From the beginning it has been clear to me that the presidential campaign of Barack Obama was different from those of his rivals, with the possible exception of Congressman Ron Paul. These two were not campaigns but rather mass social movements and I have a distrust of mass social movements. In part it stems from the fact that mass social movements tend to believe that they have all the answers to every question, only our way is the correct way, dissent is not tolerated, and the views of the individual are subsumed in the interests of the whole. Mass social movements of a political character that have a goal of achieving and holding political power are inherently dangerous in my view. They tend to become authoritarian. Chavez in Venezuela and Correa in Ecuador are but two of the latest examples.
It is not that I expect Obama to take the United States down the path of a Venezuela but I do wonder about what free speech and dissent would look like under an Obama Administration. Criticize Obama and see what happens to you. His brownshirts attack and attack. Every time that Ambassador Joe Wilson writes an op-ed and it is published on the Huffington Post go and read the comments. Beyond the quantity of expletives, count the times he is told to shut up. Hardly the atmosphere one wants for true discourse. But Obama’s supporters are not interested in discourse, in having a discussion of issues, a debate on policy alternatives. No their goal is political power come what may. And the recent doctoring of the Mickey Kantor video from 1992 shows the level to which they are willing to descend.
And here’s Mayhill Fowler’s latest piece on the Huffington Post. It is a good piece, not necessarily critical of Obama but you wouldn’t know that if you only read the comments:
Ms. Fowler,
Let’s talk ethics. How would you characterize the ethics of a reporter who attends a closed fundrasier as a guest, and surreptiously tapes a candidate’s remarks — comments which are taken completely out of context and then used to derail that person’s candidacy? To me, it shows a lack of integrity.
I’ll say it again–Why are you still here?
Yes, let’s send an American citizen into exile. Discount what was said but blame the messenger.
You are a duplicitous, lying bitch. You hide behind this pretense of support for Obama when you are obviously a Hillay supporter. Why you are allowed to post as if you were neutral, you are a disgrace.
When in doubt, just resort to personal attacks and avoid commenting on what she actually said. What was I said about brownshirts?
Hasn’t this woman gotten fired yet for her biased views and her ignorance in reporting…I’m sorry…ignorance in being untruthful to the American public? Get rid of Fowler. Clinton needs someone to wash her cars.
So who gets to judge truth? Apparently they do. Hence my worry.