If the Repubs are serious about civility in politics, ....

[kentuck]

they will do something about Rush Limbaugh and his type on talk radio and cable television. There cannot be any civility as long as we have these leeches poisoning the airwaves and the minds of decent Americans. If they want these un-American assholes to stay on the air, they need to restore the Fairness Doctrine. The other side deserves the right to respond when outright lies and distortions are made over the airwaves that belong to us all. If they do not wish to go along with that restoration, there can be no civility. It is their decision to make. We can no longer remain silent and let these dog turds tear down our country and the people that have built it to what it is today. And what has been built is 1000 times better than what they plan to replace it with. We cannot accept it. Our compromise is to restore the Fairness Doctrine. And that is not censorship - that is giving equal time to both sides - whenever they feel they have been slighted.

[fdr_hst_fan]

1. Hear, hear! Down with the vulgar Pigboy,

and all his wannabes!

[chelsea0011]

2. Who said they cared about civility?

It's been a Clinton bash-a-thon going on for the last couple of days. You'd Clinton was rtesponsible for death of thousands and billions for cronies.

[tom_paine]

3. They are as serious about civility as Hitler and Stalin

Exactly as much. They more or less feel that the most civil are those who's voices are denied or who are dead.

Don't kid yourself. Their ultimate plan for us (carried out likely during the reign of Caligula or Nero Bush some decades from now) will fall along those lines.

[MissRegina]

4. Liberals are responding

through Air America. I think there is equal representation going on on the airwaves.

[kentuck]

6. A dozen stations on the Internet hardly balances 600 stations on AM radio

Sorry. Even if Al Franken beats Rush in NYC, there is still the rest of America...

[Mike Niendorff]

13. hear hear.

It's a start, but that's all it is. The only way to hear AAR in most areas of America is through Sirius. Meanwhile, the whole AM dial is populated, coast-to-coast, with radical RW propaganda shows. To call such a situation "balanced" is utterly laughable.


MDN

[Cyrano]

5. But they're not serious about bringing civility back to politics

Nor are they interested in restoring the fairness document. It's all propaganda. They're in control and they'll do anything and everything to retain control.

The "bring back civility" mantra is just one more piece of yak shit thrown out there to make us look bad and make them look reasonable.

It's the same crap they're pulling with the "angry democrats" crap they've been peddling for the past six to nine months. We're angry, so we must be nuts.

If and when we ever regain control of the White House, congress and courts, we need to find some way to prevent this fascist shit from ever happening again.

[Susang]

7. I may get flamed for this...

But after today, I'm not so sure our side wants to restore civility to politics either. When a great many of our number here at DU don't seem to believe that people who call themselves "Republicans" are human, the line between the sides starts to blur in my eyes.

After all, isn't it supposed to be "hate the sin, love the sinner"? And I'm not even religious anymore. I think that dehumanizing the other side by saying that "all Republicans are racist" or "Republicans cannot be good people" is a ridiculous statement for self-avowed liberals to make, and self defeating in the long run.

<donning kevlar suit and ducking>

[Cyrano]

8. Nice thought, but

you don't bring a knife to a gunfight. We don't have to hate, but we do have to fight back with whatever it takes to get these people out of power.

[Susang]

10. You don't fight fire with accelerant, either.

Makes it worse. Tends to burn out of control that way.

[ArkDem]

9. Not to mention free speech.

[Susang]

11. I have no problem with free speech

Did my post make it appear that I did? I'm not understanding what point you are making.

[ArkDem]

14. I was agreeing with you.

[tech3149]

12. Facts, logic and civility can work

A younger friend of mine from Indiana was a DIE-HARD Republican. Good Christian man. He thought that Fox News was the only news to tell the truth and Hannity, Scarborough, O'Reilly, and Rush were the greatest truth-tellers. I don't recall how many month's of long phone conversations it took but, he finally started to see the light. On a visit last year, I exposed him to Thom Hartmann. That was a great turning point.

The effect of media like the RW influenced pundits, journalists (NOT), and talk shows is a form of brain washing that people don't see. The Republican organization that accomplished this can be admired but we can't win the fight quickly using the same weapon. This is something that started, in my view in the 60's. That it grew to it's current level under the radar is amazing.

We can thank our Creator that Air America, MM, and others are getting a message out there to counter it. It would take serious organization and money to achieve a balance to their message. Another alternative is one on one or small group discussion. Doing this on a large scale and maintaining your composure ( I know it's tuff, but it's worth it! ) is a very effective tool.

We can't expect those who have a belief in what the Republicans have convinced them is reality to give up their views easily. They will use all the weapons in their arsenal. If we use the weapons they do, they will only be turned against us, and the vitriol will continue ad nauseum. Rational thinking. logic, and discussion are the antithesis to their arsenal. This is a hard process to go through, but it is worth it.

I could go on all night but, life must go on!

Can anyone remember, when was the first time anyone said "Don't talk religion or politics?