BEHIND THE LIBERAL LEGACY MEDIA’S “P.C.” PUSH …
|| By FITSNEWS || Our occasional ombudsman Mande Wilkes penned an interesting column over the weekend invoking the brutality of our website’s comments section.
“It’s bawdy and emphatic, and there’s a lot of all-caps – the cyber-equivalent of a sports bar,” she wrote.
Wilkes’ post didn’t suggest censoring this space, it simply served as a reminder that vitriol – whether spewed with ignorant disregard or cruel, knowing precision – is “not without its blowback.”
Meanwhile at the national level, liberal columnist Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post offered his take on “cyber-bullying” – referencing the suicide of Missouri state auditor Tom Schweich.
According to Cillizza, Schweich killed himself “amid a whisper campaign about his Jewish heritage.”
Um, no. That’s not true.
Authorities in Missouri who have conducted numerous interviews and scoured Schweich’s computer and smart phone looking for evidence of such a “whisper campaign.” What did they find? Nothing.
“There’s no substance to the whispering campaign,” one investigating detective told a local radio station.
Of course that’s not stopping Cillizza from venting his (sensitive) spleen …
“As a victim of bullying in ninth and 10th grade that left me miserable, as well as the dad of two little boys, I am acutely aware of and concerned about the damage bullying can and does do – especially now … in the Internet age,” he wrote.
Jeez …
Cillizza goes on to write that “using people as tackling dummies to score political points is ultimately detrimental to what our society should value,” and that it’s up to the mainstream media to determine what constitutes “too far.”
Ah yes … here we go again …
This is the so-called “better politics” invoked by U.S. president Barack Obama in his 2015 State of the Union address – a politics “where we appeal to each other’s basic decency instead of our basest fears.”
Ah yes, “base fears.”
But is all this hand-wringing over “cyber-bullying” really about creating a “better politics?” Or is it more about silencing dissent? Embracing conformity and accommodation? Ostracizing certain ideologies and stereotyping those who subscribe to them as being cold, unfeeling and downright cruel?
“Obama doesn’t want ‘a better politics,'” we wrote back in January. “He wants more appeasement. And he knows the best way to get it is to portray those who actually stand for something as being on the fringes of the American political spectrum.”
And guess what … it worked. Thus emboldening him even further (here and here).
“Everywhere we look, the foundational underpinnings of our once-free, once-prosperous society are being encroached upon by government’s emboldened totalitarian impulses,” our friend Bill Wilson wrote last fall.
Yet in Obama and Cillizza’s world, those who stand against such encroachments are always the bad guys – and their motivation is invariably fueled by ignorance and anger, which of course is usually rooted in racism, sexism, anti-semitism or homophobia.
And so every election Cillizza – like clockwork – relentlessly bullies pro-freedom, pro-free market candidates during the GOP primary season in an effort to elevate big-spending establishment “Republicans.” Then when the general election rolls around he flips the script, savaging those mushy middle GOP nominees in an effort to elevate even bigger spending democrats.
It’s the legacy media playbook … and Cillizza runs it to perfection (while his media outlet enjoys Obamacare subsidies, no less).
Here’s something to consider, though: Freedom and free markets are not racist, sexist, anti-semitic or homophobic. In fact they are incapable of such discrimination. They are – by definition – open and inclusive. Not to mention effective. And far from being cruel or oppressive, embracing free market principles means repudiating the corrupt, crony capitalist wealth transfers our government has undertaken in recent years – a radical redistribution from poor and middle class citizens to the super rich.
A redistribution that has only accelerated under Obama, by the way.
Racist? Please … Obama is racist (economically speaking, anyway).
Look: It’s never right to bully people – or to threaten them with physical violence. And it’s clear certain comments made in the political marketplace of ideas take things “too far.” And when that happens, we say so.
(Assuming we didn’t make the comment in question).
Oh, and it goes without saying comments directed toward private citizens – especially children – who live outside of the limelight must be viewed through an entirely different lens.
Don’t be fooled, though: The goal of all this political “sissification” isn’t to assuage the hurt of feelings of little girls, liberal columnists or thin-skinned politicians and bureaucrats.
It’s to mute legitimate criticism … and brand as brutes those who would offer it.
48 comments
Liberals will try to Silence any speech not in keeping w/ their ideology. Truth and reality is their enemy…
Kudos to FITS for not banning the Conservative voice, even though it is not in line w/ his political and social belief system…So many other sites will not tolerate Conservative ideas or fair analysis of liberals and Democrats…
You fight those telling you to shut up by being the loudest, most obnoxious guy in the room.
All you fight is me…and you lose. How stupid is that?
I’m picking on a mentally challenged individual, my apologies.
Original too…LMAO…
One trick pony. A broke down one, with a broke down old trick.
“Squeal pig, squeal!!!!….LMAO!!!”
Hey, you know how it goes. No one’s responses are more pre-programmed and predictable than yours are. It doesn’t matter what the issue being argued is, you will respond in EXACTLY the same fashion every single time. I already know exactly what your response to this will be, so don’t even waste time typing.
I mean, seriously, enough with the claim of people being “pre-occupied” or “obsessed” with you. No one is more pre-occupied with any one else than you are with FITS.
The ONLY opinion you offer, that has any substance, is about me…all the while claiming I’m wrong and irrelevant…
You sure are obsessed with me, considering I don’t matter…That’s not very sharp on your part, either…
Interesting logic. If you believe that, you must believe that FITS and the liberals you respond to on here 24/7 REALLY matter, since you are obsessed with them and can’t stop engaging them. Is that correct?
You keep saying everyone loses…who is judging the contest?
But I do tend to agree..spending any time talking to you is losing.
You’re so pre-occupied w/ me…you cannot rally talk about anything else on a political discussion form…
Not to mention, unless you make up childish S#!t, or simply repeat what I say about you…you say NOTHING of substance…
That’s losing, you ignorant F*#k…
We don’t see eye to eye, but everyone deserves their 1st amendment rights. Even you… And you’re right; Gawker or Huffington Post would delete your comments. They only want comments that doesn’t make them look bad.
You got that right! So far, I’m happy to say, I have been ejected from the San Francisco Comical, The Guardian, The New York Times’ Santa Rosa Press “Democrat” and several other lefty loosey tree killing blogs … I used to call ’em like I see ’em. FYI: “welfare sluts” is forbidden on just about every UK/British Snooze outlet … :-}
I’m a lot more docile than you, Eddy, when it comes to describing Democrat constituency…but I found it’s not the language liberal propagandists in Big Media oppose. It’s a reasonable opposition to their policy…They do not want to see – opposition – or your ideas AT ALL.
If you disagree w/ the Democrat Party or Obama, The State newspaper instantly bans you. Yet they have some of the most caustic, robotic and hateful liberals, posting continuously, attacking Republicans and Conservatives, with the most vicious language.
That’s OK. It’s “Their” kind of “dialogue.” If the left approves it, they welcome it. But if you are not in their gaggle of extremism, they hate you. It’s NAZI-like.
You are right about that Nazi part, although complicit media dissing the opposition is a long standing poli-wog ploy going back to the Woodrow Wilson “progressive” Fascist playbook. Mussolini paid real close attention Wilson and his hench-persons’ methods and plans … and so did Gobbles, Hitler, Lenin and Stalin.
Using a complicit media to propagandize against “the rich”, “the corporations”, the opposition and to sway the clueless masses and Helots … All successfully implemented by Wilson first.
Consider the income tax, prohibition, fed reserve bank, nationalized health “care” insurance standards, the editing/re-writing of school books, dissing the churches, “trust” busting big oil, nationalizing the railroads …
“… Many activists joined efforts to reform local government, public education, medicine, finance, insurance, industry, railroads, churches, and many other areas. Progressives transformed, professionalized and made “scientific” the social sciences, especially history,[4] economics,[5] and political science.[6] In academic fields the day of the amateur author gave way to the research professor who published in the new scholarly journals and presses. …” Wikipedia/progressive era
Fits, I agree, but we have cyber bullying right here in SC. Each time State Treasurer Curtis Loftis is mentioned, hundreds of post show up. One after another, they are vulgar, outrageously false, silly, some filthy, personal and mostly stupid.
Of course it shows that he has “hit the target” especially when it comes to the investment commission and the effort to raise the gas tax.Those groups hire people to blog and part of their chore is to create chaos, confusion, and to promote falsehoods that penalize the target person.
Usually, it backfires. People see through it and begin to wonder about why anyone would stoop so low as to mount a nonstop negative campaign against someone. There is no evidence that cyber bullying with lies and filth works, and there is evidence that is actually cause sympathy for the target.
Truth is, there are plenty of people that lack honor and interigity and they find the anonymity of the computer screen a way to “be important.”
Sadly, it is going to keep happening, as there is no way to force character on those that don’t have it.
Cyber bullying with negative posts always makes me support the person being attacked. I never want to side with internet troll. They are, by definition, losers. They destroy the good conversation and ruin it for the rest of us.
Unless they do it in a clever or humorous way, as soon as a post uses Nimrata for Nikki Haley or Barry/Hussein for Obama, I tend to ignore what they have to say. Cyber-bullying is so common, that it bores me.
Agreed. Honest difference of opinion can be fun, and enlightening. Cyber bullying and negative trolling is boring and ineffective.
Again, stop harassing and bullying GT and Flipper.
… and me too!
But isn’t Nimrater her real name? Wasn’t “Barry” what Obama was called growing up, in school, and maybe later, by friends and family? Isn’t “Hussein” his real middle name?
Rhetorical questions, of course. Which points to the odd fact that in their cases using their actual names is considered bullying and attacking them. Even odder is the fact that it is just that.
Contained in that comment COULD be the real reason I keep communicating with Grand Tango and Flippy Sandi Pogo. It could also be the real reason Nikki Haley keeps winning elections. Shhhh! Don’t tell anybody.
crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy
We live in a time when some people feel so worthless they think they become powerful when on line. But it is true cowardice, and everyone knows that.
Real conversation is wonderful. Trolling is simply sad.
Me too!
You are correct. Only people with severe self esteem problems would cyber bully or negative troll somebody.
Self actuated people see that as childish, possibly deviant behavior.
Me, too !
Such lies!
Don’t be bullying Grand Tango like that!
Those whiners obviously do not like what some are saying … here.
(Keep the faith, FITs … U do good.)
I think everyone should have to sign up with thier real name. Would make the conversation a lot better, would cut out the lies and BS, and I think it would increase participation.
Me … ? … Too!
What’s your last name, Pete?
It is Pete!
I was guessing something more along the lines of Peter “Slim” Slithershiite. … At the risk of offending, I’m sure.
Anonymity has it’s place. Some of the greatest political discourses in American history, The Federalists Papers, we’re written anonymously.
“I refuse to answer on the grounds that it might intimidate me.”
Curtis Loftis would never post on Fits again, outside of his propaganda he spoon feeds to good ‘ol Will.
CALCULATIONS INDICATE THIS WOULD RESULT IN EFFICIENCY INCREASED BY 1600%
The caps lock on your playstation seems to be stuck.
BTW: How is my cousin Richard?
Pete, there are times I would love to use my name proudly to make others aware that I don’t buy into the mass produced BS that both ends of the spectrum shovel into the discourse. However, if a troll is irritating then an actual loon showing up at my doorstep to try to push their agenda on me would result in a lot of paperwork and bad day for said intruder.
This is too easy: If you don’t like what’s on, change the channel.
Truth always stands out. Lies and negative crap fall flat.
Bullshit, fucking Cockroach bullshit
Legislators, State/County/Local Elected Officials, lobbyists, appointed officials and boat loads of hangerons spend 24/7 sucking the life out of taxpayers
95% of the sons of bitches deserved every “bawdy”, “emphatic”, and “all caps” comments that can be posted
Sticks and stones can break your bones, words can’t hurt unless they are the truth
There is only one group who hates SUNSHINE more than the goddamn Cockroach bastards and that is Vampires
Too bad it is only legal to drive a stake through the heart of Vampires
On second thought stakes would not work on the Cockroaches – no fucking hearts
Okay guys. No more cyber bullying GT and Loftis. All in favor say Ayer.
Bravissimo.
Sic used to like Cilliza when he was pumping him (WRONGLY) as SC’s preeminent political blogger. Didn’t they have a fall out of some sort, with Cilliza on twitter or some kind of scorned lover’s squabble? Just another LIBERAL-TARIAN fornication, contrary to natural law, gone WRONG!