In this thread it’s been pointed out that, given that the Reserves are having a lot of trouble making quota for new enlistments, that there must be an awful lot of vocal supporters of Gulf War II on the right who are unwilling to back up their words with actions. To put it gently, they lack the courage of their convictions.
Given that the war was started mostly by people who assiduously avoided service in Vietnam – people like Dick Cheney and George W. Bush – and it’s influential supporters – people like Rush Limbaugh and Paul Wolfowitz – are also chickenhawks, and that the American conservative supporters of the war seem to be made of the same material – the name works, it works beautifully, and is completely apt.
What’s more, every time what’s now called Gulf War II is called by its proper name, i.e., the Chickenhawk War, it’ll further saddle the leaders and followers of the war with that disturbingly accurate label – and they’ll HATE that. If it becomes sufficiently commonplace, it’ll become a meme. Like “The Scream” meme for Howard Dean, it’ll prove itself through repetition. Except this would be even more powerful, because it has substance to it.
The Chickenhawk War. I like it. Has a ring to it, sorta like “The Aristook War.”
Naw, give Karl Rove a month or two to work it over, and “chickenhawk” will become the latest code word for “tough, America-loving, freedom-defending, French-bashing, towelhead-ass-kicking, patriotic he-man”.
Although he may find it hard work at first changing the visual to a faux eagle.
I know you’re kidding, but how the fuck does Rove and his clique manage to so thouraghly control the memesphere?
As to the OP, I don’t think it’d work for that reason. I don’t understand why, but somehow Rove et al. are much, much, much more proficient in memetic combat than anybody I’ve seen on the democratic side. Even Clinton falls short.
The best answer I’ve seen comes from Timothy Leary and Robert A. Wilson, adapted from Freud and Jung. Conscious thought works on a series of levels, or circuits, which are formed by imprinting at different stages of childhood development. The earliest one is survivial, then social hierarchy, (Freud called the first two the oral and anal stages), followed by rational thought and moral thought. One basic rule is that if you create stress on one level, all higher levels shut down until the stress passes.
Throughout the campaign, the Bush team kept their messages targeted on stressing first and second circuits, while Kerry aimed at appealing to the third. It doesn’t matter how rational an argument you present for your position when what sticks in people’s minds are your opponent’s simple messages of “vote for me or you will die” (terrorism) and “vote for me or you will lose your social position” (gay marriage; people ranked below you are threatening to become equal).
Quite simply, the best way to get people to follow you is to terrorize them into doing so. As long as the Democratic party is unable or unwilling to do that, they’ll continue to get beat by people who are.
Are you able to articulate whyEvil Captor represents “intellectual bankruptcy”? Alternatively, anything at all that would demonstrate your intellectual superiority?
More in the sense of “Your facts are indisputable” and “I can’t think of a way to refute your conclusion” and “The voices on the radio haven’t told me what to think yet” so fall back on the default statement of “It’s all the liberals’ fault”.
Actually, the thing I like about the Chickenhawk War meme is that it will be almost impossible to deal with. It calls the people who started the Chickenhawk War, and many of it’s supporters hypocrites and cowards. There is nothing subtle about it. any attempt to deflect or deflect it by calling the people who use it names, won’t work because there’ll be an inherent “right back atcha” quality in using the term “Chickenhawk War.” It has that fundamental crudeness and directness that has worked so well for Rove and Co.
As for “intellectually bankrupt” – I feel I’m in a position to make loans to you, but frankly, you don’t look like a good risk to me.
Call me old-fashioned, but I tend to prefer the Roman numerals appended to the end. Now, if you want to add a subtitle afterwards in true Hollywood fashion, that’s cool with me. Gulf War II: Chickenhawk War has a nice ring to it, whether or not I agree with the subtitled term.
Hopefully we’ll not have to worry about titles like Gulf War IV: A New Beginning or Gulf War VI: Uday Lives, though…
Rallying against the perceived snobbery and elitism of the American left.
When wrong, recasting the debate in simple, rather than complex terms… in other words, when the opposition 's argument is complex and right, making your argument simple and winning the undecided that are too lazy to investigate further.
When right, recasting the debate in simple, rather than complex terms… in other words, when your position is complex and right, making your argument simple and winning the undecided that are too lazy to appreciate nuance.
In broad terms, have positions that the public supports in broad terms. (No gay marriage. Tax cuts. Less government interference. Less political correctness. Welcoming religion into the public sphere. Oppose immorality. Be definite about right and wrong. Support traditional American institutions - Boy Scouts, church, marriage between a man and a woman. )
Bricker: good points… but I wonder about other memes, the “If you oppose the Iraq war you must love Saddam.” “Democrats are going to ban the bible.” , etc…
And not just that, but casting the opposition in whatever light you want.
“Opposition to the President is un-american and un-patriotic”
It’s hard to imagine the values in that paragraph being repudiated by any prominent politican. Who would come out against church or religion? Against the Boy Scouts?
See what I mean?
“Democrats are going to ban the Bible.”
Obviously false as a matter of technical, straight reading. Equally obvious that as a matter of hyperbole, it rings true: of the two parties, Democrats are seen as more hostile to religion, especially religion in the public sphere. When the ACLU sues to remove a non-demonitnational benediction before a high-school football game, which party is seen as sympathetic to the effort, and which party is seen as opposed to it?