Politics of Hate category archive

Via C&L.

As soon as General Lee handed his sword to General Grant in Appomattox almost a century and a half ago, the campaign to whitewash (you will pardon the expression) the role of slavery in the Civil War began. Slavery had lost, and its proponents moved rapidly to “distance themselves”–as today’s idiom would have it–from the word.

It was about (pick the flavor of the decade) states’ rights/incompatible economic systems/agriculture vs. industrialization. When I was coming along, “incompatible economic systems” was in vogue.

The campaign of spin and deceit continues today.

In the Roanoke Times, H. A. Goodman points out that the truth is in the founding documents of the Confederate States of America and suggests that more persons should read them:

While the U.S. Constitution does not mention the word “slavery” and does not include the word “God” (aside from the signatory section where dates in that era were preceded by the “Year of our Lord”), the Constitution of the Confederate States evoked the power of God to legitimize its right to hold slaves.

It begins by “invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God” and goes on to clearly state clearly that slavery will be an integral part of a new federal government:

“In all such territory the institution of negro slavery, as it now exists in the Confederate States, shall be recognized and protected bye Congress and by the Territorial government . . . . …”

Anyone who claims that the Civil War was fundamentally about anything other than slavery is a hypocrite and a liar and likely wants to sell you a bill of goods.

Via Bob Cesca’s Awesome Blog.

What the Booman said.

Constitutional scholars.

Via Bob Cesca’s Awesome Blog.

And this surprises you how?

Unfortunately, I am not as optimistic as the speaker.

Zombies can do a lot of damage.

Pap is harsh, but accurate, about Republicans who wish to bring back Jim Crow.

It’s the new Republican rage.

I am confident that racism and the implicit assumption that mostly little black kids benefit from free school lunches underlie this. Once again, Republicans play to their racist base.

Still fighting–and lying–after all these years.

Moved below the fold because it autoplays on some systems.

Autoplaying is rude.

Read more »

Dick Polman thinks he knows why Republicans keep Ted Nugent around.

So why do Republicans – like Mitt Romney in 2012 – abide this guy in the first place? . . . .

But the thing is, Republicans don’t view Nugent as a mistake. They think he’s useful, that he serves a purpose, that right-wing politicians like Abbot can parade him with cynical intent.

Nugent is viscerally in touch with the haters in The Base – and the haters tend to vote heavily, especially in Republican primaries (Abbot’s first task is to win his March 4 primary). Nugent can travel the low road and say all the vile stuff that the politicians aren’t free to say. And after the haters guzzle Nugent’s red meat, the politicians play tut-tut on the high road. What a deal: Nugent does the dirty work while they keep their hands clean.

In other words, because hate sells, and hate is what they got.

More at the link.

An apparently inexhaustible supply of racist twits.

The societal meanings of words often differ from the dictionary meanings. My South Carolina grandmother used to refer to black folks as “darkies” so as not to remind them that they were “colored.” Never in her life could she bring herself to refer to them as “black.” It was not proper. (Other, less polite words, I never heard from her.)

Leonard Pitts, Jr., explores the imagery around words and their social meanings in the context of the trial of Michael Dunn, a white man who stood his ground against shot an unarmed black kid because he didn’t like the “thug” music the kid was playing. A nugget:

And we need to talk about that word a moment. But first, let’s try a thought experiment: Close your eyes and picture a California girl. Close your eyes and picture a chess prodigy.

The nugget continues below the fold, but, before you read it, try his little exercise.

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Republican dog whistle politics and the destruction of the middle class:

Via C&L, which also links to the transcript.

Yes, it’s crazy. Crazy is dangerous.

Three men were arrested earlier this week after Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies uncovered a secret bunker hidden under a house that was filled with guns, ammunition and white supremacist paraphernalia in Littlerock, Calif., about 65 miles northeast of Los Angeles.

In addition to loads of guns, ammo, and a shooting range, there was a bunch of Nazi paraphernalia. Nevertheless, according to one of the residents, “It’s a workshop. It’s not a bomb shelter,” which leads to the question, “Just what are you working on?”

In the context of a post about Chris Christie and the George Washington Bridge closing, Shaun Mullen has a wonder (follow the link for the rest):

Why do so many Republican officials today use their power to hurt people?

I think the answer is simple.

I have said here many times that the Republican Party has devolved into the party of mean for the sake of mean. For some folks, being mean is fun. They are called “sadists.”

Sadism: a Republican Family Value.