War of Lies
Many conservatives adore Joe Wilson for shouting “You lie!” at President Obama, but some — some of the same ones — have no qualms about using untruth and distortion themselves as a weapon in what they see as an all-out war.
When a conservative (David Frum) points out that another conservative (Glenn Beck) has deployed an untruth, a third conservative (David Horowitz) defends the tactic. In Frum’s account:
Horowitz agrees that Beck’s attack on Sunstein was false. Yet that falsehood does not worry Horowitz. The country is “under assault.” (As the broadcaster Mark Levin has said, President Obama is “literally at war” with the American people.) In a war, truth must yield to the imperatives of victory. Any conservative qualms about the untruth of Beck’s defamation of Sunstein amounts to “appeasement” – an appeasement that will end with the left decapitating the right. [Frum then editorializes sardonically:] This is the language and logic of Leninism. There is no truth or falsehood comrades, there is only service to the revolution or betrayal of the revolution.
How can you justify using the same tactics you decry in your opponent? It’s simple: “We’re right and they’re wrong!” “The end justifies the means!”
But that’s what both sides are saying. That’s what both sides believe.
I don’t want either one governing me!!
Man, if I were one of our enemies, I’d be rubbing my hands together exultantly to see so many Americans indulging in the lethal luxury of a soccer-hooligan-level war with each other.
Ambiance 
Charlie (Colorado) said,
September 15, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Now you’re well on your way to the core of libertarianism. I don’t want anyone governing me.
On the other hand, isn’t whether Sunstein is a “raving leftist” kind of a point of opinion? Beck is not, as far as I can tell, exactly a wizard of nuance (hmm, there’s a title, I wonder what the story is?) but Sunstein certainly has some unusual and controversial positions. Some of them I even agree with — giving at least some animals some kind of limited standing in court in themselves might make some sense — but then I regularly get called a leftist at Edgelings.
The point is that if Beck is basing his opinion on things Sunstein has actually written or verifiably said, then Beck might be a nut, but he’s not lying.
trooper york said,
September 17, 2009 at 7:25 pm
It’s like when Roger Clemens was on the Yankees. You might really, really hate the guy but he is on your team. So you have to sort of defend him. Look at the good stuff he does and minimize the bad. If he helps you win than it is worth it. He stays on the team as long as the good he does does not totally out weigh the problems he causes.
See Rodman, Dennis. Dobler, Conrad. Roth, David Lee. Torrecili, Robert.
Oh yeah and a big bushel basket of ACORN’S.
amba said,
September 17, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Part of the price you pay for being on a team.
Melinda said,
September 17, 2009 at 10:25 pm
Being a registered independent in NYC is like cutting off your nose to spite your face, since a lot of contests are decided at the primary level. (For D.A., there weren’t even any Republicans running.)
trooper york said,
September 18, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Hey that’s why I am a registered Democrat. I get to vote in the primary for the worst guy
like when I vote for the National League for the All Star Game.
trooper york said,
September 18, 2009 at 5:54 pm
And we are all on teams. It’s just that some are bigger than others.
amba said,
September 18, 2009 at 7:01 pm
I guess. To be human is to be on a team.