Good As You

My eyes are getting sore from every time I see people confusing criticism with a quashing of speech and end up rolling them nearly out of their sockets.

Me: "I think your views against my right to marry are absurd, and here's why: {.....}"

Them: "Funny how all you liberals are always talking about freedom of speech until it's something you don't agree with!"

AAAUUUGHGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

The annoying thing, C.E., is that people like Maggie Gallagher certainly understand that criticism is valid and needed. But rather than foster that mindset with the public, she and her ilk have led countless many into following the logic that you suggest: That pro-gay pushback = the stifling of conservative speech.

They of course do this because it works with their base. I just don't see how they can be at peace with their disingenuous work.

In December, Keith Olbermann really pwnt the Right-wingers who say their right to free speech has been quashed.

"they can go on the Orly Taitz Limbaugh show where Orly will insist that conservatives have no voice in the media, or go on the Sean Hannity show will Sean will insist that conservatives have no voice in the media, or go on Cluster Fox and Friends where Brian Kilmeade will insist that conservatives have no voice in the media, or go on Mike Huckabee’s show, where Mike will insist conservatives have no voice in the media, or go on G. Gordon Liddy’s radio show where G will insist conservatives have no voice in the media, or go on Michael Medved’s show where Michael will insist conservatives have no voice in the media, or go on Mark Levin’s high pitched radio show where Mark will insist conservatives have no high pitched voice in the media, or go on the Neal Boortz show where Neal will insist conservatives have no voice in the media…"

And that's just the beginning - he goes on to list every famous conservative who has no voice in the media. I'd post a youtube link, but I can't go there from this computer, so here's the source for what I copied: http://www.politicususa.com/en/Olbermann-Media-Bias

"They of course do this because it works with their base. I just don't see how they can be at peace with their disingenuous work."

Because they have no souls! They have no conscience; they could not be bothered to think of anything but themselves. And, their every action is to deceive others into the same vicious mindset.

But, you know, I've spent some time pondering this question, and I really don't see how this works for them in the long run. Short term, it pretty much fans the flames for the base... a base that is dwindling in numbers every day. But, the whole premise of "religion" is to distract the sheeple from the fact that they have no control over their circumstances. That submission to this unwavering, unyielding external force comes with a rather profound form of internal peace.

When one realizes that extraneous items, belongings, wants or desires will never materialize (and even if they do, they will never make them happy), a rather calming contentment settles in. And all of religion exploits that "contentment". And further promises that after a life of servitude, eventually those unrealized desires will all be fulfilled. So, not only are they distracted from their circumstances, but they are given a prize at death (that can never be proven to exist or disproven for that matter). It's the perfect setup for the grifter in need of a mark.

But, now we see these voraciously aggressive instigators (like NOM) who are, more than anything else, chipping away at that firmly established notion that those external forces are intractable. They are destroying the primary edifice that ensures that those sheeple are content. They are instead offering the contrary opinion that the only way that one can be happy/content/at peace is if they fight for, and achieve political goals.

One thing that we are all too familiar with is that political winds change, and a gain yesterday is never an assurance that future changes will not undo those gains. So, now, NOM, et al., have instilled this new mindset - the conquer and win modality. And, while that may work for a very short time, it is, at it's core, antithetical to religion. This island of blissful contentment, is now threatened with a rising tide of discontentment - because the 'bliss' is based on defeating some enemy, or winning some prize, or achieving some something - none of which lead to happiness.

One would think that the swindlers would see what is happening and that it is ruinous to their empire. And that they would distance themselves from the agitators - like NOM. But, for the most part, they seem blinded by the desire for momentary fulfillment of their lust for money, greed, power. . .

"Liberal groups" don't need to discredit their ads. The ads discredit themselves. NOM put themselves in the national spotlight with their hateful and lie-filled "Gathering Storm" ad. Now that they have everyone's attention they're angry that they're getting legitimate criticism rather than just sycophantic adulation from their (smaller than they claim) fan base.