Knives at Gunfights

Bob Somerby hasn't learned to love the propaganda:

On the other side, "ridiculous and blatant falsehoods" will appear. On our side, we will show little sign of knowing how to react to these falsehoods. Al Gore said he invented the Internet! And not only that: European health care has failed everywhere it’s ever been tried!

Neither one of those statements is true. Each statement might be called a "blatant and ridiculous falsehood." But so what? In 1999 and 2000, one of those unrebutted falsehoods cost you the White House, and gave you Iraq. (Liberals still refuse to discuss this.) The other falsehood is currently helping drive health reform down to defeat.

Somerby cares a lot about political issues, and does some finest, most astute media criticism around. Incisive, and instructive, the body of Somerby's work might lead one to ask, "Why can't Democratic politicians and liberal pundits and editorialists get their message across above the din of the Right Wing Noise Machine?"

Here at Agitprop, we offer the public service of providing an answer. Hewing to Occam's razor, the simplest explanation most certainly is this: Democratic politicians, liberal pundits and editorialists aren't, in good faith, trying.

Take the health care debate. First off, let's note that this is not a debate about giving people health care; it's about getting people on health insurance.

At first blush, it appears to be a clash of ideals between those advocating some sort of national, publicly financed health service with access to free primary care for all; and those advocating not-in-my-country-Commie-shut-the-fuck-up-or-I'll-shoot-your-fucking-face-off.

But it's so much less than that.

When you go into the smoke filled rooms, the halls of congress, the closed door white house negotiations, this is a debate over whether a law to require everyone to purchase health insurance should or shouldn't include the option, (for 10 million people, tops,) of a government operated insurance plan.

British-style health service? Off the table.
Japanese-style universal non-profit health insurance, and price-controls on medical services? Off the table.
Single payer "Medicare for all"? Off the table.

All that racket from the Right Wing Noise Machine? That's aimed at you, Rube. Your Democratic officials, are exactly where they mean to be. Just ask Charles Davis.

Your liberal pundits and editorialists? Tools.

Comments

[Randal Graves]

Right on. The only thing that should be on tables are plates, glasses and one's passed-out head after accidentally watching 7.3 seconds of talking hairpiece teevee.

[Frederick]

Bravo, sir, bravo!

[Agi]

Boycotting Whole Foods is going to get us single payer health insurance!

[mandt]

I'm just dying for more insurance

[Montag]

RG: you mean like this?

F: thanks. [blush]

Agi: getting Glen Beck off the air would go a long way, too.

M&T: it's to die for.

[Agi]

Ridding ourselves of Glen Beck and getting more and better Olbermanns and Maddows, too!

[Montag]

i'm not implying he read this post or anything, but today Somerby writes:

We wouldn’t say Rick’s larger answer is “wrong,” but we would say it’s weak. For one thing, he gives Democratic leaders much more credit than we do. In our view, it has been a long time since Democrats—and career liberals—gave any sign that they were even attempting to win our messaging wars. Why are Democrats so bad at pushing back? Could it be because they don’t try?

[JollyRoger]

The liberals left a long time ago and got replaced by hollow shells that say the right words while they go along with every idiotic Rushpubliscum scheme there is. Sure, there are a few die-hards here and there who haven't been bought yet, but they don't have enough influence to get the brand of toilet paper changed in the Capitol shithouse.