No Respect, I Tell You...No Respect At All

A while back, I was challenged by a conservative. "Why do you always refer to Republicans and right-wingers as 'scumbags' or 'assholes'? Why is it that everyone who disagrees with you neccessarily has to be an asshole? Can't they just be someone who thinks differently?"

For a few moments there, I seriously thought he might have a point. Perhaps I am too quick to judge others merely because their attitudes towards politics, government and social issues differ from mine. But eventually, I decided that, no, most right-wingers are just scumbags and assholes. There are exceptions, of course, but non-assholes who persist in defending this administration are dwindling in number.

Take the crew of Little Green Footballs. Oh, man, these guys are scumbags. They're the sort of Bush-defenders and sycophants that will twist anything (anything) to suit their obvious, juvenile agenda. Seriously, these guys are loyal to nothing except the Republican Party. They have no ideals, no original thoughts, and nothing to say that isn't directly downloaded from Karl Rove's Blackberry.

For an example, let's look at the American Friends Service Committee's upcoming "Not One More Death, Not One More Dollar" campaign. Here are the groups making up the AFSC: Gold Star Families for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and Military Families Speak Out. These are, as the names pronounce, organizations made up of military families and veterans. Those who are directly affected by actions like the Iraq War, and those with firsthand experience of the lingering trauma and horror that will no doubt follow this long and dubious occupation.

The AFSC is organizing a series of candlelight vigils and remembrance events which will occur when the 2,000th American soldier dies in Iraq. Such numbers are of themselves significant. Is 2,000 deaths worse than 2,012? We just like round numbers. But it's a symoblic event, a milestone, a way to stop and take stock of the fact that 2 years and 2,000 lives later, we're no closer to the supposed goal of a free and democratic Iraq. (And don't give me this constitutional referendum horseshit...It was a fraud-ridden election which proves nothing about stability, infrastructure, security or the ability of Iraq to prosper as an independent nation).

And what is the take of the bastards down at Little Green Footballs?

The American Friends Service Committee is planning to hold a series of parties all across the country when the 2000th US soldier is killed in Iraq: Not One More Death. Not One More Dollar.

This group of phony pacifists has previously been featured at LGF for an exhibit that callously uses the names of soldiers killed in Iraq, without asking permission from their families.

That last line refers to an incident in which the AFSC sponsored an art exhibit that displayed the boots of fallen soldiers, along with a small caption indicating the dead soldier's name. Apparently, not all of the families of the dead soldiers were asked permission for their child's name to be used.

What's the connection between these two events? There is none. What's the evidence for calling the AFSC, a group made up of members and the families of members of the American armed forces, a group of phony pacifists? Are they phonies? Are they not really pacifists? Why? LGF has no real message - it's just a random, generic smear for the sake of a smear.

But what's truly nefarious is referring to a candelight vigil for 2,000 dead soldiers as a party. A party? I've read the entire AFSC website describing the event, and nowhere do I see mention of cake, balloons, pinning the tail on a donkey, silly hats, noisemakers, champagne, Spin the Bottle, 7 Minutes in Heaven, bobbing for apples, necking with the girl who answers the phones in the supply room, white elephant gifts, punch, keg beer, chicken wings, pizza or costumes.

In fact, there's no suggestions at all for what type of event people should hold in their communities. The group is simply suggesting that Americans get together to discuss the fact that 2,000 of their fellow citizens have died. That's it. To Little Green Footballs, that sounds like a good time. Like a party.

I'd say they were a bunch of sick fucks, but I realize that even they don't believe the AFSC is encouraging people to celebrate. They know better. They're just hoping someone out there is stupid enough to believe it. If even one person reads their dumbass site and says to themselves, "Yeah, those liberal scumbags...Celebrating the deaths of American soldiers...I'm going to continue supporting this pointless war, just to show 'em!," then their work is done.