Tone Down the Rhetoric? Fuck, No!

Blood libel refers to a false accusation or claim that religious minorities, in European contexts almost always Jews, murder children to use their blood in certain aspects of their religious rituals and holidays.   (Wikipedia)

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In the wake of the Arizona massacre many public figures, including Jon Stewart who I admire greatly, have called for toning down the rhetoric, trying to bring civility back to American political discourse.  With all due respect for their good intentions, I disagree.

Political discourse is seldom civil.  The atmosphere is vitriolic now, but it was just as vitriolic in the late 60s, when I was growing up, and in the early 60s, which led to JFK’s assassination.  And seriously, you can’t get much more vitriolic than the 1860s.  Sarah Palin was way out of line with the crosshairs map, but that’s still short of open rebellion.

And it’s worse elsewhere.  American politicians will sometimes say nasty, or even threatening, things about each other, but the

Democracy in Action, South Korean Style

parliament in South Korea, for example, has been known to break out in brawls,  in the manner of a football stadium or a bar.  When the President of the United States speaks, congressmen, with one notable exception I’ll discuss in a moment, listen politely.  Have you ever watched question time in the British Parliament?  They are a good deal less civil, but correspondingly more democratic.

But the real reason I don’t think we on the left should tone down the rhetoric is because the right wingers, the teabaggers and neocons, the gun nuts, the bible thumpers, and the fearmongers of FOX have no intention of toning down theirs.

Sarah Palin just issued a plea for civility, but she didn’t apologize for the crosshairs map, the “don’t retreat, reload” comment or any of the rest of it.   Now, I’m not blaming Sarah for Jared Loughner.  I think she’s more stupid than murderous.  For evidence of the stupid, she used the phrase “blood libel” as if it meant “really bad libel.”  Now, the average citizen can make a mistake like that and it’s no big deal.  Somebody who’s in the public eye, who has speech writers, should be held to a higher standard.  (Congresswoman Giffords, btw, is Jewish)

Another example of right wingers continuing with their lack of civility comes from the state of South Carolina (surprise, surprise, surprise) where a gun manufacturer has issued a limited edition of rifles which have, inscribed on their sights, “You Lie.”  Of course, this was what Congressman Joe Wilson shouted during a speech by President Obama a couple of years ago.  Instead of being forced to end his career for such a breach of etiquette, he has become somewhat of a hero among the intellectually challenged voters of the right.

So, no I don’t think we on the left should tone down our rhetoric.  Those on the right are vicious, moronic and dangerous.  It is important that we point this out at every opportunity.