Liberals and dissent
Do Democrats try to stifle critics—or do they let them say too much?
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi: Intolerant, or too tolerant?
(EPA/Corbis/Michael Reynolds)
"Now that their summer of bluster is over," said Thomas Frank in The Wall Street Journal, "conservatives may congratulate themselves on a job well done." Liberals such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are responding by calling for a return to civility. But, with "gale-force historical winds" at their backs, they should give back as good as they get.
Liberals are afraid to debate the conservative dissenters, said Michael Barone in the Washington Examiner. That's why, instead of arguing against his rivals on health-care reform, President Obama accused them of "telling 'lies,' employing 'scare tactics,' and playing 'games'"—essentially using "the prestige of his office to shut criticism down." Apparently, American liberals think the way to deal with opposing views is to stifle them.
It's hilarious that Barone can write that "without a trace of irony," said Michael Stickings in The Moderate Voice. If anything, the Democrats' problem is that they permit too much dissent—unlike the Republicans, who demand "lockstep marching." In fact, if Democrats would learn to be just a little less tolerant of dissent, they might get a lot more done.
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10 Comments
Posted by GD, Wednesday, September 23, 2009, 5:19 pm I have to agree with Stickings. Democrats continually demonstrate how bad they are at party unity. Republicans, on the other hand, manage to lock shields ... no matter how shattered the platform may be.
Posted by Heath Griner, Wednesday, September 23, 2009, 7:22 pm Democrats permit too much dissent? What world are you living in? They OWN the mainstream media, but remain obsessed with Fox News, the lone outpost for anything remotely conservative. And their answer to talk radio? Bring back some form of the Fairness Doctrine to shut up conservative voices.Tolerant of dissent? Don't make me laugh.
Posted by DJ, Wednesday, September 23, 2009, 10:18 pm Who exactly thinks the Fairness Doctrine is coming back? Oh, that's right, Rush Limbaugh. Not one Democrat has proposed this. Which party was it that wanted dissenters executed for treason in the wake of the September 11 attacks? Oh, that's right, Republicans.Which party stifles dissent?
Posted by rjb, Wednesday, September 23, 2009, 11:04 pm wait wait wait, lemme get this straight ... Pelosi is calling for civility?? there's something here with Nancy, a pot, a kettle, and the word 'black' ... though i think i'll stop there, i'd hate to be taken out of context and labeled a racist!! oh, woe is my dissenting point of view!!
Posted by gflansky, Thursday, September 24, 2009, 12:35 am By their very nature, leftleaning ideologicals such as today's liberals, will always have a difficult time accepting dissenting views and face debate and would rather paint their adversaries into corners by labeling them. All one has to realize this to be true is to see how ideologues of the left with utopian solutions, i.e. national socialists, socialists and communists, in Europe did this and continue to do this. The right/conservatives are guilty of this too, but liberals are far, far worse.
Posted by Parah Salin, Thursday, September 24, 2009, 10:42 am If one more poster on here claims that the National Socialists were leftists, I'm going to lose it. Get your facts straight before you start blathering on, please.
Posted by Lorraine Watkins, Thursday, September 24, 2009, 1:33 pm Of course Barone wants debate. We liberals have a peculiar attraction to the truth. Clarifying truth and exposing falsehoods is not amenable to debate. To debate the lies promoted by the right wing is to simply give them a weight as just a simple difference of opinion.
Posted by nrh, Thursday, September 24, 2009, 2:07 pm I think the phrase LET them say too much speaks for itself. Has the U.S. power elite either of the only two sides this country's media seems to be able to identify managed to take away the rights of us plebes to speak our minds if we disagree or have a different perspective and different life experience from those in positions of power? I'm sure they think they know what is best for everyone else and feel entitled to make changes to our lives without full transparent disclosureas long as any changes keep them in power and wealth, right?
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