Liberal mockery

Truly, one of the surefire ways to get a letter published in the Oklahoman is to simply attack "liberals" with some sort of history lesson. We've seen it time and again, and we get another such letter today. Today's is from Richard Day of Nichols Hills, who we've seen earlier complain about, "elitists" and taxation. Any guess what today's letter is about?

What motivates elitist liberals to do what they do? The most usual reason given has been that it makes them feel good. As an example, they would aggressively support a 3,912-page bill guaranteeing support and respect for puppies and wildflowers. Buried deep within it will be a provision calling for a tax on individuals earning more than some arbitrary amount, with the proceeds dedicated to the creation of a Puppy and Wildflower Authority.

Hey! If you said "elitists" and "taxation" then you are RIGHT!!!

But seriously,  this is a horrible letter for so many reasons. Would the Oklahoman EVER run a letter that begins with "What motivates simple-minded conservatives to do what the do?"? Of course not. And obviously no real newspaper would run a letter where the author offers such an hackneyed and insulting answer to a totally fatuous question.



Moreover, Mr Day's "example" is truly nothing but a mockery. I mean, "puppies and wildflowers"?? Come ON. At this point, Mr Day's argument-- let's pretend here that he actually had one-- is ruined. Reducing the left's stance on wanting to help the less fortunate and protect the environment to "puppies and wildflowers" is so pathetic, as is introducing the other basic AM talk radio-crafted stereotypes and tropes (Massive legislation!  Arbitrary taxes on the rich makers! Government regulation!). The whole point of this letter is just to insult he left-- which is exactly what the Oklahoman's editors want.



Mr Day continues:

Elitist liberals are rarely concerned with this sort of collateral damage and routinely go about celebrating their successful advocacy with festive dinners and fundraising. While the above example may be an obvious overreach, it does bring us to this unanswered question: Why do successful, rational people seem absolutely determined to go about feeling good in this particular way?

Oh, this is great: so now things like taxes and regulation are "collateral damage" to "feel-good" aims that "elitists" are just too clueless to care about. Instead, they just have "festive dinners" and do "fundraising"-- because, you know, conservatives NEVER do such things!!



And I love this: "While the above example may be an obvious overreach"-- uh, no. This is not an example of overreach. If you're going to use rhetorical devices-- and god knows every fucking right-wing nut-job who writes in to the Oklahoman feels compelled to use rhetorical devices-- at least know the term for the device you're using. This is more an example of hyperbole. Or, just being a jackass. Is that a term? Is should be.



Anyhow, we now get to the "unanswered question" that he asked before-- keeping in mind, of course, that the whole question is just an attack on the left, saying, in effect, "I think that liberals are shitty at being do-gooders because they tax rich people like me for no reason!" Can it get worse?

Sure!

This country possesses an astonishing array of organizations, far removed from the heavy hand of government, where ordinary citizens regularly find constructive fulfillment. In 1838, a young Abraham Lincoln delivered a speech known as his Lyceum Address. Lincoln predicted that there would come a day when individuals of great ambition and intelligence would no longer be content to build on or serve within a time-honored heritage handed down to them and would instead seek distinction by tearing it down.

HOORAY FOR THE HISTORY LESSON! Nothing gets conservatives more elated than when they can invoke some long-dead President or "Founding Father"! And what is our history lesson today? A Lincoln speech complaining about the ills of the pro-slavery crowd. Somehow-- but this isn't a surprise, considering the mentality of the modern GOP-- this translates to "liberals" who would "seek distinction by tearing .... down" some "time-honored heritage."

But what the fuck is he talking about?!? Read the speech. Where on earth do "elitist liberals" come into play? And fuck, couldn't we imagine that certain people who were spectacularly wrong and absolutely lied about certain invasions exactly the sort of wannabe-Caesars that Lincoln was referring to?!?

It takes a truly delusional man to read Lincoln's speech and imagine he must be talking about elitist liberals here! indeed. (And let's make no mistake about who Mr Day is-- the Oklahoman LOVES OG&E and obviously will run whatever shit this plutocrat Big Energy asshole writes.)

So end the end we get a pointless letter wrapped up in some Amaericana garb that serves to do nothing but push tired stereotypes and insult those on the left. It's a typical letter for the Oklahoman, as the Oklahoman is a shitty paper that exists largely to push tired stereotypes and insult those on the left. One would hope that the state had a real newspaper that really gave a shit about its readers, but those people will for now have to wait in vain.