It's hard to believe that anyone believes that red-baiting would work in 2009, but talk radio and Fox News blabbertalent keep hammering away on administration officials who might have quoted Mao at some time in their careers.
(We remember the McCarthy era (barely) long a bogey-man of American political history akin to Jim Crow in the pure evil dep't.That it's back 30-some years after the fall of international communism,and nearly 60 years after the disgracing of Joe McCarthy is a tribute to the pluck and fecklessness of the right).
Distracted from charging Obama as a fascist and Hitlerite, talk radio began calling him a communist and Maoist after Glenn Beck cherry-picked a quote by White House Communications Director Anita Dunn who said innocuously, parenthetically, and ironically at a high school commencement, "Two of my favorite political philosophers, Mao Zedong and Mother Theresa -- not often coupled with each together, but the two people that I turn to most..."Irony escapes the right when it behooves them, and Beck went on to infer from this that she endorsed his murderous purges and signaled Obama's secret pogram program. A cropped version of this quote was played on every Fox News show for days, including the faulty evening news hour, "Special Report with Bret Baier."
Quoting the Chairman does not a Maoist make and conservatives including Newt Gingrich, G.W. Bush, and Ralph Reed have quoted this giant of history, but Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and locally, Dori Monson,(KIROFM m-f, 12-3p) and Dave Boze (KTTH m-f, 3-6p) told or implied to listeners that Obama officials doing same is his endorsement of Communism and genocide. (None of these talkers really believe that, but they know it's a way to get callers at least, or quoted in the real media at the most. Such is the un-American day-to-day malpractice of talk radio).
Mao was a tyrannical, murdering asshole for sure, but considerably more than a tin-horn, power-hungry brute like a Saddam Hussein, or Pol Pot. He was a hugely successful world leader whose work been widely translated in quotable, Confucius-like aphorisms. The man learned a thing or two about war and the use of power in all those years uniting China, dominating that land mass, and purging opponents- no one who claims knowledge of world and/or military history can afford to not to read Mao. Plus, his quotes, come in handy little sound bites, and fills pages of nearly every book and list of quotations.
Talk radio and the other media of the right isn't interested in such nuance even under the dogged cliche, "know thy enemy." So they
Read Dave Ross, (m-f, 9a-12p) that welcome relief at the otherwise right-wing KIROFM, has listed more out-of-context charges by "mainstream talk radio," and Fox News in their war against the Obama "czars." Readd it here.
So, who will they pick next? Mussolini? Atilla the Hun? King John?
Posted by: sparky | October 21, 2009 at 07:22 PM
It was probably pretty easy for Mao to become a hugely successful world leader after killing 70,000,000 million people that apposed him.
Not as slow as many, but I am pretty sure that if my number was 70,000,001, I might just go with the program.
But hey, the bitch did say outright that Mao was one of her favorites.
Next thing you know, you will be defending Farricon (sp) for his saying we must withhold medicine from some ill because the world has too many people in it anyway.
It's progressive.
Posted by: chucks | October 21, 2009 at 09:02 PM
I understand that they are selling tee-shirts like hot cakes in China that have a picture of the Barack and caption below says "Oba-Mao". Not surprising that
they are more perceptive, because they know the experience too well.
Posted by: KS | October 21, 2009 at 10:11 PM
Democrats publicly praise Cuba's Castro and Venezuela's Chavez. It's no surprise they get linked to Chairman Mao and Communism.
Posted by: mrogi | October 21, 2009 at 10:11 PM
no one who claims knowledge...
Oh come now, Michael. Read the above post by "chunks of ignorance" himself and you know that your talking to the fixed news choir and they really, really don't have any knowledge at all.
And they like it that way.
Posted by: joanie | October 21, 2009 at 10:18 PM
Mao was a tyrannical, murdering asshole and he is White House Communications Director Anita Dunns favorite political philosopher!
Posted by: Hour Number Two | October 21, 2009 at 10:30 PM
Glenn Beck is going to destroy you people. You might just as well grab your ankles. It is coming for you.
There may still be a chance to stop the two ominous attacks on our republic, Oblahblahcare and Cap&Tax.
We are going to get rid of Harry Reid and next year repossess Congress from the neo-commies.
We are seeing a little light at the end.
Posted by: chucks | October 21, 2009 at 10:47 PM
the little light means you're dying
Posted by: AuthenticAndrew | October 21, 2009 at 10:50 PM
Florida Woman's Rape Called A "Pre-Existing Condition"
Posted by: AuthenticAndrew | October 21, 2009 at 11:00 PM
Thank you, Andrew. I enjoyed that. I rhink chux will have to look that one up.
I would say that Beck is doing an excellent job of destroying the Republican Party. 20% . . .15% . . . 10% . . .5% . . . I think we must be getting close the number of people who watch Fixed News.
Better be careful, chux. Your charm is wearing thin. Seems like we are seeing the real ignorant and shallow guy underneath all that salesman's charm.
Posted by: joanie | October 21, 2009 at 11:01 PM
If I ever become the lonely old #&[email protected] that you have become, I will be concerned joanie.
It is difficult to imagine the disappointment you must see and feel every morning when you must face the mirror. Pity.
(yep, charm is dwindling. Bet you have brought the worst out in many a man in your miserable old life)
Posted by: chucks | October 21, 2009 at 11:17 PM
I keep laughing at you chux. Everything I say about you is proven over and over in your posts. And all you can do in return is make juvenile remarks about my looks or loneliness. You'd fit in real well with the KBR boys. And you still don't get it.
Speaks for itself.
Posted by: joanie | October 22, 2009 at 05:37 AM
"the two people that I turn to most..."
That says enough for me.
Van Jones, self proclaimed Communist radical and now this. I think I see a pattern emerging here.
Thank God we have Fox, Beck & the rest to keep tabs on these radicals, Acorn etc. Our country needs the checks & balances they provide, without them our heads would be in the proverbial sand.
Posted by: Brian | October 22, 2009 at 08:39 AM
you're just mad because the country is pulling out of recession while Democrats are in charge.
Posted by: AuthenticAndrew | October 22, 2009 at 09:56 AM
It's fun watching these nutjobs self-destruct after holding so much power, driving the country into a ditch, and cheapening the dialogue. They deserve the irrelevance the Hannities and Becks are setting them up for.
Posted by: Lucas Foxx | October 22, 2009 at 10:10 AM
Here's one for our conservative friends
Posted by: AuthenticAndrew | October 22, 2009 at 10:34 AM
When the Allies were preparing to drop the Atomic bomb, we needed to estimate the weather over Japan. We had weather stations on liberated islands across the Pacific but needed some information from China to extrapolate the conditions. So we made a friend with a guy who was fighting in the hills of China and gave him supplies and a radio to give us weather reports. Guess who?
Posted by: Ted Smith | October 22, 2009 at 12:43 PM
Part of the Dixie Mission.
Posted by: Coiler | October 22, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Reminds me of when we helped that Osama bin Laden guy out in his fight with the Russians.
Posted by: AuthenticAndrew | October 22, 2009 at 02:03 PM
Yes and Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam in 1983
Posted by: Coiler | October 22, 2009 at 02:23 PM
Somebody needs to brush up on their Civics:
"Thank God we have Fox, Beck & the rest to keep tabs on these radicals, Acorn etc. Our country needs the checks & balances they provide ..."
Checks and balances are provided by the Constitution, not Fox et.al. Another example of blurring the lines between government and cable networks courtesy of the right.
Posted by: AprilMayJune | October 22, 2009 at 03:59 PM
Please, spare me the civics lesson & perhaps you should take a refresher?. The blurring of the lines between Gov't & media is most closely illustrated by MSNBC. It's amazing how blind some of you get when worshiping upon the Obama altar. WAKE UP! Thank God for independents & blue-dogs, without them we would surely perish.
Posted by: Brian | October 22, 2009 at 04:36 PM
My goodness, you must have been a drama student, Brian. Tell me how your life has changed for the worse since last January 20? What can you not do now that you could do on January 19 that is causing you to wet yourself so?
Posted by: sparky | October 22, 2009 at 05:19 PM
Brian: I don't worship on any altar (agnostic), but I PTL (joke) that I am not a tea-bagger who is disdainful of the "book learnin" required in civics lessons. Or do you get all your civics knowledge from Beck?
Posted by: AprilMayJune | October 22, 2009 at 06:27 PM
Wake up Brian just who is the president of FOX? Oh that's right Roger Ailest the Bush buddy that helped him make a phoney commercial to tank Dukakis. Now tell me more about the blurring of the media and government.
Posted by: Crystal from the old KIRO chat | October 22, 2009 at 06:31 PM
Your jugment is definitely blurred.
Posted by: KS | October 22, 2009 at 07:19 PM
So KS, what cant you do today that you could do before January 20? How has your life been ruined?
Posted by: sparky | October 22, 2009 at 08:04 PM
They have a singular message ("socialism" this year) which will become only more divisive and unhinged as the days go by
Posted by: Coiler | October 22, 2009 at 08:08 PM
What’s wrong Bri? These gals takin’ you to task? What has changed since January 20th? Besides you wet pampers that is.
Posted by: dog e fresh | October 22, 2009 at 09:41 PM
Nothing yet Spar-coil on the surface, but do you ever consider the future ? For instance, have you checked the future budget forecasts that you and our children and future generations will have to pay for ?
See a glimpse of it on the following website
http://www.pgpf.org/
Posted by: KS | October 22, 2009 at 09:55 PM
Well Brian said we were all about to perish, so I thought you could fill us in.
As far as scary spending...mega billions have gone to Iraq. It was never even a line item in any of Bush's budgets for 8 years. Just think what that money could have bought.
Posted by: sparky | October 22, 2009 at 10:25 PM
well sparkles
if you think the 400 billion deficit that Pres Bush ran was bad then if you are going to be intellectual consistent the 1.4 TRILLION deficit should make you really upset.
imagine what that can buy!
Posted by: Puget Sound | October 22, 2009 at 10:31 PM
Oh stop the shit that deficit you are talking about was Bush not including his "war" into the deficit
you didn't mind when Bush was pissing away the money on two insane wars and totally ignoring domestic concerns.
nice try Pugert Sounder.
Posted by: Crystal from the old KIRO chat | October 23, 2009 at 06:40 AM
'crystal meth' from the old kiro chat, i guess then the fact that Pres Obama has continued those 'insane wars' has no meaning to you?
or the fact that since 2004, Pres Obama has ran on the fact that the war in Afghanistan was the good war, the war of necessity has any meaning to you?
Posted by: Puget Sound | October 24, 2009 at 02:46 AM
Yes I know what he ran on doesn't mean I like it however it doesn't change the fact that Bush was not including the his wars in the deficit.
Posted by: Crystal from the old KIRO chat | October 24, 2009 at 10:41 AM
KIRO's Crystal Meth, Bush did not include the war in his budget but it is included in the deficit.
But let's just get behind our troops, give them what they need to win and then bring them home.
Posted by: chucks | October 24, 2009 at 11:11 AM
However, Crystal Meth would never admit that Obama has created a worse deficit and is quickly mortgaging the future of future generations. Funny how progressives think (?)
Posted by: KS | October 24, 2009 at 10:37 PM