When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross
-Upton Sinclair
Like many other socialists, both past and present, it turns out Upton was wrong. Earlier this week, the already far left organization MoveOn.org took a sharp turn towards the brink of insanity when it published a full page ad in the New York Times labeling General Petraeus "General Betray Us" before he gave testimony to Congress that his strategy in Iraq is working. The group and its many followers atest that because the General will testify in said fashion, he is a traitor because they do not agree with this assessment. If someone disagrees with you-then they are a betrayer-the hallmark of any totalitarian political movement. It goes without saying that this description of a proven and honorable American military commander leading men in the field is despicable, grotesque, foul, and any other adjective one might imagine. What is truly disturbing is not that a group of people have said such a thing, but that such an organization can have tangible influence in this day and age.
General Petreaus was confirmed by the Senate 81-0. I remember his confirmation hearing as if it was yesterday. Every Democrat who questioned, and voted for this man wished the General "God Speed" and "the very best." None of the Democrats who chaired their committees yesterday dared distance themselves too far from the attack ad. John Kerry was the closest to a denunciation, saying "I didn't like it" and "it was over the top" with an unnamed senior Democratic aide saying it was "an unnecessary distraction." How glib. Despite the fact that their Republican colleagues along with Senator Lieberman called on them to denounce the ad, none of the Democratic leadership dared to come close. Again, General Petraeus was confirmed 81-0 by a Democratic controlled Congress, this needs to be made crystal clear.
I don't think many leaders in the Democratic party agree with this assesment. In fact, I think (at least I'd like to think) that many would like to condemn it whole heartedly. Evidently, thanks in part to MoveOn.orgs clout, this is no longer possible. What was once a small organization to fight against the impeachment of President Clinton, MoveOn is now a well oiled political attack machine, which will go to great lengths to punish any of the Democratic leadership which opposes its views. “You’ve got to reject Michael Moore and the MoveOn crowd,” Al From, of the Democratic Leadership Council, remarked, calling MoveOn’s members “elites, people who sit in their basements all the time and play on their computers.” Other critics noticed that MoveOn attracted a membership that was mostly white, well-to-do, far-to-the-left, and not entirely representative of the Democratic party as a whole. This spells trouble. There are many Democrats out there who do not heed the far left line. Bob Casey, Jim Webb, Jon Tester, (former Democrat) Joe Lieberman, just to name a few in the Senate. The startling affect however is that centrist men such as these (except for Joe) are afraid to break from the radical organization because of the political, and just as importantly, financial ramifications MoveOn has the ability to inflict.
Thankfully, MoveOn has had limited success thus far. Regardless, the trend which they are developing is frightening, not because I personally am afraid they will eventually take the lead in American politics. Quite the opposite, I'm certain that most Americans reject their way of thinking. What is concerning is the tactics this group is using are becoming mainstream, and that even, if just a few, Americans have subscribed to this perverse ideology. As one of MoveOn.org's managers put it before the 2004 election regarding the Democratic Party: "Now its our party; we bought it, we own it, we're going to take it back." They certainly have.
-Upton Sinclair
Like many other socialists, both past and present, it turns out Upton was wrong. Earlier this week, the already far left organization MoveOn.org took a sharp turn towards the brink of insanity when it published a full page ad in the New York Times labeling General Petraeus "General Betray Us" before he gave testimony to Congress that his strategy in Iraq is working. The group and its many followers atest that because the General will testify in said fashion, he is a traitor because they do not agree with this assessment. If someone disagrees with you-then they are a betrayer-the hallmark of any totalitarian political movement. It goes without saying that this description of a proven and honorable American military commander leading men in the field is despicable, grotesque, foul, and any other adjective one might imagine. What is truly disturbing is not that a group of people have said such a thing, but that such an organization can have tangible influence in this day and age.
General Petreaus was confirmed by the Senate 81-0. I remember his confirmation hearing as if it was yesterday. Every Democrat who questioned, and voted for this man wished the General "God Speed" and "the very best." None of the Democrats who chaired their committees yesterday dared distance themselves too far from the attack ad. John Kerry was the closest to a denunciation, saying "I didn't like it" and "it was over the top" with an unnamed senior Democratic aide saying it was "an unnecessary distraction." How glib. Despite the fact that their Republican colleagues along with Senator Lieberman called on them to denounce the ad, none of the Democratic leadership dared to come close. Again, General Petraeus was confirmed 81-0 by a Democratic controlled Congress, this needs to be made crystal clear.
I don't think many leaders in the Democratic party agree with this assesment. In fact, I think (at least I'd like to think) that many would like to condemn it whole heartedly. Evidently, thanks in part to MoveOn.orgs clout, this is no longer possible. What was once a small organization to fight against the impeachment of President Clinton, MoveOn is now a well oiled political attack machine, which will go to great lengths to punish any of the Democratic leadership which opposes its views. “You’ve got to reject Michael Moore and the MoveOn crowd,” Al From, of the Democratic Leadership Council, remarked, calling MoveOn’s members “elites, people who sit in their basements all the time and play on their computers.” Other critics noticed that MoveOn attracted a membership that was mostly white, well-to-do, far-to-the-left, and not entirely representative of the Democratic party as a whole. This spells trouble. There are many Democrats out there who do not heed the far left line. Bob Casey, Jim Webb, Jon Tester, (former Democrat) Joe Lieberman, just to name a few in the Senate. The startling affect however is that centrist men such as these (except for Joe) are afraid to break from the radical organization because of the political, and just as importantly, financial ramifications MoveOn has the ability to inflict.
Thankfully, MoveOn has had limited success thus far. Regardless, the trend which they are developing is frightening, not because I personally am afraid they will eventually take the lead in American politics. Quite the opposite, I'm certain that most Americans reject their way of thinking. What is concerning is the tactics this group is using are becoming mainstream, and that even, if just a few, Americans have subscribed to this perverse ideology. As one of MoveOn.org's managers put it before the 2004 election regarding the Democratic Party: "Now its our party; we bought it, we own it, we're going to take it back." They certainly have.
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