Posted on 08/23/2010 5:59:03 AM PDT by Kaslin
Over the past few weeks, we have heard plenty about the bigotry of the American people. The recent debate about an imam’s plans to locate a large mosque at Ground Zero has highlighted, as never before, the liberal elite’s utter contempt for the sensibilities of regular Americans.
From the President on down, those in favor of the mosque’s construction at Ground Zero have characterized the opponents as ruled only by emotion – especially animus toward all Muslims. So outrageous were some of the aspersions cast on mosque opponents that even liberal former DNC Chair Howard Dean was moved to point out the left was “demonizing some fairly decent people.” In an implicit acknowledgment of the most common slur made by mosque proponents, he added that “sixty-five percent of the people in this country [the proportion opposing construction of the mosque at Ground Zero] are not right-wing bigots.”
Indeed. Aside from the gratuitous swipe at conservatives, Dean had it just about right. But the mosque debate isn’t the only area where regular Americans have been accused of irrational intolerance.
Recently, an unelected federal judge struck down a state constitutional amendment passed by a solid majority of Californians – and supported by a majority of Americans generally – that defined marriage as exclusively between one man and one woman. He did so by concluding that there was no rational basis for the measure he had overturned; its only conceivable purpose, according to the judge, was to “enshrine in the California Constitution” an assertion that “opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples.” In other words, Judge Vaughn Walker characterized every single American who has reservations about changing the age-old institution of marriage as irrational bigots.
Given that the President, Vaughn Walker, and much of the commentariat in favor of the Ground Zero mosque are part of the supposed intellectual and cultural “elite” in this country, the arrogance – and paucity of their moral imagination – is breathtaking. In their formulation, stupidity, ignorance and bigotry are the only conceivable reasons for opposition to anything they deem moral or just. Their intellectual and personal disrespect for those who disagree with them is breathtaking – and it is unleavened by even the slightest dash of humility.
The irony, of course, is that in its eagerness to denounce the intolerance and shortsightedness of the masses, the liberal elite reveals itself to be . . . shortsighted and intolerant. From the gay marriage case to the Ground Zero mosque debate, the elites don't even offer the courtesy of presenting principled rebuttals of their opponents’ arguments. Instead, they dismiss them scornfully as the product of inferior minds, unworthy of consideration by intelligent people.
According to well-known research on marriages and conflict, healthy relationships can survive frequent disagreement. It’s only when contempt sets in that long-time partnerships are in serious trouble. Increasingly, that kind of contempt emanates from those who consider themselves the meritocracy’s crowning glory – and it bodes ill for the health of America’s body politic.
Perhaps the phenomenon is the foreseeable consequence of a university system overwhelmingly dominated by only one (politically correct) viewpoint. Perhaps it’s simply the result of a general breakdown in manners – or, more sadly yet, a symptom of the decline of a common public religious faith stressing that all people (yes, even the “unenlightened”) are God’s children, and hence entitled to be treated with a measure of decency and respect.
Whatever the reason, it’s time for the liberal elite to curb their distrust of and contempt for the values and sensibilities of the rest of America. To put it in terms they can understand, it’s hypocritical to claim solidarity with “the common man” while despising everything he holds dear.
Maybe a long-term trip to the Gitmo kennel would be a good start in their re-education process.
liberals want to tear it all down and burn it. How do you deal with that attitude other than defeat them. Conservatives have been wasting time for 40 years trying to talk to them, meanwhile the liberal takes over schools, destroys the black family unit, and murders over 40 million un born, and destroys the economy.
You think you can just say slow down to them? Wake up!
Wallace reminded Williams that "this is America after all" and Williams responded "but these are people on the right".
This is an old, tired, journopolemical gig. Theodore White sneered his way through The Making of the President 1964, about the Goldwater insurrection that uncovered Ronald Reagan for the first time. White consistently referred to conservatives as "primitives" and their issues as "emotional"/"emotions", vilifying and denigrating both their values and their powers of reason, and walking on their citizenship with his Ivy League Liberal Superman Boots.
Alinsky’s rules of power
#5” Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. It is almost impossible to counteract ridicule. Also it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to your advantage.”
Well, that comment is certainly clarifying. I'll trouble Juanito, however, to deliver personally his notice that my rights have been suspended for the duration.
I suggest he wear Kevlar.
If they cleansed themselves of these evils, there would be no Left.
There’s an old formulation of this:
LIBERALS LOVE HUMANITY...
IT’S PEOPLE THEY CAN’T STAND.
The time has come to crush them at the polls. To drive them from the halls of government. To de-fund the Universities so as to crush them there as well.
And if necessary because they might be stupid enough to try something...to crush them in the streets.
It really is coming to that...and I for one welcome it!
When one hates everybody else, one cannot help but hate one's self.
...I would argue that this "controversy" has actually increased the animus toward all Muslims. It has enlightened millions of Americans who had no idea of mosques all over the world which have been built on sites of Muslim conquests over infidels. The "controversy" is pointing out minute by minute that the real animus, intolerance and lack of respect here is by muslims directed at Americans.
They may well get to build their victory monument, but it will cost them respect and "tolerance" by Americans who formerly either didn't know them, or didn't care.
Is there ANYTHING muslims could do to outrage the left?
Perhaps if they flew a jet into the NYT building? The left was outraged for about a month after 9/11 but then got over it pretty quickly and sided with them at every opportunity. The left takes to treason like flies take to feces.
Tagline material!
Let me suggest he had a rough night the day before that was filmed. Wallace, in contrast, never seems to have had a rough night.
” it’s time for the liberal elite to curb their distrust of and contempt for the values and sensibilities of the rest of America.”
They can’t. Evil always attacks good. That is its nature.
“Perhaps it’s simply the result of a general breakdown in manners.”
Perhaps?
The left has been ill-mannered, adolescent,
badly-toilet-trained, psychotic, self-centered, dismissive of non-leftists, visceral punks who hide behind religion, the law and their mommies.
They have been like that for a long time and will be like that forever. The only problem is that people in the electorate vote for them continually, ad-nauseum and without letup.
(Maybe this November, all those Independents out there will stop being so brilliant and intellectual and take a critical look at what the left is about.)
IMHO
Curbing their contempt would be akin to quitting smoking for them.
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