plot to destroy Christmas, because the card featured Bo the dog rather than “family, faith and freedom.” I’m not sure what you say to this, actually, because at this point you’re dealing with a lunatic, but if there are Christmas cards from loved ones nearby, maybe go check and see how many of them explicitly feature “family, faith and freedom.”

Solyndra!

Solyndra was a solar company that got a loan guarantee from the government and then it went bankrupt. Conservatives say this means the government shouldn’t try to support things that it thinks are good ideas because the government is a lot worse at “picking winners and losers” than the private sector, which never loans money to companies that then go bankrupt. I dunno, the “scandal” here is pretty opaque. I’d recommend trying to get someone to explain, to you, what exactly happened that was so illegal or whatever. Basically, the review of this loan guarantee to this poorly managed solar company with political connections was rushed, and someone might have asked them not to lay everyone off until after the midterms, which is pretty stupid, but honestly much less stupid than spending $4 billion on subsidies for oil and gas.

Eric Holder must resign because of “Fast and Furious.”

“Fast and Furious” was such an epically stupid and awful idea that you shouldn’t bother trying to “defend” it (though if you care you could point out that there’s still no evidence that Eric Holder knew about it) — you should instead congratulate your relative on finally coming to his senses regarding the ridiculous counterproductive drug war. We can finally all agree that the government should find better things to do with our tax dollars!

The New Black Panther Party.

Tell your relatives that you have recently joined the New Black Panther Party. They will be too terrified to bring it up again!

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October 10, 2011 · 2:30 PM

GOP Rep: ‘We can’t allow’ more coverage of Occupy Wall Street | The Raw Story

The Raw Story

Add another Republican to the growing list that loathe the Occupy Wall Street protests.

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) is upset at the growing movement and the media’s coverage of it, hoping that a modern day version of protests from five decades ago isn’t being recaptured now.

“It’s really important for us not to give any legitimacy to these people in the streets,” said King on Laura Ingraham’s radio show Friday evening. “I remember what happened in the 1960s when the left-wing took to the streets and somehow the left-wing took to the streets and somehow the media glorified them and it ended up shaping policy. We can’t allow that to happen.”

LISTEN: Audio from Think Progress, which happened on October 7, 2011.

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September 3, 2011 · 6:59 AM

Democracy Is Un-American

 

The Supreme Court of the United States has given corporations unprecedented power to literally buy elections. The powerful have no use for the poor voting in any election.  Matthew Vadum is the only one actually saying that the poor should not be allowed to vote, but the rich and powerful (politicians included) have been implementing ways to prevent the poor from voting for decades…

Firedoglake

Via Rick Hasen, right wing “VOTER FRAUD ACORN OMG” nut Matthew Vadum explains why “Registering the Poor to Vote is Un-American”:

Why are left-wing activist groups so keen on registering the poor to vote?

Because they know the poor can be counted on to vote themselves more benefits by electing redistributionist politicians.  Welfare recipients are particularly open to demagoguery and bribery.

Registering them to vote is like handing out burglary tools to criminals.  It is profoundly antisocial and un-American to empower the nonproductive segments of the population to destroy the country — which is precisely why Barack Obama zealously supports registering welfare recipients to vote.

So let me see if I have this right: Helping millions of poor people to vote for someone they hope might occasionally represent their interests is “antisocial and un-American,” but a tiny minority of ridiculously wealthy people and corporations spending gobs of money to put the government securely in their pocket is “free speech”?

Of course, we won’t mention that most of the poor are “nonproductive” because none of the politicians who slid into office on avalanches of corporate money give a damn about creating jobs.  Or that obscene wealth does not necessarily equate to productivity.  Or that “productivity” is not actually a requirement for voting eligibility in the first place.

Still, I’ll give Vadum credit for coming out and saying that he just doesn’t want poor people to vote.  Usually the right pretends that they’re terribly concerned about the imaginary threat of voter fraud, in much the same way that they’re terribly concerned about the sanctity of marriage, the lives of unborn babies, the threat of terrorism, and the morale of our troops.

The only thing un-American about poor people voting is that it doesn’t give them a voice, even when their candidates win.

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April 5, 2011 · 3:37 AM

Jon Stewart Mocks Obama Campaign Video: From ‘Yes We Can’ To ‘You Know, Whatever’

Mediaite

To no one’s surprise, Barack Obama announced earlier today that he will seek a second term in the 2012 election, complete with promotional video featuring demographically diverse voters just like one and I. Perhaps more surprising was the degree of enjoyment that Daily Show host Jon Stewart took in ruthlessly ridiculing the Obama video, and yes, his failed promises of transparency in his first term.

As we’ve noticed before, when it comes to this White House, Stewart is not necessarily the strict left-of-center ideologue that he’s made out to be by right-of-center commentators; The Daily Show has mined the alleged hypocrisies, gaffes and foibles that have come from this administration for strong comedic material. But the following clip appears to be a tad harsher, perhaps foretelling a critical narrative for the coming election coverage?

See video here…

 

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November 5, 2010 · 8:24 PM

Olbermann ‘Doesn’t Answer’ to NBC News Standards

 

Gawker

MSNBC chief Phil Griffin suspended Keith Olbermann today for violating “NBC News policy and standards” by donating to three Democratic congressional candidates last month. But according to an NBC News source, MSNBCers have been exempt from those rules for years.

NBC News rules explicitly bar employees from making political donations without prior approval, which is ostensibly why Griffin suspended Olbermann. But according to one NBC News insider, it’s common knowledge within the organization that MSNBC’s increasingly left-wing programming and personalities aren’t required to abide by NBC News’ exacting rules—if they were, it would be a much less bombastic and politically charged network. So while Olbermann’s donations may have run counter to the NBC News brand and Griffin’s wishes, there doesn’t appear to be a chapter-and-verse policy applying to MSNBC employees barring them.

“The standards department has told us that MSNBC doesn’t answer to NBC News standards,” the insider said. “They don’t have coverage over MSNBC. They used to, back before MSNBC went political, but at some point it became too hard and MSNBC was taken out of their portfolio. As far as I know, there are no ethical standards at MSNBC. And if NBC says MSNBC is supposed to be living up to the NBC News standards, that’s a preposterous lie.”   Continue reading…

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