By David Neiwert
BUZZFLASH REVIEWS
"Last night, Dave Neiwert's brilliant new book, The Eliminationists: How Hate Talk Radicalized the American Right arrived. I've already read half of it and man is it a page turner of the first order. More importantly, it is essential reading if you want to understand clearly the danger posed by the likes of Limbaugh and Beck. Dave makes a convincing case that they are not mere buffoons whose eliminationist rhetoric can be downplayed or safely ignored, as it was recently in a disgracefully misleading front-page Times article on Beck. (Nowhere in the article did Brian Stelter or Bill Carter (or their editors) find the space, for example, to mention, as Dave does, that when he was on CNN Headline News, Glenn Beck publicly endorsed the John Birch Society or that Beck has continued to push Birchers in his new job on Fox.)"
-- Posted on Digby's Hullabaloo
Among progressive Internet sites, including BuzzFlash, some of the most-read articles on are on the right wing media shills. As liberals, we love to slam the likes of Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Hannity, Savage, Beck and their infamous colleagues.
BuzzFlash has always been of two minds about this: it is necessary, but the nutter media echo chamber uses progressive criticism to garner more publicity and more outrage from their angry audience. In short, we give them fuel for their flames.
This has become even more of a dilemma given the post-Obama election fanning the flames of armed rebellion (resulting in a rash of gun shootings recently) and apocalyptic political rhetoric of the right wing media hit squad. We can't ignore them because they are, in effect, inciting violence, but then they use progressive criticism to further whip up the fury of their viewers or listeners.
David Neiwert understands the gravity of the situation all too well in "The Eliminationists: How Hate Talk Radicalized the American Right."
"Drawing from his extensive reporting on right-wing groups, David Neiwert argues that the conservative movements alliances with far-right extremists have not only pushed the movements agenda to the right, but have become a malignant influence thats increasingly reflected in political discourse. The result is a pathology Neiwert calls pseudo-fascisma political style that talks and acts like fascism without its core violence and thuggishness. The author argues that only effective response is a rhetoric of peace and not a surrendering one, but the kind of peace that stands up for human values, civil discourse, and basic decency."
If condemnation from a wing nut is a recommendation to buy Neiwert's vitally important book, then read this nutter take-down of "How Hate Talk Radicalized the American Right" in the comments section of Amazon.com: "Most conservatives, according to Neiwert, are "unacceptable" and "conveyor belt neo-nazis." This would include Rush, Hannity, Ingrahm, Coulter. It seems as though he would like to ban all right wing talk radio that doesn't fit his "standard of decency." He presumes to define how conservatives should be, in order to meet his standard of decency. Any conservative that went along with Mr. Neiwert's definition of decency would be an ideologically gelded chump. If you let someone who hates you, define your standards of "decency" or "morality" for you, then you are defeated before you even begin to fight. If this sort of writing is to your taste, hey, go for it. But understand, it's just anti-white, anti-tradition, anti-conservative boilerplate. For entertainment purposes only, if ya get my drift."
Well, obviously Neiwert's correct and this Dittohead is wrong.
And the future of the nation hangs in the balance.
BUZZFLASH REVIEWS
-- Posted on Digby's Hullabaloo
Among progressive Internet sites, including BuzzFlash, some of the most-read articles on are on the right wing media shills. As liberals, we love to slam the likes of Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Hannity, Savage, Beck and their infamous colleagues.
BuzzFlash has always been of two minds about this: it is necessary, but the nutter media echo chamber uses progressive criticism to garner more publicity and more outrage from their angry audience. In short, we give them fuel for their flames.
This has become even more of a dilemma given the post-Obama election fanning the flames of armed rebellion (resulting in a rash of gun shootings recently) and apocalyptic political rhetoric of the right wing media hit squad. We can't ignore them because they are, in effect, inciting violence, but then they use progressive criticism to further whip up the fury of their viewers or listeners.
David Neiwert understands the gravity of the situation all too well in "The Eliminationists: How Hate Talk Radicalized the American Right."
"Drawing from his extensive reporting on right-wing groups, David Neiwert argues that the conservative movements alliances with far-right extremists have not only pushed the movements agenda to the right, but have become a malignant influence thats increasingly reflected in political discourse. The result is a pathology Neiwert calls pseudo-fascisma political style that talks and acts like fascism without its core violence and thuggishness. The author argues that only effective response is a rhetoric of peace and not a surrendering one, but the kind of peace that stands up for human values, civil discourse, and basic decency."
If condemnation from a wing nut is a recommendation to buy Neiwert's vitally important book, then read this nutter take-down of "How Hate Talk Radicalized the American Right" in the comments section of Amazon.com: "Most conservatives, according to Neiwert, are "unacceptable" and "conveyor belt neo-nazis." This would include Rush, Hannity, Ingrahm, Coulter. It seems as though he would like to ban all right wing talk radio that doesn't fit his "standard of decency." He presumes to define how conservatives should be, in order to meet his standard of decency. Any conservative that went along with Mr. Neiwert's definition of decency would be an ideologically gelded chump. If you let someone who hates you, define your standards of "decency" or "morality" for you, then you are defeated before you even begin to fight. If this sort of writing is to your taste, hey, go for it. But understand, it's just anti-white, anti-tradition, anti-conservative boilerplate. For entertainment purposes only, if ya get my drift."
Well, obviously Neiwert's correct and this Dittohead is wrong.
And the future of the nation hangs in the balance.
BUZZFLASH REVIEWS
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