Comments on: Liberal Media

By: anaceofkidneys

anaceofkidneys — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:26:55 +0000

What? We’re not the ones who say Obama’s a fascist… that’s the tea party conservatives’ rallying cry. I wish Obama was further to the left, but I definitely do not think he’s a fascist.

By: Mitch4

Mitch4 — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:44:56 +0000

Personal to Tim O’Shenko …. Are you the same Timoshenko with whom I shared an office in the AI Lab, and who went on to write books on PHP?

By: turquoise cow

turquoise cow — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:51:39 +0000

is it possible the cartoonist is using the word “liberal” in a connotation other than the political one? Perhaps by “liberal” he simply means more along the lines of free and open to say whatever the feel like. This is opposed to a “conservative” media, which would be more polite about what they say, more interested in political correctness.

exactly what that has to do with the bear statue or the oddly shaped television, i don’t know.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:24:26 +0000

Mitch-4 you are right , the radical left does not look kindly on liberals and never have, perhaps that is why it was so easy to make liberal a dirty word, no one would defend it. I will confirm my geezerhood for all time by point out a satirical 60’s folk song By Phil Ochs that denagrated liberals called “Love me I’m a liberal” . In it he takes liberals to task for all the failings you mention.

Lord Jubjub — I have had a few email exchanges with Mike Stanfill (the artist) and I know him well enough to know that he does NOT consider NAMBLA a liberal organization. As to the news coming out of France … since I haven’t heard it I can’t comment on what his thoughts on that might or might not be.

It is not for me to label people, but it is safe to say that Mike Stanfill is very far to the left of center, thereby the comics name … The Far Left Side

By: Lord Jubjub

Lord Jubjub — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:55:25 +0000

Regardless of the talking points from the TV, the joke clearly is the reference to a French-looking individual carving Pedobear. It appears that the cartoonist considers NAMBLA a liberal organization–or snide comment about recent news from France concerning the boys in Thailand.

By: Mitch4

Mitch4 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:38:01 +0000

Elyrest at #19 has it right. But the cartoonist has it wrong. All the remarks coming from the radio would be possible for left radicals, but not from liberals. Radicals see liberals as watered-down, compromising, not stepping up to the full consequences of the overall left-of-center positions (which they share to some large extent). And thus the radical critique of Obama would be that he is liberal — merely liberal, only liberal, settling for liberal, failing to be more radical.

This understanding of the spectrum was at one time taken for granted and understood by all. But today’s Right has wanted to vilify everything on the Left, and one tool or step in that is turning the label Liberal to mean anything on the Left and indeed including or especially what we (with a longer historical horizon) are calling radical. Thus they can employ a term like “ultra-liberal”, which barely makes sense in the correct spectrum view. And the cartoonist just adds to the muddle, by having the radio give radical views but labelling them liberal (just as the rightists would).

By: TonyJazz

TonyJazz — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:30:17 +0000

The Yankees comment would have hit truer if it were replaced with NASCAR.

I am amused that no one seems to ‘get’ the drawing. (I don’t either.) I count on these posters to help me understand some of the comics that don’t make sense to me due to a lack of knowledge (or memory)…..

By: Paperboy

Paperboy — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:22:53 +0000

DPWally, I stand corrected.

By: src666

src666 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:16:29 +0000

Then again, most “conservatives” are _also_ centrists. The general population is really not so far apart on most issues. It’s the way the extremes of both parties play to the few wedge issues that makes the political landscape look so contentious. Also, the fact that the wingnuts are more likely to want to stand up in front of a TV camera.

By: DPWally

DPWally — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:14:10 +0000

Paperboy: For there to be a “liberal platform” there would have to be a Liberal party. A generalized ideological leaning isn’t an organization and can’t have a platform.

(My state (NY) has a Liberal party, but as far as I can tell their platform is to find a candidate willing to be endorsed. Ditto the state Conservative party, Working Families party, and Independence party.)