Chris Matthews of Hardball takes down New York gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio for his scapegoating of Muslims and aggressive, manipulative tactics, suggesting that the meanness is a calculated attempt to come back from being 30% behind his Democratic rival Andrew Cuomo in the polls. Watch Matthews catch Lazio misquoting Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who said that the US did not deserve what happened on 9/11 but that US policies abroad were an accessory to that crime. Lazio quoted only the second half.
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Does it only seem to me to be the first time that US-Americans are widely acknowledging, what Feisal Abdul Rauf said? It seems, that some are still hiding from the obvious fact that US policies are very much a motivation for many terrorists and that – against the logic W. Bush used to use – they don’t simply ‘hate’ without reason..
Both major parties are well versed in scapegoating and it’s not just muslims who suffer. The object is to oppress young minority males and, where possible, to take away their voting rights. To bring young muslim males into the mix is a natural development. An example is how mainstream media continually highlight with alarm the spread of islam among minority prisoners.
But it’s the war on drugs, enjoying unstinted bipartisan support, that has had unbounded success in scapegoating young minority males. For instance, the DEA has started training operatives to understand ebonics, a step that presumes drug activity among blacks even though it’s whites who per capita buy, sell and consume the most drugs, specially the costlier drugs. But it’s blacks and latinos who far and away spend the most time in prison, showing that official discrimination has evolved like bacteria in order to soothe the growing anxieties of frightened whites.
Politicians are hardly leading the way here: they’re only carrying out the wishes of frightened white voters. As muslims become more prominent, they’ll face an increasing degree of targeted policing.
This debate is weak on both sides. Why does Matthews bring ‘Jews’ into the debate. ‘Faisal said he loves Jews’. What was that? A bludgeon tactic against Lazio.
Lazio is a slimy guy, but Matthews Democratic Party is just as guilty for spinelessness on this issue. But the debate goes on, this is 4 weeks now. This coverage is more important than the withdrawal of American forces in Iraq?
There should be a debate in Washington about the success and failures of the illegal Iraqi war, but the media focuses on national opinions of how much freedom should Muslims be allotted in the US. Bait and switch…
The whole speech of his is a mess. He’s playing fast and loose with the truth.
Disgusting that republicans are using 9/11 backdrops in their ads. Can you imagine the outcry if democrats were to do the same? What if Kerry ran ads like that against Bush?
[…] and if you didn’t see it, it’s worth a look. There is something disturbing about politicians using the anti-Muslim hysteria as a political ploy, particularly when some transition from words into […]
[…] and if you didn’t see it, it’s worth a look. There is something disturbing about politicians using the anti-Muslim hysteria as a political ploy, particularly when some transition from words into […]