In a new Facebook treatise, Sarah Palin has proven again how oblivious she is to reality.
The essay begins by criticizing President Obama for remarks he didn’t make. Palin, and much of the conservative noise machine, is aghast that Teamsters President James Hoffa, Jr. gave a speech with colorful rhetoric about “going to war” against anti-labor right-wingers and “taking out” the Tea Party “sons-of-bitches” in congress in the next election. In the post-Giffords era it is unwise to use such provocative language. But for Palin, who still defends her brazenly hostile admonition, “Don’t Retreat – Reload,” to complain about it is an Olympian feat of hypocrisy.
Then Palin begins the third paragraph with something that actually sounds reasonable:
“To the same degree Americans are concerned about irresponsible, greedy corporate execs who got cushy bonuses from taxpayer-funded bailouts…”
That’s a pretty enlightened comment from a Republican. The problem is that she and her GOP pals have never before accepted the notion that corporate execs are greedy and irresponsible, even though the American people have known it for some time. But Palin spoils the moment with the remainder of her sentence:
“…we should also be concerned about greedy union bosses who are willing to tank our economy just to protect their own power.”
Here we have a small lapse in logic in that Palin provides no evidence that union bosses are doing any such thing. And since union bosses become bosses through union elections, union members are confident that their chosen leaders are working on their behalf. And if you listen to folks like Hoffa you can always hear their passion for policies that benefit labor, as opposed to Palin’s agenda of further enriching the wealthy and powerful. Palin goes on to make the ludicrous comment that union leaders are…
“…chasing American industry offshore by making outrageous, economically illogical demands that they know will never work.”
Why would they do that? How would it help them to retain their power, which is what Palin asserts is their motive? If What Palin says is true, then union leaders could just as easily support her agenda and produce more jobs, which would produce more union dues and the loyalty of members. So once again, Palin’s critique is utterly devoid of logic.
Then Palin really goes off the rails. She makes some sort of connection between union leaders and their “politically aligned corporate friends.” Since when were union leaders and corporate honchos friends? And Palin continues into fairytale land where Obama is both a socialist and a corporatist:
“This collusion is at the heart of Obama’s economic vision for America. In practice it is socialism for the very rich and the very poor, but a brutal form of capitalism for the rest of us.”
The gist of Palin’s argument is that Obama of advocating spreading the wealth to poor people via services to prevent them from starving, becoming homeless, or dying from lack of medical care. And she also accuses him of socialist advocacy for the rich via bailouts and cutting back on regulations. Unfortunately for Palin, Obama never signed a bailout bill. That was George Bush’s baby. And as for regulations, she is trying to have it both ways by accusing Obama of giving in to the corporations on regulatory policy at the same time as she is criticizing the administration for executing too may regulations. This peculiar schizophrenia is summed up in her next paragraph:
“Ask yourself if the folks you heard demonize concerned, independent Americans [her name for Tea Baggers] yesterday really speak for the working class when they’re all too happy to burden your families with the bill to bail out the President’s friends on Wall Street.”
Really? The union bosses are happy to bail out Wall Street bankers? Since when? Where does she get this stuff? I’m beginning to get worried about her. From this bit of dementia she segues to an insinuation that Obama is guilty of graft and cronyism simply because he lived in Chicago for awhile. She provides no proof, of course. It is just the most vile brand of guilt by association, which she says “isn’t just the result of a few bad apples. It’s the nature of a skewed system.” So, according to her, everybody’s guilty.
This long-winded assault on working people, and the leaders of the union movement that supports them, is Palin’s way of endearing herself to the group. I’m afraid she is not going to have much success with that plan. American labor isn’t stupid and they know when someone is trying to use and manipulate them. They know who their champions are, as well as their enemies. And without any doubt, they know who the sons-of-bitches are who would lie to them on behalf of the corporate masters that seek only to exploit them for greater wealth. Give it up, Sarah. It isn’t gonna work.
“…hostile admonition, ‘Don’t retreat, reload…”
That’s called a metaphor. Just like when Barack Obama once said, “If they bring a knife, we bring a gun.” That was also a metaphor. I will be generous and proclaim that Hoffa’s profane statement was also a metaphor – although it was really stupid and politically tone-deaf, especially when you think about the Hoffa legacy of thuggery. By the way, were there any children in the audience?
The Olymian feat of hypocrisy is coming from the left on this incident.
You are making my point, Poindexter.
Speaking of “thuggery”… have you seen the latest:
“Exclusive Audio: Inside the Koch Brothers’ Secret Seminar” – by Brad Friedman:
“”We have Saddam Hussein,” declared billionaire industrialist Charles Koch, apparently referring to President Barack Obama as he welcomed hundreds of wealthy guests to the latest of the secret fundraising and strategy seminars he and his brother host twice a year. The 2012 elections, he warned, will be ‘the mother of all wars.’ [snip]
Charles spoke again the next evening, following a keynote speech by Fox News host and retired New Jersey Superior Court Judge Andrew P. Napolitano. The judge didn’t stray far from his usual libertarian fare; he was met with hardy approval when he declared that the Second Amendment was created to ensure ‘the right to shoot at the government if it is taken over by tyrants.'”
LISTEN: http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/09/exclusive-audio-koch-brothers-seminar-tapes
OMG these people are nucking futs.
I can not see how this idiot could have any appeal to anyone? But, when it comes right down to it, the front runner in the GOP race-Rick Perry is just about as dumb. Palin says all kinds of ridiculous and outrageous things and demonstrates a totally disconnected thought process. I hope you’re right about the union members not being dumb enought to support someone like her or Perry, but they were dumb enough to support Reagan back in the day. Look what that got them.