Dissent is no longer patriotic
Michael Benoit
Issue date: 11/3/09 Section: Commentary
Liberals under the Bush regime never tired of defending accusations of treason with the unanswerable slogan, "Dissent is Patriotic." Obama and his administration, however, have fulfilled their promise of change - for dissent is no longer patriotic.
The Administration's well-known request that faithful citizens report "fishy" information about health care dissent to the White House is only the beginning. Remember the backlash towards the summer protesters against socialized health care? White House spokesman Robert Gibbs accused the well-dressed protesters, which he magnanimously termed the "Brooks Brothers Brigade," of "manufactured anger" - a comment not unrepresentative of the general Democratic consensus at the time.
Obama himself went on to gracefully admit that he was willing to clean up the health care mess created by the Republicans, provided they keep their ignorant traps shut, saying: "I don't want the folks who created the mess to do a lot of talking. I want them to get out of the way so we can clean up the mess. I don't mind cleaning up after them, but don't do a lot of talking."
Now is not the time for Republicans to voice their opinion. Now is not the time for dissent.
These comments should not come as a surprise to those who remained attentive during Obama's speeches. Consider Obama's exhortations during his speech regarding health care on Sept. 9 that "the time for bickering is over." He continues, promising not to "waste time with those who have made the calculation that it's better politics to kill this plan than improve it." Translation: "Those who dare oppose my health care plan do so not out of an honest intellectual disagreement with me, but because it is more politically expedient to 'bicker' and shoot the plan down instead."
Within the past week, and in a fashion alarmingly reminiscent of White House Communications Director Anita Dunn's favorite political philosopher, mass murderer Mao Zedong, the administration has attacked and attempted to ostracize the nation's primary (only?) mainstream conservative media outlet, Fox News. Dunn called Fox "opinion journalism masquerading as news." She was supported in her comments by senior advisor David Axelrod, who stated that Fox is "not really a news station," and Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel cautioned other networks not to "be led [by] and [follow] Fox."
And, in a rare moment of audacity, Obama administration backed up its words with actions. Fox's invitation to an interview with Ken Feinberg, who oversees executive compensation at bailed out corporations, was "lost in the mail," even as all the other major news networks (including CNN and MSNBC, who each have less than half of Fox's viewership) managed to receive theirs.
Whatever happened to the old message of compromise and nonpartisanship, the new message is clear: Surrender your thoughts to Obama and his all-knowing administration, for dissent is no longer patriotic.
The Administration's well-known request that faithful citizens report "fishy" information about health care dissent to the White House is only the beginning. Remember the backlash towards the summer protesters against socialized health care? White House spokesman Robert Gibbs accused the well-dressed protesters, which he magnanimously termed the "Brooks Brothers Brigade," of "manufactured anger" - a comment not unrepresentative of the general Democratic consensus at the time.
Obama himself went on to gracefully admit that he was willing to clean up the health care mess created by the Republicans, provided they keep their ignorant traps shut, saying: "I don't want the folks who created the mess to do a lot of talking. I want them to get out of the way so we can clean up the mess. I don't mind cleaning up after them, but don't do a lot of talking."
Now is not the time for Republicans to voice their opinion. Now is not the time for dissent.
These comments should not come as a surprise to those who remained attentive during Obama's speeches. Consider Obama's exhortations during his speech regarding health care on Sept. 9 that "the time for bickering is over." He continues, promising not to "waste time with those who have made the calculation that it's better politics to kill this plan than improve it." Translation: "Those who dare oppose my health care plan do so not out of an honest intellectual disagreement with me, but because it is more politically expedient to 'bicker' and shoot the plan down instead."
Within the past week, and in a fashion alarmingly reminiscent of White House Communications Director Anita Dunn's favorite political philosopher, mass murderer Mao Zedong, the administration has attacked and attempted to ostracize the nation's primary (only?) mainstream conservative media outlet, Fox News. Dunn called Fox "opinion journalism masquerading as news." She was supported in her comments by senior advisor David Axelrod, who stated that Fox is "not really a news station," and Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel cautioned other networks not to "be led [by] and [follow] Fox."
And, in a rare moment of audacity, Obama administration backed up its words with actions. Fox's invitation to an interview with Ken Feinberg, who oversees executive compensation at bailed out corporations, was "lost in the mail," even as all the other major news networks (including CNN and MSNBC, who each have less than half of Fox's viewership) managed to receive theirs.
Whatever happened to the old message of compromise and nonpartisanship, the new message is clear: Surrender your thoughts to Obama and his all-knowing administration, for dissent is no longer patriotic.
Be the first to comment on this story