Palin wasn't offensive enough, the Washington Times decides to one up her (updated)

[ProSense]

TPM: Wash Times: Criticism Of Palin's 'Blood Libel' Part Of 'Ongoing Pogrom' Against Conservatives

A Washington Times editorial defends Sarah Palin's use of the phrase "blood libel" in the wake of the Tucson shootings, by calling media criticism of Palin "the latest round of an ongoing pogrom against conservative thinkers."

<...>

In an editorial on Wednesday, the Washington Times wrote that "Mrs. Palin is well within her rights to feel persecuted."

"Typical of blood libel," it says, "the attack against Mrs. Palin is a false charge intended to generate anger made by people with a political agenda. They have made these claims boldly without evidence and without censure or consequence."

The editorial continues:

This is simply the latest round of an ongoing pogrom against conservative thinkers. The last two years have seen a proliferation of similar baseless charges of racism, sexism, bigotry, Islamophobia and inciting violence against those on the right who have presented ideas at odds with the establishment's liberal orthodoxy.

Updated to add this from Steve Benen:

<...>

But putting that aside, did the Washington Times really have to characterize criticism of the right as a "pogrom"? Cathy Lynn Grossman's take is worth reading. (via Adam Serwer)

Pogrom? Is there no other vocabulary available to discuss the venom in our discourse without raiding the language that specifically stands for the deaths of millions of Jews in historic rampages of anti-Semitism? Is this language not doubly inappropriate as Jewish congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords recovers from a gunshot to her head?

Pogroms were not talk radio bombast and Internet flame posts. They were government sanctioned, if not led, attacks on Jews, primarily but not exclusively in Russia and eastern Europe. Hundreds of thousands died, a tally capped by World War II when Hitler sent in the known as the Einsatzgruppen (Mobile Killing Units) that executed Jews on the lip of mass graves they had been forced to dig for themselves. <...>

Should politicians use the vocabulary deadly attack on Jews such as 'pogrom' -- government sanctioned killings of Jews including the firing squads sent by Hitler in World War II -- to signify verbal political attacks? ... Is rapping Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh -- or Keith Olbermann from the other perspective -- really in the same league? Is there no other vocabulary for this discussion on the reign of incivility in public discourse?

I suppose conservatives can argue that the Washington Times editorial board may not have been aware of the significance of the word, and why it might be offensive in this context. Of course, that's not much of an excuse -- there are probably dictionaries available at the paper's editorial desk.

Or maybe the Times' editors are well aware of the significance of the word, and this is yet another instance in which conservatives are feeling sorry for themselves, envisioning the right as a persecuted minority, and Republican leaders as martyrs.

Josh Marshall, who characterized the Times' choice of words as "offensive and even disgusting," added, "I really don't know what's with these people."

[kwolf68]

1. Conservative Thinkers?

Who knew?

[mrcheerful]

6. It is like military intelligence great on paper but useless in the real world

[C_U_L8R]

8. That's what ya call an Oxymoron

doubling down on the moron part.

[NYCGirl]

13. And a little extra Oxy for Mr. Limbaugh. NT

[sadbear]

2. It was only a matter of time...

I suspect they'll use 'holocaust' next.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. That last sentence needs a rewrite.

The last two years have seen a proliferation of similar baseless charges of racism, sexism, bigotry, Islamophobia and inciting violence against those on the right who have presented ideas at odds with the establishment's liberal orthodoxy of racial equality, women's rights, religious tolerance, and antiviolence.

[frazzled]

4. This is actually getting bizarre

Why are they so focused on using code that refers to Jewish history? Think of all their options (which I would not endorse either; I'm just citing some famous ones): "high tech lynching," "jihad," etc.

I'm finding this quite strange. (Not to mention offensive). Maybe they've just run out of victimization metaphors and this is the last frontier, so to speak.

[DCKit]

7. Fundamentalist, Christian Identity, Dominionist Dog Whistles.

They're probably also Holocaust deniers, but looking forward to the Rapture.

I can't decide if the Founding Fathers are looking down on U.S. in horror, or falling off their clouds laughing.

[HeroTwins]

11. next they'll be accusing us of a Holocaust on Teabaggers

[leftynyc]

16. Sucking up to the Dominists

They know the vast majority of Jews wouldn't vote for her anyway so they can be as insulting as they like. Fucking pigs.

[kestrel91316]

5. Certainly. Because calling someone out for their hate speech,

death threats, and incitement of murder and other violence is EXACTLY the same as gassing them.

Ok. Because I wasn't sure about this.

[mzmolly]

9. I have but two words,

"BABY KILLER!"

[madmom]

10. Is palin their

Anne Frank? After all she did have to hide behind her fence.:puke:

[onenote]

12. Facepalm!

Every time I thing I've seen it all, they top themselves.

[justiceischeap]

14. F*cker is trying to rewrite the definition of "blood libel"

"Typical of blood libel," it says, "the attack against Mrs. Palin is a false charge intended to generate anger made by people with a political agenda..."

Correct me if I'm wrong but blood libel is more about ethnic identity isn't it? Not a political agenda. If we are to believe this, then he's admitting the Christians had a political agenda against the Jews by accusing them of murdering children!

[Yavin4]

18. Blood Libel Was Use A Rationale for Genocide

In particular the genocide of a people of the Jewish faith.

Saying that any criticism of Palin is an equivalent of a Blood Libel is beyond the pale of reason.

[bullwinkle428]

15. Palin announces jobs program : The "Work Will Make You Free" Initiative

(Shamelessly stolen from another DUer yesterday) :evilgrin:

[FVZA_Colonel]

17. Maybe there's been a proliferation of charges because there's been an explosion of

racism (birthers), islamophobia ("NO GROUND ZERO MOSQUE"/the whole "anti-mosuqe" movement across the country), sexism (pro-life terrorism), bigotry (general homophobia), and inciting violence (Pittsburgh man who shot cops "coming to take his guns," the Tides Foundation attempted shooter, etc.)?

I mean, this is just taking the right-wing victimhood complex to a whole new level.