Posted on 06/11/2005 5:20:34 PM PDT by rface
Milton continued, "Commentators like Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh told Americans to hate the liberals. It was a sure-fire way of getting ratings."
"I hate O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh," I said, "because they hate me."
Milton said, "Why does everyone write about how much the world hates America, and no one writes about why Americans hate each other?"
"I was thinking about it," I said. "Why do you think they do?"
"I can't blame it all on President Bush, but the hate factor in the country was raised to a new high when he said it was politically correct to do it."
"How so?"
"Hating fellow Americans didn't become serious until Bush decided to invade Iraq. Then both sides came out of the closet. The conservatives said war was a dandy idea, and the liberals said it was a lousy one. When it was discovered that there were no weapons of mass destruction, which was the reason for going to war, the liberals attacked the president. The conservatives called the anti-war people traitors."
"That was strong language," I told Milton.
"Adding gasoline to the fire were the 'elite' media [the L.A. Times, Washington Post and the New York Times], who editorialized that we got into a lousy war and didn't know how to get out."
Milton continued, "Commentators like Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh told Americans to hate the liberals. It was a sure-fire way of getting ratings."
"I hate O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh," I said, "because they hate me."
Milton said, "But what is really tearing the country apart is God. Every group insists they know what God wants for America. People are fighting over the Pledge of Allegiance in the schools, the Ten Commandments on government property and whether Americans came from Adam and Eve or from monkeys."
"I thought we settled that years ago," I said.
"So did most Americans, but the theories kept popping up," Milton told me. "Things really got ugly when the religious right said if you don't believe in Jesus then you are going to hell.
"Evangelicals are now going all over the country asking - no, demanding - that everyone be born again. The worst example is the Air Force Academy, where the cadets are asked to pledge their lives to Jesus. No one knows what blue skies they will fly into once they graduate.
"Everything has a religious background. The right-to-life people are against stem cell research, abortions and condoms. They are for guns, the Second Amendment and the National Rifle Association.
"One of the major issues is same-sex marriage. The right opposes it and the left, who couldn't care less, says, 'Get off my back.'"
I said, "Isn't it now true that members of Congress really hate each other?"
"It's worse than ever."
"I guess they can't pick a judge now without getting mad," I said. "Are all these issues political?"
"No," Milton replied. "They're personal. Americans are not born to hate, but it's taught to them at an early age and once you learn it, you never let it go."
"Tell me this. Do the French hate Americans as much as we hate each other?"
"It's a close call, but we're catching up to them. I could go on and on listing the causes as to why there is so much animosity among Americans, but it won't do anyone much good.
"All I know is, I'm right and they are wrong - and I'm certain they'll go to hell before I do."
Ok. Just checking. Never know when someone might be looking for a duel to the death. Take care.
Liberals hate American because they are socialists and socialists hate capitalism. A second reason is that socialism is a religion placing government and man as the focus to worship in contrast to religions like Christanity that put God above man, along with self-responsibility.
I've known since 1970 that I was a lunatic, drug addicted, baby killing, fascist pig for serving in Vietnam based on the enlightened reporting of our time. Now customized negative images are being successfully applied to Christians, gun owners, traditional values advocates, etc. by those who build their verbal and written assaults into thoroughly justified and inescapeable positions of hate. These folks are just trying to wake listeners up to the fact they are hated, which I could have told them all along (but not as well) was the result of different political and ethical opinions. One of the few intelligent things Mao Tse-Tung ever said was, "Politics is war without bloodshed". Welcome to the world of virtual blood. Just keep faith with those values the liberals hate as you establish your rules of engagement.
If Art Buchwald were alive today, he'd be outraged at this.
No, Jesus' children say you're going to hell if you don't BEHAVE!
Good grief -- that can't be true.
Who would publish such nonsense?
And example of a lie perpetuated by liberals is this one...
Milton continued, "Commentators like Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh told Americans to hate the liberals. It was a sure-fire way of getting ratings."
"I hate O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh," I said, "because they hate me."
First off, I would like documented evidence that either Rush or BO EVER told Americans to hate the liberals. Secondly, I'd be willing to bet that there is no documented evidence that either one of them has ever stated publicly that they hate liberals, as opposed to that mainstay of tolerance, Dr. Howard Dean, who said, "I hate Republicans and everything they stand for." Interestingly enough, he didn't qualify it (although he tried to later, saying he only meant the republican leadership).
Buchwald lies, saying that Rush and BO hate liberals. Dean says he hates republicans. Assuming that he means what he says, that would include all republicans, conservative and liberal alike... So, he would hate Bill Frist, and Lincoln Chaffee. He would hate Pat Robers and Olympia Snow. Ideology doesn't really matter to Dean. He sees anyone who's not with him as his personal enemy. And he projects, as do most leftists. All those things that he and his party do, he accuses other of doing against him. I suppose that's how he can justiry doing and saying the sort of things he does.
More importantly, he uses the word "hate" as a bludgeon. He says that he hates those who disagree with him (interestingly enough, that IS the leftist definition of "hate." "You disagree with me, so you must hate... I'm only concerned with doing good. You oppose me, so you must hate. I'm doing good things, or at least, meaning to be doing good things. You oppose some of those things. That means you're bad. And evil. Except evil doesn't really exist... Except in people who oppose the good that I'm trying to do."
Mark
Exactly. Great post -- you nailed what needs to be said: Buchwald is engaging in crass propaganda.
Oh, it goes way farther back then the 2000 elections... Remember Hillary's "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy." Or even better, Bill Clinton trying to claim that Rush and other conservative radio talk show hosts (but Rush WAS singled out, by name) were responsible for a climate of hatred that culminated in the OKC bombing. That's certainly one of the more agregious examples, but there are many, many others.
Mark
Well .. I guess I wasn't really paying attention until after I got on the internet and started visiting FR on a regular basis. The election in 2000 was a big turning point for me in activism.
I do remember the OKC incident of accusing Rush though, because I was listening to his program when I found out about FR.
Errrr...so you've decided there are parts of the Bible you don't believe any more? Or you've decided you believe them but it's bad PR to talk about them?
Nooooo...these are very old brain cells, but I remember it says very specifically that one is saved by faith, not good works.
Sorry, I didn't mean to chide you. The 2000 election was a big turning point for many people, and it was one of the events that's been used to ratchet up misinformation and hatred by the dems.
Mark
Buchwald has gone off the deep end...
Again.
More importantly, he uses the word "hate" as a bludgeon. He says that he hates those who disagree with him (interestingly enough, that IS the leftist definition of "hate." "You disagree with me, so you must hate... I'm only concerned with doing good. You oppose me, so you must hate. I'm doing good things, or at least, meaning to be doing good things. You oppose some of those things. That means you're bad. And evil. Except evil doesn't really exist... Except in people who oppose the good that I'm trying to do."
Its all tied in to his projection. He hates his enemies, and his enemies are anybody who doesn't agree with him. And he assumes that his enemies hate him for the same reason. That is where they get it wrong, and they do it time after time. Rush loves liberals, they move to the top of his caller list. If they would just debate on the facts they could call in all day and that's all his show would be. But alas, they fall into tried and true routines, Rush is a Druggie, Bush is stupid, Christians are stupid, all Republicans want to do is kill "people of color". Name calling, slogans, then their own hate shines trough. Rush ends up having just about enough of them and hangs up. Its so very few that even seem to think beyond a DNC talking point memo, its almost fruitless to try to debate them.
Let's see now. You are an atheist, but you can quote the Bible. OK, let's go. Of course, this may take a while, what with me going to church 'n all. But, it will give you more time to prepare.
First, let me try to explain MY God and my Bible. At first there was the Old Testament, given to help people survive. It spoke of turmoil and what was necessary to overcome and prosper. Take a look at Jeremiah, Chapter 50 and remember that, what once was Babylon, is now Iraq.
It also spoke of the future, and what was necessary to be a part of that future. It prophesied the coming of our Saviour.
The New Testament tells the story of Jesus, the Lamb of God. Do you understand what that means? Jesus was our sacrifice. Jesus died so that anyone, ANYONE, that accepted him into their heart, was saved. Start with Acts, Chapter 9.
But, my favorite verse is John 3:16. It slapped me across the face a few years ago, and I'll carry it with me always. Got to go now. See you later.
Well, yes, I wasn't raised an atheist. I became one via conversations like this.
The New Testament tells the story of Jesus, the Lamb of God. Do you understand what that means? Jesus was our sacrifice. Jesus died so that anyone, ANYONE, that accepted him into their heart, was saved.
Yes, exactly. And anyone who doesn't take him up on the offer goes to hell. That's what I said, isn't it? Really, either you accept the entirety of the message, or you're picking and choosing. And once you decide some of the message may not literally be true, what reason do you have to believe a word of it?
Show me!
Eh? Show you what?
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