Paul Debate Flushes Out Gender-Baiting Right Wing Opportunists Masquerading as Progressives

[Karmadillo]

Nice debate on the article at Naked Capitalism if one is interested. The info on Megan Carpentier of Raw Story further down in the article is worth knowing.

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2012/01/ron-paul-debate-flushes-out-gender-baiting-libertarian-hypocrites-masquerading-as-progressives.html

Monday, January 16, 2012
Ron Paul Debate Flushes Out Gender-Baiting Right Wing Opportunists Masquerading as Progressives
Yves Smith

The intense debate precipitated by a post on this site, “How Ron Paul Challenges Liberals,” and follow up posts by Glenn Greenwald and here serve to prove their simple yet frequently misrepresented thesis: that Ron Paul’s anti-war, anti-Fed positions expose fault lines among those traveling under the “liberal” banner.

Anyone who read comments on NC prior to this debate would have noticed some sympathy for Paul, ranging from the more common “he’s batshit and I’d never vote for him, but his opposition to our Middle East adventurism and the lack of accountability at the Fed is refreshing” to some making a stronger case for him. That shouldn’t be surprising given the point often made here and in the few lonely “progressive” outposts on the blogosphere (“progressive” is in the process of being co-opted in the same way “liberal” has been): that the Democratic party has been so deeply penetrated by the neoliberal/Robert Rubin/Hamilton Project types that it isn’t that different from the right on economic issues.

It should not be controversial to point out that the Democratic party uses identity politics as a cover for its policy of selling out the middle class to banks and big corporate interests, just on a slower and stealthier basis than the right. And we’ve seen the identity card used in a remarkably dishonest manner in this Ron Paul contretemps.

The strategy used is shameless straw manning in combination with gender baiting. Both Katha Pollitt (in “Progressive Man Crushes on Ron Paul“) and Megan Carpentier (“Ron Paul’s useful idiots on the left“) grossly misrepresent Glenn Greenwald’s posts on Paul, in which he says repeatedly that he is talking about broad policy issues, and not standing behind any candidate:

more...

[xchrom]

1. and yet it is controversial --

'It should not be controversial to point out that the Democratic party uses identity politics as a cover for its policy of selling out the middle class to banks and big corporate interests, just on a slower and stealthier basis than the right.'

[eridani]

2. What's wrong with truth?

I happen to love the fact that Dems have succeeded in expanding the reach of full citizenship status to women and racial and sexual minorities. But the DLC types do indeed use that as a cover to hide their pro 1% agenda, as if that kind of inequality becomes acceptable as long as the 1% includes enough, women, ethnic minorities and LGBT people.

[xchrom]

3. hey -- i'm with you on this subject.

without economic justice -- all those things you listed have little value in our everyday lives -- if like in 'nickle & dimed' we are just scrabbling to keep our financial heads above water.

we forgot -- or like car keys misplaced -- that corner stone piece -- economic justice.

[Karmadillo]

4. Kick