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I would not be happy to see Robert Kennedy jr. get into the Senate, since he's part of the anti-vaccine hysteria that has led to loss of 'herd immunity' to several diseases. Although I hope that, with the recent denouncement of Andrew Wakefield by the British Medical Journal, Kennedy will change his mind.
I think you are spot on with stochastic terrorism, I'd go further though: It actually started before Dr. Tiller was murdered, with Dr. Gun, another abortion provider who was killed in Pensacola in 93, and then a year later Dr. Griffin and his escort were shot gunned by Paul Hill, and I think Paul Hill is the typical lone wolf. He stood on the sidelines of clinic protests, holding signs, giving controversial hateful interviews, and he was definitely inspired by the anti abortion movement since it gave him a stage. In fact it gave him a purpose and fulfilled his dream to become famous. Then John Salvi went on a shooting rampage in Brookline massachusetts, killing two people working in abortion clinics. BTW, in his case there were claims of schizophrenia as well. Having interviewed Paul Hill and researched John Salvi, there is no doubt in my mind that the lone wolf theory is spot on. I would go further, I think it is being cultivated into a tool by the extreme right who learned their lesson in the nineties. During the Clinton years there was an entire right wing so called 'religious right' movement' dedicated to demonstrate in front of abortion clinics, to disrupt, and demonize planned parenthood, and attack Bill Clinton for being pro choice. Even though there never was any proof of a single conspiracy or group that centrally planned all of these attacks, or any link of the perpetrators to a central command that planned it, I believe that the phenomenon is best described by what Bill Clinton himself calls so famously "the echo chamber'. In this case, right wing churches, defrogged priests and frinch anti government people joined together under one roof and with the purpose to destroy Bill Clinton's presidency. Once Bush became president, all of that noise around the abortion issue calmed down a whole lot. Did somebody tell them to shut up? Mission accomplished? I'm sure people who worked in clinics didn't feel safer during his eight years, but no lone wolf felt the call to come forward during this time. Now another democratic president is elected, and Dr. Tiller got murdered. (a very dedicated, caring and courageous man by the way). There are two good movies who depict very well what goes on behind that echo chamber: The Hunting of the President, and the BBC documentary: The Power of Nightmares. The alarming part is that the Echo Chamber became much louder since the nineties, the violence inflicted more frequent, and the language from the right is more violent too. The goal is to put a republican president into power at all cost.
Move over Mother Teresa!
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Move-Over-Mother-Teresa-by-Mike-Malloy-110112-15.html
"What if her script writers inserted the words "Blood Libel" into her talk because they knew there would be a backlash that could kill her candidacy? They knew she wouldn't know what it means."
That reminds me of when Bush mangled the word "peroration" as "pirrouation". I think someone had fun saying big words around him just to see how he would misuse and mispronounce them.
Arizona is where the American dream died!!!
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Arizona-Where-the-America-by-Will-Bunch-110112-26.html
Is the United States a stochastic terrorist nation?
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/index.html?story=/opinion/greenwald/2011/01/10/fear&source=newsletter&utm_source=contactology&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Salon_Daily%20Newsletter%20%28Not%20Premium%29_7_30_110
Thom, you didn't quite have it right when you talked about Newt Gingrich and Pres. Clinton. Newt Gingrich complained that he wasn't invited on the plane going to Rabin's funeral and said he was going to shut down the Govt. because of it. Then photos showed the President speaking to Newt on AF One. He was invited. Newt was just a really spoiled brat. His rhetoric these days has crossed into the severly disturbed.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/even_lost_wars_make_corporations_rich_20110110/
Wars are good for corporations.
Purging Palin?
This possibility hit me yesterday.
I don't think the Republicans want Sarah Palin to run in 2012. They know she will lose.
What if her script writers inserted the words "Blood Libel" into her talk because they knew there would be a backlash that could kill her candidacy? They knew she wouldn't know what it means.
Did they sabotage her?
Just a thought.
Mini Formula for Justice and Peace
The Golden Rule
Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you!
Jesus’ Eleventh Commandment
Love one another as I have loved you!
Read Matthew 25:31-46!
When you do it to the least of my brethren, you do it for me.
Read Matthew 5:1-12!
The beatitudes!
St. Ambrose says, “I shall pass this way but once, any good that I can do let me do it now, because I shall not pass this way again.”
“Love the poor and your life will be filled with sunlight and you will not fear the hour of death.” - St. Vincent DePaul, the first social worker
Reichwingers are the stochastic terrorists!!!
Oooh Thom--be careful. Blood libel isn't "killing Christian children for ritual purposes." It's the accusation that Christian children are being killed for ritual purposes. A fine, but important difference.
Reply to Redlocks (comment #4)
It may be an interesting point. Still, my government lost fundamental legitimacy for me for eight years after the Supreme Court "picked" Bush, Jr to play "presidunce". Per the U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 1, Clause 3: "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector." I'll accept the Bush regime's "legitimacy" when someone can explain to me what State or State Legislature the Supreme Court is (i.e. NEVER).
Still, it never even occurred to me to pick up a gun and resort to violence over it. That's really more of a Reich-wing thing at this point.
I agree completely, I have for many years argued that these tactics were being employed however I didnt know the actual literal term (stochastic terror) I just equate it to the Nazis because that is whom I studied that employed this. It is so nice to listen to an intellectual talk show as opposed to the citadel shows that constanly left me feeling both worthless and hopeless. I am your newest "regular listener" for the past several days I have enjoyed your good work.
P.S. See my posting beneath the vanity fair story "Is Tucson killer a new kind of Killer?" see my posting which is actually better than the article itself I might add. I am about out of steam at the time I typed and was about to hit the hay last night
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2011/01/is-the-giffords-shooting-...
Thanks John McKinney
Thom it may be painful, but to be honest with yourself, you really should review Mike Malloy and his show. Back when he was on Air America I gave his show a try, and truthfully, I found his anger to be a turn off for me. I seemed to me he wasn't much different than the angry right talkers, and just because he was on the left didn't justify my support. I also find it difficult to listen to Randi Rhodes, more so because she comes of as self centered and a bit loose with the facts. Like you, I don't think either of them are trying to activate Lone Wolves... but then again I'm not the Lone Wolf type, so I'm probably no more sensitive to the dog whistle then you are, or even the one who is blowing it. Sometimes people do so figuring since they don't hear anything, they aren't doing anything.
Consider and contemplate it.
Though I do agree, there are definitely those who are trying to activate the Lone Wolves.
N
So stochastic terrorism is "Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?"
Chris Rock had it right!
Forget gun control - we need "bullet control" - tax ammunition enough that each bullet costs $5,000, and, as Rock said "we'll have no more innocent bystanders!"
Reply to #24
That wasn't the only place where this vile term was used in this connection before Sarah repeated it; it had already become a Reich-wing "meme":
http://mediamatters.org/research/201101120011
Even more disgusting:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-01-12/sarah-palins-jewish-supporters-defend-her-blood-libel-remark/
G2geek's blog post Stochastic Terrorism: Triggering the Shooters from Daily Kos. Besides 'triggering the shooter' this right-wing-nut hate speech has a chilling effect on the direct targets: liberals and progressives. A two year recap is provided by the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence in their Insurrectionism Timeline.
The Reich wing is simply disgusting. And their terrorism is hardly all "stochastic", or metaphoric, or indirect... e.g. "Give us what we want or we'll let the unemployed, first responders, and others go under" or "Give us what we want or we'll trash the entire world's economy (by refusing to raise the US debt ceiling)", etc. Disgusting.
President Obama got it right:
I think Sarah Palin's speach is a stark contrast to President Obama's speech. The President reclaimed government for the people by t eh people and of the people. The President asks us to do better and work as a nation. Pailin's statment is full of narcissism, fear, division, violence, blame of "others" and I'll let others help me figure this out. Sarah Pailin is A) the victom of the Jesish controlled media B) Has recently been attacked by Jews C) Has no clue what she is talking about.
This is why she is only a 1/4 term governor that was found guilty of abuse of power in that short time.
I must give credit the House Speaker John Bohner's speach showed leadership and spoke of national unity-I hope it will continue...Oops guess John couldn't join the President and the Nation in mourning, rather he had to go raise campaign political money and have a few drinks instead.
Of course Palin used Blood Libel with purpose, at least her speech writers did. I'd like her to explain what a Blood Libel is in her own words, I bet dollars to donuts she doesn't have a clue. Not now, not a year from now, not twenty years from now. She trained as a newscaster, she only knows how to read a teleprompter, don't expect her to understand the words she's reading. Even when their written on her hands... in crimson.
N
Not only does the "right" (I really feel the need for the "sarcasm quotes" whenever I refer to them anymore) not care about her anti-Semitic terminology - where do you think Sarah (or her speechwriter) GOT that phrase in the first place?
http://mediamatters.org/research/201101120011
see for yourself
Here you go, Thom: http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/holoprelude/streicher.html
History and sensibilities notwithstanding, I find it interesting that Palin used hate rhetoric to complain about hate rhetoric.