When Will This White House Learn You Cannot Negotiate With Terrorists?

What makes you think that “high-volume, low-intellect” people are a minority? Do you have evidence to back that up?

touche mark. :)

most people are not this scary. most of the country is busy trying to make it through tough times. they’re not psychopaths. i HAVE to believe this or there’s nothing left!

“They’re engaging in a form of terrorism”

Inflammatory rhetoric, from a figure of some note, that effects the innocent. That appears to be terrorism, based on your examples. By that definition, are you a terrorist. While you’re not what I’d call notable, It’s hard to top labeling political opponents as terrorists when it comes to inflammatory speech. What is the effect of your “terrorist” label? You create a cooling effect among others who are now afraid to voice their legitimate concerns, because they run the risk of being called terrorists if their political speech angers you. Become a little more well known, and you too can become a terrorist according to your own definition.

“…After a brief respite, the most accessible American political discourse has returned to fearful, hate-filled, ignorant rants of a high-volume, low-intellect minority.”

Oh, great, so you DID see the collection of Van Jones videos on the web…he speaks ebonics, too.

Standard operating procedure for liberals is to denigrate the intelligence of those who don’t think like liberals. The author’s hate filled description of those who disagree with him as “low-intellect” is the perfect example. What can one conclude about people so desperately in need of defining themselves as superior to others? Not, mind you, having superior ideas or better able to do specific things, but just higher IQ’s. To begin, it’s certainly similar to the psychology of a 14 year old male. But more than that, in liberals case, it’s the necessary psychological mindset needed to be part of an anti-democratic, authoritarian and collectivist movement. Liberals have to see themselves as better than others to justify a ruling class made up of themselves with power to run the inferior people’s lives. Nothing tells you you’re better than others more than deciding what others should eat, drive, where to live or what kind of light bulb to have.

You guys have lost your mind. No wonder a whole 10 people actually visit this site.

I’m a terrorist, and you’re clueless.

@Baratunde Thurston, there is nothing left.

By the way. What do you call it when a man attends a racist church that is obsessed with race for 20 years? I call it racism. If John McCain had been a member of a “white-centric” church where the pastor said HALF the things Wright said, he’d be labeled a racist in a heartbeat, and his career would be ended that day.

Let’s get real with the double standards. From what we know of Obama, he is probably, on some level, racist. You don’t attend a church with Wright for 20 years and not have a problem with race. It’s just not possible. Someone who isn’t a racist would have walked out of the church the first time Wright went on one his racist tirades. Obama only left when the media forced his hand, and even then the president lied and claimed he had no idea Wright ever said anything like that or even held those views.

Racism? Of course it is. No more double standards for black politicians/leaders. A racist is a racist is a racist.

wow, some ‘great’ patriotic (but anonymous) commenters attacking you for everything and engaging you about nothing – that sounds like a 14 yr old bully’s tactics to me, I knew these kids in Jr. High I think…

Baratunde, while you are pretty much spot on, I haven’t lost faith in anyone trying to do good and am still trying to stay engaged in a debate on reasonable grounds about the issues that matter most to our freedoms, our opportunities and our democracy. I have lost some faith in humanity though. the sore losers who want to take the ball away and play somewhere else isnt the democrats though, its the conservatives. they got beat by a democratic majority, in a legally democratic process but still expect to impose their will… and it will most likely (and unfortunately) be by any means necessary. this is where I am afraid. this is where I see us losing our freedom, in the cracks conservatives are finding in our constitution which they are using to purposefully and hatefully divide the great american people I know and love, one and all.

whatever happened to don’t question the president or be against him in a time of war? hypocrisy and idicoracy says its not ok when my guy is in, dont question him, but if its the other guy, do whatever you have to do to get your way (check my latest tweets for more on this http://twitter.com/chrisheuer )

I too am fed up with all the BS and have been working from a transpartisan position with my republican friends, but even they are spouting these lies and propaganda that are much more like the communists then the democratically minded people they claim to be. I agree, there is no winning these arguments and no point in having them – even the facts about their own like-minded leaders like Rush and Glenn, demonstrated in their own words as being supporters of end of life counseling and disappointed in the quality of our health care system respectively is not giving them pause to change their perspective or their opinions on these matters. yet they claim glenn beck used Van Jones’ own words to show what a (insert mud here) he is in an active pursuit of the one janga block that will topple the president, and the country along with it…

So what do we do?

We try to find common ground. Its the only choice. When they raise a fist, we reach out an open hand. When they shout hate speech, we calmly produce facts. When they bring guns to political rallies and talk about the blood flowing form the tree of liberty, we acknowledge their 2nd amendment rights. When they say they dont want ‘that man’ talking to my kids, we support their freedoms to choose what to do for themselves and their communities. (God forbid they hear a different perspective or are taught to think critically in school – this sounds like they are more in alignment with the Iranians who are banning western values from all curriculum then the democratic ideals Obama and others are supporting here) Still, they want to force atheists to say the lord’s prayer and to make sure everyone says the pledge of allegiance… who is totalitarian really?

The only other recourse I see is to be painted into that totalitarianism corner they are pushing us back into with their aggressive posturing, lies and propaganda. #Hatriot is indeed the only word for this. Has it really come to the point that if we dont push back hard in some manner that it will only keep getting worse? By appeasing them thus far, they are only taking more radicalized positions, becoming more vocal as a smaller and smaller group of citizens and headed for one likely, and violent, future. Certainly this is what they will do if they get into power, to behave in an anti-deomcratic way and deny the wishes of the vast majority who only want a better America for our sons and daughters. Wait, they already did that during the Bush years, but I digress, we need to look forward. Thankfully, the crazier they get, the less they lose independent thinkers by demonstrating they’re the true radicals presenting the most clear and present danger.

I only see two alternatives, we either keep standing for the democratic ideals we believe in, facing the ignorance and hatred with our calm democratic values of freedom or ‘fight fire with fire’.

Having grown tired of one and not wanting to stoop to the other, we need another alternative… I just havet found it myself yet. I hope you, or someone else with the power and voice and respect of both sides as an independent finds it soon, lest we find the tree of liberty has died of rot… it certainly seems as if some would be happier to cut it down then allow ‘that man’ to be president.

This is not only an important time for us as Americans, but for the world too… and they are indeed watching and praying for us all.

Most certainly not pwned. If the best retort you have is that this rant is terrrism, errr terrorism than you are losing the argument. Or maybe you don’t understand it. Sorry, thanks for playing.

Oh, and all of you fringe righties need to stop being insulted when we call you stupid. Stop taking the dumb side of so many issues. You are keeping your kids out of class this week so they don’t have to hear “socialist indoctrination” from the president – that’s dumb. Teaching Creationism in schools and calling evolution a theory – that’s dumb. Pretending that climate change isn’t happening and that man isn’t causing it – dumb. Sarah Palin – dumb. Death panels – dumb. Letting Dick Cheney keep going on the Sunday shows and making shit up to defend the war in Iraq and torture without calling him out – dumb. it just goes on and on.

As Forrest Gump’s mom said, stupid is as stupid does. Smarten up or get over it.

Nice. So, you can make up a bunch of stuff then call it dumb. Good for you.

Check the archives…when Bush Sr. did the same sort of speech, liberals (read: the media) attacked and said they didn’t want to have any part of it. You also neglect to mention that in the white house plans for the speech, teachers were told to have kids write letters to themselves on how they could assist Obama. That language is fairly disturbing, which is why the white house changed the language and admitted it was very poorly worded. Could THAT perhaps have played into the feelings of some parents? Is there even a reason to even ask?

I do like the way you handle arguments. One side of the issue is dumb, end of story. When someone calls someone they disagree with a terrorist, however, no big deal, get over it you dumb conservatives. Classic.

These things aren’t dumb because I disagree with them, they are dumb because they are the opposite of smart. There is a difference. Iraq was a mistake and Cheney continues to lie about it in plain site. The planet is heating up. Palin is an idiot. Evolution is proven science. Sometimes there aren’t two sides to an issue, and if you are consistently back the wrong side just to pick an ideological fight, don’t have thin skin when you get called out.

What lies has Cheney told, tho? The planet is heating up, but clearly the entire planet has gone through massive changes over billions of years. If man wasn’t around when the ice ages happened, then it’s obvious that things go in cycles. I’d guess, from all that I’ve heard from both sides, is that the argument isn’t whether it’s warming up, though I’ve read some stats that show it’s colder the past few years, but rather is man causing it or is it a series of cycles the earth has gone through over eons. THAT is legitimate debate, no?

I

I think we need more in this country than, you’re dumb and that’s that…there’s absolutely no bipartisan efforts in anything, and that fault lies on both sides of the aisle. The hateful rhetoric on either side, it helps no one, and it sure as heck doesn’t get problems solved.

Van Jones was and is a radical Marxist scumbag and a racist. He has no place in government or even polite company. What the hell does a Communist know about creating jobs anyway? Jones is a phony “social justice” crusader masquerading as an environmentalist. I don’t need some red preaching to me about “green” jobs which are nothing but a fantasy anyway.

Republitard dishonesty knows no bounds. There’s a difference between complaining about a President wasting students’ time and taxpayers’ money with these sorts of publicity stunts. It’s another to throw a shrieking shit-fit and act as though a sex offender with a contagious disease was being brought into class. The attacks on Obama’s webcast to students are pure racism and the inability of Republitards to come to grips with the simple fact that they were absolutely whipped in the last election by a black man with a funny name.

“Terrorism”? All Beck or anyone else did was report the man’s actions. If your actions are bad enough that having them reported seems like “terrorism” to you, then maybe your actions are the problem — not the reporting.

As for Obama’s speech, now that I’ve seen the text of it I think it’s fine — in fact, the FIRST time I’ve seen Obama actually do his job, which to LEAD, not to RULE.

But when you look back at the radical stuff he’s done in the last 8 months, you should be able to understand why a lot of people weren’t keen on having him talk to their kids. It’s not about race. It’s about a vision for our nation. If “the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world”, then we ALL — whatever our ideology — must be vigilant about who is rocking the cradle.

We’ll never know what he might have said if the public hadn’t expressed its concern. Maybe it was all going to be about homework and responsibility from the very first; maybe not. This conservative is fine with America’s kids hearing what Obama WOUND UP saying in his speech. Again, it’s not about race. It’s NEVER been about race, at least for the vast majority of people. It’s all about ideology. Guaranteed outcomes are always at the expense of freedom — the more guarantees, the less freedom. I’m not rich, and my life is no cake-walk, but I’ll take freedom over government cheese any day. The color of the rat handing out the cheese is immaterial.

you got to be kidding you talking about the president being in church with a pastor for twenty years and you call him a racist . when white preacher for one hundred and fifty years took their entire congreagation in the wood for a hanging of black people I guess that was not racist that were just another day in the life of white people.Van Jones told you repugs and racist just what you are a$$holes.

Extra fail for this little gem:

“Terrorism”? All Beck or anyone else did was report the man’s actions. If your actions are bad enough that having them reported seems like “terrorism” to you, then maybe your actions are the problem — not the reporting.

It’s not just the smear jobs against Jones, but Beck’s history of racebaiting and advocacy for violence against those he disgarees with. Such as this broadcast, where Glenn Beck openly calls for violence.

I’m no apologist for Beck. He’s an entertainer whose shtick is hyperbole, and he frequently goes overboard. I’ve seen his show a couple of times, and just don’t care to see it anymore. He’s usually “right” as far as I’m concerned; just crass and overstimulated. He’s like the right’s Keith Olbermann.

I’m just saying that in the Jones case, first of all, that hyperbole was unnecessary — heck, it was darned near impossible. Play his own words, and people knew that they didn’t want him in a position of governmental authority; and second, that Beck did a service that the mainstream media SHOULD have done, had they not abrogated their responsibility.

The funny thing is that nobody on the left seems to understand the problem. I couldn’t care less that he called Republicans a–holes. Big woop; a lot of them are — in fact, the bigger problem with that is that it shows him to be naive. Republicans got their agenda passed because they’re a–holes — and what, Reid and Pelosi AREN’T?!? Even his trutherism, to whatever degree — meh. So what if he’s a Koolaid drinker; plenty of that on the left and the right. No, it is that Jones embraces the mantle of socialism/Marxism that causes me to believe he has no place in our government. I only wish our President didn’t share that view. He at least has been smart enough to deny the label, even while he pushes Marxist ideology in his every act and policy.

To Steve Raymond – Its been a while since I was in high school but you stated that evolution was proven science. Back in my day they were still looking for the missing link, did I miss something? I’m serious, if there is an undisputed link I want to know. Its my understanding they have all been debunked (although a lot of schools wouldn’t point that out would they?) One of my other issues with evolution is with the Big Bang (inextricably linked together). Where did the matter come from? There is nothing Creationist/religious about the laws of thermodynamics but if I read it right the second law states that matter can neither be created nor destroyed. So where did the matter come from that became the universe? I believe it is true that the universe continues to expand like matter would after an explosion, but how come some things even in our solar system are rotating the wrong way? I haven’t studied evolution a great deal since school, I’m just wondering what I am missing.
To Lucile Smith – It is racist for someone to be hung because of their color. Apparently though you seem to be saying that two wrongs make a right. Perhaps there are some people you’d like to see hanged – as long as they are white and conservative? Is it ok for whites to be hit by racism because they “deserve” it? Two wrongs don’t make a right……………..
To Jelperman – Why does the left take everything Beck says so seriously? Have you never vented? Have you never said “I’m going to kill that guy!” in anger? It was a stupid thing to be talking about but I guess he was secretly setting the zombies in motion – Moore’s days are probably numbered.
To anyone – A man stands up and calls President Obama a liar, right? And now some want to crucify him. How many times did Harry Reid and others call Bush a liar and no one seemed to care? And don’t tell me it makes a difference because of what was lied about – a lie is a lie is a lie just like a racist is a racist is a racist. What happened to the promised transparency in this administration? Five hours to read an 1100 or 1200 page bill before voting on it!! I heard John Conyers say why bother reading legislation, you would need two lawyers with you for a week to understand it. If thats what it takes…………… No lobbyists in this administration – out the window. I’ve heard two sides to this one – Obama spent almost a million dollars to fend off the legal challenge to produce a birth certificate and then that somewhere that birth certificate can be seen on the Internet? Can anybody tell me where to find it? (I know Google, right?)