The Dangerous Joining of the Far Right and Far Left
Has there ever been a better example, at least in recent years, proving that the extreme left and extreme right share more in common than those on their own side of the ideological divide when it comes to the issue of health care?
-- on the far right -- the shouters shouting down other people who wish to speak at town meetings, whacko "birthers," and political figures inventing "death panels" and obscenely and recklessly mentioning Adolph Hitler and Nazi symbols to scare people; irresponsible radio and TV talkers who use hate words and name-calling as a substitute for debating the issues civilly; and
--on the far left, including the most vicious posters on the so-called liberal blogosphere, threatening businesses with one or more executives who offer personal ideas for achieving national health care reform different from the Administration's or Democratic congressional leaders' versions (full disclosure: I support all of President Obama's core principles for national health care legislation, though I still have many unanswered questions); hateful emails, phone calls, blogs, and personal attacks, distorting alternative ideas different from the Administration's approach and attacking the motives of those airing them; and intolerance for anyone who disagrees, including personal invective and demonization of those with different views.
When the far left and the far right join in the Politics of Hate and Demonization, it is time for the vast center-left and center-right of this country to speak up and call them out equally.
It is time for responsible liberal and conservative political leaders and talk show hosts to denounce these extremist haters who stand in direct opposition to President Obama's call for respectful discourse and debate and who threaten our democratic traditions and institutions.
Silence is no longer acceptable by responsible liberals towards the reckless far left or by responsible conservatives towards the reckless far right.
Silence is complicity.
(Mr. Davis was former Special Counsel to President Clinton, 1996-98, and served on President Bush's Privacy and Civil Liberties Board, 2005-2006. He writes regular weekly columns for The Washington Times and The Hill newspapers.)
Comments
James Taylor (not verified)
Mar. 6, 2010
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Anonymous (not verified)
Mar. 1, 2010
Republican participants will include: Dan Bartlett, counselor to George W. Bush; Charlie Black, campaign adviser to John McCain; Tony Blankley, columnist for The Washington Times; Alex Castellanos, top media adviser to Bush Cheney '04, as well as Mitt Romney's presidential campaign; Jeff 70-649 Larson, lead organizer of the 2008 Republican National Convention; Bill McInturff, lead pollster for John McCain’s presidential campaign; Mark McKinnon, former policy and media consultant to George W. Bush and John McCain; Steve Schmidt, senior campaign strategist and advisor to John McCain; and David 70-647 Winston, adviser to former Congressman J.C. Watts.Democrats include: John Anzalone, pollster for Barack Obama’s 2008 70-646 campaign; Tad Devine, senior advisor and strategist for John Kerry’s presidential campaign; Stanley Greenberg, adviser to the campaigns of Bill Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry and Tony Blair; Larry Grisolano, senior communication strategist for the Obama presidential campaign; Mandy 70-642 Grunwald, director of advertising for Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign; Joe Lockhart, press secretary for Bill Clinton;
John Nagle (not verified)
Feb. 22, 2010
We barely have a "far left" any more. Nobody is demonstrating for "Free Abortion On Demand". The National Welfare Rights Organization is long gone. No labor union has a thousand pickets in front of a factory they're trying to organize. No group is demanding that banks be nationalized, or that hedge fund managers be taken out and shot. There's no major demand to bring back the organizations of the New Deal, like the WPA. There's not even much of a "peace movement".
What far left?
Gloria (not verified)
Jan. 12, 2010
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Manfred (not verified)
Dec. 17, 2009
In the futur if the national socialist pride and drive to create a great single country and equality beliefs merge. We can create a force powerful enough to stop the things that the screwed up secret goverment of today wishes to do. Merging Canada Mexico USA and create the amero without contacting the people for an opinion! Microchip tracking passports and later people? What happend to the sense of pride people used to have for they're country? I believe it's still there but this secret corrupt governents of today are stripping us of these things without us realizing it! And with a force of a group not only by the people for the people but also of the people can we accomplish annihalating this scum from our beutiful north American countrys!!!!!!!
Manfred speaking for you
Anonymous (not verified)
Nov. 10, 2009
you are an idiot. Your comparison of coordinated birther rhetoric, the use of nazi-era symbols to describe Obama and his healthcare plan, lies about death panels, and people bringing guns to meeting with the President to your vaguely described and non-identified examples of "extreme leftists" as "vicious" blogosphere posters shows what a pathetic appeaser of the right you are. clearly the extremists on the right have no comparible "whacko" counterparts on the left. especially since the "Whackos" on the right are using the healthcare debate as a forum for expressing their racist, violent, uber-libertarian beliefs while the worst thing that happened on the left is that some angry citizens took to the Whole Foods blog to debate the CEO of that company who blamed all health problems on individual irresponsibility. And he was a dumbass too considering he forgot to mention where genetic disease, pollution, and lack of access to afforable healthcare play into our country disease/obesity epidemic while shilling his corporate "whole" foods business. write an engaging, intelligent article next time or don't post at all. how the fuck did you end up a "respected" org like this?
Dave (not verified)
Oct. 13, 2009
Hmm, I believe I am a middle part of the spectrum and don't oppose reform. Statically my demographics put me dead center in the largest part of the populous. Perhaps Vicky you should speak just for yourself. Change is the nature of our universe. I know that when (if) I reach retirement age their is no way I can afford today's health care costs. I (and I hope my demographic group) am getting very tired of the far left and far right political commentary pundits using incomplete sound bites and innuendo to drive they're ratings (makes them richer) by fear.
Vicky (not verified)
Sep. 6, 2009
The irony in this essay is priceless. It's "dangerous" when people on the left and right come together - and this posted on the Bipartisan Policy website. I love it.
The characterization of "far right" and "far left" is inaccurate. People across the spectrum oppose this "reform" because it is dishonest both in content and presentation of purpose.
Washington DC has been exposed as a cesspool of corruption so you can no longer get away with rhetoric that doesn't match the action. The fact that people on the left and right hand side of spectrum are coming together is proof positive of it.
nnamelet (not verified)
Sep. 5, 2009
Why did this essay not gain greater traction?
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