Why does the media assume that everyone who opposes the war is a leftist?

[BlueStater]

A Greek protester raises a painted hand next to a banner with a picture of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Athens April 24, 2006. Greek leftist and anti-war activists announced protests against a planned visit by Rice to Athens on April 25. REUTERS/Yiorgos Karahalis

[Mythsaje]

1. Because the American Corporate Media

is full of shit.

[tridim]

2. Must be all those "leftist" Generals

who came out recently opposing the war plan.

[MadMaddie]

3. Because if the truth....that many Republicans are turning against

the war were to be spoken.....it would damage what remains of their support.....

Leftist terminolgy seems to bring up Communism, McCarthyism etc.....they have nothing else.....(but to play semantics).....

Good Question....

[Oak2004]

7. Many Republicans were against the war from the beginning

There have always been Republicans of intelligence and principle who represent all points of the political spectrum, though in recent years many of us have been driven out of the party and most of the rest of us have been marginalized. Remember, until this mutant version of the Republican Party came about, most governance was bipartisan. Those who remain in the party have opposed this war from the very beginning. The war is, after all, as wrong from conservative and pragmatic philosophies as it is from liberal philosophies, and conservative values are no kinder towards intrusions upon civil liberties than liberal values.

There are still Republicans of intelligence and pragmatism in positions of some influence; most of them, from the very beginning, have known something was funny about this most unpragmatic of wars, and many such Republicans who are outside of government have raised objections from the beginning (example: Brent Scowcroft).

Unfortunately there are no apparent Republican officeholders with intelligence and pragmatism and a spine (what is it, just as the rose is the National Flower of the USA and the eagle our National Bird, has the member of Congress been chosen as our National Invertebrate?). These Republicans apparently keep one finger to the wind (and perhaps another up their nether regions). They may be beginning to notice the category five hurricane of public opinion blowing hard against the war and against the all-out assault on American principles (that is, if they are not too preoccupied with that other finger). If so this would, of course, be the first category five hurricane these people have taken notice of in this decade.

So will our esteemed Public Worms wriggle their way into some kind of stand against this Administration? Who knows. Unfortunately, the media conflates the wrigglings of the worms with the views of the people, and so, magically, opposition to the war is "leftist" and support for the war is "conservative".

Something I, and many other former and current Republicans have noticed, is that the new "Republican" Party is composed largely of the segregationists and Scoop Jackson warmongerers that, a few decades ago, were the bane of the Democrats, sprinkled with an assortment of ex- Trotskyites for good measure. They are not traditional Republicans, nor are they conservatives, nor centrists, nor pragmatists, nor liberals. They are something else quite a bit less American and more frightening.

We made the mistake of welcoming them in after the Democrats had the sense to push those people to the margins. Never again should a major political party in America tolerate members who do not accept the foundations of American democracy.

[MadMaddie]

8. You are right....they are poisen.....

I like this statement because it is true....

<snip>
Never again should a major political party in America tolerate members who do not accept the foundations of American democracy
<snip>

Together we are in the very fight to save America....from this group of insane warmongers!!!

[Jose Diablo]

4. Yes, to them we are all Dirty Commie Pinko Scumbags, DCPS for short

Or it could also be DPCS or CPDS or even PCDS. Generally the 'S' is at the end, not always though. On occations the 'C' at the end can be equally effective in describing the 'enemies' of Truth, Justice and the American way of life. You know, apply pie, virginity, everything good about America.

[MADem]

5. Because they are dunces who don't think before they spout off

Isolationists aren't very enamored of this foolish exercise in death and debt either....

[endarkenment]

6. Well I assume that the 'media'

is the propaganda machine for the rightwing fascist cabal installed in the white house, so I do not find it surprising that they view all opposition as 'left'.

I say good! As these asshats become more and more unpopular the demonization of the progressive democratic left will fail, and 'left' will become identified with 'the alternative to the bush crime family'.

A long time ago back in the 60's I recall I conversation I had with a very radical friend of mine. He was describing his conversion to radical leftist politics. Basically, after getting drafted, serving his 2 years in 'Nam, he came back pissed as hell, convinced that everything he had been taught as a kid was bullshit, and looked around for any group identified as the 'enemy', figuring that they must at least be on the right track. (He ended up with the trotskyite Spartacus Youth League, unfortunately, from which we tried to wean him to something a bit less drastic.) The point being that the demonization of the left tips suddenly counter productive when 'mainstream' becomes widely perceived as 'the problem'.

[Telly Savalas]

9. The statement you quote doesn't imply such an assumption.

Greek leftist and anti-war activists...