Thursday, October 4, 2018

Red Vs. Blue---Who Hates You More?

One of the many things that bothers me regarding the current state of discourse in American politics is the readiness to declare that the other side of a debate hates America. 


A few weeks ago,  Fox News host Tucker Carlson launched into a diatribe claiming that pro-immigration politicians hate America.

“The real threats we face today may be from within. Leaders who hate the country they govern so much that they seek to make American citizenship irrelevant.”

Brit Hume who was on the show with him decided to call “bullshit” on that..  



“Tucker, you know I love you, but when you were talking about leaders who hate our country, I don’t think there are any leaders out there who hate our country, except in foreign lands perhaps. I think there are people who may have all the wrong ideas about how it should be governed, but I don’t think they hate our country and I don’t really think it strengthens the case to say that they do.”



Carlson looked utterly stunned to be told by a fellow Fox News dude that those on the other side of his position do not hate America.  

“Whoa, no! No, I think they do! If you have the richest people in our country desecrating our national symbols and that’s considered a sign of heroism, what does that say about the attitudes of the people doing it? Or if you have people saying America was never a just and good place, I mean, those are acts of hostility toward the country, I think.”

Brit Hume took a deep  breath and attempted to explain the difference between criticism and hatred. Just because someone thinks there’s something wrong with America does not inherently mean that same person hates America.  

“I think the word ‘hate’ is flung around with much too much abandon in our discourse today.”  

Tucker Carlson stammered a bit then, completely flustered, enveloped himself in a cocoon until Brit went away and Sean Hannity showed up to assure him everything would be OK.


“Yes, these people hate America,” Sean whispered into the cocoon as Tucker sighed in relief, causing the cocoon to fade away. Ah, blessed, sweet hate.

So what’s up with that?

Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and their ilk sell politics like it’s a wrestling match with good guys fighting bad guys.  There’s no nuance, just my side versus your side. And if my side is FOR America, your side must be AGAINST America. So there!     

Maybe in their minds, politics goes a little bit something like this.....

“ARRGGGHG!!!! I’M THE RED RAGE MACHINE AND I’M GOING INTO TO THE RING TO DEFEAT THE BLUE BRAWLER!!!!”

“YEAH, I’M THE BLUE BRAWLER AND WHILE THE RED RAGE MACHINE HAS VALID POINTS OF CONCERN, I FIND HIS PROPOSED SOLUTIONS TO THOSE CONCERNS ARE SOMEWHAT LACKING IN COHERENT PRACTICALITY! ARRRRGGHHHH!!”

“WHILE I APPRECIATE THAT THE BLUE BRAWLER ACCEPTS THE VALIDITY OF MY CONCERNS, I FEEL THAT THE FACTUALITY OF HIS OBJECTIONS TO MY PROPOSED SOLUTIONS IS FLAWED! ARRRRRRGGHHH!!!!”

“ARRRRRGGHHHHH!!! PERHAPS IF THE RED RAGE MACHINE WOULD CONSIDER SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION I WISH TO SHARE, THE BLUE BRAWLER MAY FIND SOME ROOM FOR COMPROMISE REGARDING THE PROPOSED SOLUTIONS  OF THE RED RAGE MACHINE!! YEAH!!!!!”


ARRRRRGHH!!! THE BLUE BRAWLER HATES AMERICA!!!! ARRRGGHH!!!”

“Wait! What, dude?” 

“THE RED RAGE MACHINE IS RIGHT!!!! THERE IS NO COMPROMISE IF THE RED RAGE MACHINE IS RIGHT!!! THE BLUE BRAWLER IS WRONG!!!! WROOOONNNGGGGGG!!!!!!”

“C’mon, man! Where is this coming from?” 


“THE RED RAGE MACHINE LOVES AMERICA!!! THE BLUE BRAWLER HATES AMERICA!!!!! AARRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!”

“Hate America? What? Look, I just have a difference of opinion with you about…..”


“IF YOU DIFFER FROM THE RED RAGE MACHINE, THEN YOU ARE THE ENEMY OF THE RED RAGE MACHINE!!!! THE BLUE BAWLER IS MY ENEMY!!!!


“Really, Red, you gotta lighten up. I was just saying….”

“THE RED RAGE MACHINE LOVES AMERICA!!! IF THE BLUE BRAWLER IS THE ENEMY OF THE RED RAGE MACHINE, THEN THE BLUE BRAWLER IS THE ENEMY OF AMERICA!!!! ARRRRRGHHHHHH!!!”  

“Uh….. what?”



"THE BLUE BRAWLER HATES AMERICA!"

"No, I don't. I just want to talk about....."

"THE RED RAGE MACHINE LOVES AMERICA!!!"   

"Dude, really?"

"THE RED RAGE MACHINE WINS!!!! AMERICA WINS!!!! ARRRRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!"  
   

And that I think is that for today's post.   

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