The American Spectator : Death and Liberalism

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Death and Liberalism

By Peter Ferrara on 1.19.11 @ 6:08AM

The libs' hare-brained policies are a killer.

Imagine if Sarah Palin or Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh had said the following about a Democrat candidate running for Governor of Florida:

"That Scott down there that's running for Governor of Florida. Instead of running for Governor of Florida, they ought to have him and shoot him. Put him against the wall and shoot him. He stole billions of dollars from the United States government and he's running for Governor of Florida. He's a millionaire and a billionaire. He's no hero. He's a damn crook."

If you read or listen to Palin, Beck or Limbaugh, you can't imagine that, because their words don't remotely read or sound like that. Actually, as you know thanks to Jeff Lord, who broke the story about them on this site last November 9, these are the words of a Democrat member of Congress, Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-PA), about a Republican candidate running for Governor of Florida, Rick Scott. Instead of taking Kanjorski's advice to shoot him, the voters of Florida elected him.

And the voters of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Hazelton acted wisely as well in moving to end the climate of hate and tone down the political rhetoric by retiring Kanjorski at the ballot box last November, electing the Republican challenger Lou Barletta instead.

While on the subject of the climate of hate, let us not forget the 2006 award winning film Death of a President. The self-described "mockumentary" was styled as an objective news analysis of a fictional assassination of then President George W. Bush by a sniper on October 19, 2007, after an economics speech at the Chicago Sheraton Hotel. In the plot of the 93 minute film, federal law enforcement authorities frame a Syrian national who is convicted of the killing and sentenced to death. But the real killer was a veteran of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, whose son David had recently been killed while serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq. After the assassination, the father committed suicide, leaving a note for his second son, which read,

Everything I stood for and raised you to stand for has turned bad. There's no honor in dying for an immoral cause. For lies. I love my country, but I love God, and the sons He gave me more. I must do the right thing by David and by you. George Bush killed our David and I cannot forgive him for that.

Hard to see that note and the entire movie as anything other than an exhortation to the parents of loved ones lost in Iraq to do the right thing by all right thinking people and rid the world of the evil Bushhitler. Nevertheless, the movie won the International Critics Prize at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival, Best Picture Award at the Brussels European Film Festival, and an International Emmy Award, among others. Movie critic Rex Reed called it "Clever, thoughtful, and totally believable. This is a film without a political agenda that everyone should see." Jim Eberson, editor of RogerEbert.com, advised readers, "Death of a President is electrifying drama and compellingly realistic."

Apparently, the Lieutenants of the Left are not aware of when they lapse into self-parody. Imagine the riots that would ensue if anyone even tried to make such a movie about, never mind, I would probably be arrested for even bringing that up.

The Brown Shirts of Liberal Fascism

But within a couple of hours of the crazed attack on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman was out with his cue to the Left Wing's shock troops, writing, "We don't have proof yet that this was political, but the odds are that it was… she's a Democrat who survived what was otherwise a GOP sweep in Arizona, precisely because the Republicans nominated a Tea Party activist." (Emphasis added.)

You got the message, Homer? The Tea Party is composed of the type of people who would readily kill those they can't defeat politically. Krugman says this even though he admits he has no evidence for his ravings, and even though he not only doesn't know anybody involved in any Tea Party, he doesn't know anybody who knows anybody involved in any Tea Party. No apologies yet from the increasingly disreputable paper that publishes his column.

The actual evidence that has come out establishes more than odds that the shooter suffered from delusional mental illness. As columnist Charles Krauthammer wrote last week, "The origins of Loughner's delusions are clear: mental illness. What are the origins of Krugman's?"

I can answer that. There is method to the madness displayed by Krugman, MSNBC raver Keith Olbermann, the New York Times, Tucson Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, and other brown shirts of the Left. They are trying to browbeat conservatives and Tea Party activists out of exercising their constitutional rights of freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, petitioning of the government for redress of grievances, and voting the liberal/left out of office.

Leftist Democrat Rep. Raul Grijalva made this more explicit in commenting on the shooting, saying that when "you stoke these flames, and you go to public meetings and you scream at the elected officials, you threaten them -- you make us expendable you make us part of the cannon fodder." In other words, "Shut up!" they lied.

Even more explicit was Pelosi Captain Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC). "The shooting is cause for the country to rethink parameters on free speech," he said, in calling for reinstatement of the fairness doctrine to shut down conservative talk radio. He said that some of the commentary he hears is worse than yelling fire in a crowded theater. He could be the leader of the growing Congressional caucus, "Democrats Against Free Speech."

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About the Author

Peter Ferrara is Senior Fellow at the Carleson Center for Public Policy, Director of Entitlement and Budget Policy for the Heartland Institute, and General Counsel of the American Civil Rights Union. He served in the White House Office of Policy Development under President Reagan, and as Associate Deputy Attorney General of the United States under the first President Bush. He is the author of America’s Ticking Bankruptcy Bomb, now available from HarperCollins.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (65) | Leave a comment

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 1.19.11 @ 6:40AM

Another great article!

Never forget that it was government that failed here, vis a vis local law enforcement's horrible response to someone who threatened to kill others numerous times.

It's a perfect example of government failing, but the state run media won't go with that. Instead the failures and media goblins who comprise the state run press need to go with the rumors and not the facts.

The state run media arrives on the scene, fabricates a lie, then moves on to the next tragedy. It's what they do and do well.

Their constant harping on a defective product they produce will ensure that they go out of business one day. Sooner or later they will be replaced with another group of liars and perhaps as the result of a government mandate.

At that point get yourself a set of headphones and try to avoid the never ending lies that will run 24/7. It's what you have now but in the future the government will run it.

Alan Brooks| 1.19.11 @ 6:22PM

Good thing Cheney wasn't assassinated, for then Bush would have become president.

Carks Badeb| 1.19.11 @ 8:41PM

It Obama's teleprompter loses power Obama may have to take over the Presidency.

jstwndring| 1.19.11 @ 9:31PM

Stop, you're scaring me.

Alan Brooks| 1.19.11 @ 10:36PM

Because you are weak and easily frightened.

old white guy| 1.20.11 @ 3:51PM

alan, how the hell does one respond to such idiotic comments without insulting you. fn idiot.

Clint| 1.19.11 @ 7:02AM

The Liberal Democrats & Their Mainstream Media Propaganda Machine attempted once again to Smear, Slander & Marginalize The Tea Party, One of Our Kingmakers & Our Media Allies.

We Are In A Media War.

The Tea Party Rebellion Escalates.

Rise Up In Rebellion.

Carpe Diem.

Alan Brooks| 1.19.11 @ 8:08PM

"We Are In A Media War."

You dope; we've been in a media war since before Ben Franklin's day. What was the first newspaper after 1620?
You handwringer, you.

Clint| 1.20.11 @ 1:33AM

Obama Propaganda Boy Brooks confirms "We Are In A Media War".

Brooks wring it with his hand.

Donald Booth| 1.20.11 @ 9:55AM

"You dope," "You dope," how clever. (glibly Facile)

Rich in Rockaway| 1.20.11 @ 12:16PM

"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." - Gandhi

Appleby| 1.19.11 @ 7:05AM

Remember a short-lived show named Max Headroom? It was too intelligent for the average prole, but it can still be found in the video stores. TeeVee was broadcast everywhere, and one of the shows broadcast in that world that made us Randites laugh in its day was called *Lumpys Proletariat.*

The one thing that made socialism impossible in the USA was the lack of proles. We have them in Canada; the only things that get their attention are international hockey tournaments and people who mess with Coaches Corner.

Listen to the lunch table at your place of business, especially if you are female, and tell me it doesnt sound like an episode of Lumpys Proletariat. Its already here.

Al Adab| 1.19.11 @ 10:29AM

Appleby,
How do you reconcile Catholic and Randian views? The atheism of Objectivists is to me, one of the two failings of the philosophy. As a Conservative (movement genus) I find more consistency in the tenants of Western Civ than in Rands worldview.

Sam Vaughn| 1.19.11 @ 10:36AM

Al, recommended reading by Ayn Rand, hard to find, but you should read it : Objectivist Epistemology. If your pursuit of the truth leads you to the belief that God exist's, no conflict.... Cheers

Wayne | 1.19.11 @ 2:29PM

Well said. Sometimes one must lose God to find him.

Appleby| 1.19.11 @ 1:49PM

I have pretty much outgrown Ayn Rand. I find that as I grow older, I have less and less patience with people who shriek, regardless of what it is they are shrieking about. Besides, she's dead now and for better or worse, she knows where she went wrong without my having to point it out to her. (I always felt that her atheism was the usual You're Not The Boss Of Me business, anyway.)

old white guy| 1.20.11 @ 3:54PM

applebye, your sure like to limit your possibilities.

Stephanie| 1.19.11 @ 7:19AM

They all know who is on DWTS, Bachelor, Bachelorette, Horders and any other silly reality TeeVee show.
Shooting in Arizona? Oh I hadn't heard about that~

Louis Jenkins| 1.19.11 @ 8:05AM

Clyburn seeks to shut up the Right. What ever the method, what ever his cause, he will do his best. But let the Right try to shut up the Left? It ain't gonna happen. The Right understands this, so they will resist every attempt. What the District of Criminals do, that's another story. With the stroke of a pen, or a Presidential fiat, it could become law. Yes, the Right (Tea Party) will continue to meet at Town Hall meetings, and will scream and shout their dis-pleasure, as long as its lawful. What will happen when the expression of one politics is no long acceptable? Will we go quietly away in the night? Will we be absorbed back into the TV watching, curtains closed, doors locked American populace?

Mr. Lindstrom| 1.19.11 @ 8:26AM

Come on Mr. Ferrara, don't you know that extreme rhetoric only happens on the Right?

I know it's true - I saw it on the mainstream media.

C. S. P. Schofield| 1.19.11 @ 8:34AM

The Left is simply scared to death that the Right will behave as badly as they do.

jstwndring| 1.19.11 @ 9:36PM

Yes. They never miss an opportunity to tell on themselves, do they?

Career Soldier| 1.19.11 @ 8:36AM

I opened the link to this article and read the opener thinking not another left/right who dun what piece. I'm feed up with the finger pointing on rhetoric merry-go-round.

Then you hit the nail: Sheriff Dupnik. WOW, this guy is nearly as big a paranoid nut job as Loughner, and he gets paid to carry a gun!

When you followed up with the stats on his utter failure as Sheriff, and the call for the citizens in his district to recall him, you hit the nail again.

Come on Arizonians, take back your county and your security, dump this paranoid wacko before more of you die while he's paraded around the MSM making you all look like morons for making him Sheriff.

Dan Hirsch| 1.19.11 @ 8:51AM

Let's see now...

Sheriff the Dup-nik when asked said he had no evidence that talk radio made Jared do it. Yet he insisted that it was true. Does any sane law officer go on the public airwaves level charges and then in the next breath say he's evidenceless? I say he needs one of those 72 mental evaluations that they are so fond of down there. The man clearly cannot tell reality from the little voices in his head.

Well?

Bohemond| 1.20.11 @ 12:39PM

Oh, it's worse than tha. Much worse, because when Dipstik got up in front of the cameras and started hurling chrges, he KNHEW he as lying nthrough his teeth. Krugman and the rest of the Smear Machine were just (maliciously) guessin' in a co0mplete information vacuum- but Dubnik KNEW all about Loughner, KNEW he was anhunbalanced whackjob whom his high school effectively voted "Most Likely to Commit Mass Murder."

Dubnik is a LYING SACK OF SHIT.

albert constantine jr.| 1.19.11 @ 9:23AM

Unfortunately, I am not confident that the world of mental health professionals is not corrupted by the insidious disease of politically correct thought itself. As a result, as paranoid schizophrenics are deinstitutionalized, and narcissism is no longer considered a disorder (once you elect a president with it, can it be so bad, they seem to say), don't be surprised if expecting people to live in liberty while they exercise some measure of personal responsibility to be classifie as a mental illness.

albert constantine jr.| 1.19.11 @ 9:25AM

sorry, classified as a mental illness.

VBMax| 1.19.11 @ 10:28AM

The Psychiatric Association meets regularly to vote on what they will include in their diagnostic manual as a mental illness. Besides political correctness, criteria also include things such as potential income to be derived from adding it . Don't be too surprised if conservatism gets voted in if enough money can be made from doing so.

Al Adab| 1.19.11 @ 10:34AM

We must be cautious about who we put in charge of Health Care since this debate opens the door to defining political oposition as mental illness. Just imagine whole hospitalsd fulls of Conservatives suffering from dementia defined by the Federal Health Administration. Not unlike ols Uncle Joe Stalin.

Sam Vaughn| 1.19.11 @ 10:38AM

agreed, I had grave misgivings about the Patriot Act as well...camel's nose under the tent.....

Al Adab| 1.19.11 @ 11:39AM

Sam,
It seems to me the lesson here is that centralized authority is a danger to freedom.

Sam Vaughn| 1.19.11 @ 1:56PM

agreed....especially when checks and balances are compromised or eliminated

old white guy| 1.20.11 @ 3:59PM

al, public health care or as it should be called medical care will bankrupt the u.s. make no mistake about it. the country is one cheque away from being insolvent.

Robert Pinkerton| 1.19.11 @ 11:49AM

Examination and exposure of inbuilt biases in the so-called "Mental 'health'" professions would be a fruitful undertaking -- as would be an enquiry into some of the outright mystical derivations of (mislabeled) "psychoanalysis."

Natural Born Texican| 1.19.11 @ 9:47AM

Dupnik is only following the lead of his liberal heros in the government - if you say it loud and say it often you can make it true.

He sould be forced to resign for his copycat, inflammatory rhetoric!

To protect and serve, huh??????

Mimi| 1.19.11 @ 10:26AM

He should be forced to resign because he failed the PEOPLE of Tucson by not keeping them SAFE !! Yes failed to do his DUTY....his habits to his favorites to make excuses ...for SOME...a left-over OLD school DEMOCRATIC POL. One who puts politics over PEOPLE like the DEM'S do far too often. THIS tragedy should never had happened...an OUTRAGE, and SHAME.

wodiej| 1.19.11 @ 9:59AM

Liberals doing what they do best-blaming anyone but who is responsible.

Petronius| 1.19.11 @ 10:00AM

Pima Co. is the one full of Californicated expats, right?

Al Adab| 1.19.11 @ 10:26AM

No, Pima County is the one with the University of AZ. Lots of old mexican influence and Tucson was the Confederate capital of the territory.

Melvin| 1.19.11 @ 10:04AM

One thing that is for sure. As Peter has noted the Tea Party Organization needs to start a drive to impeach Sheriff Dipschit.
I am unsure at this point in whether or not, "Stupidity" of a public servant is an impeachable offense, but the good sheriff's feet need to be stuck in some kind of fire.

Mimi| 1.19.11 @ 10:43AM

Thanks PETER , for a good wrap-up of recent events in Tucson. The Libs blame-game was downright disgusting...Their revenge oozed out for the " LOSS OF POWER" on Nov. 2nd 2010....so utter irrational and wrong.

Try to keep your heads FOLKS... they are only 20%....WATCH what is DONE, not what they SAY... Are we going to fall for appearances of "moving toward the middle" while they keep up the EXECUTIVE orders and DECREE'S.

We have a dangerous group , we have to stay aware and keep -up our intensity to defeat them TOTALLY!!

RetUSAMike| 1.19.11 @ 10:54AM

Sheriff Dupnik's behavior reminds me of Dorthy's tormentor in the "Wizard Of Oz." Lets throw a little water on him and see what happens.

JeffW| 1.19.11 @ 11:10AM

I am sure Jared Loughner's mother being a member of the county goverment (manager at Agua Caliente Park) had nothing to do with the good Sherrif's handling of Jared with kids gloves. I mean surely he treats all cases like this with multiple visits and no action. Right?

Redstateboy| 1.19.11 @ 2:06PM

Thanks JeffW.. Where are the frigg'n Journalist in this Country for cry'n out loud?!! There is Got be a connection here between Loughner's Mom and the Sheriff - I don't believe they didn't know each other.. and Still I ask the question.. where did this nut bag get his $ from?!!? There's something really rotten here and Liber-uls... being Liber-uls are trying to hide something

Wayne | 1.19.11 @ 2:36PM

I was thinking how the Palin was much like the protagonist in Kafka's "The Trial". He was held without being charged of any real crime. Nothing ever made sense. With the Left, nothing ever makes any sense. I see Chris Matthews complaining about Palins rhetoric, while he himself requests that someone kill her. I hear Obama get praise for never apologizing for the tone he has taken for 2 years. And the praise comes from conservatives. I see the GOP win the House only to see Obama's approval ratings soar. What is happening?

RetUSAMike| 1.19.11 @ 2:44PM

Man, it is so hard to find someone else in my area to reflect humour out of this Lib Media/AZ Sheriff FUBAR media event. I guess I can only say, relax, all will work out. Their/his bags are smoked. I hope. My ballot is coming.

JeffW| 1.19.11 @ 2:44PM

Redstate.

Jeffrey Lord mad this connection back on the 11th on this very website. Sad that no media outlet is saying anything about it.

http://spectator.org/blog/2011.....he-knew-ab

Jack London| 1.19.11 @ 3:26PM

I must say this site is becoming my favorite fictional read. The idea that the move from 19th century lunatic asylums to community based centers and care is some kind of left wing plot, despite being universal round most of the world, is worthy of what I'll call a Golden Garbage award.

Plus the very idea that the writer seems to be favor of increased state/federal funding for mental health services is a joke, although of course they do provide most of what funding we have. (Now just what is the free market solution to mental health? Dr Quack?)

And the idea that it wasn't Clinton who tried to do more for mental health (the parity act) and also the homeless, who are often mentally ill, is a sick joke after Reagan/Bush had them lining up on the sidewalks.

Mel Torme| 1.19.11 @ 6:01PM

What the hell? Who let you out of the Great White North?

Nobody said it was a plot, moron. Leftwingers are not really smart enough to make up a serious plot. It's just a lot of stupid people voting for a lot of stupid things over the years. You know, like, you. Plus, we have a lot of lawyers here.

Clinton's best and only push for mental health (his own) was when he kicked Shrillary out of their West Wing bedroom, and started renting out the north side of the bed to Chinese donors.

Go back up the to Yukon and your sex-partner, White Fang, ya' Commie creep.

Mel Torme| 1.19.11 @ 6:03PM

Oh, shoot, I completely forgot: Nice article, Mr. Ferrara - yours are generally the best written and have the most important points of any on this site.

Larry| 1.19.11 @ 3:30PM

Wow Mr. Ferrara. Outstanding commentary. Perfect. I read it and then I read it again. Thank you so much.

Louis Jenkins| 1.19.11 @ 3:44PM

Civil discourse? Well, it didn't take long to fall by the wayside.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theno.....-much.html

Redstateboy| 1.19.11 @ 4:03PM

Hey.. thanks for the JeffW.. missed that one. Incredible.. another bullet in the chamber to copy and paste to bash Liber-uls with.

gene hauber| 1.19.11 @ 3:48PM

why aren't the FEDS looking at KANJORSKY for an indictment for threatening a public figure running for governor of Florida, huh, huh, hugh???????

kevin| 1.19.11 @ 8:27PM

This too is a nice diversion from The Palin Massacre.

Blow enough smoke and it becomes hard to see.

But you know what? Lets start prosecuting people, both left and right, whenever they use violent rhetoric that suggests crimes like murder. I am all for it. Hard left. Hard right. Anybody talking about killing someone else needs to be prosecuted.

BNehls| 1.19.11 @ 8:43PM

I remember a made for TV movie years ago on HBO called "Citizen X" about a serial killer in the former USSR (Russia/Communism for those who need help). There was a line in the film that sums up what the Democratic Party has become and their rush to blame other peoples political views in the Tuscon shooting.
Max Von Sydow played the psychiatrist in the movie and when approched to help catch the killer, he said, " To be a psychiatrist in this country is being an expert in paranoia." Do you think American psychiatrists are saying the same thing now?

DRed| 1.19.11 @ 8:52PM

In the interest of being fair and balanced, it should be noted that Death of a President is a British movie, so I'm not sure how much it has to do with American leftist hate. I suppose Mr. Ferrara forgot to mention that.

danny| 1.20.11 @ 9:57AM

DRed, leftist hate is universal.

jstwndring| 1.19.11 @ 9:19PM

Collectivism itself is a planned, calculated assault on freedom-loving people everywhere. The people who naively believe in the goals of this newest of tyrannies must have some form of mental illness if they can't see it for the evil that it is. That's why we call them Dims.

Richard Baker| 1.20.11 @ 10:27AM

Sounds like the lefties are have a National Nervous Breakdown. Thorazine, perhaps?

Richard Baker| 1.20.11 @ 10:43AM

Having, not have.

Oregonpapa| 1.23.11 @ 11:59PM

And Bob Scheffer on Face the Nation said three times on his program on the Sunday after the shootings that the culprit was "A right-wing gun nut." On the following Sunday did he recant? No. Did he appoligize? NO. Did he even mention one word about his misdirected hate speech? NO! Hyporisy at its finest.

Oregonpapa| 1.24.11 @ 12:03AM

Oh, and I was around when the ACLU, through the courts, forced the release of mental patients from California mental institutions. And the unintended consequenses of that ... why blame it on Governor Ronald Reagan of course.