Hateful talk in glass houses

Hateful talk in glass houses

by digby

Apparently it's not ok to say you hate Republicans. Good to know. University of Michigan professor Susan Douglas wrote an article for In These Times in which she wrote straight up, “I hate Republicans. I can't stand the thought of having to spend the next two years watching Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, Ted Cruz, Darrell Issa or any of the legions of other blowhards denying climate change, thwarting immigration reform or championing fetal 'personhood'." And then she quoted those studies that show that the conservative psychology is, shall we say, a bit rigid.

It's not a nice column, let's say that right up front. Hate is a very aggressive word. Like, for instance, it's very aggressive when right wing activist Eric Erickson says that John Boehner hates the American people:

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH)hates your guts, people. You are neither a lobbyist nor a cigarette so you have no use to him except on one day in November every other year.

But what is so striking here is how many Republicans were willing to lie to you, tell you they would stop the President, and now are giving you the middle finger.

Now it's true that he didn't say he hates Republicans, just John Boehner. So perhaps that's ok.

Anyway, the professor's column turned into a full-fledged campus war:

By noontime Thursday, the article appeared to have been removed from the In These Times website without explanation. After further inspection, the article appeared to have been relocated under a new URL and with a different headline: “We Can’t All Just Get Along.” 

The column sparked outrage among conservative and free-speech groups on campus.

I know that liberal groups on campus do this all the time.  I'm not one who thinks it's a great idea. I hate right wing ideology and think it's having a pernicious effect on our culture and our politics. But banning speech never works out well.  And campuses especially are supposed to be places where a frank exchange of ideas take place. I respect the other side of that and understand all the reasons why people believe that members of the public need to be protected from certain kinds of speech. I am just of the school that worries what happens when the other side decides to do the same. The cloak of authoritarianism fits conservatism so much more comfortably.

This isn't an important issue in itself. In fact, it's rather silly on both sides. Certainly saying you "hate Republicans" is a broad brush, but she was writing in a polemic style that by its nature paints with a broad brush. Still, it's a rather obvious point and perhaps not worth a full-fledged campus protest.

But nothing beats this lugubrious hand-wringing from right wing, which has made a full-fledged fetish out of liberal hating:

“The University of Michigan is a respected public institution, funded by taxpayers, and this type of bullying must be addressed by President Mark Schlissel,” Mr. Schostak continued. “I am calling on Lon Johnson, Gary Peters, Gretchen Whitmer, Tim Greimel and all Democratic officials to join in condemning this disgraceful dialogue by calling for Professor Susan J. Douglas’ resignation. By endorsing the hatred of an opposing political party, Douglas has made Republican students feel vulnerable and intimidated.”

Dear me. It's very hard not to see this as some kind of satire. Consider this famous manual from Republican Revolutionary leader Newt Gingrich:

As you know, one of the key points in the GOPAC tapes is that "language matters." In the video "We are a Majority," Language is listed as a key mechanism of control used by a majority party, along with Agenda, Rules, Attitude and Learning. As the tapes have been used in training sessions across the country and mailed to candidates we have heard a plaintive plea: "I wish I could speak like Newt."

That takes years of practice. But, we believe that you could have a significant impact on your campaign and the way you communicate if we help a little. That is why we have created this list of words and phrases.

Often we search hard for words to define our opponents. Sometimes we are hesitant to use contrast. Remember that creating a difference helps you. These are powerful words that can create a clear and easily understood contrast. Apply these to the opponent, their record, proposals and their party.

abuse of power
anti- (issue): flag, family, child, jobs
betray
bizarre
bosses
bureaucracy
cheat
coercion
"compassion" is not enough
collapse(ing)
consequences
corrupt
corruption
criminal rights
crisis
cynicism
decay
deeper
destroy
destructive
devour
disgrace
endanger
excuses
failure (fail)
greed
hypocrisy
ideological
impose
incompetent
insecure
insensitive
intolerant
liberal
lie
limit(s)
machine
mandate(s)
obsolete
pathetic
patronage
permissive attitude
pessimistic
punish (poor ...)
radical
red tape
self-serving
selfish
sensationalists
shallow
shame
sick
spend(ing)
stagnation
status quo
steal
taxes
they/them
threaten
traitors
unionized
urgent (cy)
waste
welfare

(His personal favorite was "sick".) How about this?

Scientist, strategist or mystery man, Finkelstein has orchestrated stunning upset victories for many of his clients including Sens. D'Amato and Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), and New York's Republican Gov. George Pataki. His unseen hand also helped Benjamin Netanyahu oust Shimon Perez in the Israeli elections earlier this year.

Finkelstein's signature style emerges through the ads he creates. Two recent adds brand Democrats as liberals: "Call liberal Paul Wellstone. Tell him it's wrong to spend billions more on welfare," one ad states.

"That's liberal," says another. "That's Jack Reed. That's wrong. Call liberal Jack Reed and tell him his record on welfare is just too liberal for you."

"That's the Finkelstein formula: just brand somebody a liberal, use the word over and over again, engage in that kind of name-calling," said Democratic consultant Mark Mellman.

Maybe Republicans could spare us the crocodile tears about mean language and "vulnerable" Republicans. After the years they spent degrading their opponents with language like that as well as screaming "murderer!" at pregnant girls and women seeking abortions, calling gays depraved, immigrants cockroaches, African Americans "welfare queens" etc, etc.

I'm all for young Republicans being more sensitive to the language people use to describe others that their predecessors. But they need to clean up the mess in their own glass house before they have any standing to chastise someone else for saying they "hate" Republicans. Talk about chutzpah.



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Update: FYI
Erick Erickson also says President Obama hates America.