Dangerous Kooks
by Rick Fisk Statists and warmongering neoconservatives (apologies for the redundancy) have been working overtime in an attempt to derail the Ron Paul Freedom Train. Since most of them have only involved themselves in war from behind a keyboard, the chicken-hawk generals (my new choice of names for the D.C. baseball club) aren't proving themselves well-versed in political strategery. While there have been some attacks originating from the left, let's face it, most of the attacks against Ron Paul have been from those claiming to be "conservatives." Entire volumes could be written about the socialist bent of those belonging to the Trotskyite neoconservative movement who proclaim themselves the sole heirs to Ronald Reagan’s legacy, but it is safe to say that Ron Paul's detractors are not standing up for political ideology as much as they are defending their own livelihoods. They feel threatened; as well they should, because their entire house of cards is falling down before their eyes. These same people who have maintained an appearance of credibility in spite of their fabulously wrong predictions on war, political races and public opinion are now attacking Ron Paul and his supporters for openly, and very credibly, shaking the foundations of their beloved status quo. Neoconservatism is in its dying throes and its media representatives are finally starting to see the oncoming train at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Unable to provide their dwindling members with any real "dirt" on a man who has doggedly defended the Constitution these past 30 years, Ron Paul's detractors have issued an inordinate number of words deriding his supporters. The effect has been humorous at best. Resolve is being hardened rather than weakened. Ironically, between the leftist progressives and the neoconservatives, the neoconservatives attacking Ron Paul are less honest. At least the progressive critics are attacking Ron Paul's actual views. The neoconservative weapons of choice have been guilt-by-association and ad hominem. The first attacks of this nature were issued from obscure blogs and rarely-read Internet publications but have been found floating to the top of the neoconservative cesspool. Even in shark-infested waters, excrement floats; though neoconservatives would try to convince you that it is cream you're witnessing. (Here, you eat it then, Norm.) From neoconservatives in print, on the Internet and hosts of nationally syndicated television programs, we learned that Ron Paul and his followers were terrorists, conspiracy theorists, loony, kooky, isolationist, anachronistic and my favorite "Paultards." This smacks of projection. I think these people owe our troops a few hundred thousand bouquets of flowers. These same pundits who claim that Ron Paul's followers consist of neo-Nazis and conspiracy theorists, are the same people who see Nazi's under every bed and a floral arrangement in the hands of every citizen liberated by Raytheon's bunker busters. Neoconservatives bring a new level of irony to the phrase "look who's talking." Hubris has always been one of neoconservatism's most striking features. As if in a cynical contest played with each other, they seem to escalate each blatantly wrong prediction or exclamation with one exponentially more hysterical and wrong than the last. Ed Wood couldn't add any more camp to this bunch. They have deluded themselves into believing that nobody notices the level of their kookiness. And why wouldn't this be the case? When you can respond to critics with "talk to the hand" as you slide into the back seat of a limousine, what else are you going to believe? "Ratings and advertising revenue are high, therefore I am revered." But like political polls, Nielson ratings indicating a million viewers or readers in a nation of over 300 million can be very misleading. As an example of the kookiness that is the neoconservative punditry, look at what they are all saying (talking points anyone?) about the current state of our economy. An 8% increase in "Black Friday" pre-Christmas sales over last year's number, which doesn't even rise above the level of inflation this year, is held up as proof that the "driveby media" has the economic forecast all wrong. The stock market has dropped over 1200 points since it's last record high, many areas of the country have seen an evaporation in real-estate equity of over 50%, oil nears a hundred bucks a barrel but the economy is great. If anyone tells you otherwise they're part of a media conspiracy to help democrats win in 2008. One might think that these people have short memories ("it's the economy stupid") but more likely they are just repeating themes and hoping something, anything, will resonate and give their shrinking base a reason to come out to the polls to select the next neoconservative champion on the Republican ticket. The real kooks are standing up with one finger pointed at the Ron Paul Revolution and four others pointed back at their tin-foil hats. Perhaps the next time any of us are fortunate enough to meet one of these people in public, we can just shout: "Look! Behind you! Hitler! Run for your life!" November 28, 2007 Rick Fisk [send him mail] is a 45-year-old software developer and entrepreneur. He is married, has 3 children and resides in Austin, TX. Copyright © 2007 LewRockwell.com |
