Monday, April 14, 2008

F'ing NY Times

I feel like I'm cursing a lot on my blog these days. But the political conversation foisted upon us by the traditional media is so completely insane that cursing seems a mild response by comparison.

For example, the NY Times today ran an editorial by William Kristol that claims Barack Obama is a Marxist. I wish I was kidding. Yes, the same Barack Obama whose economic policies are MORE CONSERVATIVE than Hillary Clinton. The same Barack Obama whose chief economic adviser is from the University of Chicago (where Milton Friedman used to teach and the main training facility for fascist economists who go on advise corporatist regimes around the world). The same Obama who claims that truly universal health care is asking too much and we should just try to cover as many people as we can. The same Obama who idolizes Ronald Reagan and thinks that Democrats have been too partisan for the past 15 years. Is called a Marxist. In the NY Times. Because he DARED to talk about the economic interests of working class people.

Seriously, what's a black man gotta do in order to NOT be called a Marxist in the NY Times? (It's important to note that Martin Luther King Jr. was also regularly called a Marxist by his racist opponents.) Oh wait, I know the answer, launch a pre-emptive war against brown people! Nice work Colin and Condi!!!

By publishing Kristol's piece, the New York Times is sending a very clear message. 1.) To Democrats: if you dare pay attention to working class people, we will take you down. 2.) To Republicans: facts don't matter -- you can say any ridiculous, patently untrue thing you want to say and we'll print it because we are scared of you.

Note to Barack Obama: those bipartisan "friends" who you are always reaching out to have now called you a terrorist, a fag (that's what they mean when they call you elitist), a nigg*r, and a Marxist. How many times you gonna let them punch you in the mouth before you call them what they are: racist thugs who DO NOT DESERVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE.

Note to the tradition media: This is not 2000 or 2004. The Democratic candidate is different. The mood in the country is different. And yet you keep running the same tired script. No wonder no one watches your evening news programs or buys your papers.

Here's the contact info for NY Times Public Editor, Clark Hoyt.

Update #1: F'ing Joe Lieberman said he thought that asking whether Barack Obama was in fact a Marxist was a good question. Hat tip to Nicole at Crooks and Liars. Hey Joe, say goodbye to your chairmanship on January 20, 2009. Kos notes that Obama endorsed and campaigned for Lieberman in the 2006 Democratic primary.

Update #2: Here's Crooks and Liars, DailyKos, Shakesville, and Huffington Post's take on Bill Kristol's article.

Update #3. Brilliant analysis at Kos: absofuckinglutely. That's really what's going on here.

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