Naomi Wolf: The End of America

[Allan from Fallbrook]

drunkle: Fair enough. Rather than pen some overlong response citing chapter and verse, I will confine myself to just hitting the high notes.

In her new book, Wolf uses two extremely preposterous examples as America’s new “fascist drift” and supposed totalitarian repression of “free speaking” individuals. These are Lynne Stewart, who was convicted of aiding and abetting the work of Sheikh Rahman (a convicted terrorist of some note and dedicated anti-American), as well as Adam Gadahn, the self-professed American “voice” of al Qaeda. According to Wolf, the US government’s case against both of these individuals was nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to silence dissent and “free speakers”. She completely ignores the facts of both cases, as well as failing to note that both individuals were convicted by properly empaneled juries under the watchful eye of both journalists and academics, who would have been the first to cry out if anything untoward were to take place.

She also compares certain safety measures in place at various airports as being in line with security measures practiced by Mussolini’s secret police. These include random checks of baggage and verification that items are what they are represented to be. According to her, Mussolini’s police used similar methods as a means of repression and keeping the populace in line. She attempts to conflate the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) with Mussolini’s secret police, as well as drawing parallels between the use of the word “heimat” (homeland) by the Nazis during the 1930s and 1940s, and America’s creation of a Department of “Homeland” Security. Apparently, our use of the word Homeland and the Nazi use of the word Homeland is not a coincidence. Rather it points to our drift into fascism. I guess it is good we didn’t name it the Department of Fatherland Security.

Her scholarship is sloppy in the sense that she inaptly draws her conclusions between present day US and Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy. Simply saying that modern America is “like” fascist Italy or Nazi Germany does not constitute a completed argument. Nor does her hysteria when it comes to implying that somehow the government will come after her personally once it gets wind of her book.

There are quite a few other examples as well. Her book “The Beauty Myth” was shredded by a large number of reviewers (who were largely non-partisan on the issue of feminism), and again largely for the same reasons.

[drunkle]

while i appreciate your more involved and in depth discussion, that wasn’t really my intent. i have no knowledge of the person in question, no experience with her writings or opinions. i neither support nor debunk her positions. i was only faulting the ad hominem.

[drunkle]

while i appreciate your more involved and in depth discussion, that wasn’t really my intent. i have no knowledge of the person in question, no experience with her writings or opinions. i neither support nor debunk her positions. i was only faulting the ad hominem.

[drunkle]

while i appreciate your more involved and in depth discussion, that wasn’t really my intent. i have no knowledge of the person in question, no experience with her writings or opinions. i neither support nor debunk her positions. i was only faulting the ad hominem.

[drunkle]

while i appreciate your more involved and in depth discussion, that wasn’t really my intent. i have no knowledge of the person in question, no experience with her writings or opinions. i neither support nor debunk her positions. i was only faulting the ad hominem.

[drunkle]

while i appreciate your more involved and in depth discussion, that wasn’t really my intent. i have no knowledge of the person in question, no experience with her writings or opinions. i neither support nor debunk her positions. i was only faulting the ad hominem.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

drunkle: Understood. My issue is that any strongly stated opinion becomes ad hominem. My understanding of the term indicates that it means a personal attack without basis.

While you weren’t necessarily soliciting what I followed up with, it does make the point that one can make the point that someone is a dolt, and then drive it home with examples.

I don’t use the term “dolt” lightly, either. Nor do I reserve it solely for Lefties. Plenty of those on the right have earned the moniker as well.

I made the point on another thread (using you, as a matter of fact), that we are throwing certain terms around, rather than facing off and arguing the facts or being forced to support our assertions with examples. I don’t consider gold to be a racist. While he might have been more delicate in stating his position, I don’t feel it was without merit.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

drunkle: Understood. My issue is that any strongly stated opinion becomes ad hominem. My understanding of the term indicates that it means a personal attack without basis.

While you weren’t necessarily soliciting what I followed up with, it does make the point that one can make the point that someone is a dolt, and then drive it home with examples.

I don’t use the term “dolt” lightly, either. Nor do I reserve it solely for Lefties. Plenty of those on the right have earned the moniker as well.

I made the point on another thread (using you, as a matter of fact), that we are throwing certain terms around, rather than facing off and arguing the facts or being forced to support our assertions with examples. I don’t consider gold to be a racist. While he might have been more delicate in stating his position, I don’t feel it was without merit.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

drunkle: Understood. My issue is that any strongly stated opinion becomes ad hominem. My understanding of the term indicates that it means a personal attack without basis.

While you weren’t necessarily soliciting what I followed up with, it does make the point that one can make the point that someone is a dolt, and then drive it home with examples.

I don’t use the term “dolt” lightly, either. Nor do I reserve it solely for Lefties. Plenty of those on the right have earned the moniker as well.

I made the point on another thread (using you, as a matter of fact), that we are throwing certain terms around, rather than facing off and arguing the facts or being forced to support our assertions with examples. I don’t consider gold to be a racist. While he might have been more delicate in stating his position, I don’t feel it was without merit.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

drunkle: Understood. My issue is that any strongly stated opinion becomes ad hominem. My understanding of the term indicates that it means a personal attack without basis.

While you weren’t necessarily soliciting what I followed up with, it does make the point that one can make the point that someone is a dolt, and then drive it home with examples.

I don’t use the term “dolt” lightly, either. Nor do I reserve it solely for Lefties. Plenty of those on the right have earned the moniker as well.

I made the point on another thread (using you, as a matter of fact), that we are throwing certain terms around, rather than facing off and arguing the facts or being forced to support our assertions with examples. I don’t consider gold to be a racist. While he might have been more delicate in stating his position, I don’t feel it was without merit.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

drunkle: Understood. My issue is that any strongly stated opinion becomes ad hominem. My understanding of the term indicates that it means a personal attack without basis.

While you weren’t necessarily soliciting what I followed up with, it does make the point that one can make the point that someone is a dolt, and then drive it home with examples.

I don’t use the term “dolt” lightly, either. Nor do I reserve it solely for Lefties. Plenty of those on the right have earned the moniker as well.

I made the point on another thread (using you, as a matter of fact), that we are throwing certain terms around, rather than facing off and arguing the facts or being forced to support our assertions with examples. I don’t consider gold to be a racist. While he might have been more delicate in stating his position, I don’t feel it was without merit.

[Ricechex]

Allan from Fallbrook–are you a professional with DOD? Admiral? How many stars? You certainly know a lot about a lot of things, and you write really well. Eloquent, wasn’t that? I figured you would respond and was curious to what you would say. Hard to argue with a dude like you!

Drunkle–you are so spot on. Also, I think Rescue Remedy might work for homeless people. Will St. Vincent De Paul have any beds after you become the Rescue Remedy King of North Park?

Arraya, I am interested about you too. You write well too, I have read your posts over a couple of times.

Hey, why hasn’t esmith chimed in?

[Ricechex]

Allan from Fallbrook–are you a professional with DOD? Admiral? How many stars? You certainly know a lot about a lot of things, and you write really well. Eloquent, wasn’t that? I figured you would respond and was curious to what you would say. Hard to argue with a dude like you!

Drunkle–you are so spot on. Also, I think Rescue Remedy might work for homeless people. Will St. Vincent De Paul have any beds after you become the Rescue Remedy King of North Park?

Arraya, I am interested about you too. You write well too, I have read your posts over a couple of times.

Hey, why hasn’t esmith chimed in?

[Ricechex]

Allan from Fallbrook–are you a professional with DOD? Admiral? How many stars? You certainly know a lot about a lot of things, and you write really well. Eloquent, wasn’t that? I figured you would respond and was curious to what you would say. Hard to argue with a dude like you!

Drunkle–you are so spot on. Also, I think Rescue Remedy might work for homeless people. Will St. Vincent De Paul have any beds after you become the Rescue Remedy King of North Park?

Arraya, I am interested about you too. You write well too, I have read your posts over a couple of times.

Hey, why hasn’t esmith chimed in?

[Ricechex]

Allan from Fallbrook–are you a professional with DOD? Admiral? How many stars? You certainly know a lot about a lot of things, and you write really well. Eloquent, wasn’t that? I figured you would respond and was curious to what you would say. Hard to argue with a dude like you!

Drunkle–you are so spot on. Also, I think Rescue Remedy might work for homeless people. Will St. Vincent De Paul have any beds after you become the Rescue Remedy King of North Park?

Arraya, I am interested about you too. You write well too, I have read your posts over a couple of times.

Hey, why hasn’t esmith chimed in?

[Author]

Posts