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    Civility Is Not for the Little People

    What is "civility?" The media daily bemoans its absence from our public discourse. How uncivil! How rude! On the other hand, people are allowed to libel certain public figures with impunity and no complaints.

    This morning, Chris Matthews got tired of the pearl-clutching and accused RNC chairman Reince Preibus, who was bemoaning the "incivility" of the Obama campaign, of leading a party that's playing the race card at every hand. (Video below.) He did this because the Republicans have been playing the race card at every hand.

    As Ta-Nehisi Coates notes in disgust, a number of other panelists on the TV show were trying to interrupt Matthews, to "calm him down" (or in fact, to shut him down), although he had a pretty good point and Preibus had no defense. In fact, it was all the more important for the other talking heads to defend Preibus because he could not defend himself. Because let's remember what civility is.

    "Civility" here means politeness among perceived equals.

    Calling an equal out for mistreatment of people who are imagined as social inferiors is taboo as "uncivil." The rule is that you don't give offense to people of your own class, which includes not being "rude" about how they treat people "below" your class.

    It works like this: "How can you make such a terrible fuss and ruin everyone's evening over the way your hostess treats her maids? What do you care about her maids? You owe your hosts some proper courtesy!"

    Or: "Why would you throw away such a good friendship over one little remark to a beggar?"

    Or: "Isn't it a shame that these abolitionists are trying to turn white people against each other, just for the sake of a few Negroes. We should do everything we can to promote harmony between the states."

    This is why calling someone a racist is currently taken as the ultimate social transgression among prosperous, educated Americans, where actually being a racist is often politely ignored. Except, of course, when the person being accused of racism is black. Then they need to be publicly punished in the name of good manners.

    This form of "civility" is not about how you treat people you consider below you. The little people are not entitled to it. It is a respect given only to one's equals.

     

     

     

    Comments

    The retort, "are you calling me a racist?" has, in certain circumstances, become more pointed than legitimately calling somebody a racist.


    I just say, "Yes, I am. And here's why..."


    GREAT fucking video.

    He had that sniveling little asshole, RB, pinned and wriggling on the wall.

    Brokaw, who's ready for the glue factory, had to say, "both parties do it," cough, cough, but, but, but.

    Saw a shortened version of the clip that didn't have the "European" segment, which was even better than the first part because RB stepped in it right there and there was no putting it off as a "joke."


    Republicans count on civility. Mitt Romney can lie to any reporter because of civility.Ann Romney can actually get upset that Mitt is not taken at his word on taxes because of civility. Aunt Sam has written repeatedly about the media not doing follow up questions in the face of bald faced lies.

    If you are not making your own attempts to do fact checking on certain issues, don't count on our current news media to be helpful.

    On an ominous note, local news stations make a great deal of money from political ad dollars.Can we expect corporate owned entities to do fact checking of political ads backed by other corporations who are delivering a source of income?

    The medias has lost its watchdog status.


    I've been seeing more of this type of thing with Soledad O'brian and Anderson Cooper. Copper by the way, holding democrat Debbie Wasserman's feet to the fire.We need more of this and if its done well it can actually improve our discourse.

    The media has a role to play in this game. They are not meant to be passive observers or foils used by politicians to get out their talking points. At their best journalists on news programs should be non partisan fact finders and truth tellers. When they are lied to by politicians they should confront them with the truth.

    Its a much more difficult path to walk. They'll have to actually know the facts to speak the facts in the face of lies. But damn it, they're getting paid enough to do the hard work.Its their god damn job and its about time they do it.


    I'm not a big Wassermn-Schultz fan, but it seems to me that Cooper was unfair.  If Romney is he Republican nominee, then he can darn well be asked to explain his lack of influence on the platform.


    I agree destor, if that was what Cooper was talking about. But that's not what it was about. Wasserman tried to make it about that to avoid Cooper's question. Cooper was calling  her out on the use of a four word partial sentence out of context quote.

    I actually am a Wasserman "fan." I think she mostly does pretty good for the democrats in interview situations.Much better than Maddow. Maddow is good on her show but when ever I see her  in  a round table discussion she blows it most every time.

    Sure this wasn't the most egregious misquote in this campaign season. But I have a real problem when anyone takes 4 words out of a sentence to use as a quote to defend or attack someone. Use the whole damn sentence at least, preferably two or three sentences to place it in context.


    Is it possible to express outrage utilizing civility and have the message make the same cogent impact?

    I ask because:  for many, although Matthews was obviously angry and yes, impassioned, he was able to clearly articulate the issues.  Yet, for many his 'outrage' upstaged the message (I'm sure some use this as attempt to diminish and negate both him and his message). 

    I am of the belief that there is too little outrage being expressed about the ongoing lies, misrepresentations and character assassinations stated on a regular basis.  To confront them, instead of considered righteous, is being touted as impolite and impolitic.  I disagree. 


    I was more outraged by Tom Brokaw. Brokaw was not sure that the birth certificate comment was not a bad joke told by Romney. Browkaw repeated this meme on the Last word. fellow panelist Jonathan Capehart pointed out that the crowd did not laugh, but cheered.Romney soaked in the applause, he was not laughing. Brokaw is no longer a trusted observer of modern culture.. He has passed his sell by date.

    The GOP is happy to have stenographers like, Mika B, Scarborough and the retired Brokaw. When Romney surrogates do appear in Black news media programs, the GOP representatives routinely embarrass themselves because the surrogates can't answer probing questions.. How has the RNC chair not been questioned about voter suppression at every opportunity?

     


    And it's about time isn't it Doc, it's about time someone called Republicans out for what they are doing, because what they are doing is disgusting.

    What is worse is Republicans are very willing to play to the worst in people, in fact they want to stoke fear in people who are already afraid of everything they don't understand.

    They've been using the "not one of us", "takes his cues from Europe", but even worse the commercials that dig up the old meme's of African Americans as only wanting government handouts. Mitt Romney said it himself after he left the NAACP meeting, where he bombed and brought his hate, his racism, and made sure the people in Montana know that it is African Americans and other brown people who want handouts from the government, not white people, who pull themselves up by their jock straps, pave their own roads, do everything themselves without the help of government! It isn't true of course, but there is a certain segment of America who believes that kind of drivel. I do think that Mitt doesn't care about stoking hate and keeping hate out there, because he thinks it will help him win an election.

    The more things change the more one party wants everything to stay the same. And what that party wants is to win at any cost, and they will do it at the expense of the country and particularly at the expense of people who are not white.  They are awful people.

    Anyway, the video is epic and Matthews said it, he called them what they are, racist. I am glad finally they've been called on it, yes it did make them uncomfortable, hahahahaha... yes it did.


    Oh, yeah!  Can't get enough of that wonderful stuff.  The Republicans can pretend that this was just a teeny tiny blip on the screen but here's my prediction:  The Newsheeple will see all the attention Matthews' tirade is getting and will give it a try.  It'll take the GOPers a while to realize they're getting nowhere with these guys, so until then they'll go on those shows thinking they can outsmart anybody, and their minions will go on the forums pretending that the GOPers smacked down the TV host, but in the end it'll be like Joe McCarthy finally getting noticed for the cruel little man he was. 

    Vindication--it's divine.  Even if it is a long time coming.


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