Sat Jan 31, 2015, 07:33 AM
xchrom (108,573 posts)
The Ugly Conservative Tactic of Brutally Attacking Individuals, Even Kids, Instead of Ideas
http://www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/ugly-conservative-tactic-brutally-attacking-individuals-even-kids-instead-ideas
One of the more unfortunate trends of the 21st century is the increasingly ugly right-wing strategy of singling out individuals—usually those who have somehow offended them by having liberal opinions—and subjecting them to grotesque smear campaigns and a deluge of abuse. Recent examples include Michelle Malkin's smear campaign against a 12-year-old who testified in favor of SCHIP; the bizarre multi-year campaign to discredit climate scientist Michael Mann; and the relentless haranguing of feminist video game critic Anita Sarkeesian. The goal often seems to be to “take out†the target by making the price of continuing to speak out in public so high that they quit entirely.
These kinds of harassment campaigns aren’t just immoral, but illogical. For one, the targets seem to be chosen almost at random. Plenty of people agree with Sarkeesian about video games, but she gets exponentially more abuse for it than most of her comrades. The malice conservatives aim at their targets would suggest that they think by eliminating the person, they can somehow take out the ideas the person promotes, but there’s no reason to believe that. Climate science will still be around if Mann retires tomorrow. Sarkeesian’s feminist videos are good, but if she quit making them, there are plenty of other smart women critiquing sexism in video games. No matter how successful Malkin may be at publicly humiliating a sixth-grader, she can’t change the fact that millions of children get necessary healthcare coverage through SCHIP.
So why do they do this? Michael Mann published a paper titled “The Serengeti strategy: How special interests try to intimidate scientists, and how best to fight back†that examines this question for the January edition of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Using his own experience as the punching bag conservatives hit when they want to take potshots at climate scientists, Mann argues that attacking individuals while leaving the larger group intact doesn’t seem to make sense initially, but there is a purpose to it.
“This is a classic ad hominem attack, consisting of innuendo and obfuscation, often focusing on irrelevant items, whose net effect is to direct attention away from the merits of an argument and instead to the character of the person making it,†Mann writes. “This approach appeals to feelings, emotions, and prejudices rather than intellect—exactly the point when the attacker is on the wrong side of the facts.â€
Response to xchrom (Original post)
Sat Jan 31, 2015, 07:37 AM
hack89 (29,056 posts)
1. We are lucky we never see that here on DU. Nt
Response to xchrom (Original post)
Sat Jan 31, 2015, 08:06 AM
Donald Ian Rankin (12,059 posts)
3. By no means unique to conservatives.
It's just that people often don't see the ugliness when the target is someone they themselves despise.
Response to xchrom (Original post)
Sat Jan 31, 2015, 08:23 AM
Bluenorthwest (34,251 posts)
4. So all those on DU who do this to LGBT people are now 'conservatives'? You need to tell them that.
And that's not snark. I am saying sincerely that the Straight Community on DU needs to step the **** up and stop allowing that bullshit. I see a smug OP like this, so self righteously blind to what is done by and to our own and I want to puke.
Pure projection.
Accuse others of what you are doing. Forget if that is Lenin, Stalin, or Alinsky but it was a leftist.
* RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.â€
Why do I have this feeling that searching DU for "Track Palin" would yield "entertaining" results?
And "Bristol Palin".
And "Sadie Robertson"?
DU got very ugly during the John Roberts confirmation hearings speculating on their adopted children.
The Palin family was apparently unavailable for comment.
Amanda Marcotte
Sat Jan 31, 2015, 07:33 AM
xchrom (108,575 posts)
The Ugly Conservative Tactic of Brutally Attacking Individuals, Even Kids, Instead of Ideas
http://www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/ugly-conservative-tactic-brutally-attacking-individuals-even-kids-instead-ideas
One of the more unfortunate trends of the 21st century is the increasingly ugly right-wing strategy of singling out individuals—usually those who have somehow offended them by having liberal opinions—and subjecting them to grotesque smear campaigns and a deluge of abuse. Recent examples include Michelle Malkin's smear campaign against a 12-year-old who testified in favor of SCHIP;
40. Another shout out to the right wing comfort girl!
Bluebear Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-15-07 03:41 PMhttp://upload.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x889625
Response to Reply #40
46. 'right wing comfort girl'
No, you didn't say that.
Yes you did. :thumbsup:
mitchum Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-10-07 08:29 PMhttp://betterment.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x384188
Response to Original message
24. Right wing comfort girl Michele Malkin trots out that call to arms in her latest column
mitchum Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-20-07 08:58 PM
Response to Original message
42. What? She's ashamed of being a right wing comfort girl?
Edited on Tue Feb-20-07 09:01 PM by mitchum
noamnety Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-21-07 03:22 AMhttp://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x253611
Response to Reply #46
55. "There's a strong sexist strain among my liberal critics"
slam her one in the jaw
Oh yeah---she's a beauty queen.
psychotic bitches
comfort girl
Shrill
mitchum Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Nov-11-05 09:32 AMhttp://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5330701
Response to Original message
35. Right wing comfort girl Malkin is lying again
84. But Michelle Malkin IS a $5 right wing comfort girl...http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2265799
just in case that loony bitch is browsing this thread
Mann writes. “This approach appeals to feelings, emotions, and prejudices rather than intellect—exactly the point when the attacker is on the wrong side of the facts.â€
One of the more unfortunate trends of the 21st century is the increasingly ugly right-wing strategy of singling out individuals—usually those who have somehow offended them by having liberal opinions—and subjecting them to grotesque smear campaigns and a deluge of abuse.
The Palin family was apparently unavailable for comment.
As for accusations about “smearing†and “Swiftboating,†I’ll repeat what I said on my blog: “When a family and Democrat political leaders drag a child down to Washington at 6 in the morning to read a script written by Senate Democrat staffers on a crusade to overturn a presidential veto, someone might have questions about the family’s claims. The newspapers don’t want to do their jobs. The vacuum is being filled. If you don’t want questions, don’t foist these children onto the public stage. Fight your battles like adults and stop hiding behind youngsters dragging around red wagons filled with your talking points.â€http://moneyrunner.blogspot.com/2007/10/michelle-malkin-pushes-back-schip.html
I left your comment over at Alternet. :lmao:I saw that. Got a couple of rude comments, and off they went, again. :cheersmate:
The article is by that loon, Amanda Marcotte. She's just mad she gets mocked on twitchy.
"RWCG"? Michelle Malkin's fingernail parings have more class than those DU folk ... in fact, they have so little class that I won't dignify them with my customary three exclamation points. Geesh :hammer:
Looking at this again, it occurred to me that the Korean women held as sex slaves for the WW2 Japanese military (and probably a few decades earlier) were called comfort women. I double-checked to see if that was a typo on my part. It wasn't. So even calling Michelle Malkin a CG is racist, by Lib/Prog speech standards!