Hating our enemies effectively

[Bossy Monkey]

We have a tendency here on DU to vent our spleens more than is strictly speaking helpful. Though it might feel good to attack and insult our enemies, we need to think about doing so in a manner that might actually hurt them.

An obvous example is Ann Coulter. Though it may be fun to speculate that she's transexual (Dan Coulter, Man Coulter, "Hey, look at that adam's apple!") she's a dangerous ideologue who by hook and mainly by crook can claim to be a best-selling author. (Yes, I know the freepers buy her books in bulk and then give them out as prizes at bingo. It still gets her on the list though, asterisk or not.)

It is much more useful and effective to point out that she's a liar and a fraud. People have checked her footnotes and find that the references there don't say what she says they do. This is a person who needs to be reduced to a non-entity. Just insulting her appearance is going to turn away anyone you might possibly persuade. The truth, however, can set us free of Ann Coulter. (You can still make fun of her hair, though.)

Similarly, the alleged president. Bush, unfortunately, is neither a chimp, nor an idiot. Would that he were as stupid as he sounds. Bush has been selected to put a pretty face on an ugly corporate takeover of our once-great country. Though we can see through him, an alarmingly large number of Americans find him trustworthy and worthy of confidence. Many have noticed that Bush does not have a Texas accent. I sometimes believe that some Right Stuff fan sat him down and trained him in the universal airline pilot's accent as described there by Wolfe. Bush is a valium tablet to allow Hallibuton, Carlisle, and their ilk to steal our country. Not a chimp. Not an idiot. Far, far worse.

And Dick Cheney. We keep acting like he's just an evil swine-- Nah, come to think of it, that's exactly right. As regards Cheney, just carry on.

[bloom]

1. I was thinking about how someone in a WSJ article said that DU

is a "hate-site".

And I was thinking how - yeah - like I hate the KKK. And is that a "bad" thing? :shrug:


I agree that it makes sense to be clear that we hate liars and frauds and people who "legalize" torture and advocate the death of 10's of thousands with fraudulent information, as well as those greedy people who profit from death and destruction.

I also hate the part of the media that is complicit in these activities, and the activities of those who figure out how to sell the lies to the American public.

[Bossy Monkey]

2. Live on, little thread n/t

[cheshire]

3. Must have been because it works so well for them. So I agree but I don't t

think that of all the years we have called GW a liar, it has mattered on little bit.

[Spiffarino]

4. This needs to go front page

UDL, you make great points. The thing it all hinges on, and that we have no control over, is getting the message across. We have very little media on our side.

What I strongly advocate is getting wealthy Democrats, progressives, and other like-minded individuals together to form a consortium similar to Murdoch's, Moon's and Scaife's to buy major media outlets or to form their own.

We need a loud voice, not just an angry one.

Great post.

[Bossy Monkey]

9. Thanks. Maybe the Dreamworks Network n/t

[NYCGirl]

5. Very, very good points.

Making fun of physical characteristics, etc., just trivializes the matter.

A Republican friend asked me, "Why do you hate George W. Bush?"

I answered, "I don't hate Bush. I don't even know him. But I do hate his policies."

She had no answer to that. And she's paying lots more attention now.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

6. We need to work smarter, not just harder. An anti-fascism manual!

We must get smarter about countering the propaganda and reaching the hearts and minds of our Fallow Merkins.

Start reading George Lakoff's work on 'framing' issues in language that reach the primal parts of the brain, namely, self-protection and protection of whatever is defined as family.

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2003/10/27_lakoff.shtml

Understand psychology, history, language themes, and media messengers who will help save us from the Mayberry Machiavellis and the Fuelocracy.

The military calls this 'force magnification.' That is, getting help from a few important individuals who can get the cooperation of the larger population.

DO IT NOW! I'm working on it and will share what I can...

[Bossy Monkey]

8. Thanks, I'll try n/t

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

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