On Jan 12, 2011, at 9:23 PM, C. G. Estabrook wrote:
> The Tucson shooting is fast becoming a Reichstag fire for American liberals - a crime perpetrated by a crazy person, employed to pillory those who have unacceptable political ideas - in this case, libertarians, anti-abortionists, and populists. The actions of a madman are interpreted to restore the limits of allowable debate. Standby for the list of unacceptable political asseverations in this new McCarthyism.
>
> Berlet enacts a version of the move neatly described some years ago by Walter Benn Michaels in "The Trouble with Diversity." Those calling for equality outside the liberal consensus are fobbed off as threats to diversity. The real concerns (recognized by Chomsky et al.) of those sympathetic to the tea-partiers - a majority, apparently, of the US population - are dismissed as fulminations of racists.
Huh? Loughner is indisputably crazy - what's your point? We disagree on the anti-abortionists, no doubt, but the TP is full of raving nativists and monetary cranks. They'd be happy to see the likes of you & me in jail. And what's with this "McCarthyism"? McCarthy was a Senator with subpoena power. Who among us is that?
Equality outside the liberal consensus? Who are you talking about? Not Loughner, certainly. Palin? Really, could you return to earth for a moment?
Doug