Friday, May 22, 2009

Well, I can clearly see you're nuts



Hey, you know what’s fun for the holiday weekend?

Making fun of idiots on the right. Right?

So get a load of this chick, sent to me originally by astute reader Marshall. More than one cyberfriend has indicated to me that they have received this from a Republican with the implication that it IS possible to recover from liberalism, ha ha ha.

To which I say physician, heal thyself. It’s not liberalism that’s been proven to be a mental defect, ho ho ho.

Also, the magazine itself is pretty lame. I mean, check out the satire in which some douchebag theorizes that the key to economic recovery is – get this! - to let everyone print their own money! Hilarious!

But so anyway, as usual, here's this jagoff who purports to have been recently “deprogrammed” from her liberal upbringing:

When I was in high school in the early 70's in New York, I wrote impassioned essays on civil rights and on feminism. In college, in the days before universities became indoctrination factories, I searched for politically left classes, and took every one I could find. I spent years in consciousness raising groups lambasting male oppression with other angry feminists, and yelled "Two Four Six Eight, Pornography is Woman Hate," at numerous marches.

Wow. Anti-pornography feminism is hard core feminism. I’ll give her that. When I gave up on Andrea Dworkin and anti-pornography feminism, however, I did so because I believed that her central thesis was flawed, and I came to that conclusion because I used my eyes to see things and my brain to think about them. Something tells me that that is not the method this chick embraced.

Plus, if this chick is half a decade older than me, then I can tell you exactly why she’s “seeing the light” and becoming a conservative. She’s got classic old fucker syndrome. You know, those people that spend their whole lives being Democrats, until they reach a certain age, and then they decide that they’d rather spend the rest of their short time left on earth cowering in fear of Mexicans and hiding their money inside hollowed-out copies of all those Ayn Rand books they’re always talking about but have never read?

Anyway, let’s check back in with Grandma No Fun:

When I was 26, I parked myself in the People's Republic of Berkeley, CA, the epicenter of the far left. I came as a liberal but soon morphed into a leftist as most people here do. In Berkeley, San Francisco, Oakland, and the outlying towns, there is no Republican Party. Literally. There are only Democrats running against other Democrats. I recall years ago going to vote at a time when there were separate lines for Democrats and Republicans. The Democrats' line was a mile long. The Republican's was free and clear. After we all stood there waiting for 45 minutes, a brave young man walked up to the Republican booth and quickly voted. I still recall the cackles and giggles as we pointed and stared at this odd, exotic bird that had come to perch for a brief while.

There’s no Republican party in Berkeley??? That’s about as shocking as their being no Democratic party in the ignorant bumfuck backwater where I grew up. And if you were to compare the two places, intelligence-wise, I wonder how my hometown would stand up against the greater San Francisco area? Hint: not well. Also, boo-hoo, the Democrats sneered over their lattes at the Republican who had the audacity to vote. How would you like to have been a liberal growing up in the town I grew up in? Hint: you wouldn’t. Because I guarantee you, when I was growing up, I would have been thrilled to have only been sneered at.

So maybe you get now how hard it was, how disorienting and destabilizing and crazy making it was, when I realized about 1 1/2 years ago that I no longer believed in liberalism. I walked around in a confused state for weeks. Being a Democrat, a liberal, a far left radical from Berkeley was a big part of my identity. So who the heck was I if I weren't a leftist?

Holy cow, I give up. Who were you? A pirate? A ballerina? A fireman?

And what in the world would I do, given that my husband, all my friends, and all my psychotherapist clients…

Whoa. Hold on. This chick is a psychotherapist?? Are you fucking kidding me?

…and all my psychotherapist clients were liberal and I would be public enemy #1 if I told anyone? Converting from Islam to Judaism, yet still hanging out in front of the old mosque in Kabul, probably would have been easier.

You know, readers, a portrait of the author of this piece is slowly assembling itself before our eyes. Notice the tendency she has to regard herself as a victim of the forces of her life, instead of an actor. Notice that despite having a husband, and friends, and a standing in the community, she feels that her new political beliefs will completely alienate her from others. Ask yourself now why would that be?

After weeks of shuffling around like a zombie, it was time to do something about it. The first step, I decided, was deprogramming myself from decades of liberal propaganda. Out went books by Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, Michael Parenti, and various 9/11 conspiracy books.

Bingo. Got it.

“Various 9/11 conspiracy books.”

Readers, come on, can I smell a pathology, or can’t I?

In came Mark Levin, Ben Stein, Ron Paul, and Ayn Rand.

Told ya.

Plus, geez, could she at least pick an intelligent conservative, like…um…

I heard something vaguely about Talk Radio, so I scanned my AM dial, and found Michael Savage. I was shocked and offended by his diatribes -- but also oddly intrigued. I found many others: Limbaugh, Hannity, Levin, Boortz, Medved, all of whom became my "sponsors" in recovery this last year. I found wonderfully insightful websites like American Thinker.

Hey, it never hurts to kiss the publisher’s ass. And that website’s just moronic enough to be thrilled to be in that kind of company.

To my disbelief, the more I listened and read, the more these folks made sense. For instance, at first I couldn't understand why so many conservatives expressed concern about morality issues, like gay marriage. Berkeley is Lesbian Central, and I know many good hearted gay people.

Does anyone smell a big but coming?

But the more I learned, the more I started getting the larger picture; that conservatives were not necessarily impugning the character of gay people, but they were alarmed at the breakdown of traditional values.

Nice! Classic conservative double-speak! We’re not talking smack about gays…but they are immoral, you know.

If the basic structure of society goes, e.g., traditional marriage, religion, patriotism, common language, what remains? If everything becomes fluid, what is there to hold onto? Without any moral structure and traditions, a society descends into anarchy and mob rule, as it is clearly doing today.

So, not only are there kids on her lawn, but they’re speaking Spanish!

As I educated myself, I started thinking and rethinking. I'd wake up in the middle of the night with the sudden realization that deeply held beliefs made no sense.

Jesus Christ, this woman is frightening.

Take the anti war stance of the left. Noble and sanctimonious and all that.

Yes, yes, I think it was Jesus who said “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sanctimonious pricks.”

But how easy it is to sit back and preach peace when you have an army defending you;…

Right, and how easy is it to preach “thou shalt not kill,” when you have a police force to arrest people when they do it?

…to rail against the U.S. when you are protected by free speech laws;

Which….I believe you are doing right this minute, granny.

to demonize Israel, when you've never lived through the murderous pogroms of Tsarist Russia or the Holocaust.

Or the Left Bank. Or the Gaza Strip.

How hypocritical to lambast Big Business while you are making money from their stocks in your mutual fund portfolio (that is, until Obama took over).

Someone buy this woman a calendar.

And this love affair with Radical Islam -- what's up with that?

Yes, by all means, be sure to paint liberals as “in love” with radical Islam. Because liberals are known worshipers of oppressive patriarchal conservative religions.

I had previously thought of Islam as a quaint, folksy religion.

Wha – seriously? This woman is killing me. Killing!

I had been oblivious of the horrendous treatment of women: the honor killings, beheadings, genital mutilation.

So…this should be a treatise not against being liberal, but against being willfully fucking ignorant.

It now seemed like the height of naivety, if not masochism, to embrace with open arms people who want to kill you.

You know, Grandma Scaredypants, I’d say that is the most sensible thing you’ve written in this whole long tedious-ass essay. The only problem is, no one is saying otherwise, you stupid twat.

God, you bore me.

While as a liberal I was socialized to believe everyone was good, all cultures were the same, and We Are The World, We Are The Children, I began to understand that evil exists…

Alright, I’m cutting this chick off. She’s had more than enough column space here. Suffice it to say that while attempting to hammer her point about liberalism being an immature point of view, she only succeeds in further convincing the reader that she is herself an appallingly immature person, motivated primarily – big fucking surprise - by fear of the unknown.

Plus, can I just say how super wrong it is that anyone who is a practicing psychotherapist is also a 9/11 conspiracy theorist? That horrifies me. I’m not expecting every therapist to be Sigmund Freud in a skirt (although that would be fun), but holy smokes, when you let your own infantile compulsions overcome your critical thinking…should you really be in charge of opening up anyone else’s brain and rooting around?

So, whee, it’s been fun in that tiresome can-you-believe-how-fucking-stupid-someone-can-be kind of way. Have a good weekend, my precious readers. I’ll be back next week.

23 comments:

Moderator said...

Excellent piece of work here. My aunt - a lifelong Democrat - within the last four years has suffered from acute Old Fucker's Syndrome. It's a fear of death, I believe.

jadedj said...

You have answered and rebutted this women's stupid ass assertions exactly as I was thinking while reading her trash. She is a fucking nut, no doubt in my mind. However, I must take issue with the "Old Fuckers Syndrome" statement, by you and Grant above. Please don't misunderstand, I am a fan of yours...even though I don't always comment on your posts. You tell it as it is and mince no words doing so. My issue is, I am an early 60 something flaming liberal socialist, who grew up in North Florida (aka, South Georgia). I have never been anything but flamingl...and always will be. As are all of my friends of my age group.

I was truly surprised to read your take on we older folks above, and I want to point out, I have never know any liberal of my age group who has suddenly, because of some mid-life political crisis related to their bank account, changed to a right wing, bullshit spouting, wingnut. It simply "ain't" so.

Not mad mind you...nor ranting...just saying.

Joe said...

I used to think that this phenomenon seemed to affect many more men hitting a certain age than women. What do I know, I work around a lot of angry middle aged men who started out this way in the first place.

SJ said...

Jadeddj, we have to lump all old fuckers together. It's all we 40-somethings have left. Just like all Alabama has to make fun of is Mississippi.

jadedj said...

SJ, I was a 40 something fart once. Then something strange happened. I woke up with invitations from AARP one day.

My antecedents were from Alabama. Not once do I recall them mentioning Mississippi.

Sorry vikkitikkitavi, didn't mean to take up your air time here.

Unknown said...

Show me a young conservative, and I'll show you a person with no heart.

Show me an old liberal and I'll show you a person with no brain.

vikkitikkitavi said...

Jadedj: Actually, I have several friends whose parents have succumbed to old fucker syndrome. Also many who haven't. If my 70s-ish DadE isn't too busy globetrotting, I'm sure he'll pipe in with his thoughts on this.

Garth said...

I liked the bit about hard-core feminism - it appears that any feminist more outspoken that Sarah Jessica Parker is hard-core.
btw, when did the term 'chick' become acceptable again.

Marshall Park Slope said...

Vikki, thanks for the shout and what an absolute brilliant post! So many great quotes in this one, can't pick just one to highlight, though Grandma Scaredypants was pretty stout!

MW

Dad E said...

I got off on a tangent here trying to respond to reasons why this old age thing produces more conservatism. Then I realized there is something more important to look at here.

It is true that some people become more conservative as they age, BUT, it is also true that some people become more liberal as they age. I doubt that age is the principle cause here.

Example-My wife's son, raised a Jew, is marrying a once divorced Catholic woman. I am thinking her parents were able to challenge their conservative Catholic beliefs into a more liberal accommodation. They are good people with warm hearts.

As a side note, please consider that any time you start to think that, because of your age, you should be acting in a certain way, you are prematurely aging yourself.

jadedj said...

DadE...a most intelligent and well thought out comment. Thank you.

vikkitikkitavi said...

Just to be clear, of course I cannot, no matter how brilliantly I argue otherwise, diagnose by way of political diatribe. And I would never postulate that there is a direct causal relationship between advancing age and conservatism. But I think many more people react to their dwindling number of years, a fact they cannot alter, by subconsciously concluding that the answer to their plight is to resist change and to defend the status quo where they feel they can, than people who react by accepting that they cannot return the world to the place it was, or they perceived it to be, when they were at an age when they felt that their whole lives were ahead of them.

Anonymous said...

Maybe this silly woman just didn't get out much when she lived up north. My little brother lives in a San Fran suburb, and most of his neighbors voted for Bush. Twice.

Johnny Yen said...

I had been oblivious of the horrendous treatment of women: the honor killings, beheadings, genital mutilation.That's funny, because the first place I ever saw any literature decrying the Taliban's brutality toward women was in a lefty, "progressive" bookstore I volunteered at in 1999/2000. I don't recall anybody on the right demanding we send US troops to Afghanistan to end it before 9/11.

She sounds a lot like Bill Kristol, someone who went from uncritically swallowing extreme left Kool-Aid to uncritically swallowing the Far Right flavored stuff without a stop in the middle.

Anonymous said...

Glenn Beck's segment "Arguments with Idiots" needs reviving, as it hasn't been on for 6 months because no one has been willing to take up the cause of Idiocy lately.

Can I count upon you to volunteer for this popular feature of the Glenn Beck Show?

Joe Biden

bubbles said...

Thoroughly enjoyed the post and the comments here! Personally, I get more liberal every year/month/week/day. I consider it a maturity thing. The longer I'm around the more tolerant I become.

I have finally concluded that if your brain is incapable of dealing with the ambiguities (or grey areas) of life, then you must choose a side to cope. Most conservatives seem to need to do this. If you look at life in its entirety you must accept that it is the complexities that make it impossible to judge the way the right does. Example: Right to choose. It is a complex subject numerous variables that weigh against one another, so much so that the ONLY person that can judge / decide what is right for the situation is each woman in her own situation. Too complex and grey for conservatives - too much ambiguity.

With that said, maybe "old fucker syndrome" is a reflection of a person becoming tired of complexity as they age. Just as I get tired of learning yet another new technical gadget. Yet, I force myself so that I can ... I don't know, show the whipper snappers that I'm no old fucker! :-)

JP said...

Berkeley is Lesbian Central, and I know many good hearted gay people. But the more I learned, the more I started getting the larger picture; that conservatives were not necessarily impugning the character of gay people, but they were alarmed at the breakdown of traditional values.This reminds me of a sticker that was once plastered on various signs around Marblehead. It was a simple paper doll-type drawing of a black male paper doll holding hands with a white female paper doll. Under it read the inscription:

"Marblehead Celebrates Diversity...

...but not with my Daughter."

SFNative said...

"In Berkeley, San Francisco, Oakland, and the outlying towns, there is no Republican Party."

Ooh. It just occurred to me. I'm from San Francisco. That means I could actually provide some infromed comment on this.

Let me think now. No republicans in San Francisco. Hmm. No republicans in San Francisco. Ahhhhhhh, BULLSHIT!

Red said...

My grandfather fought in WWII and joined the USAF when it was formed. Mom says she's pretty sure he voted for JFK (we're Catholic), but he undoubtedly voted for Nixon in '68 and '72. When my brother joined the USAF I told my grandfather (then in his mid-80s) that I was afraid he would become a Republican. His respons, "Doesn't he know Republicans are only out for rich people?"

vikkitikkitavi said...

Anon: I'm pretty sure Glenn Beck takes up the cause of idiocy every day.

dguzman said...

I think the clearest evidence of how ignorant and stupid this woman is comes in one line: "While as a liberal I was socialized to believe everyone was good, all cultures were the same, and We Are The World, We Are The Children, I began to understand that evil exists...." No one with any kind of brain believes this, much less do liberals believe this. This woman's just a fucking idiot.

By tackling her idiocy a few lines at a time (until you wanted to explode) you've highlighted what most of us already know: You're better than 99% of the professional pundits out there.

It's a goddamned shame you're not making the money that a Dick Cohen or a Michael Savage is making for their poisonous drooling.

GETkristiLOVE said...

The same thing has happened to a certain Arizona friend of mine.

Anonymous said...

It's nice to see, after the discrimination in the past against Hispanic Justices like Alberto Gonzalez and Miguel Estrada, that Mexicans are no longer discriminated against for judicial appointments?