Petraeus Betray Us? God Save Us.

What the holy fuck is going on with the right wing hypocrisy machine today? Well, duh, it’s hypocrisy. “Yes, Spike” you say “but what kind of hypocrisy?” Well, I’ll tell you. It’s the type of hypocrisy that slams MoveOn for taking out an ad in the New York Times and having that ad say “General Petraeus or General Betray Us?”

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t care for the wording of this ad. Why? Because it smacks too much of greasy Republican tactics. I am generally in favor of getting down in the mud with Republicans if that’s where they lead us because I think if you fight back you get the weak-willed bully to back down, but I am not sure that this play on words was really necessary. It’s sort of juvenile to make fun of a guy’s name and I am sure that General Petraeus is proud of the name his father gave him, just as I am proud of mine.

That being said, the hypocritical (but typical) hate mongering that is going on from the right in the wake of that ad is amazing. On the sixth anniversary of the brutal attacks of 9/11 Jon Cornyn couldn’t find anything better to do with his time than put forth a resolution condemning MoveOn. And f course it was a political maneuver because what he wants to do is get a bunch of Democrats either on the record as “supporting” MoveOn’s “slander” of this great American who has lived a life of service or to force the Democrats to disavow MoveOn and when they later accept a campaign donation from MoveOn he will no doubt use it as an excuse to call the Democrats a bunch spineless flip-floppers who decry this slanderous organization one day and take dirty money from them the next. It will happen, I promise you. It just figures that this group of Senate Republicans, on the anniversary of the day that finally drew all Americans together would attempt to execute a divisive political strategy designed not to bring anyone together but to give his party some leverage for negative ads in upcoming elections.

And what’s worse is they way the Republicans have started all this handwringing about this “slanderous” attack as if they haven’t done EXACTLY the same fucking thing over and over again in order to get or keep their elected positions. Max Cleland was tragically wounded in the Vietnam war and LOST LIMBS WHILE SERVING YOU FUCKS! But that didn’t stop you from questioning his patriotism. John Kerry was decorated multiple times for valor in Vietnam and in one of the greatest acts of political jujitsu I have ever seen you used it against him and questioned his patriotism publicly. There are right-wing blowhards out there who are in favor of shooting as traitors anyone who is against this war and even the odious Joe Lieberman is now accusing people against the war of giving aid and comfort to the enemy.

This is so messed up, but so typical, on two different fronts. First, the Republican Party goes on and on about how this war is being fought to protect and defend “freedom.” Yet the Iraqis aren’t free to speak their mind lest they get kidnapped. And now you call groups like MoveOn, as well as US Senators, traitors for speaking their mind. Or, to put it another way, to exercise these “freedoms” you all say you are trying to protect. Does “freedom” mean that I get to say whatever I want, or that I get to say whatever I want as long as you disingenuous, trashy, sleazy right-wingers aren’t offended?

Aside from the fact that you condemn those who exercise the freedoms you say you are protecting (I can’t wait for you to unveil your newest line of thought, that up is down, black is white and good is bad), this is something your hypocrisy spin machine does every day. It’s perfectly acceptable for you to impugn the “Americanism” of those who don’t agree with you and call them traitors and go after their spouses and family members, but let a group like MoveOn do it publicly in the newspaper (unlike you guys, who do it all through insinuation and whispering campaigns) and you guys get your panties in a wad. Why, it’s almost enough to make me think you are weak-willed sissies the way you get so easily inflamed.

Unfortunately, it isn’t clear that the Democrats have the political willpower to stand up to it once and for all. While I still think the Democratic Party gives us the best hope as a country, not only for the nation as a whole but for this war as well, they had better start exercising some damn authority and start standing up to this bullshit.

Disgustedly,
Spike