Hatewatch Tweets
Hatewatch is managed by the staff of the Intelligence Report, an investigative magazine published by the Alabama-based civil rights group Southern Poverty Law Center.
The Radical Right Responds to the Tucson Shootings
Leave it to Fred Phelps and his rabidly anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) to provide the most heinous response to this weekend’s shooting in Tucson that left six people dead and 14 others wounded, most notably U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
In a flier posted to the WBC website, the group, whose members plan to picket the funerals of those murdered, writes, “God appointed this rod for your sins! God sent the shooter!” The flier continues, “Your federal judge is dead and your (fag-promoting, baby-killing, proud-sinner) Congresswoman fights for her life. God is avenging Himself on this rebellious house! WBC prays for your destruction — more shooters, more dead carcasses piling up, young, old, leader and commoner — all. Your doom is upon you!”
Blatant support for the alleged shooter, Jared Loughner, also came from Bostjan Avsec, who put up a facebook page “FREE Jared Loughner NOW!!!!” Avsec, who describes himself as a “nationalist by right of my European ancestors,” ascribes Loughner’s actions to having “found himself like [sic] entire Arizona in what was just yesterday a predominately white habitat to what is today non English Mexican/black/Jewish terror state!!!!”
A posting on the shootings at the neo-Nazi White Revolution’s website is nearly as poisonous. Under the headline “Another Jew-related Mass Murder,” Giffords is described as a “Jewess feminist” whose “Jewish roots run deep.” The post alleges that Jews are prone to mass murder and speculates that Loughner was Jewish as well. “Amy Bishop, a Jewish biology professor at the University of Alabama, shot three persons to death less than a year ago,” the site reminds its neo-Nazi supporters.
At Stormfront.org, the largest white nationalist forum on the web, a massive thread is devoted to this weekend’s events. Several of the posters were as uncharitable as White Revolution and the WBC. “Never in the history of mankind [sic] a revolution unfolded without bloodshed. I’d say the Turner Diaries describes it best for us,” wrote GodonEarth, referring to the infamous novel that inspired Timothy McVeigh’s 1995 attack in Oklahoma City and which includes harrowing scenes of mass murders of Jews and others opposed to a racially pure White America.
Though some expressed regret over the deaths this weekend, many others proposed the notion that the attack was part of some kind of plot to take away the rights of white nationalists. “I fear that the dopes in DC will try to ban guns now, and it’ll lead up to the balkenization [sic] of this once great country. (It was great b4 the damn jews got into power),” wrote kscottwyatt.
Similarly, Wsternm3542 added, “We are headed towards a hard time here and in other places on the net and in our lives. This government is going to do whatever is necessary to maintain control … The Government doesn’t like being kicked around, and if you think in this forum you have the stones to take them on, good luck, many a better man has gone to the gallows for less and turned in for a song in the ensuing interrogations that inevitably will follow.” Arch77X added, “Unfortunately, [Loughner] will be used to label us all murderers just like Timothy McVeigh. He may even be a plant, he was supposedly US military.”
Others on the radical right made the argument that “the Left,” whatever that might mean, would now move to take away their rights. The rabidly anti-immigrant hate site AmericanPatrol.com is headlined today, “Exploiting a Tragedy, The Left Will Stop at Nothing.” The site alleges that progressives, including the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), will use the “shooting as a means of silencing anyone who speaks out against illegal immigration.” On the anti-immigrant hate site Vdare.com, a posting by Alexander Hart reads, “the Left did not wait until the bodies were hauled off to start using the attack to suppress the free speech of their ideological opponents.”
A similar sentiment was found at Infowars.com, a rabidly antigovernment website run by conspiracymonger Alex Jones: “the establishment has hastily exploited yesterday’s tragic shooting in Tucson to demonize conservatives, libertarians and gun owners while ordering Americans to ‘tone down the rhetoric,’ which is nothing more than a euphemism for stifling dissent and coercing people to roll over on Obamacare, bailouts and whatever big government is preparing to unleash next.” Even Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, who spoke out strongly against hateful and rabidly antigovernment political rhetoric in the wake of the shootings, came under fire. For example, Matt Barber, an anti-gay ideologue and director of cultural affairs for the Liberty Counsel, tweeted, “Pima Co Sheriff should be fired for shamelessly politicizing this horrible tragedy.”
One member of the radical right, Jared Taylor of the racist group American Renaissance, has more reason to react to the events of the weekend than most. Taylor, whose group was tied to the shooter by a leaked DHS memo that also described his organization wrongly as anti-Semitic, made it forcefully clear in a posting to his website Monday that his group had nothing to do with Loughner. Taylor told the SPLC today, “I am in drop-jawed amazement at this.” He said he searched all of Loughner’s material for a link to American Renaissance “and there is nothing about [American Renaissance] or about race or immigration,” the favored topics of his organization.
on January 10th, 2011 at 12:57 pm
Where did they get the idea that Giffords or that Bishop lady were Jewish? Oh wait, if they were involved in things the WNs don’t like, they MUST be Jewish!!
on January 10th, 2011 at 2:31 pm
Guess you ran out of space before you could condemn the brain-dead leftists (but I repeat myself) who tripped over their Twitter accounts to blame Palin before the blood was cold. How’s that Kos meme working out, anyway?
on January 10th, 2011 at 2:37 pm
Heidi:
Thanks kindly for taking the sewer dive so others don’t have to, I know how awful researching these sites can make you feel from experience.
on January 10th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
Stevie, people might have jumped the gun to blame Palin and her rhetoric because there has been a pattern of right-wing violence and rhetoric lately. Not that you would ever bother to check. Stands to reason that if Palin said things like this,and put out a poster like that, people might make a connection after one of the people on the list ends up shot in the head.
You have to ask yourself, WHY oh why don’t people automatically suspect say, ACORN of doing crimes like this? Why not Moveon.org or the CPUSA and any number of real or phony left-wing groups? Why is it always conservatives associated with violence? Because for the past 20-30 years, most political violence has been almost exclusively right wing.
on January 10th, 2011 at 4:24 pm
The warning signs have been out in the open for years. Frommer issued a travel advisory/warning about Arizona. John Birch society and different groups such as the Nazis are out in the open there with politicians and the famous Joe Arpaio. The Rev. Anderson who said something along the lines that he is praying that Obama dies lives there. The Minutemen group, if I’m not mistaken, originated here. BTW, no one meaning FOX, CNN, MSNBC is talking about the judge. From my understanding, the judge that was killed, is the same judge that ruled against a rancher in Arizona and awarded the ‘illegal immigrant’ his ranch. And here in Califas, there was outrage coming from KFI640 AM, the John and Ken Show – they had Chris Simcox and Jim Gilchrist on their show quite a few times – discussing this incident. **John and Ken recently aired shows telling people they will give some listeners Govenor Jerry Brown’s personal cellphone number. This was before the election.
From what I’ve seen, Arizona also hosts the Oi Festivals every year. Arizona had the officials paint over the ‘Blue Boy’ claiming it didn’t fit their taste (meaning, the Blue Boy was a picture of a black student). Arizona officials either removed or attempted to remove Ethnic Studies Programs.
There are people on the right, everytime they speak of ‘liberals’ or ‘left-wing’ you will usually see something along the lines ‘I hate liberals.’ I’ve also tried to bring attention to C-Spans ‘Washington Journal.’ I don’t view the show anymore, because the host as well as the callers tend to not give democratic callers time to talk-they always cut them off, while letting republican callers get their say. A while back, a republican caller said, “what are all these blacks calling in for.” Well, this weekend before this incident Arizona, I was flipping channels, a guest on the show, I think his name was Korn or Corn that was talking about healthcare, I heard a lady call in that identified herself as black and said something along the lines of, “this is not Obamacare, and you guys need to stop calling it as such. This is America’s healthcare…”
So again, all of these right-wing groups or people associated with them, I am seeing a pattern. They get people riled up, and as soon as that person do something to bring attention, the right-wingers run and still try to find someone to blame. I mentioned awhile back, they get people to do their dirty-work and they never back them up, meaning, no thank-you note, no bail money, no I’m sorry, no nothing, they want nothing to do with people who follow through on what they want done.
on January 10th, 2011 at 4:59 pm
““I fear that the dopes in DC will try to ban guns now, and it’ll lead up to the balkenization [sic] of this once great country. (It was great b4 the damn jews got into power),” wrote kscottwyatt.”
I literally cannot even count how many times they have said almost exactly this. In fact the “Balkanization” of America line has been popular since, well, the Balkan wars starting in the early 90s. Where’s the “race war”? Where’s the universal gun ban? Where’s the UN invasion?
On a side note, if you ever want to have fun with this sort of character, ask him when Jews took over the country. Then destroy him.
on January 11th, 2011 at 3:28 am
I think the authorities should keep an eye on Stevie…the first red flag is his comment on here. Still think that maniac had the right to bear arms? Seems every single person that had ANY contact with him, could tell he was unstable. Too bad the guy at the gun shop didn’t see it. He must have figured that the poor 22 year old had to go kill his dinner…..with an automatic. Well, i guess he was only trying to make a sale…must have been a jew, right little Stevie ?
on January 11th, 2011 at 10:26 am
Simply wanted to echo the earlier post thanking you for doing the research and compiling it so clearly.
I am more grateful for the work of the SPLC than I can convey in a comment.
Sincere greetings from Rhode Island….
on January 11th, 2011 at 11:29 am
typical of the right bostjan avsec spins the truth to justify his ignorant beliefs…..just yesterday arizona was native american and mestizo and not european as he implies.his name sounds like he is from the balkans….he has seen first hand the devastation that ethnic hatred by his european ancestors which he is so proud of creates…..these are the type of aliens that should not be let in the country….take your hate back to europe.
on January 11th, 2011 at 12:47 pm
I don’t understand the false equivalency of saying both left and right are to blame. Yes, there is heated rhetoric on both sides, but I don’t recall anyone taking a semi-automatic weapon to a Bush rally. As you might recall, there was at least one armed gunman at President Obama’s speech in 2009 in Arizona. (and yes, it is legal there.) The right-wing are in love with their guns and feel justified in intimidating people. When a Republican candidate says that if defeated at the ballot box she would consider a 2nd amendment solution, she is saying she doesn’t believe in Democracy. I haven’t heard that kind of incendiary statement from a Democrat suggesting violent overthrow of the government.
on January 11th, 2011 at 1:15 pm
Sick Liberals exploiting and manipulating this unspeakable tragedy.
Despicable political vultures scavenging political capital from the horrific violence of a madman.
Democrats and Liberals making hateful deplorable accusations that Middle America, the Tea Party, and Republican Politicians had contributed to this.
Loughner held a YouTube account under the name “ClassItUp10″. Loughner’s YouTube profile stated among other things that some of his favorite books were Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf, Ayn Rand’s We the Living, Plato’s Republic and Karl Marx’s and Friedrich Engels’ Communist Manifesto. One video told viewers that they “don’t have to accept the federalist laws,” called for a return to the gold standard, and accused the government of mind-controlling and brainwashing the citizenry.
Loughner’s friend, Caitie Parker, a self proclaimed liberal who hung out with Loughner in high school and college, confirms he had radical leftist views and they used to listen to the anti government radical leftist band, Antiflag.
A YouTube video he saved is one of someone burning a flag while a leftist anti government group sings “Let the bodies hit the floor”
In his videos, he protests charging for schooling and housing. You can’t get much more socialistic than that.
———————————————————-
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.c.....hooter.php
According to Parker’s twitters: ( her twitter page: http://twitter.com/caitieparker )
Saying Jared Laughner was the gunman. Really hoping that’s not the same guy I went to HS with, really good friend. Freaking out right now!!!
Official I went to high school & college, & was in a band w/ the gunman. I can’t even fathom this right now.
I went to high school, college, & was in a band with the gunman. This tragedy has just turned to horrific.
As I knew him he was left wing, quite liberal.
He was a pot head & into rock like Hendrix,The Doors, Anti-Flag. I haven’t seen him in person since ’07 in a sign language class.
He was a political radical & met Giffords once before in ’07, asked her a question & he told me she was “stupid & unintelligent”
on January 11th, 2011 at 1:45 pm
“Sick Liberals exploiting and manipulating this unspeakable tragedy.”
Yes because we ALL know conservatives don’t manipulate tragedies…REMEMBER 9-11 9-11 9-11 9-11 9-11……!!!!
“Democrats and Liberals making hateful deplorable accusations that Middle America, the Tea Party, and Republican Politicians had contributed to this. ”
Hate to tell you, but “Middle America” whatever that is, is not on the side of the Tea Party. These factions many not have contributed directly to this tragedy, but it is easy to see how constant violent rhetoric means that people will make a connection between these events.
In fact I’m surprised that the press is trumpeting this very tenuous connection when the guy who shot up the Unitarian church or the fellow who tried to do the same to the Tides Foundation had solid connections with the right wing noise machine.
“Loughner held a YouTube account under the name “ClassItUp10?. Loughner’s YouTube profile stated among other things that some of his favorite books were Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf, Ayn Rand’s We the Living, Plato’s Republic and Karl Marx’s and Friedrich Engels’ Communist Manifesto.”
And this tells us one thing: His tastes are very eclectic. One thing is for sure, he’s no mainstream conservative, because mainstream conservatives are too afraid to read any book which contradicts their normal media intake.
“One video told viewers that they “don’t have to accept the federalist laws,” called for a return to the gold standard, and accused the government of mind-controlling and brainwashing the citizenry.”
Wow, just like any number of right-wing populists.
“Loughner’s friend, Caitie Parker, a self proclaimed liberal who hung out with Loughner in high school and college, confirms he had radical leftist views and they used to listen to the anti government radical leftist band, Antiflag.”
Yup, if you listen to Antiflag, you might as well be a card-carrying member of the Communist party.
“A YouTube video he saved is one of someone burning a flag while a leftist anti government group sings “Let the bodies hit the floor”
So all those people who talk about overthrowing the gubmint are “leftists”?
“In his videos, he protests charging for schooling and housing. You can’t get much more socialistic than that.”
Oh you can, trust me.
I’m confused though. Is this just a tragedy caused by a mental illness, as you seem to suggest in the beginning, or is he really a “leftist”(according to your hilarious definitions)? It can’t be both. You can’t say it’s apolitical on one hand and then say he’s a leftist on the other. Then again, conservatives were never known for consistency.
on January 11th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
stephenww….sometimes when you look in the mirror you don’t like what you see but its reality!……the truth hurts my friend.
on January 11th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
Hateful comments and crazy ideas are to be expected from Fred Phelps and the others cited in this post. The SPLC is an exemplary leader in performing the duty of responsible organizations, individuals, and institutions to point out the lies inherent in these rants. Personally I don’t believe we can or should limit the rights of these individuals to express their views however warped. I believe that the problem arises when nominally responsible organizations, individuals, and institutions (Fox Broadcasting, SLLI, Republican leaders) actively propagate, fail to denounce or otherwise lend credence to hateful and bizarre diatribes without challenging the arguments the proponents claim support these ideas. Unfortunately, like so many issues in our public life, these are probably not problems that can be solved by passing a law. Rather we must each redouble our efforts to politely but thoroughly debunk the myths and and lies propagated by the lunatic (no intention to disparage the mentally differently abled here :-) fringe.
on January 11th, 2011 at 3:44 pm
stephenwv,
Okay, you are trying hard to show he was LIBERAL because he complained about cost for school/housing…is it possible, with the complaints from the WN’s that THEIR TAX DOLLARS are being spent on ‘illegal immigrants,’ that this was his thinking?
I’m as liberal as can be, and proud of it – remember, the GOP complaining that they couldn’t get all the votes in Califas because of the LIBERALS. Yup, that’s me! Liberal for life! Yet, at times, people tend to think I’m libertarian – why? I don’t know? I believe in government/unions/fed reserve/immigration/human rights…
Let me remind you of something, remember the candidate from TX that said, “violence is not off the table…” cable television programs rushed to air this – as long as they had something negative to say about the Pres. it was okay, because afterall, it isn’t just Limbaugh that ‘wants him to fail/one term.’ Cable programs rushed in to interview the Birther Queen, the military guy that refused to deploy…
Let me tell you something the cable programs will not show – the mugshot shot of this guy shows a resemblance to Glenn Beck without hair. If his name wasn’t out in the open, people would think that was a mugshot of Beck!
on January 11th, 2011 at 4:06 pm
I love how the same First Amendment that apparently blocks those of us to the left of Pinochet from criticizing right-wing eliminationism is also flexible enough to allow the pundits to demand a sherrif be fired for his alleged political views.
on January 11th, 2011 at 4:49 pm
skinnyminny thanks for the to my knowledge accurate description of the state of the Nation and The state of Arizona.
on January 11th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
The Right, like all abusers, is engaging in DARVO: Deny, Attack, Rerverse Victim and Offender. During many decades of dealing with pathological families, I found that the more abusive they were, the more politically right- wing they were, and the more skilled and successful they were at DARVO. DARVO is now all over, not only the fringe groups, but the “mainstream” Fox right. It follows that to the classic types of abuse, we must now add political abuse, and because of its reach, anyone may be a victim.
on January 11th, 2011 at 5:17 pm
The Sheriff of Pima County in Tucson AZ in one of my heros. He’s an honest man!
Sheriff Clarence Dupnik spoke out the way most of us in Tucson wanted to. He said out loud what we were all thinking.
In so doing he started a sometimes friendly sometimes not discussion about the ugly statements and veiled threats being made by the mostly white, mostly frightened people of the Tea party.
( I am an over fifty and white southern woman living in Tucson, I’m not a Tea Party member. Although I did have tea parties as a young child).
What the people running for office, re-election or trying to fill their coffers have said has at times been far uglier, full on Hate Speak.
The Gun Sites on Palin’s websites were just that Gun Sites. Those who say they were/are survey markers are desperate to cover Palin’s butt.
You see this time the pittbull wearing the lipstick and that momma grizzly bear in the lipstick and the pig wearing the lipstick, are all Pig.
They have been caught and now the panic is setting in to back peddle. It’s another instance of ‘if we say it’s true enough times it will magically be true’.
Again Sheriff Clarence Dupnik is a hero to many people. I plan on voting for him again when the times runs and every time after that.
Yep he’s an elected official, we the people elected him.
on January 11th, 2011 at 6:40 pm
stephenwv,
Excuse me for being on a roll! But, you mentioned Caitie, is that the guy with the pink hair/black beard?
That should point out what’s happening to the kids in that state! LOL! What’s up with that? Did he forget to shave or dye his beard? My attention was focused more on his appearance than his comments.
on January 11th, 2011 at 7:15 pm
Calling Fred Phelps right or leftwing is just plain wrong , the only thing Phelps cares about is hating gay people i doubt he cares at all about politics
on January 11th, 2011 at 9:06 pm
Lisa,
Thanks! I am always interested in what happens in Arizona, because Califas and Arizona share some of these events. For instance, when Arizona holds anti-immigrant rallies, people from Califas come there, and vice-versa. I must, however, point out that these events are held mainly in Phoenix. People forget that Arizona didn’t want to incorporate Martin Luther King’s holiday in that state.
on January 12th, 2011 at 11:34 am
Leslie said,
on January 11th, 2011 at 12:47 pm
I don’t understand the false equivalency of saying both left and right are to blame.
——–
They’re schooled in the mindset of the neocon, Leslie. That’s all.
When they make a mess of things, they get booted from office, cross their arms, refuse to work, and blame the Democrats. Meanwhile they stir up anger and fear, because this is all they know how to do.
When the rhetoric or hate and fear draws extremists to their Tea Parties and motivates their criminal actions, they say “they’re welcome to join our rallies and give us money, but they’re not one of us!”
And, when they can no longer deny their culpability in causing hate crimes, they say it’s okay because the liberals are just as dangerous.
You know, all those left wing extremists everywhere. I know there’s one somewhere…all right which one of you has been reading Mao’s little red book?
We can’t really expect intelligent discourse from the party of fear and hate.
on January 12th, 2011 at 5:14 pm
I pointed out earlier, we should look to what’s happening to the kids in that state. Imagine what the kids are going through there, parents and kids are scared of deportation (an example, a small child at school told Mrs. Obama that her was scared her mom would be taken away), kids are worried about adult family members possibly being denied transplants, at a recent anti-immigrant march a kid was in the direct path of either pepper spray or tear gas (in the face), people have taken pictures and complained about a certain elderly person hanging near a Walmart in Phoenix that allegedly waves/brandishes a handgun at certain people, kids that parents have been taken into detention after workplace raids…
on January 12th, 2011 at 5:27 pm
The rightwing knows that the FBI is sitting on evidence that will blow the doors off them politically… damage control
on January 12th, 2011 at 5:35 pm
If the people on this thread and others have the information from loughners facebook and myspace as claimed, then imagine what the feds have.
on January 12th, 2011 at 8:10 pm
I think the problem is that right-wingers, and occasionally phony “leftists”, forget what the hell right and left mean. Right is conservative, opposed to social change and change to the status quo. Left is revolutionary(hence Democrats are not leftists), and embraces progressive change socially and economically.
This means that people can describe themselves pretty much however they wish, but whether they are left or right can really only be determined by their entire body of ideas. This is not an easy thing to do; libertarians created the rather hilarious “political compass” test, but this fails on so many levels because it is based on libertarian ideological assumptions, and doesn’t allow the test taker to qualify their answers.
Saying things like, “he didn’t like cops, he was a leftist” is idiotic beyond belief. You can find hundreds, if not thousands of rightists who hate cops and the police- in fact the most extreme rightists do.
on January 13th, 2011 at 11:15 am
The post 1994 conservative has evolved into a fascist-in-denial. Barry Goldwater is spinning in his grave.
on January 13th, 2011 at 11:33 am
Over the last 50 yrs the vast majority of political killings originated on the america right… mcveigh, anti-abortion, militia, neo-nazi, klan. What is more frightening is that the current violent milieu is being orchestrated from the GOP and the heart of the conservative movement. Question… is it because they now realize they need violence to hold unto power.
on January 13th, 2011 at 12:56 pm
All the political left wingers started swinging two minutes after the killings to blame right wing talk radio and are still blaming everyone in sight today
on January 13th, 2011 at 2:01 pm
I don’t know why, but I’m still amazed at the back-asswards justifications the gun-toting, racist, anti-government, so-called “conservatives” use to make themselves appear to be “victims.”
They know who they are, and are very comfortable feeling as they do, so there’s no real point in debating them. I know who they are, and for my own safety, give them a wide berth.
on January 13th, 2011 at 2:02 pm
The murderer was mentally ill. It seems he was more to the right than the left. It has been said that the extremism of the left and right “meet”. An example of this is when the Soviets took over East Germany they incorporated the Gestapo into their secret police system.
on January 13th, 2011 at 5:01 pm
Jerry Brandt,
Okay, so what’s the problem? I don’t understand your comments. I’m not sure if you’re crying for attention, or if you want to BE ABLE to talk to someone without being interrupted by the a person much louder, you know like Limbaugh!
on January 13th, 2011 at 5:39 pm
I thought liberals hated guns and want nothing to do with guns let alone buy one?
on January 13th, 2011 at 5:43 pm
One thing I always like to say about the nutty conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones and Glenn Beck; If all their deep, dark conspiracies that they push are true, then why are they still alive?
on January 13th, 2011 at 6:05 pm
I don’t see any loud rightwing voice that shows any familiarity with actual liberals.
Leftwing views are not allowed over nearly all of the rightwing blogoshere. Most of the liberal/progressive sites I go to allow an open discussion from all sides .
I don’t really see any I’ve had posting exchanges with, I’ve been doing so regularly for over four years, ever having conversations with actual living liberals. None I know hold the views that make up so much of the rightwing rhetoric about liberals.
on January 13th, 2011 at 7:33 pm
TimFromLA,
You’re right! We don’t like guns. But, in this case, since the rightwing is running the show, we are letting the gun issues/rights play itself out. Let me explain what I mean by this, this happens every time with rightwing politics. It will take members of Law Enforcement to lead this cause. Why do I say Law Enforcement? Everytime we have the cycles of promoting guns, it’s our Law Enforcement that find they don’t have the equipment to deal with what’s out there in the streets. With rightwingers cutting budgets (also a repeat of history), Law Enforcement don’t have the money to purchase newer equipment, so they end up making gunowners pay/register…certain ones. In the meantime, it’s good for business (something rightwingers love – revenues).
on January 13th, 2011 at 8:47 pm
Fascinating stuff – keep it coming!
Of course, there is no way to prove the gunman in the Giffords case was influenced by talk radio, the radical right or any other outlet.
Did the constant drumbeat of “socialist” and “leftist traitors” help? No, but of course there is no way to prove a cause-and-effect connection – at least not in a way that doesn’t invite rebuttal – so we leftists need to let it go.
It’s a tragedy, of course; and, whatever the cause, I hope we find and eradicate it eventually. I’m thinking thorazine and involuntary commitments would be a good start.
Peace.
on January 14th, 2011 at 1:48 am
I challenge anyone to name even one conservative political figure that has lowered theirself to use this tragedy as a way to place blame on anyone but Jared Loughner.
The death threats toward Sarah Palin are pouring in so fast you’d think she pulled the trigger herself.
Remember “If they bring a knife, we’ll bring a gun” “get in there face and argue with them” “republicans can come along for the ride, but they have to sit in the back” “come to New York Bit**, and say those things” All left wing public figures. Yea, the truth does hurt doesn’t it?
on January 14th, 2011 at 2:38 am
“An example of this is when the Soviets took over East Germany they incorporated the Gestapo into their secret police system.”
Incorrect. Unlike in West Germany, the Soviets prosecuted and executed ex-Nazis with far more tenacity. Ex-Nazi intelligence agents mostly wound up in the Gehlen spy ring organized by the west.
Nice try though.
on January 14th, 2011 at 3:18 am
Stephenvw and Jerry Brandt, 2 peas in a pod. Pod people as it were, like the body snatchers movie; conservatives are afraid of being taken over by reason and logic, so they use misinformation and hyperbole and gun fantasies of taking people out.
Oh, and J Carlson, I hear what you say, but then why didn’t the guy go after a Republican? He targeted a Democrat for which the imagery of gun violence perpetuated by the right wing and FOX noise. So I disagree, the right wing rhetoric really is suspect in this case.
I have not heard any lefties demonstrate a penchant for fantasies of taking out political opponents by putting them in the crosshairs as targets and threatening 2nd amendment remedies if elections don’t give you what you want at the ballot box. But, Oh wait the Republicans are expert at doing this.
on January 14th, 2011 at 8:21 am
I consider myself lucky and blessed to be living outside the continental United States. Things seem to be just too crazy there. It seems to be only a matter of time before America goes completely under-water, following in Rome’s footsteps.
on January 14th, 2011 at 12:15 pm
Just thought I would add the following t the discussion. It just shows what the thinking of the right in general and the tea party in articular is:
Texas: Jewish House Speaker Re-elected Despite Smears
Tea Party opponents of Texas State Republican Representative Joe Straus fought unsuccessfully against his re-election to the position of Speaker of the House with an anti-Semitic campaign, FightHatred.com reported Wednesday.
The rivals stressed Straus’ Judaism, ascribing negative stereotypes to him, while calling on fellow Republicans to place a “true Christian” in the important position. Despite the smear campaign against Straus, his colleagues voted to keep him on as speaker, and he went on to win the house vote.
Among the messages circulated against Straus were several by Peter Morrison, who FightHatred.com says is “treasurer of the Hardin County Republican Party and writer for a white supremacist website.” Morrison reportedly alleged that Straus’ rabbi sits on a Planned Parenthood board, and said that the Jewish Straus “clearly lacks the moral compass to be speaker,” while pointing out that the rival candidates for Speaker were Christians.
The negative messages were sent out in mass emails and in automated phone recordings
Straus, 51, represents District 121, which comprises northeastern Bexar County and several surrounding communities. He joined the House after defeating fellow Republican Glenn Scott Starnes in 2005. Straus was first elected Speaker on January 13, 2009.
on January 14th, 2011 at 6:44 pm
http://mediamatters.org/blog/201101100010
Here’s one for you Guardian.
on January 14th, 2011 at 6:49 pm
And another. http://mediamatters.org/research/201101100008
Given wingnut rhetorical methods I’m familiar with, this will do nothing to change your mind as you move the goal posts around.
on January 14th, 2011 at 8:32 pm
John and Ken are highly paid “advocates” for the rich and connected. They regularly insult and lash out at teachers, nurses, local, state and federal public servants and immigrants to shift the blame from the greedy and selfish, who have contributed to the recent calamities that have befallen our country. Those who are educated and not influenced by cheaply conceived airway propaganda know that it was the economic policies of greed that have led to the recent disruption of our economy. Instead of calling out the corporations and Wall Street, they work to deflect blame on those that have no connection to the corruption and collective rip-off of the American people. They are anti-labor, and would have you believe that it is the fault of those who loyally and earnestly work for a living to earn meager pensions as the root of our problems. Obviously they are paid enough by Clearchannel Radio to shamelessly sell out their neighbors and friends, while they and their ilk serve their corporate masters, hawking goods(Cadillacs)and services(gold purchasers and peddlers) for their sponsors. John and Ken tirelessly work to ensure that they and their greedy pals don’t have to pay their fair share of taxes that are vital for maintaining our society. They’re not concerned of course, as long as their corner of Southern California is working out fine for them and their respective families. They don’t care about California–neither is even from this state, yet they are permitted to project their twisted views upon the ignorant, emotional and predisposed(stupid) on a daily basis.
on January 14th, 2011 at 8:32 pm
KFI is fascist radio
on January 15th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
President Obama’s address in Tucson really puts things in perspective. No one can add a word or phrase to that to make it better than it is.
on January 15th, 2011 at 6:33 pm
Hunter,
Agree 110%. As as added note, they air Rush Limbaugh on KFI, the Tim Conway Jr. show continues to have the shows “what is Jesse Jackson saying.” Hardly no mention in the media about the student living in the on-campus dorm of Cal State U. Northridge that had a shotgun and other stuff in his room just 2 weeks ago. After family was concerned, officials did a welfare check on this student, and he was immediately held for a 72-hour involuntary psych evaluation.
What’s interesting about this, this guy lived on-campus, and it was nearly hush-hush news.
on January 16th, 2011 at 10:44 am
I have to admit the SPLC does an excellent job of developing opinions, pointing fingers, and pushing agendas; sometimes they don’t wait for evidence, and sometimes they can perpetrate a farce despite evidence that is contrary to the leftist prefabricated opinion.
on January 16th, 2011 at 11:41 am
Serious Ed!
Jim Hoft? A political Blog Head, and an unnamed right wing media?
Let me help you out. Facebook entries and evidence found at Loughner’s house and on his own computer like his obsession with Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf are FACTS not opinions.
Another fact that you obviously missed is the incident at the town hall meeting where Trent Humphries, Tea Party Leader, was threatened by a member of the audience, shouting “Trent Humphries, you’re dead!” Obviously someone with no common sense and unable draw any reasonable conclusions of their own, who has bought into the left wing demonization of the right. It is obvious the left wing holds the record for violence in this country.
Or Sheriff Dupnik’s accusation that Arizona’s immigration control is to blame. Yea, I’m sure immigration reform was on the top of Loughner worry list.
The problem the country has with the left wing is instead of taking responsibility for their actions, they just seek to discredit those who stand against their views; like a lawyer who has all but lost the case and the only angle he has left is to discredit the witnesses.
Well I’m happy to say the jury is on to your tactics, and justice is prevailing, as was evidenced in the last mid-term election. Ouch!
on January 16th, 2011 at 3:46 pm
So Loughner is just a lone nut but the guy that yelled at Trent Humphries represents the entire left wing? Why can’t he be just a random crazy person too?
on January 16th, 2011 at 4:00 pm
you fail to mention the guy in the audience was a twice shoot survivor of loughner’s massacre… someone shoots me twice and you bet the next guy i meet talking shit gets a piece of my mind
on January 16th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
the figure of loughner that is emerging is of a libertarian/anti-communist… that went off the deep end
on January 16th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
tim mcveigh and terry nichols alone killed 168 americans… 10X more than all leftwing assassins in the last 100 yrs — time to inhale some truth
on January 16th, 2011 at 4:48 pm
here’s some math… weather underground (1), black panthers (15), ted kaczynski – amorphous politics (3), radical alf (3)?, assorted anarchists and marxist leninist extremists (6), — that’s about it for the last 100 yrs
on January 16th, 2011 at 4:59 pm
If you got time do a google of “republican serial killers” — seems that 70-80% of serial killers are conservative republicans ie ted bundy, dahmer… notable exception john wayne gacey — take it for what its worth
on January 16th, 2011 at 11:57 pm
Guardian, Mein Kampf is a right wing manifesto. As I said before, a lot of people seem confused about what “right and left” mean. For example, Tea Party Christians and Muslim fundamentalists are both right wing, regardless of the fact that they would consciously hate each other.
In the past two years there have been a number of cases with far more solid links to right wing propaganda than in this case. The question is why did the mainstream media suddenly jump on this one, crying wolf and making the connection look absurd, while they more or less ignored the more solid connections in previous cases going back to 2008?
on January 17th, 2011 at 4:00 am
@Guardian: and how is his fascination with Mein Kampf any sort of indicator that he is left-wing or even affiliated with the Republican party? The work by Hitler is just as much denounced and violations of Godwin’s Law are pulled out the wazoo on left-wing forums with just as much (often misplaced) fury and frequency as they are on any right-wing blog.
And demonization? Demonization would mean that those who are demonized are fearful about their own lives, and that every breath which they take is scrutinized and bedeviled with professed impending doom (which I fear is far more of an issue for Jews, especially Israelis, of whatever ideological milieu or residential situation than it is for the most vocal self-identified conservatives). Being conservative is something that would have to be a feature which is driven deep by “different” ancestry, cultural adherence and physical phenotypes before “out-and-out spite against conservatives” can be considered a precursor to a “hate crime”.
Heck, even communists and socialists in this country have more of a problem with this from avowed anti-communists than anti-communists do from liberal progressives. There is no American left-wing equivalent for such colorful terms as “Red Diaper Baby” or “pink down to her underwear” to describe the most vocal of self-avowed conservatives; certainly, and unfortunately, left-wingers may become more open over time to adopting the anti-Israeli neologisms and rhetoric as a last resort when they have become increasingly authoritarian in their language, often allying with authoritarians in other countries as well.
But the language used to describe liberals, progressives and social democrats is often intended to insinuate an “irrefutable” tie between political ideology and biological makeup; the demonization of the left manifests itself in the insinuation that adopting non-authoritarian semi-collectivist ideologies is an action which can only manifest itself in someone who is less capable of performing or participating in even civil life.
I dislike it when the libertarians of Reason.com use such language in order to justify the actions of the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile as being the “better” of two evils in regards to their interaction with the citizenry. I dislike it when pro-Castro/Chavez commenters on Democratic Underground use such language in order to get back at the Cuban exiles in South Florida as being “CIA-paid” “coddled” “terrorists”. I dislike it when a billionaire activist like George Soros is demonized in similar language by a wide variety of authoritarian-minded individuals in places as far as Malaysia, Serbia and the United States. I dislike it when the concerns of Jewish Americans in regards to Israel’s demographic and geopolitical stability are dismissed as being the mere mewlings of “fascist” “Zionazi” “filthy-rich” “villanous” “evil” “reptilian” “Khazar” “fake” “powerful” “nonhumans” or the chosen sacrificial keys to the Second Coming of Jesus and the like by weak-minded, strangely-envious individuals of all political and religious orientations.
It’s all pathetic. It’s all cheap. It’s all below the belt. It all reveals a lack of imagination and a willful disregard for the needs of thorough analysis and non-appeal to ancient tribal rivalries.
That is what demonization is all about. Scoring points of expressed aggression against easy, shiftable targets which are all living their interdependent lives and doing their parts in the body of this world.
on January 17th, 2011 at 11:17 am
“fascination with Mein Kampf any sort of indicator that he is left-wing or even affiliated with the Republican party? The work by Hitler is just as much denounced and violations of Godwin’s Law ”
1. IMO, That’s pretty much true. My sense is that the RW shed their neonazism after the late 1980′s. I suspect this may be one of the few positive influences of Rush Limbaugh. He couldn’t risk as much in his early years of “success” as he has since.
2. Just because Jared listed those books, doesn’t mean he read them. I myself haven’t read any of those (Peter Pan etc), because i don’t like fiction. So, do *any* of Jared’s own works seem to draw from *any* books on his list? In the last few years of medical deterioration, I wonder if he was able to read very well.
on January 17th, 2011 at 1:05 pm
Swampcat and Guardian, drinking the koolaid again, I see. Another couple of right wingers and FOX noise aficionados making stuff up and calling it unrefutable facts again. It is that you should look at the boulder in your own eye before calling attention to what is in another’s eye. What you say about the left, just saying it doesn’t make it so. You do not have access to your own facts, actually that is your mistaken claim. But facts are not exclusive to conservatives, in fact conservatives would not know a fact if one bit them on their a**.
on January 17th, 2011 at 3:42 pm
Did anyone see the youtube video, “Sarah Palin Battle Hymn,” sung by alleged tea party? This youtube video is being posted on sites.
on January 19th, 2011 at 2:11 am
Rayne, there are terrorists among the Cuban exile community, and they have enjoyed the protection and sometimes the funding of the US government. What’s wrong with labeling someone when the label fits?
on January 20th, 2011 at 7:13 pm
I am wondering, I know Russia Today was featured on the Southern Poverty Law Center some time ago as an instigator of these conspiracy theory groups.
Loughner may have not been an advert viewer of Russia Today, but he shared its views on pushing paranoia on the U.S. government. Iran’s own PressTV also does indeed the same thing.
I wonder are certain foreign governments being responsible for trying to give that extra push to the American public? By coincidence, Russia Today before it responded to the shootings in Arizona displayed the celebration of Spetsnaz, the Russian old KGB guard special forces from the Cold War who’d instigate those kind of terror attacks during the Cold War against Western governments.
Has the SLPC ever connectted the links with these extremists and people like Loughner? There are many YouTube accounts that subscribe to Russia Today that adhere to Loughner’s bizarre personality.
Btw, there is also a major push by white supremacists to suggest that Loughner was also Jewish, even though they do not mind using Jews to shield themselves from criticism from anti-Semitism when they promote people like Norman Finkelstein.
on January 21st, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Excuse me but Spetsnaz typically falls under the jurisdiction of the GRU, military intelligence, not the KGB nor it’s successor, the FSB. They only had one or two units at the most, it may be only one now. “Spetsnaz” generally denotes special operations forces, some as “innocent” as the recon units for Russia’s conventional forces.
At no time were Spetsnaz behind “terrorist” attacks on Western governments, anymore than US Army Rangers were responsible for such attacks.
That being said, Russia Today airs so many nutcases from America that I’m surprised Loughner didn’t have his own regular show on the network.