Sunday, March 14, 2004
What else? A Cleveland snowplow driver is now suspended pending an investigation of an incident in which he supposedly painted "traitor" on his plow in reference to President Bush's recent trip to Ohio.
Details are not yet forthcoming but when they are, I'd be willing to bet how it will go. He will portrayed as a civil liberties hero whose badmouthing of the President has landed him in hotwater. There will be continual references to supposed 1st amendment violations. The media will point out similarities between Bush and Hitler.
How to deal with the hype: Notice that while an Ohio company privately decided to discipline an employee for what it appears to be an anti-Bush attack, when the mainstream media does so on purpose, Bush himself takes no action. If this were really Nazi Germany it would be the administration itself and not the company who would be taking the action. Most cartoonists would be in prison (which might not be a bad idea, come to think of it). The whole editorial board of the NYT would be deported to Russia. And almost the entire federal bench would be emptied...but death row would be full. As attractive as this seems, the truth is, we still live in a liberal democracy. Bush neither can nor will take action against those who decry and doubt. But as in the War of 1812, East and West coast liberals are becoming increasingly close to treason in their dissent. They'd better be glad we have a Republican president. There were some who spoke out against the abuse of power by the Clintons...but they're dead now.
Details are not yet forthcoming but when they are, I'd be willing to bet how it will go. He will portrayed as a civil liberties hero whose badmouthing of the President has landed him in hotwater. There will be continual references to supposed 1st amendment violations. The media will point out similarities between Bush and Hitler.
How to deal with the hype: Notice that while an Ohio company privately decided to discipline an employee for what it appears to be an anti-Bush attack, when the mainstream media does so on purpose, Bush himself takes no action. If this were really Nazi Germany it would be the administration itself and not the company who would be taking the action. Most cartoonists would be in prison (which might not be a bad idea, come to think of it). The whole editorial board of the NYT would be deported to Russia. And almost the entire federal bench would be emptied...but death row would be full. As attractive as this seems, the truth is, we still live in a liberal democracy. Bush neither can nor will take action against those who decry and doubt. But as in the War of 1812, East and West coast liberals are becoming increasingly close to treason in their dissent. They'd better be glad we have a Republican president. There were some who spoke out against the abuse of power by the Clintons...but they're dead now.
// posted by The Pendragon @ 2:11 PM 
