NEA and terrorism

[Trigfunctions]

While doing a little googling on the NEA = terrorists statement from the Bush administration, I found that the Republicans and their right-wing media have played that card before.

While most of you think Paige was just making a stupid joke, it shows how his gang thinks - brand ANY political opponent as the worst possible enemy (or as abetting the enemy) regardless of the truth, and then get the party organs to repeat the slur ad nauseum. We've already seen how it works in this board. As soon as someone posted the article about Paige's slur, Damtoft chimed in with "they hold our children hostage" instead of admonishing Paige for his statement. By tomorrow, Hannity and Rush and the rest of the clowns will be chuckling about it and repeating it and justifying it.

Over the last few weeks, the National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers' union, has been widely denounced for supposedly calling on educators not to blame the Sept. 11 attacks on al-Qaida. But this is a manufactured falsehood created by a kind of assembly line for political myths. The story is familiar: A distorted claim is fed into the echo chamber, where it is increasingly twisted as it is repeated over and over until it becomes conventional wisdom.

http://www.spinsanity.org/columns/20020905.html

http://www.spinsanity.org/columns/20020918.html

[dredbyrd]

It's the modern day equivalent of red baiting.

Except red baiting is still effective .. evidently many have been mentally trapped in their bomb shelters for fifty years now.

[Trigfunctions]

You're right, dredbyrd, except now they have a much more organized media to spread thier lies.

On Aug. 22, feeding off its own spin, the Washington Times published a brazen Life section piece by Tom Knott that belittled the NEA along the same lines. According to Knott, the group is "still not sure who perpetrated the horror." "In the sanitized world of the NEA," he writes, "Osama Bin Laden probably merits a smiley face next to his mug." But, he generously concedes, "[a]t least the NEA left the one-armed man out of its Sept. 11 lesson plan."

Regional newspapers rushed to condemn the outrage du jour. The Cleveland Plain Dealer (8/21), Richmond Times-Dispatch (8/22), Denver Post (8/22), Columbus Dispatch (8/23) and Tallahassee Democrat columnist Bill Cotterell (8/22) all condemned the NEA, attributing Lippincott's quotations to the group. The Times-Dispatch was one of several to follow Sorokin's lead in pluralizing the smear from one lesson plan to many, claiming that the NEA "has put together lesson plans for the occasion that caution teachers not to 'suggest any group is responsible' for the terrorist attacks."

On Aug. 25, George Will correctly attributed the essay to Lippincott in his syndicated Washington Post column, but attacked the NEA as a "national menace" and "as frightening, in its way, as any foreign threat."

[dredbyrd]

I'm not sure which is worse: that these maniacs write this shit; or that a significant chunk of the masses buy into it. :angry:

[Trigfunctions]

Hmmm dredbyrd. Seems no one wants to defend the Republicans on this one.

[FAR52]

I would agree that Republicans have been guilty of distorting the truth in order to get a real good juicy sound-bite.

Would you agree that the Democrats have engaged in precisely the same practice?

And would you also agree that such intellectual dishonesty serves to weaken the political process?

Thanks

[Bleacher Creature]

Both sides live for a faux pas by the other side.

[Rdog3933]

Politics for the great unwashed has turned into a gigantic game of "He said, she said." Both political parties and their sheep just keep on baa-ing the same old schtuff...
Besides, it's not the NEA that's a terrorist organization, it's the Teamsters...

the Dog

[Trigfunctions]

Originally posted by FAR52@Feb 24 2004, 11:27 AM
I would agree that Republicans have been guilty of distorting the truth in order to get a real good juicy sound-bite.

Would you agree that the Democrats have engaged in precisely the same practice?

And would you also agree that such intellectual dishonesty serves to weaken the political process?

Thanks

Yes, Democrats do it too, but they don't have the seemingly endless supply of media personalities to repeat and exaggerate their claims.

For some reason, Republicans seem much more attracted to the Limbaugh and Hannity types who spew this crap, keeping it rolling and rolling until it snowballs.

[FAR52]

Originally posted by Trigfunctions+Feb 24 2004, 11:34 AM-->

QUOTE(Trigfunctions @ Feb 24 2004, 11:34 AM)

[lazydaze]

Originally posted by Trigfunctions+Feb 24 2004, 11:34 AM-->

QUOTE(Trigfunctions @ Feb 24 2004, 11:34 AM)

[Trigfunctions]

Originally posted by lazydaze@Feb 24 2004, 11:40 AM
I can only speak for myself, I barely even acknowledge those 2 clowns.

Good for you, but millions and millions of Republicans hang on their every word and then run out and repeat everything they say.

[King]

Originally posted by Trigfunctions+Feb 24 2004, 11:50 AM-->

QUOTE(Trigfunctions @ Feb 24 2004, 11:50 AM)

[kconn]

A caveat? There's just no end to intellectual dishonesty.

Well-played!

[Moe_Szyslak]

It was a monumentally stupid gaffe.

The teachers I know - without exception - are dedicated, giving people. How do you think their families and friends feel about Paige's comment? Unbelievable arrogance and contempt for those with legitimate disagreements. It will cost votes.

More of the same: if you're not with us, you're against us. Gotta give this gang some R & R...

Moe