In Defense of Joe Wilson: Mark Slouka

[New Tet]

September 11, 1:57 PM (http://www.harpers.org/archive/2009/09/hbc-90005690) —Washington Babylon (http://www.harpers.org/subjects/WashingtonBabylon)
In Defense of Joe Wilson: Mark Slouka

http://www.harpers.org/archive/2008/06/0082039

By Ken Silverstein (http://www.harpers.org/subjects/KenSilverstein)

Those of us at Harper’s appreciate rudeness no matter who is in charge. See this wonderful essay (http://www.harpers.org/archive/2008/06/0082039) by Mark Slouka from June 2008:

[S]urely one could argue that the American democratic experiment was at least in part an attempt to challenge this “reality,” to establish a political and legal culture from which would emerge, organically, a new sensibility: independent, unburdened by the protocols of class, skeptical of inherited truths. Willing to be disobedient. To moon the lord.
Alas, if that was the plan, it went sideways a long time ago. In today’s America, the majority is nothing if not impressed by power and fame (its legitimacy is irrelevant), nothing if not obedient. As for mooning the lord, the ass to the glass these days is more likely to be the lord’s, and our own posture toward it, well, something short of heroic.




http://www.harpers.org/

[Jimmie Higgins]

This would be fine if society existed in a vacuum. The reality is that there is a double standard to "rudeness". If you don't believe me, try being rude to a cop if you get stopped.

While Harper's defends the ability of a congressman to shout at Obama, some guy is just being released from jail for throwing a shoe at the tyrant that bombed his country and some UK truck driver was fired for drawing a mustache on a picture of his boss.

When workers and the left begin heckling and shouting down Obama or other officials, we'll see how Harper's and other establishment institutions react.

[New Tet]

This would be fine if society existed in a vacuum. The reality is that there is a double standard to "rudeness". If you don't believe me, try being rude to a cop if you get stopped.

While Harper's defends the ability of a congressman to shout at Obama, some guy is just being released from jail for throwing a shoe at the tyrant that bombed his country and some UK truck driver was fired for drawing a mustache on a picture of his boss.

When workers and the left begin heckling and shouting down Obama or other officials, we'll see how Harper's and other establishment institutions react.

I think you missed the point of the article.

[Jimmie Higgins]

I think you missed the point of the article.Oh, I was supposed to read that?

:blushing: I responded while at work and actually didn't read that article - but I had just finished reading newspaper Op eds that basically made the argument I was responding to in that post.

Sorry comrade.

[Revy]

What goes on in the British Parliament makes what he did look polite.

It's the anti-immigrant views involved that are wrong, not just with Wilson but with Obamacare, how can you claim to be providing healthcare for all and then insist that residents of the US should not be covered? The Constitution has something called an equal protection clause which doesn't just apply to citizens.