*Lester Hunt notes about how politicians talk about “asking” people to do things when they really mean “legally compelling.”
*Will Wilkinson discusses the talking point involving how “people who were ideologically opposed to the government’s doing X would just shut up and go away.”
The idea that people who are ideologically opposed to the government doing X should shut up and go away was also very much a part of the Bush administration — nothing new there. (But hey — he’s from the Cato Institute, which changes things; it’s impressive that he stopped by the real world long enough between sojourns in their conservative dreamworld to realize they lost an election. In another few decades, he may even realize that deregulation led to economic failure.) And quite frankly, after eight years of an administration which has refused to admit that waterboarding is torture, “asking” people to pay taxes is a very mild offense indeed. Typical right-wing hypocrisy in both posts.
“Sir, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Yo, Vic, chill out. Saying Y is a little bit bad doesn’t entail denying X is extremely bad. Hunt and Wilkinson both despise Bush, as do I. Wilkinson’s post wasn’t even especially directed at liberals. Stop seeing everything through your stupid stock Republican vs. stock Democrat lens.
PS: Glad you’re still reading.
Actually, I went and read the comments on Wilkinson’s post. He’s been spewing the standard right-wing “we didn’t do anything wrong, it’s all YOUR fault” rubbish at anyone who dares point out that it’s hypocritical for the right to pretend this is something new.
The Cato Institute is aptly named: Cato was a warmonger who was renowned in his time for his cruelty and for his hatred of learning. His postmortem reputation is based almost entirely on the fact that Rome won the war he advocated. Had Rome lost that war, he would either be forgotten, or would be held up as an example of Roman idiocy. Unfortunately for the Cato Institute, the wars which they have been crucial in supporting have not turned out so well, and now they’re frantically backpedalling from Bush, even though he gave them exactly what they asked for.
As for seeing things through a “stock Republican vs. stock Democrat” lens, I don’t. There’s no “vs.” about it. The Democratic Party is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Republicans, designed to make the electorate think that there is significant argument over policy, when in fact there are simply two parties of the rich: the good cop and the bad cop. The bad cop wants to bust some heads and take everything by force. The good cop still wants to take everything, but wants us to give it all up voluntarily. The good cop is now in control, but you’re a fool if you think he’s not on the same side as the bad cop, or will stop the bad cop from doing what the rich tell him to do. There will be no end to the “War on Terror”, no financial aid to the poor, and no prosecutions of Bush administration appointees who broke the law.
Vic, not only is your description of Will’s replies inaccurate, his commenters are more intelligent than the you-clones you give them credit for being. Your attention is flattering, but really, what do you think you’re accomplishing by this kind of thing?
Basically, I’m setting myself up to have the cold comfort of being able to say “I told you so”. Things are going to get worse, it’s the right’s fault, and we’re all going to suffer as a result. I can’t change any of that, but at least when things get really bad and people like you are sputtering “but… but… but…” in the face of collapse I will be slightly warmed by the knowledge that I am slightly less of a fool than you are. That’s all, really.