What was that, it takes vile-age?
A while back in an internet discussion, I made a pronouncement about the stances taken in Hillary Clinton's _It Takes a Village_. Afterward, I was utterly ashamed of myself because I hadn't actually read the book; I'd based my statements on reviews I had read. So I went to the library and checked it out.
It has taken me weeks to slog through its constant moralizing and redundancy, not to mention the strawman arguments, and the unbelievable arrogance of someone raised as upper-middle class comparing her childhood condition to that of those raised poor. To give credit where it's due, she does give passing notice of that arrogance, and there is actually some good information on child rearing in there. Taken as a guide for government action, however, it more closely resembles a manifesto for totalitarian brainwashing. At the end, I found that my earlier pronouncement had been..... spot on, after all.
What really had me gritting my teeth was the afore-mentioned moralizing in the face of the behavior commonly found among the Left. To give a few examples:
The talk:
"Even if dealing with political issues that have serious moral implications, we must be careful to avoid demonizing those who disagree with us, or acting as if we have a monopoly on truth." -- Hillary Rodham Clinton, _It Takes a Village_
The walk:
"At the Democratic National Convention, Janeane Garofalo -- comedienne, talk show host and liberal pundit -- called me a 'house Negro' and a 'fascist.'" -- Larry Elder
"Hi there you in-bred, flag-sucking, OxyContin-popping, Faux-News-watching, Apocalytic-yearning, Hummer-driving, election-stealing, jobs-exporting, Halliburton-loving, terrorist oil-guzzeling, insider-trading, Iraq-lying, Goose-stepping, Right-wingnut missing-links." joefree1, Democratic Underground
In the 20th century, it was Nazi Germany. In the 21st, it is Republican America. -- Alexander's sig line, Daily Kos
"I can tell you this: It's very hard to stop people who have no shame about what they're doing. It is very hard to tell people that they are making decisions that will undermine our checks and balances and constitutional system of government who don't care. It is very hard to stop people who have never been acquainted with the truth." -- Hillary Rodham Clinton
The talk:
"Our democracy has survived for more than two hundred years because at cricical junctures a majority of the people and their representatives resisted the lure of extremism.... The willingness to compromise in the interest of maintaining stability enabled our nation to become not only a world power but also a pluralistic society promoting unprededented tolerance for individual rights and freedoms." -- Hillary Rodham Clinton, _It Takes a Village_
The walk:
"We forbid any course that says we restrict free speech." -- Kathleen Dixon, director of Women's Studies, Bowling Green State University, Ohio
Remember: there's no sense in talking to them. Talk to your base first, the middle second, and the amoral and lying right never. -- cdreid's sig line, Daily Kos
"A trial and conviction of the Bush Admistration is the only way forward. The only way for America to live with its conscience. Charges: 1. Murder 2. Genocide 3. Crimes Against Humanity." dArKeR, Democratic Underground
"The average SUV driving, carb-guzzling, anti-intellectual American deserves this government." -- Paul Goodman, Daily Kos
"There has never been an administration, I don't believe in our history, more intent upon consolidating and abusing power to further their own agenda." -- Hillary Rodham Clinton
So, let's see how well Hillary and her fellow travellers adhered to her stated standards of conduct:
Avoiding demonizing those who disagree with you?
Nope.
Avoiding acting as if you have a monopoly on the truth?
Nope.
Resisting extremism?
Nope.
Showing willingness to compromise?
Nope.
Promoting tolerance?
Nope.
What, you say it's the pot calling the kettle black? It's more like the soot calling the kettle black. A caucasian "liberal" makes racist slurs against a black conservative -- at her party's national convention, no less -- and is applauded for it. (I remember the news report.) A conservative who did anything like that would be excoriated and expected to wear and flagellate themselves with chains of guilt heavier than those of Marley's ghost! Don't believe me? Go mention Strom Thurmond on a "liberal" message board and watch the villifications fly. Mention Robert Byrd and the KKK, however, and watch how fast that's excused because he's now politically correct.
"Political correctness is not the end of human liberty, because political correctness does not have power commensurate with its aspirations. It is essential, however, to understand those totalizing ambitions for what they are. O'Brien's re-education of Winston in 1984 went to the heart of such invasiveness. "We are not content with negative obedience.... When finally you surrender to us, it must be of your own free will." The Party wanted not to destroy the heretic but to "capture his inner mind." Where others were content to command "Thou shalt not" or "Thou shalt," O'Brien explains, "Our command is `Thou art.'" To reach that end requires "learning... understanding [and] acceptance," and the realization that one has no control even over one's inner soul. In Blue Eyed, the facilitator, Jane Elliott, says of those under her authority for the day, "A new reality is going to be created for these people." She informs everyone of the rules of the event: "You have no power, absolutely no power." By the end, broken and in tears, they see their own racist evil, and they love Big Sister." -- Alan Charles Kors, _Thought Reform 101_, REASON * March 2000
See the blog header for my view on political correctness. The modern version is the invention of the "liberals," and the focus of their agenda. And they dare to call the conservatives fascists and Nazis. Gods help us if they ever do gain power comensurate with their aspirations, because they have shown above what they'd do with it. PCieg Heil!
It has taken me weeks to slog through its constant moralizing and redundancy, not to mention the strawman arguments, and the unbelievable arrogance of someone raised as upper-middle class comparing her childhood condition to that of those raised poor. To give credit where it's due, she does give passing notice of that arrogance, and there is actually some good information on child rearing in there. Taken as a guide for government action, however, it more closely resembles a manifesto for totalitarian brainwashing. At the end, I found that my earlier pronouncement had been..... spot on, after all.
What really had me gritting my teeth was the afore-mentioned moralizing in the face of the behavior commonly found among the Left. To give a few examples:
The talk:
"Even if dealing with political issues that have serious moral implications, we must be careful to avoid demonizing those who disagree with us, or acting as if we have a monopoly on truth." -- Hillary Rodham Clinton, _It Takes a Village_
The walk:
"At the Democratic National Convention, Janeane Garofalo -- comedienne, talk show host and liberal pundit -- called me a 'house Negro' and a 'fascist.'" -- Larry Elder
"Hi there you in-bred, flag-sucking, OxyContin-popping, Faux-News-watching, Apocalytic-yearning, Hummer-driving, election-stealing, jobs-exporting, Halliburton-loving, terrorist oil-guzzeling, insider-trading, Iraq-lying, Goose-stepping, Right-wingnut missing-links." joefree1, Democratic Underground
In the 20th century, it was Nazi Germany. In the 21st, it is Republican America. -- Alexander's sig line, Daily Kos
"I can tell you this: It's very hard to stop people who have no shame about what they're doing. It is very hard to tell people that they are making decisions that will undermine our checks and balances and constitutional system of government who don't care. It is very hard to stop people who have never been acquainted with the truth." -- Hillary Rodham Clinton
The talk:
"Our democracy has survived for more than two hundred years because at cricical junctures a majority of the people and their representatives resisted the lure of extremism.... The willingness to compromise in the interest of maintaining stability enabled our nation to become not only a world power but also a pluralistic society promoting unprededented tolerance for individual rights and freedoms." -- Hillary Rodham Clinton, _It Takes a Village_
The walk:
"We forbid any course that says we restrict free speech." -- Kathleen Dixon, director of Women's Studies, Bowling Green State University, Ohio
Remember: there's no sense in talking to them. Talk to your base first, the middle second, and the amoral and lying right never. -- cdreid's sig line, Daily Kos
"A trial and conviction of the Bush Admistration is the only way forward. The only way for America to live with its conscience. Charges: 1. Murder 2. Genocide 3. Crimes Against Humanity." dArKeR, Democratic Underground
"The average SUV driving, carb-guzzling, anti-intellectual American deserves this government." -- Paul Goodman, Daily Kos
"There has never been an administration, I don't believe in our history, more intent upon consolidating and abusing power to further their own agenda." -- Hillary Rodham Clinton
So, let's see how well Hillary and her fellow travellers adhered to her stated standards of conduct:
Avoiding demonizing those who disagree with you?
Nope.
Avoiding acting as if you have a monopoly on the truth?
Nope.
Resisting extremism?
Nope.
Showing willingness to compromise?
Nope.
Promoting tolerance?
Nope.
What, you say it's the pot calling the kettle black? It's more like the soot calling the kettle black. A caucasian "liberal" makes racist slurs against a black conservative -- at her party's national convention, no less -- and is applauded for it. (I remember the news report.) A conservative who did anything like that would be excoriated and expected to wear and flagellate themselves with chains of guilt heavier than those of Marley's ghost! Don't believe me? Go mention Strom Thurmond on a "liberal" message board and watch the villifications fly. Mention Robert Byrd and the KKK, however, and watch how fast that's excused because he's now politically correct.
"Political correctness is not the end of human liberty, because political correctness does not have power commensurate with its aspirations. It is essential, however, to understand those totalizing ambitions for what they are. O'Brien's re-education of Winston in 1984 went to the heart of such invasiveness. "We are not content with negative obedience.... When finally you surrender to us, it must be of your own free will." The Party wanted not to destroy the heretic but to "capture his inner mind." Where others were content to command "Thou shalt not" or "Thou shalt," O'Brien explains, "Our command is `Thou art.'" To reach that end requires "learning... understanding [and] acceptance," and the realization that one has no control even over one's inner soul. In Blue Eyed, the facilitator, Jane Elliott, says of those under her authority for the day, "A new reality is going to be created for these people." She informs everyone of the rules of the event: "You have no power, absolutely no power." By the end, broken and in tears, they see their own racist evil, and they love Big Sister." -- Alan Charles Kors, _Thought Reform 101_, REASON * March 2000
See the blog header for my view on political correctness. The modern version is the invention of the "liberals," and the focus of their agenda. And they dare to call the conservatives fascists and Nazis. Gods help us if they ever do gain power comensurate with their aspirations, because they have shown above what they'd do with it. PCieg Heil!
posted by Silverdrake at 04:10
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