Comments on: Low Temperatures http://larison.org/2008/01/16/low-temperatures/ n. the principle of good order "Observe the strange inversion of all order and sense! Dignity debased; how vilely is the function of a consul prostituted!" ~The Craftsman Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:07:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Grumpy Old Man http://larison.org/2008/01/16/low-temperatures/#comment-8609 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 01:16:00 +0000 http://larison.org/2008/01/16/low-temperatures/#comment-8609 On reflection, I think the anti-Clinton folks <i>acted</i> more radically than the ani-Bush types, whose eccentricity is more visible because they think demos and street theatre are great fun. Consider: The Democratic leadership has quashed the "Impeach Bush" idea pretty consistently, even though Clinton's perjury could well be considered a low crime and misdemeanor, and if one believes (as the left antiwar crowd does) the "Bush lied, people died" slogan, deliberately lying the nation into war would be a high crime. If conduct as opposed to rhetoric is the measure, this contrast suggests that Clinton-hatred was hotter at the time than Bush-hatred is now. Similarly, the Dems could paralyze the government over a fund cutoff or withdrawal mandate, or by refusing to pass the war budget, and haven't done it. Gingrich & Co., on the other hand, did paralyze the government over a budget dispute. (And Clinton had balanced the budget while W. busted it). There is a crazy left, from Kucinich and Conyers to port, and some of them wear tinfoil hats, but the center are either cautious or MIlquetoasts, much to the chagrin of Pacifica listeners and such. These fringe folks claim to believe the fascist wolf is at the gate, even though they regularly complaint about it and there's no knock on their doors in the middle of the night. I too think the Republic is in peril, but from cultural and economic decay and foreign overextension, not an imminent neocon <i>pronunciamento</i>. On reflection, I think the anti-Clinton folks acted more radically than the ani-Bush types, whose eccentricity is more visible because they think demos and street theatre are great fun. Consider:

The Democratic leadership has quashed the “Impeach Bush” idea pretty consistently, even though Clinton’s perjury could well be considered a low crime and misdemeanor, and if one believes (as the left antiwar crowd does) the “Bush lied, people died” slogan, deliberately lying the nation into war would be a high crime. If conduct as opposed to rhetoric is the measure, this contrast suggests that Clinton-hatred was hotter at the time than Bush-hatred is now.

Similarly, the Dems could paralyze the government over a fund cutoff or withdrawal mandate, or by refusing to pass the war budget, and haven’t done it. Gingrich & Co., on the other hand, did paralyze the government over a budget dispute. (And Clinton had balanced the budget while W. busted it).

There is a crazy left, from Kucinich and Conyers to port, and some of them wear tinfoil hats, but the center are either cautious or MIlquetoasts, much to the chagrin of Pacifica listeners and such. These fringe folks claim to believe the fascist wolf is at the gate, even though they regularly complaint about it and there’s no knock on their doors in the middle of the night.

I too think the Republic is in peril, but from cultural and economic decay and foreign overextension, not an imminent neocon pronunciamento.

]]> by: Justin http://larison.org/2008/01/16/low-temperatures/#comment-8608 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:19:09 +0000 http://larison.org/2008/01/16/low-temperatures/#comment-8608 On top of that, with Lieberman, the antipathy is pretty obviously mutual. Some of it is surely reactive, but he's disliked Democrats for most of the post-Iraq period. His comments about Democrats are as angry as anything the mainstream Democrats said about him (he doesn't match the Answer/Move on people, but they're not politicians). On top of that, with Lieberman, the antipathy is pretty obviously mutual. Some of it is surely reactive, but he’s disliked Democrats for most of the post-Iraq period. His comments about Democrats are as angry as anything the mainstream Democrats said about him (he doesn’t match the Answer/Move on people, but they’re not politicians).

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