The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

If You’ve Linked Us The Last Couple Of Days. . .

Posted on | April 16, 2010 | 20 Comments

by Smitty

The Other McCain has been a busy blog out there since about mid-week. Accordingly, I’m way behind on the RSS reading, and make even less guarantee than usual of picking up peoples’ links.

Please flog the inbox with the URLs where you have picked us up.

Furthermore, anyone with a suggested FMJRA backronym for tomorrow is invited to submit that in email or down in the comments.

Our country’s road to recovery shan’t be quick or easy, but the growing energy of the Tea Parties is about the most promising thing going. So keep reading, keep blogging, keep linking, and stay awesome, people!

Category: FMJRA Award

Comments

20 Responses to “If You’ve Linked Us The Last Couple Of Days. . .”

  1. Andrew Sullivan
    April 16th, 2010 @ 5:00 pm

    And this is why, despite my own deep suspicion of big government, I remain unmoved by the tea-partiers. Their partisanship and cultural hostility to Obama are far more intense, it seems to me, than their genuine proposals to reduce spending and taxation. And this is largely because they have no genuine proposals to reduce spending and taxation. They seem very protective of Medicare and Social Security – and their older age bracket underlines this. They also seem primed for maximal neo-imperial reach, backing the nation-building efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, favoring war against Iran, etc. Only Ron Paul, peace be upon him, extends his big government critique to the military-industrial-ideological complex.

    So they are truly not serious in policy terms, and it behooves the small government right to grapple with this honestly. They both support lower taxation and yet bemoan the fact that so many Americans do not pay any income tax. They want to cut spending on trivial matters while enabling the entitlement and defense behemoths to go on gobbling up Americans’ wealth. And that lack of seriousness is complemented by a near-fanatical cultural alienation from the modern world.

    In my view, this confluence of feelings can work in shifting the public mood, as seems to have happened. When there is no internal pushback against crafted FNC propaganda, and when the Democrats seem unable to craft any coherent political message below the presidential level, you do indeed create a self-perpetuating fantasy that can indeed rally and roil people. But the abstract slogans against government, the childish reduction of necessary trade-offs as an apocalyptic battle between freedom and slavery, and the silly ranting at all things Washington: these are not a political movement. They are cultural vents, wrapped up with some ugly Dixie-like strands.

    When they propose cuts in Medicare, means-testing social security, a raising of the retirement age and a cut in defense spending, I’ll take them seriously and wish them well.

    Until then, I’ll treat them with the condescending contempt they have thus far deserved.

  2. Andrew Sullivan
    April 16th, 2010 @ 12:00 pm

    And this is why, despite my own deep suspicion of big government, I remain unmoved by the tea-partiers. Their partisanship and cultural hostility to Obama are far more intense, it seems to me, than their genuine proposals to reduce spending and taxation. And this is largely because they have no genuine proposals to reduce spending and taxation. They seem very protective of Medicare and Social Security – and their older age bracket underlines this. They also seem primed for maximal neo-imperial reach, backing the nation-building efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, favoring war against Iran, etc. Only Ron Paul, peace be upon him, extends his big government critique to the military-industrial-ideological complex.

    So they are truly not serious in policy terms, and it behooves the small government right to grapple with this honestly. They both support lower taxation and yet bemoan the fact that so many Americans do not pay any income tax. They want to cut spending on trivial matters while enabling the entitlement and defense behemoths to go on gobbling up Americans’ wealth. And that lack of seriousness is complemented by a near-fanatical cultural alienation from the modern world.

    In my view, this confluence of feelings can work in shifting the public mood, as seems to have happened. When there is no internal pushback against crafted FNC propaganda, and when the Democrats seem unable to craft any coherent political message below the presidential level, you do indeed create a self-perpetuating fantasy that can indeed rally and roil people. But the abstract slogans against government, the childish reduction of necessary trade-offs as an apocalyptic battle between freedom and slavery, and the silly ranting at all things Washington: these are not a political movement. They are cultural vents, wrapped up with some ugly Dixie-like strands.

    When they propose cuts in Medicare, means-testing social security, a raising of the retirement age and a cut in defense spending, I’ll take them seriously and wish them well.

    Until then, I’ll treat them with the condescending contempt they have thus far deserved.

  3. Charles Johnson
    April 16th, 2010 @ 5:06 pm

    Don’t forget Andrew that they are all racists too.

  4. Charles Johnson
    April 16th, 2010 @ 12:06 pm

    Don’t forget Andrew that they are all racists too.

  5. Americaneocon
    April 16th, 2010 @ 5:42 pm

    American Power tracked-back with, “LAT Buries Tea Party Coverage; KABC-LA Slams ‘Racist Teabaggers’; NYT Boosts Same-Sex ‘Health Rights’, ‘Misunderstood Immigrants’!”.

  6. Americaneocon
    April 16th, 2010 @ 12:42 pm

    American Power tracked-back with, “LAT Buries Tea Party Coverage; KABC-LA Slams ‘Racist Teabaggers’; NYT Boosts Same-Sex ‘Health Rights’, ‘Misunderstood Immigrants’!”.

  7. Andrew Sullivan
    April 16th, 2010 @ 5:51 pm

    I am a misunderstood immigrant.

  8. Andrew Sullivan
    April 16th, 2010 @ 12:51 pm

    I am a misunderstood immigrant.

  9. MNRobot
    April 16th, 2010 @ 6:16 pm

    This being my first and hopefully last foray into the mind of A. Sullivan, I’ll be brief.

    Perhaps, Mr. Sullivan you are not listening to the same people I am. Perhaps the dull roar doesn’t reach into the gloomy dungeon where you reside. There surely has been a cry for years for reforming and or abolishing medicare and privatizing social security. I’m sure there was even before they passed in the first place. All your verbose rhetoric does nothing to deter me or my TEA Party bretheren who wish to return to a Constitutional Republic form of government, not one where our God given rights have been eroded away such as we are living in now. Until you start working with us to restore that Republic instead of the fascism that is Obama’s regime, you sir are part of the problem and I could care less about your contempt or condescention.

    Now that I have been exposed to what you call an educated opinion, I’m glad I’ve never read your sophist drivel. If this is an example of the type of critical thinking to be found at your mag, then The Atlantic is indeed a fitting name for it. That is exactly where it belongs.

  10. MNRobot
    April 16th, 2010 @ 1:16 pm

    This being my first and hopefully last foray into the mind of A. Sullivan, I’ll be brief.

    Perhaps, Mr. Sullivan you are not listening to the same people I am. Perhaps the dull roar doesn’t reach into the gloomy dungeon where you reside. There surely has been a cry for years for reforming and or abolishing medicare and privatizing social security. I’m sure there was even before they passed in the first place. All your verbose rhetoric does nothing to deter me or my TEA Party bretheren who wish to return to a Constitutional Republic form of government, not one where our God given rights have been eroded away such as we are living in now. Until you start working with us to restore that Republic instead of the fascism that is Obama’s regime, you sir are part of the problem and I could care less about your contempt or condescention.

    Now that I have been exposed to what you call an educated opinion, I’m glad I’ve never read your sophist drivel. If this is an example of the type of critical thinking to be found at your mag, then The Atlantic is indeed a fitting name for it. That is exactly where it belongs.

  11. keyboard jockey
    April 16th, 2010 @ 6:19 pm

    Captain Stimulus from D.C., shows up at Missoula, Montana Tax Day – Tea Party.

    Captain Stimulus: There is going to be 5 border stations built in Montana, and they’re gonna get 77 Million dollars of the Stimulus fund. ” Those border stations, they are very busy some of them get 2 or 3 vehicles a day…..Video included.

    Yeah that stimulus money being handed out like well tax payer money not like the people handing it out earned it or anything.

  12. keyboard jockey
    April 16th, 2010 @ 1:19 pm

    Captain Stimulus from D.C., shows up at Missoula, Montana Tax Day – Tea Party.

    Captain Stimulus: There is going to be 5 border stations built in Montana, and they’re gonna get 77 Million dollars of the Stimulus fund. ” Those border stations, they are very busy some of them get 2 or 3 vehicles a day…..Video included.

    Yeah that stimulus money being handed out like well tax payer money not like the people handing it out earned it or anything.

  13. keyboard jockey
    April 16th, 2010 @ 6:20 pm

    http://youhavetobethistalltogoonthisride.blogspot.com/2010/04/missoula-montana-tax-day-tea-party-15.html

  14. keyboard jockey
    April 16th, 2010 @ 1:20 pm

    http://youhavetobethistalltogoonthisride.blogspot.com/2010/04/missoula-montana-tax-day-tea-party-15.html

  15. Nancy
    April 16th, 2010 @ 6:50 pm

    Another Conservative Girl linked back to you for Tea Party Coverage.
    http://912member.blogspot.com/

  16. Nancy
    April 16th, 2010 @ 1:50 pm

    Another Conservative Girl linked back to you for Tea Party Coverage.
    http://912member.blogspot.com/

  17. MNRobot
    April 16th, 2010 @ 11:02 pm

    The Robot has added a link also. Great job guys!
    http://mindnumbedrobot.blogspot.com/2010/04/se-tx-tax-day-tea-party-great-turnout.html

  18. MNRobot
    April 16th, 2010 @ 6:02 pm

    The Robot has added a link also. Great job guys!
    http://mindnumbedrobot.blogspot.com/2010/04/se-tx-tax-day-tea-party-great-turnout.html

  19. Red
    April 18th, 2010 @ 3:44 am

    Totally linked.

  20. Red
    April 17th, 2010 @ 10:44 pm

    Totally linked.