Frank Rich: Only Stalinists Use Words Like "Stalinist"

reason.com ^ | November 1, 2009 | Matt Welch

[Publius804]

Frank Rich: Only Stalinists Use Words Like "Stalinist"

One of Jesse Walker's most interesting observations in his already-classic October piece on "The Paranoid Center" is that, in a direct inversion of Richard Hofstadter's theory, the establishmentarians who try to scare us about the terribly dangerous fringe end up aping the tactics and even language of the people they so loathe. New York Times columnist Frank Rich, whose commentary about the political right this year has been among the very stupidest in a remarkably dull-witted season, manages to go one step further: In an op-ed on New York's Dictrict 23 congressional election, Rich embodies Walker's observation at the exact same time as quoting Hofstadter's. Check it out:

"[T]he electoral math is less interesting than the pathology of this movement. Its antecedent can be found in the early 1960s, when radical-right hysteria carried some of the same traits we’re seeing now: seething rage, fear of minorities, maniacal contempt for government, and a Freudian tendency to mimic the excesses of political foes. Writing in 1964 of that era's equivalent to today's tea party cells, the historian Richard Hofstadter observed that the John Birch Society's "ruthless prosecution" of its own ideological war often mimicked the tactics of its Communist enemies.

The same could be said of Beck, Palin and their acolytes. Though they constantly liken the president to various totalitarian dictators, it is they who are re-enacting Stalinism in full purge mode."

How do you even get to a place like that?

[Brilliant]

Welcome to the ranks of Stalinists, Frank.

[edpc]

OK, Frank...when you can point to the people conservatives have murdered, starved, and jailed....you'll have a point.

Until then, STFU.

[gwilhelm56]

More frightening than the Idiocy of the Article and the author.. lot of the COMMENTS are even more ludicrous

[muawiyah]

I keep confusing Frank Rich with the guy who defrauded all his investors.

Anyone know, is there a difference?

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

But, we can sure make an exception to those who called Geo W. Bush a Nazi, right? Let’s do that, shall we?

[paulycy]

has been among the very stupidest in a remarkably dull-witted season

Stupid has reached a new level in Frank Rich.

Or do only the stupid use the word stupid? I hope not. Cause I mean it.

[awestk]

The New York Times: Buy it for the fishwrap, read it for the lulz.

[gwilhelm56]

** ... make an exception to those who called Geo W. Bush a Nazi,..**

While WE would have to make the exception, the Liberals would not understand the distinction..

[organicchemist]

Their moderators refused my comment:

“I need clarification. Is ‘stalinism’ an insult or a compliment? This is the paper Walter Duranty wrote for isn’t it?”

Guess I didn’t fit in.

[gwilhelm56]

**The New York Times:**

needs to be double cross shredded before I’ll even use it to line my bird’s cages... they can talk... can’t take any chances on them being able to READ!!!

LOL

[exDemMom]

ts antecedent can be found in the early 1960s, when radical-right hysteria carried some of the same traits we’re seeing now: seething rage, fear of minorities, maniacal contempt for government, and a Freudian tendency to mimic the excesses of political foes.

I'm wondering, has this kind of a "right-wing" ever existed outside the fevered imaginations of leftists?

[Maine Mariner]

No most true supporters of Stalin call him a peace loving,
anti war, anti terror human ruler of the USSR who did so much to improve the lives of his people.

[gwilhelm56]

**Their moderators refused my comment:**

So far, they haven’t bounced my comment yet... I borrowed the NAZI comment..

I figured my screen name there will cause a refusal: FEDUPLIBBS

[chris_bdba]

I was around then abeit young but never noticed any of this and my family was very pro union liberals so if there had been any of that I’m sure I’d remember it!

[Tanniker Smith]

He used it twice just in the headline. So what does that make him?

[pallis]

Only a nation of fools will be bullied out of using language that correctly identifies the politics that are destroying them. Try this on for size. We’ve elected a Communist regime, Communism via the democratic process, and they have no intention of stepping down when unelected. Enjoy!

[VRWC For Truth]

Frank Rich: Climb to the top of the NY Times building and JUMP! You despicable loser!

[Eddie01]

Frank,

As you are well aware, what you are doing is called “projection”.

As an “I’m smarter than you, watch while I laugh at you, falling for our design - MORON”, I’d like to remind you that I do understand groupthink disfunctions and your play on them.

You are as well aware of your intent as am I.

What a great life. Born. Grow up. Told to tell the truth.
Find through a journalism path you can make more money telling a lie.

Tell lies so big you’re promoted, even given a Pulizter.

You sad pathetic old fart. Butt dust.

May your days in carnIval drag, servicing your CEO masters, be the BEST you can make them Pukeboy.

[TurtleUp]

"... when radical-right hysteria carried some of the same traits we’re seeing now: seething rage, fear of minorities, maniacal contempt for government, and a Freudian tendency to mimic the excesses of political foes ..."

Seething rage? Yep, I'm guilty. Most real Americans feel that way every time we watch Obama trash our Constitution and attempt to destroy our country, which is every time he speaks. Fortunately, he's sufficiently inept that he has not yet delivered the fatal blow that he hopes to inflict on freedom. Fear of minorities? That's the liberals who care about skin color. In contrast, like most real Americans, I am completely indifferent to the color of any person's skin - it's the pink/red in Obama's politics that real Americans care about. "Maniacal" contempt for government? I'd call it a completely logical contempt for government. Obama's administration has only two levels of performance: corrupt and inept. Only an insane person could love Obama's compromise between those two levels of performance. Mimicking the excesses of those who choose evil as a lifestyle? Real Americans don't imitate evil - we resist it within the limits of our strict moral values (something Obama supporters wouldn't understand).