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The "Lock and Load" Rhetoric of American Politics Isn't Just a Metaphor
I'm not saying that putting a bullseye on Arizona Democrat Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' congressional race - as Sarah Palin did - was an explicit or intentional invitation to violence. Nor am I saying that the "Get on Target for Victory" events held by the guy Giffords beat - "Help remove Gabrielle Giffords from office Shoot a fully automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly" - was the reason her assassin went after her. This tragedy is still unfolding, and the questions of motive and incitement will be argued about for a long time to come.
But I am saying that the "lock and load"/"take up your arms" rhetoric of American politics isn't just an overheated metaphor. For years, the language of sports has dominated political journalism, and discourse about hardball and the horserace and the rest of the macho athletic lexicon has been a factor in the trivialization of our public sphere. This has helped dumb down democracy, making a serious national discussion about anything important too wonky for words.
The "second amendment solution," though, does something worse than make politics a branch of entertainment. It makes it a blood sport. I know politics ain't beanbag. But words have consequences, rhetoric shapes reality, and much as we like to believe that we are creatures of reason, there is something about our species' limbic system and lizard brainstems that makes us susceptible to irrational fantasies.
If you're worried that violent video games may make kids prone to bad behavior; if you think that mysogenic and homophobic rap lyrics are dangerous to society; if you believe that a nipple in a Superbowl halftime show is a threat to our moral fabric - then surely you should also fear that the way public and media figures have framed political participation as a shooting gallery imagery is just as potentially lethal.
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74 Comments so far
Show AllLet me just say, to everyone here at CD who keeps repeating that the violent rhetoric of right-wing demagogues is just acting in the Kabuki play of our duopoly:
This threat has ALWAYS been real.
RIP Gabrielle Giffords.
On another post I said that the government had the progressives outgunned. One reply was "So what?"
What it means is that, if push came to shove, the Powers That Be would have the means to mow down as many demonstrators, insurrectionists, sympathizers, innocent child bystanders as was needed to restore "order." And they would do so. Past posters have asserted that the troops would not do it. I'm certain they would, and would use state of the art weaponry including (if needed) tactical nukes and predator drones to do so, and the Tea Party people would rally to the side of the government they profess to hate so much because they would believe that the insurrectionists were commieislamofascist terrorists. I expect there will soon be some "serves her right" rhetoric coming from the right.
Until "the masses" (what an appalling reductionist term that is) actually reach critical mass (which would probably have to be at least a majority), there is no chance of any armed action doing anything but bringing on martial law. It's not enough just to have guns. You have to be trained to use them skillfully even when taking fire and casualties amid "the fog of war."
If Social Security is tossed into dumpster huge demonstrations of the elderly with rapidly emptying oxygen tanks and wheelchairs whose charge has run out were to rally in huge numbers could maybe happen. But I suspect even they would be "taken out" expeditiously.
I don't think I would want to live in a world that would be the aftermath of a bloodbath, especially one where there was no transition plan and little chance of the "left" agreeing on one.
The only hope is to somehow change the proverbial "hearts and minds." It may be possible to outsmart them but not to outshoot them.
But aside from, like Iago at the end of Othello "From this time forth I never will speak word," at least on this (now suspect) site.
Just checking to see if new posts are being accepted. I have changed my mind and will continue to speak out on this forum especially against The Second Amendment Revolution Solution.
Good. Keep speaking out.
I'll be looking forward to seeing that get started.
As to the sites "suspectness," it has occurred to me that, if I wanted to see what leftist, liberals, and progressives were saying, letting them speak out and have at each other on a site like this, monitoring the responses, using the kind of access the NIA has to the internet to know who all the people (we have to give up an email address to be able to post) are, where they live, who might be part of a real strong and vocal group of leaders, so they can get at them when needed, blam, overnight.
I have emailed all the people who are listed as being in charge and posted the request on several times to explain the criteria by which posts (including more than a few of mine) suddenly disappear. I would think an email telling me what I did that was wrong and led to my post being a desaparacedo would be fair and appropriate. I have yet to receive an answer.
I haven't stopped posting and I can't prove that these suspicions are true.
As they say, I'm just sayin'
P.S.: The next thing to look for is whether Jared Loughner dies while in custody somehow. If THAT happens . . .
The 'Young Turks[Jerks?] all supported the invasion of Iraq. I've reminded them of this in the past only to be disappeared from the site.
There are conflicting reports that she is dead. Let's not bury her just yet.
I wouldn't calling it "dumbing down". I'd call it a numbing, a de-sensitizing to any kind of concern or respect for the well-being and experience of another.
An enormous GOD DAMN YOU to all the government spooks and finks harassing, stalking, investigating and entrapping NON-VIOLENT peace activists while you have had EVERY REASON to be focused on these armed, violence-espousing RIGHT WING NUTS.
I'm not a Democrat but you FAILED this country today by letting an idiot with an automatic weapon walk up to and assassinate a member of Congress in broad daylight.
YOU FUCKING FAILED!
I guess no one COULD POSSIBLY HAVE IMAGINED that in asshole, racist, gun-crazy Arizona a Democratic politician EXPLICITLY TARGETED WITH VIOLENT RHETORIC BY SARAH PALIN might be attacked at a public appearance. WHAT KIND OF INEPT DUMBASSES ARE YOU!?
Damn good post, fake_french.
Did you know that a nickname for Satan was "Light Bringer"?
Lucifer means bringer of light.
Lucifer means 'light bearer', just as Christopher means 'Christ bearer'. Lucifer is also synonymous with 'Guru', which also means light bearer. It may illuminate a small area, but blinds you to the bigger picture you may have seen if you'd allowed your eyes to become accustomed. Navigating inside passages in a ship requires that all other light sources be extinguished so as not to be blind to navigational aids, and other types of landmarks. A 'light bearer' in such a situation is a potential 'death bringer'. You can only be concerned with what you are aware of.
I agree--damn good post.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/24/sarah-palins-pac-puts-gun_n_511433.html
Sarah Palin, you have blood on your hands...you and your violent sister, Michelle Bachman, who wants Americans "armed and dangerous". Well, you got your wish, Ms. Bachman......at the expense of the life of a 9 year old girl, a Federal judge, 4 other innocents, and perhaps the sentient life of a member of Congress.
I hope you're happy.
Right On! Not the FBI. Not the CIA. Not the NSA. Not the DHS. Not the BATF. Not the TIA. Just as there is another terrorist to take the place of the last one killed, random acts of violence cannot be stopped; no matter how much surveillance, software, computing power, money is thrown at our problem. The opportunity and the means are always available. We are not locked in our houses and we are armed to the teeth.
Violence makes sense to the people who plan it and act. The killer drones stalk their target with deadly intention. Jared planned and stalked his target with deadly intention. Is one not crazy and the other is? No, they both have a single purpose; to kill.
It is a waste of time to speculate about what it is that spurs someone to kill someone. After every violent act that has occurred in my time here, teeth have been nashed, souls have been searched, fingers have been pointed, laws have been passed, sermons have been given, politicians have pontificated, but nothing ever changes. One generation of violent individuals makes way for the next generation.
Human beings are violent animals; in their speech and in their actions and we use our intelligence to increase our capacity to perpetrate violence by making weapons.
If I were king of the world, the only weapon human beings would be allowed to possess is their sinews and claws.
So, so sad.
"fake_french"
I have to suspect that this violence is exactly what the "security state" wants to happen.
They helped this to happen by doing exactly what you described.
They do not have a problem with violence.
It is peace, justice, and a healthy environment that they can't tolerate.
Violence is money in their pockets.
Peace.
You're right this is fuel for the Security State and just in the last few week Janet Napolitano, the head of DHS, which has never save a life, is pushing for security with scanners and groping searches at malls. Had their been such DHS mall security been in place at the mall the killer wouldn't have been breaking any law to keep him out.
As usual the FBI was out creating red herrings and stalking horses,by creating Muslim terrorist suspects with the forced contributions, withholding taxes, of the American public. The Fascist Boys Institute with the use of false flag operations to KEEP FEAR ALIVE for the purpose of increasing funding of a failed organization, the FBI.Great comments you've got it right.
Actually, on the day of the shooting, all of the FBI agents were at the beauty salon. Ever since J. Edgar Hoover (AKA "Mary") ran the place, they have been required to shave their legs once a week.
Guess I will be number one to comment on this extremely sad and horrible event in Arizona on the shooting of Arizona Democratic Congresswomen Gabrielle Giffords.
Guns and violence are a huge epidemic and gun control and all the laws on the books cannot stop individuals to act out their lunacy. However gun violence is an ugly fact of life here in the United States.
I am not going to blame any one event or reason that triggered this horrible Arizona crime but I do agree with 99% of Marty Kaplans article. We use guns way to much to solve our problems and the United States does and will always have a gun culture.
I completely condemn the shooting in Arizona and hope that all those who were shot or wounded survived this truly very ugly event.
To Congresswomen Gifford's family I offer my prays.
If you really want to disarm the right-wing nuts you'd be better off reinstating the fairness doctrine, and enforce libel, slander, sedition, hate-speech, and anti-trust laws against the corporate media. No law will eliminate guns in this country. There are just too many. Also the 'left' likes to call the right-wing 'faith based', yet it is an enormous leap of faith to believe that simply passing laws against civilian ownership of firearms will make our streets safer. It is an even greater leap of faith to put trust in this government to defend us, or keep order in the event of a natural disaster. The 'right' has their God, yet they still need their guns in the event God is off playing golf. The 'left' denies God, yet advocates granting a complete monopoly over the use of force to a government which has proven negligent, corrupt, and murderous toward any who oppose or disagree with its policies (the left). I can see the 'liberals' already gearing up for another crusade to make sure only government and criminals are able to use force. We need another law like we need a hole in the head. What we need is accountability to laws already in existence. That is what we haven't had in ten years, at least.
What an absolute tragedy. Would it be crass of me to ask why the would-be assassin wasn't stopped at the well guarded Arizona border, or the airport? Oh yes I forgot we have MUCH more to fear from home grown acts of terrorism that from anyone who might be able to make it past the 'defences'.
WE hope she is well.
Jared Laughner is the assassin's name. He's white and said to be 22, and was a US Storm Trooper detailed to Afghanistan. And the Tea Party backed challenger to Giffords was also a Strom Tropper. He has a YouTube page, http://www.youtube.com/classitup10#p/a/u/1/nHoaZaLbqB4
His "Introduction" is rather fascinating.
Actually the alleged assailant was rejected by the military for reasons that are covered under the Privacy Act. His psychotic rantings aside, this twerp has never accomplished anything.
Loughner was not in the military, he was rejected by the army.
Loughner was not in the military, he was rejected by the army.
Thnaks. I've corrected this elsewhere.
"Would it be crass of me to ask why the would-be assassin wasn't stopped at the well guarded Arizona border, or the airport?"
Because he wasn't hispanic or black.
It's called "sedition".
Timely.... considering this recent Arizona shooting.
I will bet $10,000.00 with any republican, conservative, tea-bagger, independent, and blue-dog dino that the shooter listened to Glen, Rush, Fox News, and claims to be a Christian.
I also hope every politician in this country takes note that this is what happens to marginally psychotic folks fed a diet of fear, hate, and religion by our corporate masters and the corporate media.
savroD commenting from The Fascist States of America!
Dear savroD:
I heard a Boehner comment that this attack on one, was an attack on all ( in Congress, I assume he meant) Finally a unity thought with the 2 parties.
It is interesting too that the author notes that perhaps there is so much violence in everything from sports language which morphs into the political, and even into war games for kids.
We took the idea of democracy from the Greeks, but we overlooked how they viewed violence.
They allued to its affects in their theatre, but never showed it in bloody action.
What do we expect from a country that massacred one another because one party couldn't come to grip with the fact that they couldn't own human beings...
Which party was that, dmgreenaz?
As I see it ultimately, no matter what the reasons and roots of the actions that were taken in AZ, the perpetrator or perpetrators of this are clearly guilty of murder; however, our corporate rulers and the corporate media is AS RESPONSIBLE. I can't wait to see how they try to write the history of this to absolve themselves of complicity. I just watched a few of the youtube videos the shooter posted. It's quite clear this was a disturbed individual; however, these things only reveal themselves when they are fed the diet of fear and hatred produced by a fascist state.
savroD commenting fom The Fascist States of America!
If any group associated with the US socialist-left had ever used such firearms metaphors and imagery in its campaigns or websites, they would nave immediately faced home raids, arrests an charges of sedition.
How does the right get away with this stuff?
So why the double standard? The only reason that seems to make sense is that the left and peace are considered bad for business and right-wing gun crazies are considered good for business.
It's almost as if the business of America is violence, isn't it? Who really cares who gets hurt, after all, so long as the orders keep coming for more guns, bombs, tanks, planes, aircraft carriers, drones, missiles, bullets, landmines, ICBMs, submarines, helicopters, spy planes, satellites, laser-guided missile systems and on and on and on...
absolutely on the mark...america's business is dealing in death.
and remember, those bombs and bullets are worthless unless expended and replaced over and over and over again...warehousing them simply won't do.
pretty soon arms manufacturing jobs may be all that's left in this country...
Actually, the economic squeeze and violence-rhetoric seem designed to get Americans, left OR right, to act out violently. I believe this gives the unitary executive the cover to use all that cool military hardware at his disposal on the home front. You know, the stuff they've been cutting their teeth on in far-off Iraq and Afghanistan. Get ready for TSA screenings at supermarkets, guilty until proven innocent, warrantless wiretaps, etc. We always knew who, eventually, the 'terrorists' would be. As WallStreet and Wash DC collude to fleece the country, the public must be kept in line.
President Obama: Hey, 'Too big to fail', meet 'Too small to succeed'!
Exactly. The only thing you left off your things to look out for list is high tech automated drug testing in public restrooms. Fortunately (sort of) environmental decay will continue and those who think they have got things under control will not be able to escape the consequences. When the electricity fails so then will they.
Any American whom doesn't believe that the USG, governments of the states haven't created and are enforcing the American Taliban agenda of the pretend christians[biblical harlots] for the purpose of the PIC, Prison Industrial Complex, profits is a fool. 750,000 incarcerated in 1980, at least 2,000,000 incarcerated today and a total of 10,000,000 involved with the criminal justice system. This is Taliban and the PIC lobbies the politicians to create laws for the purpose of increasing the prison population and increase profits. Prison systems are easily corrupted, bribing politicians to build more prisons so that the politicians get kick backs, campaign contributions, as well as those corporations which provide services for the prison. Spend more on prison, less on education.
er, sabocat...
actually that is exactly what happened to the black panthers...read the fred hampton page on wikipedia for details.
To talk openly about 'Second Amendment Solutions' was particularly galling, an encouragement to act out rage by Tea Party troops. Its amazing that the women who did so almost made it to the Senate. How did she think her words would be interpreted, in the current climate?
More disappearing posts? The replies don't seem relevant to the initial post. There ought to be a better way, like a placeholder "deleted post" or something.
Coming late to this thread, Arry, but FWIW experience teaches that the administrative deleted post placeholder message has been largely abandoned, especially on weekends for some reason.
Oh look, another pro-violence fanatic! They're really crawling out of the woodwork today.
"all arguments are won by those with the most deadly force"
FALSE. There are such things as moral arguments, and such are never won by deadly force. You are correct that humans are (likely) uniquely aware that death is their shared destination, but how one responds to such knowledge comes down to character. If you lack character, you're certainly capable of any monstrous act.
As for your "deadly force dictatorship", that's nonsense too. If not, how did some 22 -year old jerk manage to put a bullet through the head of a very wealthy, very powerful Congresswoman? All there is in this universe is chaos. You can choose a moral response or not, but don't expect your mopey nihilism to go unchallenged.
I don't want to see any more crocodile tears or phony condemnations of what these gangstes, and that's what they are, have so openly invited and at the highest levels including that slime Sarah Palin. They have had their day is what we need now to resolve and we sure as hell aren't damn running from them. "By God" as people would say in Oregon wheere I went to college as an undergraduate, this is it. "What the hell are these damn off wall frut cakes damn trying to say?"
They push like hell for violence during the campaign including their "illustrious" candidates such as the senatorial one in Kentucky and the one for congressperson in Virginia, get it then so many just remain silent and do not a damn thing.
I don't want to hear any of these swine quote Martin Luther King Jr during King day. They don't have one damn thing in common with him. "All life is interrelated" Dr King said. At Christmas time in a sermon he said "Today this world is sick with war. . ." Does that in the least sound like any of these cartoon characters from the Tea Party who are simply bad jokes waiting to damn happen. If they want to bomb, why don't they try out at the Comedy Store like any sane person? Oh, I forgot they've already literally bombed in real life. "Stupid me!" Oh, and it's no act unforturnately. May God or Mother Nature, take your pick, have mercy on us all.
Furthermore, as Dr King put it so well, "The time comes when silence is betrayal. ." The time during the midterm election campaign was one of those for the US mainstream media who were so keen on attacking Dr King after his speech opposing the Vietnam War and other US Government foreign policy moral bankruptlcy.
AD
So it is you John Ellis/Doug! I'd know that "most deadly force" comment anywhere--probably because I heard it from you first. Is it nice always being so in the know? Is it satisfying to be at point all the time? My goodness! "They have no choice but to take all they can take." You are so black-and-white. No choice! I thought you said we were different from animals. Oh, wait. Yeah. We know we're doomed. Yeah, that's why the elderly are unable to talk to their doctors about their mortality directives. Right, we know we're doomed. Actually, it's our lack of understanding about mortality on a spiritual level which leads us to hyperventilating expletives about which you seem to be so vociferous, yet I understand that you think you are doing us all a favor by trying to give us a clue. I just sense that you are one of the many people who choose to believe that you are without blemish. I agree that we are in a collective trauma of which many are unaware. However, the folks on CD seem to be exceptionally aware given the current conditions of propaganda. It's just that your militancy is a mirror of theirs, which is not a solution of any kind. This is just a suggestion, but maybe here on CD you can stop trying to slap some sense into people with your words in part because they ARE reading CD.
Wow, the guy changed his handle and the contents of his post. You totally outed him. Good spot!
this illustrates that the country is truly on the centre-right (at the minimum) and going down a path of right wing extremism- beginning post-Nixon. this doesn't mean some progressive things dont happen in politics, but generally foreign and economic policy are aligned with Neo-Liberal and Neo-Con solutions. Since economics is the reigning political ideology du jour, nothing will happen unless people on the left or frankly human beings with a conscious in general are willing to negotiate capitalism (particularly as practiced by the corporate elites). Since conservatism is about maintaining the status quo and neo-liberalism is about the expansion of the markets they work harmoniously to promote a right wing agenda that keeps citizens as consumers and under the thumbs of public-private partnerships. While the extreme right does offer the anti-state rhetoric, it has chosen to align itself with the f@scist and corporatocratic machinations of the Tea Party (in effect making it mainstream and statist). This in turn polarises any policies made by the Obama admin (which is centrist at best) and forces it to move further to the right. Neo-Liberalism is perhaps the most insidious and pernicious force because it allows for the co-option of certain progessive social tendencies into the mainstream (like DADT). Perhaps people will now see the persecution of those on the percieved "left" as more than partisanship. it is an attack on dissent and civil rights. A two party representative democracy is never going to be anything more than a shadow council of bankers with the smiling face of the elected prez.