Propaganda vs. Debate
Paul Mirengoff of mighty Powerline studies the figures of speech used as substitutes for reasoned argument by the Left. As many of us at Maggie's point out regularly, as the Left loses power and relevance, their voices become shriller, more hysterical, and meaner.
The past election escalated this slide into a paranoid detachment from reality. Next will be the rubber room. Sure, there are plenty of valid and compelling criticisms to be made against the Conservatives in action - especially hypocrisy - but equating the US with the Khmer Rouge ain't one of them.
The US stinks at debate. For forty years, there was minimal debate with a Liberal press and a liberal government and a liberal "establishment". Then, thanks in part to the removal of the Fairness Doctrine and in part to cable and in part to blogs, we conservatives - most of us ex-liberals ourselves - are all prepared to debate ideas, but the Left will not engage in that way. All we get are tantrums and name-calling and manipulative propaganda. Well, forget the Left. The Left is dead. But even normal good Democrats - c'mon guys and gals - let's debate the ideas honestly. It would be good for the country.
But hmmmm, let me think a minute...shucks, gee whiz, do ya think maybe that's not what politics is all about? Is it possible that the Repubs still think they're in a debate, when they're really in a shooting war with real bullets?
