Elisabeth Hasselbeck shouldn't even be on TV

[mudesi]

For those who don't know, Elisabeth Hasselbeck is the bushbot on ABC's "The View". Her contribution to the dialog every morning on that show consists of basically repeating everything she heard Sean Hannity say the night before. She doesn't have an original thought of her own and is incapable of dealing with facts and/or reality, typical of any freeper bushbot type. At least some people who identify themselves as "conservative" can accept the facts and admit that they were wrong. (Andrew Sullivan, for example). I can at least respect them, even if I disagree with them.

But Elisabeth Hasselbeck just infuriates me to no end. Even more infuriating is that the others on that show, after correcting her with actual facts, continue to let her spout off nonsense republican talking points. They ought to stop treating her with kid gloves, because people are watching and people will believe the lies.

Today she said that she's "concerned" with people not loving the country, or not being "patriotic" enough. To this end she was perfectly content to admit to the brainwashing of her young daughter by "teaching her the pledge of allegiance, because it's important to be a patriot". While Rosie and Joy corrected her by pointing out that being a patriot means questioning your government and dissenting, they were not nearly hard enough on her.

Had I been there, I would have told her that I find it quite disturbing that she's teaching her child how to be a robot instead of a critical thinker. I would have said that it's not right to blindly salute a flag and march lockstep with your government, and it's even worse to subject your child to such propaganda. In short, I'd have called her a bad mother.

It is this kind of blind patriotism (also called Jingoism) that allows a government to preemptively attack a country, spy on citizens, fire any official dissenters, commit treason by outing a CIA agent for political revenge, break the Geneva conventions (torture), hold people without charge or trial for years, and shit on the constitution.

Thank Ms. Hasselbeck for perpetuating it all. I can only hope to God that her children grow up to not listen to their mother.

[MadMaddie]

1. Unfortunately Rosie and Joy have to not kick the shit out of

Elisabeth. They know she is a moron but I am guessing that Barbara is keeping them in check.

Elisabeth is a perfect poster child for the facist way. Pathetic and too afraid to ask questions and think for herself.

[NanceGreggs]

2. Good one!!!

K & R!

[babylonsister]

3. She provides their 'balance', and keeps the freepers tuned in.

Sad but true...

[LeftyMom]

4. Somebody's probably going to jump your shit for criticizing the pledge

But you're right, teaching children to recite loyalty oaths is jingoistic crap that doesn't belong in a supposedly free society, and teaching one's kids that blind loyalty is admirable is something a person absolutely should be taken to task for.

[Cha]

5. I would tell her that we love our

Country..it's bush and his lies that we don't like and people who perpetuate them..bushit is all based on lies and ehassle should get her words rebutted everytime she utters a lie which sounds like when her lips are moving.

Come ON Rosie and Joy!

[sandnsea]

6. *sigh*

While I agree with 99% of your comments, I think your objection to the pledge of allegiance is ridiculous. I don't even like the "under God" part in it, and I certainly don't think it needs to be said every single morning - but there's nothing wrong with teaching a child the rituals of their culture. The Pledge, the Anthem, 4th of July, Flag Day, the Wall and other DC Monuments - they're all part of the American culture and what collectively contributes to our Americanism. If you don't like being an American, I've got no problem with that. There is certainly a lot to object to. But I can't understand belittling those who do like being an American, because there's an awful lot more to praise.

[mudesi]

8. Fortunately for me

I'm a Canadian citizen born to American parents and I have American family members. Here in Canada, we had to stand to the Canadian national anthem every morning in school, but there is no pledge. The pledge means nothing to me and I don't even know it.

What I DO know is that memorizing a pledge or singing an anthem or putting a bumper sticker on your car does not make one a patriot, and shouldn't be taught as such.

[sandnsea]

10. anthem-pledge -- no difference

If you don't like them, you don't like them. But most people who sing the Canadian anthem sing it with a sense of pride and patriotism. I don't know what you think about, maybe you're too lefty chic to lower yourself to singing an anthem. But again, most people just aren't wired that way. It's clear any time you watch a sporting event anywhere around the world. Elizabeth is a twit, and she's a twit to think her child has to know the pledge in order to be a patriot, but teaching your kids the pledge isn't a bad thing, in and of itself.

Gotta go.

[depakid]

7. I was sick about a week or so ago and watched that show

Elisabeth Hasselbeck was the barely literate bimbo who was arguing roundabout in support of torture. I thought to myself, OMG

is this what housewives watch on TV? Do they actually think it's desirable or even acceptable to be this way?

That women is a prime example of what's gone wrong with people in America- and unfortunately, thanks to the deregulated corporate media and AM hate radio, we now have 2 generations who've grown up listening to this crap- and in the process, have lost the means to think critically.

[LibDemAlways]

9. I would be willing to bet that if you asked the average

5th grader to write out the words to the pledge of allegiance and explain its meaning, you'd get a bunch of gibberish. When I was a kid I wondered for a long time who "Richard Sands" was.

Rote memorization is meaningless. Better to teach kids to think critically and decide for themselves whether or not they want to recite a loyalty oath that ends with the obvious falsehood, "with liberty and justice for all" each morning in school.

Being a good citizen means questioning the government, not blindly following it off a damn cliff.
Oh, and by the way, I agree. Elisabeth Hasselbeck adds nothing to The View, unless someone decreed they needed an airhead moron on the panel.

[WinkyDink]

11. She should be treated as the adult she is; instead, everybody is worried about her CRYING again.

[scorpiogirl]

12. I agree with you.

Elisabeth is an idiot. I couldn't believe when she said that about teaching her daughter the pledge! I don't think she's even two yet! I thought the same thing: how about teaching your daughter to think instead? It's fine to know the pledge, but to have to say it every day is meaningless. I don't like my 5 year old saying it in school, it feels like indoctrination. Plus, every time we drive past someplace with a flag out front, she says it again. To her it's a saying, and is without real meaning, so what's the point anyway?

[prolesunited]

13. Keep her on

I don't agree with her, but it's great to have her spout idiotic crap every day and have Rosie and Joy smack down the GOP talking points one by one. She has never come off sounding intelligent or put together a cohesive, logical argument.

If that Barbie bimbo is the face of the right, they don't stand a chance.