Liberal Radio Host Thom Hartmann: 'Should We Reoccupy the South with Union Forces'?

[Omaha Steve]

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jack-coleman/2015/07/11/liberal-radio-host-thom-hartmann-should-we-reoccupy-south-union-forces

By Jack Coleman | July 11, 2015 | 8:51 PM EDT

Among the traits that liberals share is a committed aversion to deploying US military power abroad, unless of course a Democrat is president and he's mired in scandal.

Which makes it all the more odd to hear liberal radio host Thom Hartmann suggest it might be time to send American troops -- to the South.

Hartmann, arguably the most influential talker in that barren fraternity known as liberal radio, believes the time may have come to revive Reconstruction that lasted a decade after the end of the Civil War, until Union troops were withdrawn from the South following the election of 1876.

Hartmann made the suggestion on his radio show July 7 after citing a Politico story critical of the South (audio) --

OK, I want to get into the South here and I'm going to get off on this rant and then I'll be picking up your calls at the bottom of the hour, but I don't know if you saw this piece by Michael Lind in Politico. It's titled "How the South Skews America." You know, the United States has some pretty bad statistics -- this is not from Michael Lind's piece, this is from an op-ed by Nick Kristof in the New York Times, but the United States, we rank 30th in life expectancy, 38th in saving children's lives, 55th in women surviving childbirth. We have one of the world's highest homicide rates for developed nation. We have higher traffic fatality rates than 37 other countries, higher suicide rates than 80 other countries. We rank 32nd in preventing early marriage, 38th in the quality of our education system, 49th in high school enrollment rates, and 87th in cellphone use. We're number 49! We're number 87, right?!

FULL story at link.

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. Ooh, bring on the neo-carpetbaggers. Maybe he wants to restart the Civil War.

[NuclearDem]

2. "Hartmann, arguably the most influential talker in that barren fraternity known as liberal radio,"

[TacoD]

13. Am I in the right place? Gleeful laughter at right-wing snark? (nt)

[NuclearDem]

17. The dipshit works for RT. I'll laugh at him if I feel like it.

[pinboy3niner]

3. The Jade Helm conspiracy whackos think it's already happening

[sadoldgirl]

4. Thom should remember his own thoughts

about occupations. They never are liked, instead rather
loathed by the people.

[NightWatcher]

5. as long as those states keep electing shitty reps, the citizens will continue to suffer

Yes, a lot of the southern states are in the dumps when it comes to healthcare, education, mortality..., but that is because more of those states free elect dumbasses to represent them.

You cannot occupy or force them to "act right". They are using the rules in place to pick their own poison. How would citizens in the north feel if the republican had a slight majority and saw them as acting in the wrong? Would he accept southern occupiers?

Some people are dumbasses and you can't change that by force.

[stevenleser]

6. Thom should take a look at the list of military bases in the South. It's occupied already. ;-)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_military_bases#By_state.2Fdistrict

[Eleanors38]

7. Nice, Hartmann. Trying for a Trumpish boost in your... ratings?

[NuclearDem]

8. Oh he doesn't have any issue with that.

He's on RT, and they get 80 brazillion households tuning in to them.

[Spazito]

9. LOL!

[kentuck]

10. But...?

Aren't most of the military from the South, including commanding officers?? And aren't most combat troops already stationed in the South?

Maybe he should rethink that strategy?

[DonCoquixote]

11. as someone who has opined on how evil that flag is

THIS
WAS
STUPID..

FULL STOP.

[TacoD]

12. Newsbusters.org? (nt)

[Omaha Steve]

14. Since it includes the audio I thought it was up for discussion

https://soundcloud.com/bogtrotter-1/thom-hartmann-is-it-time-for-the-north-to-send-troops-and-reoccupy-the-south

[backscatter712]

15. Newsbusters... Pretty obviously a right-wing hit piece. n/t

[Omaha Steve]

16. Faked audio?

[jwirr]

18. My God NO.

[Contrary1]

19. "Among the traits that liberals share is a committed aversion to deploying US military power abroad,

unless of course a Democrat is president and he's mired in scandal..."

Couldn't he find a broader brush to paint his BS with?

[Omaha Steve]

20. I'm sure Thom will have an excellent rebuttal to this tomorrow

I'm sure it will be great.