Glennzilla’s new book
The most famous scene in Paddy Chayefsky’s ingenious satire Network comes when its main character, TV anchorman Howard Beale, delivers a long tirade where he declares himself “mad as hell” and “not going to take it anymore.” But even before Beale goes off on his “mad as hell” kick in the film, he gives another, equally poignant monologue in which he declares himself tired of delivering people bullshit every day:
I don’t have any bullshit left. I just ran out of it, you see — every day, five days a week, for fifteen years, I’ve been sitting behind that desk — the dispassionate pundit — reporting with seemly detachment the daily parade of lunacies that constitute the news, and just once I wanted to say what I really felt.
It is in this context that we should read Glenn Greenwald’s latest book, called Great American Hypocrites. Glenn, like a lot of us, is sick of all the bullshit in American politics. He is tired of our press corps reporting incessantly on only the most shallow, personality-based topics all the while ignoring issues such as the war, the economy and the Bush administration’s rampant lawlessness. In this book, he examines how the right’s propaganda machine not only depicts Democrats as effete, aloof elitists (AL GORE USES ELECTRICITY!!! JOHN KERRY WIND-SURFS!!!), but how it builds up Republicans as tuff, manly defenders of traditional Amurkin values.
As Greenwald documents, this ploy has been remarkably successful. Our elite “press corps” has spilled countless ink and pixels detailing the horrors of John Edwards’ expensive haircut, Hillary Clinton’s laugh, Al Gore’s earth-tones, Barack Obama’s bowling, and on and on and on and on and on. John McCain, meanwhile, has gotten the most astonishing free ride of any American politician in recent memory, as alleged “journalists” trip over themselves to hand him boxes of donuts and to attend his private barbecues. How do we on the left combat this sort of stupid nonsense? Greenwald says that the solution is simple: just relentlessly point out how utterly full of shit the Republicans are.
As Greenwald notes, the GOP and its propagandists in the press frequently “personify the sexual sleaze and amoral hedonism against which they endlessly sermonize.” Examples include Newt Gingrich, a serial adulterer who ditched his first wife while she was recovering from cancer surgery; Rush Limbaugh, with his drug addiction and “Viagra-fueled jaunts to the Dominican Republic”; David Vitter, the “Values Voter” champion who frequented Madame Deborah Palfrey’s high-class prostitution service; Mark Foley and his lewd emails to congressional pages; Larry “Wide Stance” Craig, Bill “Falafel King” O’Reilly, etc., etc. In each case, Greenwald shows that all of these men have a long record of statements supporting “family values” issues such as the Federal Marriage Amendment and the Defense of Marriage Act, and that none of them personally adhere to the lofty standards that they espouse for others.
In addition to Republicans’ proclivity for personal vice, Greenwald also documents their shameless chickenhawkery and how their alleged love for small government disappears the minute they gain political power. They are, in short, completely full of shit about everything they claim to stand for and deserve to be hammered for it repeatedly. Greenwald’s tone throughout the book is not gentle, which is one of the reasons why fed-up lefties such as myself enjoy reading him so much. His polemical prose has all the tact and subtlety of a chainsaw, and given the subject he’s discussing, this is entirely appropriate. After all, it’s difficult to point out that vast swathes of our political elites are full of shit by being polite and restrained.
The bottom line, peeps, is you should buy this book. Greenwald is one of the most tireless and passionate voices in the lefty blogosphere and this book is a fine addition to his already-impressive and significant body of work.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news for these media mental midgets, but there are a few things about the OMG OBAMA CAN’T BOWL!!!!!1 story they keep leaving out:
1) He wasn’t actually trying. He even had a little girl bowl a frame for him.
2) He didn’t even finish. IIRC, he went to do other flesh-pressin’ activities around the lanes in the 7th frame.
3) Pretty much all of the bowlers who were at the event- you know, the people he was there to see, as opposed to David Brooks or InstaDoofus or Bill Kristol or whatever- had fun and enjoyed his company. Which makes the event a success.
But hey, I know that’s more difficult to comprehend than the usual slate of talking points. And I know your brains can only handle so much…and with John Edwards’ haircut *still* taking up room, it’s hard. But if you could kindly, if at all possible, refrain from completely acting like a dumbshit w/r/t Obama’s bowling experience, that would be oh-so-nice for me and, if not for me, than the state of our democracy.
I know I ask a lot, wanting you to not be full of crap and all. But please…at least…try, maybe?
This book will be great consolation when McCain wins. Glenn will have another four to eight years of frustration to fuel another book attacking the Republicans that Americans keep voting into office.
OK, just to repeat something from the thread downstairs, because it seems topical, but last week wingnut radio host Steve Gill blamed high gas prices, the recession, and the mortgage meltdown on DEMOCRATS. Read the stupidity here if you have the stomach:
http://www.southernledger.com/blogs/stevegill/?p=53
It would be nice if we could write this off to garden-variety wingnuttery. The problem is this clown not only has a radio show, he has a column in our local Gannett fishwrap, and is our ABC affiliate’s “chief political analyst.” In other words, he has a platform and has been given legitimacy by media gatekeepers. How does an obvious partisan hack (and a stupind one at that) get gigs that should be going to a legitimate, authoritative experts? It’s just insane. When did the media’s standards fall so low?
We’re all up in arms about the Pentagon’s phony “military analysts” but for crying out loud, they’re ALL phonies.
As much as I’m outraged at the follies of the Bush Administration, I find myself increasinly irate at the media. Ultimately, this all comes back them, for their inability to give Americans real information, for focusing on the trivial and for giving partisan hacks and liars like Gill legitimacy.
STOP HURTING AMERICA already.
2006 called.
And check out all the polls. McCain might have caught up to Hil/Ob on the strength of not being in the spotlight for a few months, but that too will pass. As for Congress, you’re gonna get smoked once again.
Just a hint: War + Bad economy + Expensive gas = You don’t win elections.
Yep. Gas was expensive then, too.
DN,
We’ll see. Hillary is trailing, of course, and has tremendous baggage to carry if she does get the nod. Obama belongs to an openly anti-American church and is married to an openly anti-American wife; you may wish this to go away but I suspect it will become even more important during the general election.
Nah, I don’t see any reason for lefties to be optimistic. Enjoy the book, though!
Obama’s getting the nod, so.
McCain *solicited* an endorsement from a guy who wants Israel to nuke Russia and start the apocolypse. So “crazy church” is a wash. Had a chance to cut ties completely on Georgie-poo’s show on Sunday but blew it.
McCain has Bush’s support. 21% or so of Americans are OK with Bush. Not good. Also, McCain keeps coming up with blistering whoppers on foreign policy (al-Qaeda is in Iran!!!!!) and the economy (durrr, whatever my plan was last week, I changed my mind). Once he actually has to debate this stuff, it’ll get ugly.
No reason for lefties to be optimistic? None? Look at the damn polls all across the board, man. You’re gonna get skunked all over Congress. Only hope for wingnuts is that a guy they don’t even like backs into the White House, and I’m sorry- I don’t see McBBQ keeping up with whoever the Dems throw at him all summer long. It’s only a matter of time before he references “al-Qaeda in Israel” or hits his wife in public or John Hagee sets off a test nuke in Siberia or whatever. McCain’s ridiculous chop suey of half-baked issues is amusing, but has no staying power.
Better to be privately anti-American than openly anti-American, Not Gary Ruppert?
But since you and your fellow wingnuts are sooooo in love with trivial BS, I’ll also add that I heard through a blogger who heard through a blogger that McCain has a farting problem when he gets nervous. Also, he’s shorter than Obama, and that’s something Americans are deeply worried about. I know this because I’m one of the Average Americans, in touch with The Heartland Values. I win, double infinity plus a million!
Just found an old CNN story from March 2000 talking about gas prices hitting $1.54.
The horror!
You can have perfect faith that everything I say is a lie.
John McCain is short? Can Americans trust a shrimp to be able to stand up our enemies? Do we really want to see McCain try to stand up to Ahmadinejad, only to have Ahmadinejad hold him at arm’s length while McCain impotently flails at the air? Then Ahmadinejad will let him go, McCain will flop to the ground, and all the cool kids will laugh at him?
The Truth said,
The Truth…
That’s kinda lame. We need to work on that.
How about “The Scimitar of Truth”?
You’re peddling bullshit, after all.
SADLY, NO! COMMENTOR SCOTT says that McCain’s midget status will render him useless in the War on Terror. Indeed!
Some people have expressed concern about my memory just because I made the exact same argument with the exact same wording twice during my interview with George Stephanopolis. That is a cheap shot.
JOHN MCCAIN WHINES about “cheap shots.” Heh!
Just because I made the exact same argument with the exact same wording twice during my interview with George Stephanopolis, some people have expressed concern about my memory . That is a cheap shot.
Well, the d00derz rolled a 37. How would expect to get the bowler vote with a score like that?
Don’t mind McCains height Scott. He can always club the other guy with a cane or one of those walking stands.
It’s likely they have them handy.
And I hate to use the stereotype, but you know how they always say the urge to start a fight(or war) is about compensating short measurement of a certain male body part? Vote for Obama! No need to start a war with the black guy in oval office.
Since 2001 my opinion of people who will believe that a Yale/Harvard Multi-millionaire is jest a good ole boy, that the party that likes to get in other people’s panties is the party of values, that tax cuts for the rich are good for their poor asses, has been Fuck. You.
If, after eight years of this crap the majority of voters in this country still haven’t figured it out then my opinion is Fuck You x EleventyHundred w/Cow Shit on Top. I don’t know if The MSM is intentionally aiding and abetting the ReThugs or just to damn lazy to do any real reporting and I no longer care. It’s fun to watch ABC/CBC/NBC and all the other BSers empty another round into their feet. ‘Cos guess what? The 1% of the population who benefits from Eternal Republican Rule isn’t enough to buy all the crap they need to peddle to keep on the air. If the MSM ball gargles McCain into the White House and he goes ahead with his brilliant plan to ignore the deficit and protect the tax cuts, very few people will have time to watch the boob toob what with catching rats for the day’s meal and all of that.
And I know what you’re thinking: Why should good people suffer because they share a country with people who are so stupid that they’ll vote for some grinning, greedy dumbass who wouldn’t wipe his feet on Das Base, so long as he promises to make being kw33r punishable by death?
An excellent question to which I can only answer: Who knows, who cares? Glen, bless his heart, shouldn’t have had to write this book because it should be self-evident to everyone who isn’t in a persistent vegetative state that the GOP is not a political party, it is a rather inept cabal of crooks, liars and bone beasts. If the majority of people really are so stupid that they give these goons another chance, if as a result things go all fruit-shaped, I fully intend to meet my daily protien needs by hunting, gutting and roasting anything that voted R in the past three presidential elections.
” the GOP is not a political party, it is a cult.”
Fixed your typo.
I have been in talks with the McCain campaign for the VP slot. My insatiable hunger will know no bounds!
I once bowled three games while suffering from a bad, bad hangover, and had two scores out of three over 200 – 210 & 209 respectively. This was during a brief time when bowling became kind of a fad, and I was on a league for a while; you know the old joke, a drinking league that bowls a little. (I usually bowled around 140, 150 but the afternoon in question I was on fire. That’s always the way, isn’t it? Just me and the b/f at a deserted bowling alley on a hungover Saturday afternoon.) Anyway, bowling isn’t as easy as it looks. It took me months of bowling every single friggin’ week to get my average up to 140, and I’d bowled as a kid on family outings fairly frequently, so it wasn’t like I was totally without experience. I had to learn that I had a backup ball and then learn how to compensate for that. I’m surprised Obama bowled a 37, as distracted and inexperienced as he must have been. I’ll bet dollars to St. BBQ’s donuts Obama could out-bowl most of the idiotocracy that’s criticizing him for his lack of skill.
My library doesn’t have the new Greenwald book yet, so I’ve reserved it. I hope they get it soon. (I’m a poor student, I can’t afford to buy paperbacks from HalfPrice at this point.) I’m looking forward to reading it.
” the GOP is not a political party, it is a cunt.”
The fact is, I am please to see that you are full of anger and rage and will go down in flames this November as the Permanent Republican Majority takes over, then we will see real freedom and democracy in action. As well, we will finally stop the media from being so biased and the liberal eleite from hating America, And the economy, will be massive. Note that the “mortgage crisis” isthe fault of the Pelosi/Reid Congress.
The wingnuts have been howling and screaming about “the liberal media” for so long that the MSM now feels it has to bend over backwards to say something bad about the Democrats for every bad thing they say about Republicans. Thus, Bush is an undistinguished screwup = John Edwards claims his hair invented the Internet.
You mean that I shouldn’t be voting for someone based on shallow, simplistic narratives based on inane stereotypes of 1950s gender roles? Wow! Your totally harshin’ my groove, here, man.
Gary-
Not gonna happen, because McCain is small and farts a lot. Small, farty McCain. I know it because I heard some guy (me) say it on a blog, where facts is facts. Smally McFartsalot doesn’t speak for anyone in The Heartland, only for people who are miniscule and flatulent. How is he going to stand up to Iran with that sort of wimpy, beany attitude? Heh. Indeed.
Dear Mr. Self Confessed Parody Troll,
Please reconsider your next threadjacking. You aren’t funny, you detract from rather than add to the conversation, and no one will miss you when you’re gone.
Sincerely,
ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®©
And of course, John McCain fucking a younger woman while married to his first wife, said younger woman had parents worth over $100 million. How conveeeeeenient.
McCain’s farts have a distinctly foreign aroma. Given how short he is, it’s likely that a significant portion of his innards are made up of foreign foods. The man is clearly a Trojan horse candidate, albeit a tiny one.
Bullsmith, do they smell Panamanian? Is Shrimpy McGassybutt a stealth Noriega?
I’m thinking yes.
Dr. Squid: Totally unfair. Like most Americans in the Heartland, I too abandoned my wife as she lay dying of cancer in order to fuck enough money out of a wealthy heiress to gain a stranglehold on political power within one of the country’s most brazen Republican state political machines. It is part of our values, unlike references to I-talian sounding vegetables or having skin the same color as Harry Belafonte.
You know, it’s a pity this didn’t happen over Obama asking the same thing about, say, alfalfa in Colorado – because alfalfa is an established DFH-voyeur buzzword and also a major staple of the ranch economy.
But still, it’s critical we vote for the cowboy rather than the faggot so that the dirty little peoples of this world will respect us rather than attempting to ravish us with their brutal, uncircumcised manhoods. No need to thank us, ma’am, just doing our job.
It don’t know if McStinky has sold out to his Panamanian roots. But I can’t help noticing that you can’t spell canal without including the word anal.
Coincidence? Highly doubtful.
Arky H8r of VurdPress @ 17:38: What you said (unless you’re a troll, in which case, go to hell).
Gary sounds bitter.
Oh! Sorry! I know how that word seems to really offend people … all of a sudden.
I’ll try to be more politically correct next time, Gary. I know how you people are about political correctness … when it suits you.
John Sydney McCain does NOT have a vicious, acid spewing alien embedded in his doy waiting to emerge when he’s erected President of the Universe. That is a vicous lie by which I mean it’s the undeniable truth.
J. Sydney McCunt is the only true American in the race. Except for the manchurian part of his brain that was implanted at the hilton. But that doesn’t matter since he’s the only honest person in the race. Except for the lies, of course but one donut is worth a thousand lies.
And now americas great sartorial warrior, Condi Rice, has gone to Baghdad and on behalf of President Bush and Vice President Cheney has pointed out to the whole world that Muqtada al Sadr is nothing but a coward for hiding in Tehran and sending his troops to die in iraq.
Yep. Apparently she really did.
I double checked. I was not reading the onion.
I understand lying for ideological reasons. I mean, I GET why people do that.
But what happened to self awareness?
Or do they genuinely think that nobody notices this weapons grade hypocrisy?
mikey
Don’t begrudge McAncient his donut. He needs it to take the pressure off his hemorrhoids.
What purpose the sprinkles serve, I don’t know.
Based on what we’ve learned here today I’m guessing miniature air-fresheners.
Thanks SomeNYGuy. Really. I’ll never be able to look a doughnut in the face again.
poor mikey, you still don’t get it. It’s not hypocrisy. Leastways, not by the book.
Here’s a decent definition: Hypocrisy (or being a hypocrite) is the act of opposing or not purporting a belief or behaviour while holding the same beliefs or behaviours at the same time, or vice versa.
They don’t believe anything except their own righteousness. They’re amoral and thus not hypocritical when they say sech stoopid shite. Should one of them be faced with the accusation (as in face to face), they’re sure to discount it and in their own inane, sophist way, they’re right to do so.
Anyway, my point is to say the accusation of hypocrisy, and the spotlight that might be shone upon it, is worth diddly squat. Here’s where I agree with Glenn G. and Brad and others (and I’ve been saying for some while if I might give a little self-pat on the back): The only viable response, the only worthwhile counter is to loudly and publibically ridicule the fucking idjits for what they are.
Put another way, expecting people to recognize hypocrisy and to re/de/nounce/ject it just gets you labelled ‘elitist.’
Hypocrisy is a workable tag, but it has to surface first. Thus, of limited utility.
Ridicule, however, is boundless!
And they make it so easy.
If ridicule will save the world, then I will proudly carry the Sadly, No! banner.
If there is a banner.
As much as I’m outraged at the follies of the Bush Administration, I find myself increasinly irate at the media. Ultimately, this all comes back them, for their inability to give Americans real information, for focusing on the trivial and for giving partisan hacks and liars like Gill legitimacy.
I feel the same way exactly.
In addition to everything you said, the toadies who hang around with a bully in order to get off on his cruelty are more disgusting than the bully himself.
GOP is not a political party, it is a rather inept cabal of crooks, liars and bone beasts.
GOP is not a political party, it is a cult of idiots run by a rather inept cabal of crooks, liars and bone beasts.
How’s that?
Mikey,
You missed the bestest part of Condi’s visit:
“But clearly, the prime minister has laid down some ground rules which any functioning democratic state would insist upon, having to do with, you know, arms belonging to the state, not to — not in private hands,” she said.
So you just know that this horrible, anti-gun gaffe will get blasted throughout the wingnutosphere, and every god fearin’, second amendment lovin’, pickup-with-a-“charlten heston is my president”-sticker driving Murkin will denounce, renounce, and pronounce Condi as an Unacceptable Choice for McCain’s running mate and demand–DEMAND!–her IMMEDIATE resignation.
Just wait for it.
…
Real soon.
…
Aaaaaany minute now….
This book was my first purchase on Amazon andit just arrived late last week.
Can’t wait to read it
It don?t know if McStinky has sold out to his Panamanian roots. But I can?t help noticing that you can?t spell canal without including the word anal.
I thought he was born before the canal was dug. Maybe even before the Erie Canal.
What does all this say about the goombahs that keep voting for them?
Ignorant, malevolent or both.
May I suggest the obvious?
It’s not original but it sure is needed.
Start a trend the rest of the world will WANT to emulate.
Pre-test prospective POTUS candidates for sociopathic/psychopathic tendencies.
Flunkers get permanently disqualified.
If you’d done it in 1999, Bush would be an ex-Baseball Commissioner now.
Arky–I keep saying the same things about political self-identification and such dangers, but no one wants to hear it in an election year anyway. Regardless, why the hell do we persist in being part of such a system? Does either party satisfy your needs either? We’re stuck, we know we’re stuck, and the people who want to change that just get nowhere (I mean the real people, not me, I’m just a computer program at this point).
My goodness Dorothy you’re not suggesting the people who vote for Republican candidates have no personal integrity are you?
Hey now, Shorty Mcfarty is a highly decorated naval aviator. Decorated by the NVA, that is.
This has been beautiful to watch, and I hate to interrupt when I’m so far ahead, but I can’t resist highlighting owlbear’s comment. Most lefties seem to think the same thing, but owlbear says it nicely: “The people who vote for Republican candidates have no personal integrity.”
George Bush received 53 million votes in 2004, the highest single vote total for an American presidential candidate in history. Lefties think every single Bush voter is ignorant and or evil.
You lefties complain about parody trolls but you are parodies of yourselves. This is delightful and anticipating your anguish when McCain wins is even more delightful.
Hey “The Truth” if that’s really your name,
delighting in someone’s anguish is ignorant and/or evil. If you’re a representative of a typical Bush/McCain supporter, you’ve just proven Owlbear’s comments to be correct. You have no personal integrity.
I finally get it! The reason my jokes fail is because I am actually a parody of a parody-attempter. Hence my posts are actually anti-parody.
The Truth on the other hand is in no way a parody. He’s just not very well named.
[…] let’s tackle the bigger issue here: why are Republicans so COMPLETELY, UTTERLY FULL OF SHIT? Why does every self-appointed Republican moral guardian eventually end up sending lewd emails to […]