You'd be forgiven for assuming that these were emissaries from some of the crazier corners of the GOP universe. (Because, Lord knows, that universe has gone and spun off on a distinctly crazy axis.) But no!
From The Treatment:
Right-wing protesters aren't the only ones likening Democrats to Nazis for supporting Obamacare. As Josh Marshall notes, a group of LaRouche supporters joined the conservative hecklers who shouted down Representative McGovern last week in Massachusetts, reportedly comparing the congressman to Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele. In fact, the LaRouchies have dubbed their entire campaign, "Stop Obama's Nazi Health Plan," and they have played a central role in disrupting town hall meetings across the country. On the LaRouchePAC website, they cheered their part in shouting down John Dingell in Michigan last week: "When LaRouche PAC organizers held up a large poster, depicting President Obama with a Hitler moustache, and the words ‘I've Changed,' the crowd went wild with approval, taking pictures and videos, and backing down police." The group goes on to brag that their very own "Obama-with-Hitler-moustache" image has been featured on CNN, NBC, and the Wall Street Journal.Walking around Manhattan, I would occasionally come across a table set up on some sidewalk of the Upper West Side, covered with pamphlets and hand-lettered posters about, say, the Queen of England and Chechen rebels, and some speculative and truly bizarre connection between them. The conspiracies being decried were the kind of over-the-top lunacy that one never actually expects to see decried in real life. "Who are these crazies?" I would wonder to myself as I passed them. They were, it turns out, LaRouche Democrats.
Now, up until then, the only exposure I had had with Lyndon LaRouche's followers was a passing mention in the Bloom County short story "The Great LaRouche Toad-Frog Massacree," in which they were described as "better off dead." As with much of Bloom County (which I read religiously as a middle-schooler in the 80s), I didn't get the joke at the time, but thought it was funny anyway. After I met some in real life, the short story got much, much funnier.
The fact that these people are blending seamlessly into the general rabble attending the health care town-hall meetings is a testament to the overall level of sanity and the quality of discourse said rabble is bringing to the debate about health care reform.
Posts
The rabble object to having Post Office quality healthcare shoved down their throats. Who woulda thunk it?
ReplyDeleteAfter all, no one could possibly have any principled objections to the plan, whatever it is today, that Democrats have cobbled together in a dark corner and were in a desperate rush to pass before anyone could read it. The only rational people are people who agree with Dan. Disagree, and you are part of the rabble. Sweet, Dan, real sweet.
John, I'm going to try and make this clear for the last time, and then I think I'm going to call it a day, Your persistent and tendentious refusal to see the point is becoming tiresome, as is your "any port in a storm" defense of all things anti-Obama.
ReplyDeletePrincipled opposition and criticism is always welcome. Prattling about "death panels" or Nazi Germany, etc etc etc, which has no actual bearing on reality (specifically, health care reform) is not. Bellicosity is not the same thing as civil disobedience. If you do not appreciate this, then I see no particular point in trying to discuss the topic with you.
The "death panel" has an actual bearing on reality; just look at the President's own words about his grandmother. (And remember, "death panels" is a dysphemism for IMAC-like Federal council, which was most certainly a part of Dem plans for healthcare reform.)
ReplyDeletePres. Obama said that his grandmother had a hip replacement near the end of her life, and he questioned if it was really worth the cost. IOW, granny might not get the best care if the bean counters and doctors think the general public won't get sufficient bang for the buck. Things like that scare the willies out of the elderly or the going-to-be-in-the-future elderly. If you can't see this obvious point, which a majority of Americans apparently have managed to grasp, then yes, there is no particular point in continuing this discussion.
Gadfly....Majority of Americans? Is this the same majority that was hood-winked into thinking Iraq was behind September 11th attack? Barnum was correct.... this way to the "Egress."
ReplyDeleteIraq behind the 9-11 attack? Who are you trying to fool? Everyone knows the majority of terrorists in 9-11 were Saudi Arabian, and the mastermind was ObL, who was hiding near the Afghan-Pakistan border and whose operations were run out of Yemen.
ReplyDeleteNow, please give me a single quote from a reputable source that has Mr. Bush, Mr. Cheney, or Mr. Powell claiming Iraq was behind the attack.
Gadfly, Everyone knows. (WHAT)? Please Gadfly Bush and Darth Vader convinced the poor ignoramuses otherwise and we are still in Iraq. Gadfly.... this way to the "Egress. Would love to hear more from you, but vacation calls. Bye.
ReplyDelete