DaillyKos - Ideological war being waged against Liberalism

[housewolf]

From DailyKos:
Hey Media People-We've noticed

In case you hadn't noticed, there's a war on. I'm not talking about the one that's currently killing thousands of people in Iraq. I'm not talking about the one supposedly being fought against terrorism that seems to be doing nothing but wasting money and finding new ways to scare and inconvenience all of us right now.

I'm talking about the very real ideological war being waged against the very idea of liberalism.

A few days ago, one of the writers from the Raw Story Web site posted a controversial diary that despite all of its back and forth flaming, made an initial good point. It's time we all started to recognize these "news stories" on Dean, on Kos, on Tubbs-Jones and Conyers, etc ad infinitum for what they are, attacks from the political right of the country in a war to eliminate our point of view.

This is not news, this is an attack in an ideological war where currently the heavy weapons (complete control of all branches of government, open, immediate and free access to virtually all Americans through their media surrogates, financial backing from the majority of corporations and wealth holders) all belong to the right.

more...
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/1/15/104412/955

[TomClash]

1. Surprise!

There's a class war going on to establish a fascist state and only one side is fighting!

[Eloriel]

25. Well, only one side of those ELECTED

I think our side is fighting, we are just mostly leaderless, voiceless, resourceless, etc. IOW: ineffective and ineffectual.

I was thinking a little earlier this afternoon about how important it is just to focus and organizing the energies. Think of Martin Luther King, Jr., for example. It would be so much easier if we had ONE primary focus (individual) behind which to coalesce. I'm not sure at this point that all these different groups and activities and efforts are helping us -- we're awfully splintered.

But I digress.

Good point, really. You could go on to say that OUR side hasn't even noticed we're in a war for our very lives and existence.

[housewolf]

2. This is a teriffic article -

It deserves to be sent to every media outlet.

"Do you think we haven't noticed how you've collaborated with the right in the war on us over the last several years, from Whitewater to Gore bashing to Kerry bashing?

Do you think we haven't noticed how you've loaded up your cable television programs with rabid right wing partisans like Miller, Scarborough, Buchanan and Carlson?.

Do you think we haven't noticed how there is no rabid liberal partisan with their own show since Donahue was cancelled?

Do you think we haven't noticed how all your discussion "panels" include only liberals whose most extreme opinions only fall slightly left of center, or in many cases, no truly liberal opinion at all?"



and there's more

[jdj]

26. it's weird, though.

this has been going on for 25 years. So now they've won, and some people are just waking up.

When I read this it was like, well, duh.

[LibertyorDeath]

3. Do you think we haven't noticed

Well we've noticed. And thousands upon thousands of us are turning to the internet to search for news we can trust, because we can no longer trust you. In this ideological war, you have exposed yourselves as fighters for one side. You have chosen to dismiss the 58,000,000 of us on the other side. We've noticed.

Thanks for this I get all my News from the Internet & CBC Canada.

The American MSM is dead to me.

[spooked911]

12. Yep. You got it.

:toast:

[LibertyorDeath]

15. A very belated Welcome to DU

I'm enjoying your blog
http://covertoperations.blogspot.com/

When I think about 9\11 I always come back to one question.

Who Gained?

[eg101]

4. I guess that explains why dkos did not report on Kennedy's clarion call

Just a day or two ago, Kennedy made a widely reported speech calling for Democrats everywhere to support medicare for all and free college for all qualified students. He asked that Democratic leaders and activists not become Republican clones.

And in response to Ted's speech, what happened? Nothing! No Democratic leader said a thing, and no major Democratic blog wrote anything about it.

So, yes, there is a war on liberalism, and some of those fighting against liberalism are Republicans. And some of those fighting against liberalism are Democrats. Like the activists who run blogs like dkos.

[marcologico]

13. You got it. Strong whiff of CYA here, especially since Kos blew off Boxer

and Conyers back on Jan. 6.

[Cheswick2.0]

23. Kos is in the senate? I had no idea

Shame on him< Kerry and Kennedy for not standing up with Boxer.

[Cheswick2.0]

22. Exactly what response were you looking for ?

Kennedy isn't saying anything new. Democrats have been takling about this issue for over 2 years now. Glad Kennedy finally caught up.

[eg101]

24. I disagree

Any honest and objective and observant bystander knows that the Democrats are only about keeping as much power for themselves. Teddy was quite brave in his speech.

[blm]

5. They come to our forums and try to claim Dems must move to the right

and abandon their positions.

They don't want us to expose the GOP control over most of the media and most of the voting machines., so the good little BushInc operatives tell us we are out of step with the American people.

[Melynn]

27. You are 100% right

Unfortunately, many Democrats believe that the only way to win elections is to pretend to act Repunklican. The only thing that will accomplish is to destroy what is left of liberalism.

[hiley]

6. The diary

is great !:kick:

[Borgnine]

7. Di-zamn! That was great.

Those are the words I've been muttering to myself whenever I channel surf past those right-wing cable pundits every night.

[Downtown Hound]

8. Very good article

And I'd like to second it for all the media people trolling DU. Yeah, we've noticed, you aren't fooling us. You are however damaging your country. So do us all a favor and stop now.

[DireStrike]

9. I've noticed. And I won't forget. -nt-

[sallypiano275]

10. I hope people notice

one of the ways to kill free thinking is block education. NCLB does just that, NCLB needs software and resourse material - The company that makes this software is IGNITE! owned by Neil Bush. Why hasn't the press talked about NCLB and what its true goal is?

[spooked911]

11. Fascist bastards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:mad: :mad: :mad:

[NJCher]

14. and it's so pervasive

The other night Brian Williams interviewed Garrison Keillor. He said, "You've recently 'come out' as a Democrat. Why would you want to do a thing like that?

I was dumbfounded, even though I know full well the bias. What dumbfounded me is it was so blatant, so scornful, so "assuming" that the viewing audience would cringe and say, "Ewww, liberal!"

It's such an outrage. It is so anti-American.


Cher

[bluestateboomer]

16. Yes, I have noticed!!!!!! n/t

[tavalon]

17. This is my little add on to this fine rant

I truly believe that if the mainstream media had done their job, the job they were entrusted to do, America would not be as far down the path to full blown fascism as we now find ourselves. It pleased me to no end to hear Jon Stewart calling out Tucker Carlson for the part he has played in destroying our country. It frightens me that Jon Stewart is almost the only "mainstream media" person who speaks truth to power. I mean, after all, he's supposed to be a comedian. Weird world it is when you can most readily get insightful, important news from a comedian. But it is such in America in 2005.

However, while the average American (especially those who get their supposed news from Faux "News") hasn't noticed that the MSM has sold us down the river, we liberals have noticed. We've noticed and we have a stronger voice than we ever have had before. Karma Sux, as the young people say. We will step around you, you ego laden talking heads. We will diminish you and if necessary and maybe even for sport, we will destroy you. You've allowed and facilitated this slide into fascism so you are no better than the fascists you serve. Take off your kneepads and go home. Or better yet, as Jon suggested, maybe you should go back to journalism school. You seem to have forgotten how to do your job or even what your job is.

[4dsc]

18. i love taking on rigtie

and I do daily on discussion boards across America!! that's why I don't post here very often although I read alot here. I often news and view here and spread them elsewhere. But this is where I often get lost. I have ask for help in the past at a particular web site and got NONE!! Is that liberals stand up for each other?? One thing a conservative cannot do is stand up to liberals how have banded together..

I say keep up the good fight, its only just begun..

[FULL_METAL_HAT]

19. Is this "Media Mollification" an offshoot of "Political Correctness"??

The more I read about Dominionism, the more I feel these Righties have been playing on the Media's fear of offending anyone (especially their advertisers!), and this has led to a less and less critical media.

The Dominionist game-plan (yes it turns out they even have a game-plan!) leans heavily on intimidation.

The Integration of Theory and Practice:
A Program for the New Traditionalist Movement
by Eric Heubeck
http://www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/FreeCongressEssay.html
(snip)
Movement Must Serve as a Force of Social Intimidation in Its Intermediate Stage

We must create a countervailing force that is just as adept as the Left at intimidating people and institutions that are used as tools of left-wing activism but are not ideologically committed, such as Hollywood celebrities, multinational corporations, and university administrators. We must be feared, so that they will think twice before opening their mouths. They must understand that there is some sort of cost involved in taking a "controversial" stand--although positions cannot honestly be labeled "controversial" if conservatives are unable to mount a meaningful opposition. Perhaps once we are able to mount such an opposition, we will be able to take some of the trendiness out of leftist cultural activism, because lukewarm advocates of leftist causes will be forced to actually get their hands dirty. Support of leftist causes will no longer be the path of least resistance.
(snip)

I think if you read some of their "training manual" you'll agree that if our cause took up the _exact same tactics_ their straw-man would start to falter and, probably very quickly, their bravado would evaporate.

I hate to say it, but standing up en mass, and BELITTLING their cause could have more effect than anything. It seems their achilles heel is their reliance on Liberals to be TOLERANT! One thing that actually gets Liberals pissed off is realizing their tolerance has been taken advantage of.

If we, and the Media, get over the fear of offending these religious zealots (God bless them in their innocence!) their sham control could fall like a house of cards.

A good place to start is to "kick em in the balls"! I'm sure its very easy to start to deride the pagentry noting that its immature and un-Christ-like to lack the humility of proportion and caring about the greater problems of "the least among us"... I say give each of the 40 million hungry kids in America a buck for a coffee instead!

Resistance is not only possible, it may be a lot easier than anyone thought.

As a final piece of the puzzle, now that ** has fully admitted to his people that there were no WMDs, and thus no REAL reason to go to Iraq, there is no foundation of rightousness left for them to stand on.

They're vulnerable. It's time to take their tactics and fight their fire with fire.

I'm not scared of them anymore!

{B^)
FULL_METAL_HAT

[pearl]

20. Shameless self promoting media

This is a rant that is pulsating through me right now.

Post Mortem on the fourth estate.
r.i.p. Ameican free press

Mass media
monopolizing minds,
manufacturing the times,
mythmaking, muckraking
fear snaking into living rooms
throughout the land.

The world shudders
as megaphonics of war
ring hollow in the terrorized air
"the lowdown on the showdown"
"countdown to war"

The press commits
mass suicide
rising long enough
to slaughter America,
just in time for
Armageddon.

Pear- jill 2003

[Acryliccalico]

21. I have noticed too

everyone I talk to has noticed. Democrat, republican it doesn't matter everyone sees it and knows. We are all angry and MSM better take notice or they will be gone.

[FighttheFuture]

28. Some things are so obvious, that they are missed, to our chagrin!!...!

This is one of them, for sure. It's is obvious that an ideological war had been raging for decades. First quietly, and now fully in the open. Yet, it is too easy for liberals and progressives to overlook this while fighting the real flames happening every day; and there are many on many fronts now! Forgetting to take a look at the "fuel" feeding those flames.

It is so important to keep this in mind. This is why I heartily applaud the likes of Soros, and others, who are taking a long term view to create a counter, a "fire break" to the flames that are burning down the forest we all live within. Or a Dr. Dean who is done with appeasement and is trying to reclaim the Democratic party its powerful, successful legacy.

We must never forget this is a war, and it will only get worse before it can get better. The one thing we have on our side is selflessness, humanity, truth and many successes from the past. Liberalism is constantly marching forward, if it weren't, women, under 18, non-white landowners, would not be voting. Hell, we would all still be serfs, or worse.

The better natures within all of us can be activated once we get past the "Republican meme" -- the greed, the abuses, the narcissism encountered and often embraced by most of us while growing up. I suspect that is why the liberal cause always appears to be the more mature; it takes some "growing up" to truly appreciate its wisdom and progressive solutions for all, and not just a few.

We must keep this in mind and keep pushing back, demanding true justice for all and acountablilty for those who would lead us astray for their own selfish ends.

Good luck to all, but remember, it will take more than luck!