This is why I like Barney Frank

[smarriveurr]

On being asked why he supports "Obama's Nazi healthcare", he gives the answer we all know anyone asking that question deserves.

Click to view

[clip stolen from deathboy's journal]

Comments

[desh]

What I don't get is: Are these people full of hate and historically ignorant, or just full of hate? Is there some way that an uncharitable view of health reform is similar to a charitable view of the policies of Nazi Germany? Or are these idiots mixing up fascism and socialism?

[smarriveurr]

The former, IMHO. One could argue that if they honestly believe, despite all evidence, that there will be government panels to review whether people deserve health care, the parallel to Nazi medicine becomes vaguely apt...

But I think all that really sinks in to these people is "Nazis were supposed to be really bad + the people I dislike are really bad => the people I dislike are Nazis." This is how they can simultaneously claim that their opponents support communism, unchecked immigration, and fascism. It's also, of course, how you vote fascists into power, to fend off those communists

[desh]

Makes sense. Thanks.

Also, you have to check out this link.

[smarriveurr]

That about sums it all up. People have lost all connection beyond "I want to make my opponent look bad, so I reach for rhetoric". And the result is that we move closer to what we're supposedly despising. Of course, as mentioned, it's a bit hilarious to sit on the fringe of the right wing calling other people Nazis and fascists.

[akiko]

Barney Frank is my hero.

[smarriveurr]

Mine too, now. I've always kinda liked him, but this is a pretty good clincher.

[smarriveurr]

*nod* This is what gets me, too. Americans have no idea what actual left wing looks like. Democrats tend to start by offering a centrist compromise, then get painted as crazy liberal fascists until they compromise on the compromise of the compromise.

I blame politics. The Republicans have been able to get away with "firing up the base", they can be stark raving nutters. Dems keep trying to win over undecideds, so everything starts centrist and gets worse. Meanwhile, the shift allows the right wing to paint things that are only slightly right of center as dangerous liberal nonsense.

[xerlia]

Boo-yah, Barney.

[smarriveurr]

Seriously. I wish I could have him for a representative. I'd share. It'd be enough to know a guy like that is going into Capitol arguments with extra votes under his belt. ;)

[bluinkalchemist]

I'm really glad to see someone standing up to one of these loonies. This isn't ancient Sparta - you don't win an argument by being more loud than the other person.

[smarriveurr]

Or by repeating the same talking points after they've been repeatedly refuted.

That's what kills me. They had a news program last night talking about the problems Americans were having with the healthcare plan. They showed several issues that had grabbed a bare majorities attention, like forced euthanasia, tax-payer funded abortion, and rationing. They talked at length about how partisan the polling broke down. They spent thirty seconds saying all of the issues they'd just presented as being a concern to the majority of townhall attendees were entirely baseless accusations with no truth to them.

That is to say, after several minutes reporting how concerned people were about these issues, they blamed the administration for not communicating better, and barely mentioned that all of the concerns were batshit nuts rightwing propaganda bullshit.It's not a lack of communication. These people are willfully ignorant, they are tools of corporate greed. No amount of explaining why they are wrong will convince them they are wrong. They no