# Right-wing media fearmongering taken to its logical end **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 24, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310 "2009-09-24T00:09:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/81 "2009-09-24T19:33:39Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Are you serious? If they’re gaining massive audiences by doing what they’re doing, and they are, why the hell should they ‘police’ themselves to please liberals? The idea is bizarre in the extreme. But I guess hope springs eternal. I was going to respond to this, and then I noticed **Drain Bead** already had, and had said everything I wanted to. Although, to be honest, I probably would have left out the pus-boil part. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/82 "2009-09-24T19:50:40Z")
What we want, semi-realistically speaking, is for 80% of Republican politicians (starting 10 years from now until the end of the century) to cringe reflexively away from anything that reminds people of the current crop of right-wing poo-flingers in much the same way as 80% of elected Democrats currently cringe away from anything that resembles a hippie. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/83 "2009-09-24T19:52:54Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Although, to be honest, I probably would have left out the pus-boil part. That’s why you’re always going to be a second-stringer around here, **RNATB**. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/84 "2009-09-24T20:00:01Z")
Why is it that rap songs, video games and Hollywood movies can supposedly motivate people towards violence, yet calls to the barricades from talk radio hosts are considered harmless? ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/85 "2009-09-24T20:02:04Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > **MsRobyn** , please be careful out there. Thanks, **jayjay**. Fortunately, my job no longer involves door-to-door canvassing, and my boss is pretty serious about us not being alone when we work. What makes my current job fun is that I get to listen to people froth at the mouth about how the government wants their personal information for whatever nefarious purpose is currently in the fever dream of the right-wing commentators. I’ve heard that the Census wants to gather information about where gun owners live so “they” can come in and confiscate the guns from the law-abiding gun owners. (The Decennial Census questionnaire doesn’t even ask about gun ownership.) I’ve also heard that ACORN workers were supposed to steal information for their own purposes. (I can’t even imagine what that could be.) I’ve even heard that the Census itself is unconstitutional. (It’s not. The Constitutional authority is in Article I, Section 2, but you can’t tell the frothers that.) I don’t have any more information about Mr. Sparkman’s murder than anyone else does. Officially, I’m not supposed to express an opinion about it. But we are all acutely aware of it. On a personal note: **aldiboronti** , the rules of the SDMB forbid me from expressing what I truly feel about your rather stupid opinion about right-wing media. Suffice it to say that Drain Bead has expressed my sentiments perfectly. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/86 "2009-09-24T20:02:57Z")
Because the former make money for people who don’t pretend to care about “family values”. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/87 "2009-09-24T20:04:58Z")
> [@MsRobyn](#): > > Thanks, **jayjay**. Fortunately, my job no longer involves door-to-door canvassing, and my boss is pretty serious about us not being alone when we work. That’s good. You were the first person I thought of when I read about this. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/88 "2009-09-24T20:05:45Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Because the former make money for people who don’t pretend to care about “family values”. Just as long as there is a good, capitalist, reason for it, then. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/89 "2009-09-24T20:41:58Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > I’m not quite sure what the liberals on this board want with respect to the right-wing media. Do you really wish to muzzle them? I primarily wish they would observe a difference between reporting and commentary, and do more of the former. Is that an unreasonable expectation anymore? > [@](#): > > Liberals are quite free to compete for the attention of the population, there are plenty of liberals with deep pockets. They even control the Main Stream Media, if you’ll recall. > [@](#): > > Perhaps if they didn’t show such deep contempt for certain sections of the populace that populace might be inclined to listen a little more. They always have their chance not to be worthy only of contempt, too, ya know. But instead they choose to be just as irresponsible as the network they think is providing them with actual information. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/90 "2009-09-24T20:46:29Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Are you serious? If they’re gaining massive audiences by doing what they’re doing, and they are, why the hell should they ‘police’ themselves to please liberals? It’s not “to please liberals”, dip. It’s to reflect acceptance of the responsibility of citizenship in a democratic republic. Incitement to murder, even if not fully provable in court, hardly qualifies. “Why should they police themselves”? Wow. > [@](#): > > The idea is bizarre in the extreme. But I guess hope springs eternal. You have disqualified yourself from being considered human. Congratulations. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/91 "2009-09-24T20:46:57Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > They shouldn’t police themselves to please us, you festering pus-boil on the anus of humanity. They should police themselves because by not doing so, they may very well have incited the death of multiple innocents. And I probably shouldn’t have to be telling you that it’s a good thing that innocent people don’t die, but apparently I do. > > If you can win the arguments through debate, do it. But by consistently demonizing your opponent into some nefarious “other,” it makes it easy for the steadily increasing nutcase component of your political persuasion to justify going out and FUCKING KILLING them. Which, you know (apparently only since I just told you), isn’t all that great. That attitude even has a name: [Eliminationism.](http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/4946) See [_The Eliminationists: How Hate Talk Radicalized the American Right,_](http://www.progressivebookclub.com/blog/2009/07/02/excerpt-the-eliminationists-by-david-neiwert/) by David Neiwert. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/92 "2009-09-24T20:55:10Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > I’m not quite sure what the liberals on this board want with respect to the right-wing media. Do you really wish to muzzle them? If they really are directly inciting people to violence they can be prosecuted under existing laws. Otherwise they’re protected by the First Amendment, and rightly so. You really want to change that? How about taking personal responsibility for what they say and do. Isn’t that a conservative value? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/93 "2009-09-24T20:57:41Z")
> [@villa](#): > > Just as long as there is a good, capitalist, reason for it, then. Is there any other kind? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/94 "2009-09-24T20:58:13Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > I’m not quite sure what the liberals on this board want with respect to the right-wing media. Do you really wish to muzzle them? Actually, yes, to an extent. It may seem quaint, but as far as I can tell, broadcast licenses are still supposed to be used in a manner that “serves the public interest, convenience, and necessity.” And while I understand the argument that, by and large, the free market should determine what serves these things, I would argue that those who routinely use the broadcast spectrum to spread lies and disinformation are actively harming the public interest, and only serve the convenience of those who want to hear what they believe, rather than hearing what’s true. It’s one thing to say that they can make all the arguments they want, of whatever quality and from whatever ideological perspective, as long as they pretty much stick to the truth where actual facts are concerned. But I fail to see how wanton disregard for the truth (as in the whole ‘ACORN is taking over the Census’ bit) serves the public interest. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/95 "2009-09-24T21:07:05Z")
The opnly probelm I have with the right-wing media is when they try to pss themselves off as something else, i.e. calling your self FOX News, when in reality you are FOX Wingnuts on Parade ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/96 "2009-09-24T21:20:51Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > That attitude even has a name: [Eliminationism.](http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/4946) > > See [_The Eliminationists: How Hate Talk Radicalized the American Right,_](http://www.progressivebookclub.com/blog/2009/07/02/excerpt-the-eliminationists-by-david-neiwert/) by David Neiwert. [Interview with Neiwert.](http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/140578) ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/97 "2009-09-24T21:26:00Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > How about taking personal responsibility for what they say and do. Isn’t that a conservative value? Nope; blaming your victims is what “personal responsibility” means. “Personal responsibility” would mean in this case claiming that the murdered Census worker brought it on himself. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/98 "2009-09-24T21:41:21Z")
It looks like the moonbat libs may (and I stress, _may_) have gotten themselves all riled up over nothing with this story. According to this blog (yes, I know…a blog. But in this case it appears to be affiliated with the Washington Post): _Kentucky state **police have not ruled out the possibility that the death was a suicide** or even that it was accidental, according to police spokesman Don Trosper._ \* Trosper said the **initial AP story** on the death **contains “flaws and errors.”** That means it’s possible that the AP’s claim, based on an anonymous source, that he had **the word “fed” scrawled on his chest could be false**.\* [http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/uncategorized/suicide-not-ruled-out-for-dead-census-worker-he-was-in-contact-with-the-ground/](http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/uncategorized/suicide-not-ruled-out-for-dead-census-worker-he-was-in-contact-with-the-ground/) ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/99 "2009-09-25T03:23:12Z")
Yep, suicide is dangerous. He wrote FED on his own chest and hung himself. A typical suicide to be sure. I read yesterday that suicide has been ruled out. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310/100 "2009-09-25T03:54:50Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > [Kentucky state police have not ruled out the possibility that the death was a suicide **or even that it was accidental**. . . Is the U.S. Census Bureau permeated by a bizarre erotic autoasphyxiation cult?! And we’re supposed to let these people just come into our homes and **count** us?! :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-wing-media-fearmongering-taken-to-its-logical-end/511310.md?page=6)