The War's Over, But the Fighting's Getting Worse (W. Post Mentions FR and Garofalo Awards Again)

The Washington Post ^ | Sunday, May 4, 2003 | Todd Gitlin

[kristinn]

The combat in Iraq may be over, but political combat at home threatens to swell. Bitterness is likely to thrive for the duration of the Bush administration, not only because of domestic policy differences between the right and the left, but because of continuing anger on both sides stemming from their fight over the Iraq war.

The warriors who supported Bush's Iraq policy, mostly on the right, are still facing off against the antiwarriors, mostly on the left. At first glance, this doesn't look like much of a fight. The antiwarriors mustered large demonstrations but were outmuscled by a Republican-dominated government and overwhelmed by an eventual popular majority.

But this isn't the impression left by right-wing talk shows, Web sites and commentators. They portray the antiwar left as dangerous, feral and shockingly, awesomely effective. Accordingly, ultra-conservative rhetoric, already elevated before the war began, remains at high pitch -- a flaming red alert. A few examples:

SNIP

• FreeRepublic.com, a right-wing super-site based in Fresno, Calif., rails against "terrorist supporting leftists," and gives "Garofalo Awards" (after antiwar comedian/actress Janeane) for excessive defeatism about the Iraq war. (Prize: "a stuffed ready-to-eat crow on a silver platter.")

[capitan_refugio]

An armored unit of the Wehrmacht (c. May 1940), if I am not mistaken. Nice post.

[capitan_refugio]

Joe, Joe, Joe ... you're out of date man, it's $51 Billion now!

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Liberal dogma: FR bad, DU good.

I would wager he went over to DU, took one look and run like hell to remove all traces his puter ventured into the shades of hades found there. For a liberal leftest to see DU, is to deny it exists.

[RockBassCreek]

Right Wing -- There's a term that means absolutely nothing.

It means nothing because it gets used for everyone more conservative than Jim Jeffords and Olympia Snowe. Boiled down, that argument says that only liberalism is a valid viewpoint to hold. On its face, that's absurd.

It also means nothing because of the old left/right argument that asks WHAT this supposed scale is measuring. On the left we have.....what? On the right we have....what? I can think of lots of things to name the scale, but that's the point. It's used for so much that it means nothing. (For example if you tell me "nazi" is on the right and "communist" is on the left, then I've got to point out that both groups are socialist. So on a scale of socialism we have what....the progression from state socialism to world socialism??? Who knows. I do know it doesn't include American conservatives, because they aren't socialist AT ALL. So how could they be on the scale?)

[Bahbah]

You are too analytical. You need to learn to just stick with the name calling. LOL.

[ModelBreaker]

I would wager he went over to DU, took one look and run like hell to remove all traces his puter ventured into the shades of hades found there. For a liberal leftest to see DU, is to deny it exists.

I am curious. Why do you say this. DU distills out the essence of leftist philosophy. I've never heard a leftist criticize DU.

[FreedomPoster]

There were no PzKw V Panthers in 1940. The first large deployment wasn't until Kursk in '43. That's likely on the way out of town in '44.

[xkaydet65]

Not 1940! That's a Mark V Panther Tank. Picture is probably 1944, July or August. Unit is likely using Paris as a transit to meet Allies breaking out of Normandy. Panthers were not seen in West until just before D-Day. They debuted in Russia in 1943. They were built as a response to the T34.

[kristinn]

D.C. Chapter ping !

[Xthe17th]

FreeRepublic.com, a right-wing super-site

Hey, per the major media, we're officially a super-site. Cool! GREAT JOB everyone!

[ironman]

Excellent.

[Cincinatus]

Rush Limbaugh calls liberal New York Times columnist and Princeton economist Paul Krugman "ferret-like" and groundlessly accuses him of peddling "idiotic kook conspiracy theories."

"groundlessly"???

[maica]

Perhaps because of articles like this by left wingers?( right wingers control the lower federal courts? Hello?)

I bet that the 'mailings' to leftist groups pose this to be true. Look how they are so focused on preventing President Bush's nominees. The left are so SCARED of 'right-wing' judges that it has overtaken their entire political worldview. they seem to equate any judge who does not believe in judicial activism as a threat to the future of leftist ideology.

[FreeTheHostages]

Todd Gitlin? He's writing about what the "right" thinks??!!!

AMAZING!! Only the Washington Post would think such a far-left guy as Todd Gitlin has a CLUE what the right thinks.

Here's a really radical idea: next time the Post wants to know what the right thinks, how about getting a conservative author to explain it? Not some ex-SDS leader from the 60's well-know for socialist leanings. This guy is so left he's spent a lot of timing attacking his university, Harvard University, as too right-wing.

[FreeTheHostages]

Yeah, what's a supersite though? I don't understand.

[hellinahandcart]

right-wing supersite

Ya think ol' Todd mighta meant to say "super-right-wing site" instead? ;D

[FreeTheHostages]

or maybe "super, rightwing site?" ;)

[Joe Hadenuf]

Joe, Joe, Joe ... you're out of date man, it's $51 Billion now!

I quite counting at 34. You keep counting, and report back.

[Matchett-PI]

I LOVE IT!!!!!

I saw you on Fox and Friends (videotaped it, too), and your appearance was as effective as ever!

They would pay no attention at all to us unless they viewed us as an EFFECTIVE THREAT to their Marxist agenda.

And if anyone thinks "Marxist" is too strong a word, they should go to http://www.marxist.com and see if they can find anything there that doesn't match what is advocated in 95% of the mainstream media. Hahahaha

EAGLES UP!!!

[rabidralph]

Yeah, what's a supersite though? I don't understand.

You know, we're an all-in-one, one-stop shopping web site, where we conservatives can apply for loans, buy and trade amongst ourselves, skirt the legal process (and taxes) of passing our wealth to our offspring, get the insider trading tips that keep us in the top 1 percent in income, monitor and make the backroom deals that keep the Supreme Court and lower courts stacked with ultra right-wing judges, as well as manufacture, supply and sell all American flags. And we do all this through our secret access code, you know, the one you got when your registration on FR was verified.