#486 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Wednesday October 19)
Good morning,
WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE? A TALE OF TWO PARTIES
I have been railing for quite some time that it is high time to hear from a few “adults in the room” as our political and personal rhetoric gets more vicious. There comes a time when racism, antisemitism, or just plain hatred and vile behavior should be called out. In particular, the members of the “tribe” within which the offending party resides need to police their own and publicly condemn such behaviors. History shows that parties are capable of purging themselves of the more objectionable among them. The Republicans of the 1950s repudiated Joe McCarthy; the Republicans of the 1960s distanced themselves from the John Birch Society; the Republicans of the 1970s eventually abandoned Richard Nixon.
Last week, Los Angeles City Councilperson Nury Martinez was caught on a recorded call with several other local Hispanic leaders and the head of a local union, trying to strategize about solidifying their political position at the expense of other groups (including Black City Council members). In this call, Ms. Martinez managed to offend just about everyone—with insults that were racist, antisemitic, and homophobic. She even managed to work in anti-Armenian epithets. The language and imagery used were appalling. One statement referred to Councilman Mike Bonin’s Black son by a Spanish insult that meant “little monkey.”
Within days of the leak of this call, Democratic leaders in the City and State, all even President Biden, condemned the behavior and called for resignations. This is as it should be. The labor leader resigned expeditiously. Ms. Martinez tried to hang on but ultimately resigned. Others involved in the call may yet submit their resignations.
Sometimes condemnation is too quick and smacks of virtue signaling. I continue to believe that the pressures on Al Franken, former Senator from Minnesota, were too immediate, excessive and reactive, punishing a behavior that was hardly worthy of condemnation. Still, calling out bad behaviors is what society does to keep it operating civilly.
But as the left has been policing its own, as in the case of Ms. Martinez, members of the right, like Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, and Marjorie Taylor Green, are allowed to say whatever outrageous, offensive, antisemitic or other comment with little to no reaction from the Republican faithful. Just some highlights:
Boebert referred to a Muslim-American as a member of the “Jihad squad.”
Boebert asked a group of Jewish visitors to the Capitol whether they were there to “conduct reconnaissance.”
Green referred to a plan to provide vaccine information as “medical brown shirts.”
Green is the proponent of a theory that Jews started wildfires in California, using space lasers. In a rare act of bravery, Kevin McCarthy actually condemned her for this.
Green is in the news constantly, among other things, refusing to wear a mask in the Capitol when COVID was at its apex. And she compared mask mandates and vaccinations as akin to the Holocaust.”
Representative Mo Brooks read portions of Mein Kampf on the floor of the House.
Green referred to Joe Biden as Hitler.
Green also believes in replacement theory (that Jews are replacing “real” Americans with immigrants and nonwhite people)—“…illegal aliens are on the verge of replacing you…they’re also replacing your culture…”
Senator Tommy Tuberville, adept as a football coach but not so much as a political leader, says that Democrats are “pro crime. They want crime…They want reparations because they think the people that do the crime are owed that.”
And then there are the relentless descents into incoherence, racism, lies, and vulgarity that we hear from former President Trump nearly every day.
KANYE
As if this weren’t enough, the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, made clearly antisemitic remarks, including that he was “going death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.” [Nb: I think he means “defcon 3,” which is a reference to military preparedness). When he was called out for this statement and others, it didn’t elicit condemnation but, rather, prompted several members of the House Judiciary Committee to post on their Twitter accounts “Kanye. Elon. Trump.”
Of course, the left does not pass a purity test, as there are plenty of examples of unacceptable rhetoric that has received little rebuke from the left (notably, some of the antisemitic comments from members of the “Squad”).
When a tribe doesn’t govern the behavior of “its own,” the tribe becomes disrespectful of common norms and countenances lawlessness. This encourages others. This unwillingness to call out bad behaviors in its own backyard condones further instances of this behavior. And the political rhetoric and the behaviors we deem acceptable continues to decline.
OLD-TIME INSULTING DESCRIPTIONS
Part 2 of Brad Taybach-Bank’s list of insulting words and phrases that have fallen out of use, yet seem ready for renewal:
1. Rattlecap. An unsteady, volatile person.
2. Ruffian. A brutal fellow; a pugilistic bully.
3. Rumbumptious. Pompous, haughty.
4. Sauce-Box. A bold or forward person.
5. Scalawag. A rascal.
6. Scamp. A worthless fellow; a rascal.
7. Scoundrel. A man void of every principle of honor.
8. Skinflint. A miser; a covetous wretch, one who, if possible would take the skin off a flint.
9. Slug-A-Bed. Parasite; one that cannot rise in the morning.
10. Stingbum. A stingy or ungenerous person.
11. Unlicked Cub. A loutish youth who has never been taught manners
12. White-Livered. Cowardly, malicious.
13. Word Grubbers. Verbal critics; and also, persons who use hard words in common discourse.
14. Wrinkler. A person prone to lying
Have a great day,
Glenn
From the archives: