More

Featuring fresh takes and real-time analysis from HuffPost's signature lineup of contributors
Steven Weber

Steven Weber

Posted: April 16, 2010 05:04 PM

The Piggyback Virus

What's Your Reaction:

By piggybacking an already-in-place infrastructure (say, the innate, normal frustration with the political process) the right wing has once again impressed itself as the preeminent virus of all angry ideologies: by warping people's essential decency with relentless doses of fear and misdirection they are using the amped up/trumped up mob to further their own agenda:

Power.

That's it, leute! How do I know? Well, how do I know that cow shit would stain my teeth and chin even without sitting down to a steaming portion of it and shoveling sporkful after sporkful into my mouth?

Having lost and lost big (that Black Man in their White House, for glaring instance), the rippling vibrations from highly compressed vitriol has caused their already spider-veined facades to calve in large hunks, falling to the ground and revealing the seething outrage beneath.

And the idea of building anything other than plaque around a heart is anathema to this parasitical creature, which would prefer to watch the masses labor under its venal lash while they sit back and weave their tales of terror and sip their crude (shades of the golden days before the Northern invasion).

Indeed, they've piggybacked America's innate tribal instincts to fear, fight or flee, setting a match to any and all progress borne from the eloquent and herculean efforts made by the Founders to raise humanity from the brutality which too often marked its existence.

They piggyback America's innate puritanism and demonize sexuality.
They piggyback America's innate xenophobia and pillory foreigners.
They piggyback America's innate patriotism and eroticize war.
They piggyback America's ubiquitous media infrastructure and highjack information.

They are, to retool an epithet made famous by that most unlikely yet utterly courageous hero of freedom Howard Stern, a Piggyback Virus.

And yet, in spite of or directly because of the glaring presence of that awful, flaring virus, counteraction is spurred: in expanding consciousnesses all over the country and the world, there is a defense being formulated. People are fighting back against the cant and rhetoric, armed with facts and irrefutable testimony, showing that a profit can be made just as easily from truth as with terror.

And viruses can be cured.

Now that's health care, for you.

 

Follow Steven Weber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@TheStevenWeber

 
 
  • Comments
  • 202
  • Pending Comments
  • 0
  • View FAQ
Comments are closed for this entry
View All
Favorites
Bloggers
Recency  | 
Popularity
Page: 1 2 3  Next ›  Last »  (3 total)
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
gemstone1000
A Cut Above
05:40 PM on 04/19/2010
On the bright side of things, Steven will be appearing in "In Plain Sight" this Wednesday. HOORAY!
03:31 PM on 04/19/2010
To all of those who are so concerned with my "arrogance, pride & self-righteousness" (even more so than the serious and important issue of racism) because of these statements....

"Thank goodness there are people like me who are here to counter your selfish and destructive words and accusations. We remind society of the fact that the MAJORITY are not hateful and ignorant...who DESPISE oppression and the deprivation of dignity that is due ALL."


and

"Thank goodness there ARE people like me to remind society that the majority are truly happy and proud to have a person of color in the White House ...that we have moved that much farther away from the sickness and evil of this country's past... which really wasn't that long ago."


What is so wrong with these statements???


Is it wrong to acknowledge that I (and others) are doing something good? That I appreciate what myself and others do?

Or, is it wrong that I am doing something good??

Is it wrong to point out the good??

Or, is it wrong to state that the majority of society is NOT racist?? Is that NOT good???

What.. WHAT did I do wrong that would make you focus on this instead of the TRUTH that these statements project???
03:35 PM on 04/19/2010
I contend that I did nothing wrong here... and I also contend that this is a common problem of the left... the obsession with the "horrible" offense of being "self-righteous".. the "horrible" offense of BEING RIGHT! It literally seems to be offensive to the Left to be right!
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Anna Nicole Dahmer
Lie like that & you won't go to heaven
08:21 PM on 04/23/2010
no, it's just the horrible offense of you being IGNORANT!
a common problem of right wing conservatives.
09:26 PM on 04/18/2010
Yo, Stevie...How's that "Wings" reunion show comming along? anything new to report? that shaow was so cool..............
photo
HUFFPOST BLOGGER
Steven Weber
Winner of 1967 Pond's Cold Cream Man of the Year
10:48 PM on 04/18/2010
I'm looking for a credible mullet. Can I borrow yours?
11:57 AM on 04/19/2010
Stevie, I'm African American. I really loved your show. I find your quip to be highly insensitive. I follow your posts on here with great amusement. I find it hysterical that someone who has absolutely no public service experience can be such an expert on social policy. I guess it just really just shows just how out of touch people like you really are. But. back to the topic at hand...IS there a "Wings" reunion in the works?
04:18 PM on 04/18/2010
Brilliant, Mr. Weber. In diagnosing the sickness that is the right wing, you demonstrate the diagnostic skills equalled only by Dr. House (by the way, you'd be a great addition to that show) and the verbal dexterity of a progressive William Safire. I'm forwarding this to everyone I know.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
SirReal1
02:46 PM on 04/18/2010
Tea Party / Fox Divorce?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#36608157
01:54 PM on 04/18/2010
@ Megwe...
You said: "Your party condones them by their silence So.....you shall reap what you sow. i promise you that.

yep.. leave it to the liberals to falsely accuse others and then blame THEM for the repercussions. Classic, typical..etc etc... Excuse me but YOU are doing the "sowing" and society will be the "reapers"... and the consequences are the stagnation of the abolishment of racism. The left, with your ignorant insistence of focusing on the minority, are keeping racism "fresh" and "alive" in this country.

Thank goodness there are people like me who are here to counter your selfish and destructive words and accusations. We remind society of the fact that the MAJORITY are not hateful and ignorant...who DESPISE oppression and the deprivation of dignity that is due ALL.

Thank goodness there ARE people like me to remind society that the majority are truly happy and proud to have a person of color in the White House ...that we have moved that much farther away from the sickness and evil of this country's past... which really wasn't that long ago.

And I used the word "selfish" because clearly the left will do anything to "win". Just like with the issue of abortion... collateral damage is irrelevant, it is of no concern... it's all about winning.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
SirReal1
02:21 PM on 04/18/2010
kams I'm a Fan of kams I'm a fan of this user 4 fans

"The left, with your ignorant insistence of focusing on the minority, are keeping racism "fresh" and "alive" in this country."

CNN Opinion Research Poll on Demographics of Tea Party

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/02/17/rel4b.pdf

Tea Party Advocates Who Scorn Socialism Want a Government Job

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aLBZwxqgYgwI

University of Washington 2010 Multi-state Survey on Race & Politics

http://depts.washington.edu/uwiser/racepolitics.html

http://depts.washington.edu/uwiser/mssrp_table.pdf

http://depts.washington.edu/uwiser/teaparty_table.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Tancredo

This last is truly telling: Tea Party Convention Organizer support Tancredo

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/02/05/tea.party.convention/index.html

The MINORITY? Really Kams?
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
MegWe
03:26 PM on 04/18/2010
I seems to recall that for the last year and a half, with the economy in free fall, the Republican party has refused to work with this President. that is all about winning, sir. I assume you are male.I do not know any females that are as arrogant as you.
04:31 PM on 04/18/2010
"I assume you are male.I do not know any females that are as arrogant as you."

This is sexist. Racism is wrong but sexism is ok?

I'm not a "sir". I am a female who is sick of the blatant hypocrisy ,dishonesty, and ignorance of the left.

And did you ever consider that the Republicans didn't "work" with Obama because they didn't agree with his proposed solutions??? Believe it or not.. that really is a legitimate possibility! Particularly because the two sides have DIFFERENT POLITICAL VIEWS.
HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
canobserv
10:04 AM on 04/18/2010
FYI Steven...in case you have Fox-watchin' Kams here again.....and I think you will.....this bit of info is NEVER reported..

"In February 2003, a Florida Court of Appeals unanimously agreed with an assertion by FOX News that there is no rule against distorting or falsifying the news in the United States"

http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/11-the-media-can-legally-lie/
02:15 PM on 04/18/2010
Canobserv, please read my comment above because a portion of it (but most likely, all of it) pertains to you also... the left know that they cannot successfully argue the actual issues, so their only alternative is to draw attention away from those issues and focus on non applicable issues instead.... for instance... RACISM.. and in this case.. the faults of Fox News. Since Fox News does, on a regular, daily basis present facts and events that are not liberaly biased, that do not favor liberal views.. and since you cannot successfully argue them, the ONLY thing to do is to trash the source of the information that you (liberals) do not want to get out.

You can find all the faults of Fox News that you want... MSNBC will have just as many biased faults. MSNBC is NO different. Which SHOULD, in your minds, make the playing field equal, but in reality it still isn't.. CNN is liberaly biased as are just about every other news organization in this country.. and yet the Left STILL are running to government to make things "fair"?? by forcing the Right to give equal time on our own shows?? It's absurd.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
MegWe
03:16 PM on 04/18/2010
You are as insufferable as Dick Cheney himself. I have never read such self-riteousness on these pages. Your attempted demogoguery of this thread is particularly telling.
Have you been taking Karl Rove projection lessons?
BTW: I do not consider myself a "liberal." I am a moderate.
HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
canobserv
08:31 PM on 04/18/2010
my goodness....did I strike a nerve there Kams
11:48 PM on 04/17/2010
In response to KAM:
---------------------------

1) Obama was a candidate for President while Bush was in the White House. Don't you think that he was investigated thoroughly by the State Department under Bush? If there were any questions about his citizenship, don't you think THEY would have uncovered it?

Here is a link to proof of his citizenship, although I doubt you'll believe it:
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html

2) We survived eight years of Bush.
Presidential elections roll around every four years. If you don't like who is in office, vote for someone else. And as far as your party being in the majority, the decisive win of Barack Obama in 2008 proves otherwise.

3) Bush added more to the national debt in eight years than any other president in history COMBINED. The first bank bail out happened on his watch. Two wars were waged, one with false intel. Wealthy tax cuts for the top two percent earners cost the tax payers TRILLIONS of dollars. Unwarranted wiretapping, rebranding of torture and "the Patriotic Act" (giving the President unprecedented power) happened in the Bush administration. Where were all you "patriots' screaming about 'socialism' when all this was happening?

Obama is trying to fix what was broken when he came into office.

4) "True freedom" is accepting election results without seeming to become unhinged about it. And getting a chance to cast your vote in the next election to allow your voice to be heard again.
12:17 AM on 04/18/2010
Well said, BedfordNY.
photo
HUFFPOST PUNDIT
Mr G
12:31 AM on 04/18/2010
It took Bush eight years to explode the debt. In a year, Obama triples Bush's debt.

Can you explain to me how this makes Obama a better President?

You have an interesting concept of True Freedom. Accepting elections is not a freedom, it's an
inconvenience. Expressing disenchantment, exposing incompetence, and shouting it as vociferously as a citizen chooses is, indeed True Freedom. It's our most important freedom,
it's called the Freedom of Speech, which apparently is just a joke to modern liberals, once the
most dynamic defenders of this right. Shame, really.
photo
HUFFPOST PUNDIT
Ohioan4truth
I'm just an average, ordinary guy.
08:08 AM on 04/18/2010
Perhaps freedom of speech should be restricted to parameters?

Stupid speech might ought be unlawful?

Freedom to speak lies ought be unlawful?

But who would decide?

It appears to me that very few debates are argued intellectually. One side expresses thoughtful insight while the other only spews hate and ignorance.

Only perspective finds which side one champions....
10:05 AM on 04/18/2010
Sometimes fixing horrendous mistakes can be costly.
photo
ReealOne
Don't sweat the small Stuff, life is way too short
10:20 PM on 04/17/2010
Beautiful article Steven, and as usual - you nailed it!!

Now we ALL have an obligation to call out the cretins, look them straight on in the snake eyes, and call 'em LIARS AND HYPOCRITES!! It's way past time to park this so called "high road" on the fence, get down in the trenches and fight for change with our Pres. Obama. It's been a really reallly really long time since we've had a POTUS to actually work FOR the people in this country, instead of AGAINST us.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
SirReal1
05:16 PM on 04/17/2010
leftbrnrightbrn I'm a Fan of leftbrnrightbrn I'm a fan of this user 20 fans

>Oh, here’s one. Sir Steven asserts that the amped up right wing anger is centered around Barack >Obama, a Black Man, being president. No, it is not. It is based on ideology. If Mr. Obama were a free >market-promoting adherent to the US Constitution, he would be beloved. Since he’s a big >government, socialistic authoritarian, well, not so much. “Progressives” couldn’t be further out there
>– and there’s already no buses running where they are – when it comes to their belief that the Tea >Party people and their sympathizers are racists. That they resent (hate) Obama because of his skin >color. But it’s part of the liner notes, and it must be exploited during each diatribe against the right.

The "Free Market" was shown to be an abysmal failure. Did you miss 2008?

President Obama is a "Constitutional Scholar"! I hope you don't mind if I defer to his knowledge vs. your opinion.

I'm sorry, the opinions of Fox News don't carry a lot of weight with me.

I've cited the examples of "racist rhetoric" in the Tea Party. We have ALL seen the placards and posters, and we have the demographics.

Anything I've missed or misrepresented?
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
SirReal1
01:55 PM on 04/18/2010
"I'll go point by point with anyone on Huffington Post. Not to prove you wrong, but to establish that there is a different, righteous way of thinking than the that of the extremist. And Mr. Weber is an extremist - first class."

leftbrnrightbrn I'm a Fan of leftbrnrightbrn I'm a fan of this user 20 fans

CNN Opinion Research Poll on Demographics of Tea Party

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/02/17/rel4b.pdf

Tea Party Advocates Who Scorn Socialism Want a Government Job

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aLBZwxqgYgwI

University of Washington 2010 Multi-state Survey on Race & Politics

http://depts.washington.edu/uwiser/racepolitics.html

http://depts.washington.edu/uwiser/mssrp_table.pdf

http://depts.washington.edu/uwiser/teaparty_table.pdf

These polls all seem to support some prominent points that the "Tea Party" wishes it could refute.

The "Tea Party" is made up of mostly white males who live in "rural" America, are conservative Christians who make "above average" incomes, and have VIEWS ON RACE that significantly differ from the MAJORITY of the rest of America.

Damn facts!
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
SirReal1
02:02 PM on 04/18/2010
leftbrnrightbrn I'm a Fan of leftbrnrightbrn I'm a fan of this user 20 fans permalink

SirReal1

Those polls show race, gender, culture, all that. They don't show that the Tea Party members are wrong in their beliefs. The polls don't show that they're all the evil things "progressives" believe them to be. The polls don't show the anti-Tea Party people to be on the right side of things; the polls essentially show cultural differences between Americans.
Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:26 PM on 4/17/2010

- + SirReal1 94 fans permalink

"They don't show that the Tea Party members are wrong in their beliefs."

I get it now. So you don't disagree that the Tea Party has been supportive of "racist" views, you simply agree with them.

Thanks, that clears up a lot.
Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:48 PM on 4/17/2010

Point by point!

er, crickets.
04:27 PM on 04/17/2010
Excellent points about how the ltraconservative agenda seems to be power, and how they are working towards this goal buy biding on Americans' already-extant qualities. Bonus points for using sporks in an example. Twice. Are they an American invention? If not, they sure seem like it. ha.
02:10 PM on 04/17/2010
Oh boy Steven, yet another brilliantly written article ...however, the actual points are not strong at all...

The basic argument is that the right are racists, power hungry (greedy), unscrupulous etc etc. And these points simply do not represent the majority. AND.. the majority of the right do not like or condone these things any more than you do. I am speaking for myself but also for the majority of the right, who are Christians and who do go to church, with the ultimate goal/ desire to be Christ like. Not saying that we all are.. we're human and it's a work in progress but... at least we're trying. And with regular "weekly" study.. it is reasonable to conclude that most do adhere to these teachings.

The part about "(that Black Man in their White House)".. yes, there are no doubt people who are saying that to themselves... but they do not make up the entire right.. they do not even make up a significant percentage of the right... the only thing you have to base that on are the signs at the rallies and a disturbed individual being interviewed on a rare occasion. Some simple math: How many people are in the crowd? And how many of those are holding racist signs?

It's just not fair to attach minority views to the majority. And not only that, it's not good for the actual issue.. if the idea is to eradicate it.

cont...
02:25 PM on 04/17/2010
And of course, there are those on the right who are motivated by greed and power but the more money and power those elite 2% achieve, the worse it is for the rest of us Republicans... so it makes no sense for the entire group to be in support of this.

And lack of scruples? Dirty tactics? Piggybacking? That is certainly not exclusive of the right. The accusation of racism fits your piggybacking scenario perfectly...

piggybacking on the innate human desire to join in on a mob mentality of hate for the "ignorant"... Crying racism with pointed fingers, when it is just not there for the majority, is piggybacking on the innate desire to hate those who are "ignorant".

Am I right?
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
JohnLorenzo
Examine the reasons of your true intent.
02:40 PM on 04/19/2010
No kams. You just always think you are right.

You DO know that the right are the majority responsible for hate and prejudice. Don't muck around with your "Piggybacking? That is certainly not exclusive of the right."

It's like a gang of kids jumping and knifing a person and the one kid that throws one rock is the kid you accuse of the victims worst injuries. Silly. And wrong. And you know it.

Your silence on not putting down loudly the right-wing populace that manifests all this hate makes you just as awful. You stay in the fold of conservative Christians and do nothing to push back on their self-righteous hate. You are one of them.
03:40 PM on 04/17/2010
"The part about "(that Black Man in their White House)".. yes, there are no doubt people who are saying that to themselves... but they do not make up the entire right.. they do not even make up a significant percentage of the right... the only thing you have to base that on are the signs at the rallies and a disturbed individual being interviewed on a rare occasion. Some simple math: How many people are in the crowd? And how many of those are holding racist signs?"

If your logic were true, a "significant percentage of the right" would be loudly criticizing the overt racism, but they do not. And since they do not, one can only assume that they are in silent collusion with it.
04:30 PM on 04/17/2010
maybe.. the reason is because we see it for the diversionary tactic that it is... and we're not interested in helping the left manipulate and divert us away from the ACTUAL ISSUES.
HUFFPOST PUNDIT
Eykis
11:48 AM on 04/17/2010
GREAT ARTICLE, thanks again, Steven.

You sure have AMPED up the trollies today! Good one.
11:21 AM on 04/17/2010
We must find the necessary intestinal fortitude, Steven, in drilling for an untwisted truth through all the conservative hypocrisy. We must overcome that it's a messy and even gruesome task fighting layer after layer of closed reasoning and denial walls. And, when battling to preserve the honorable attributes of OUR country's existence, like equality, fair-play, integrity, honesty, compassion, conscience and community; perhaps it's necessary to possess and reprise a bit of Olivier's Szell as we truth-drill through the 'false teeth' of right-wing BS - for OUR children's future, and perpetually ask, "Is it safe?"
photo
Rudy2shoes
Retired Administrator
01:03 PM on 04/17/2010
Agreed. This article addresses issues that I think are important and necessary but diifficult to sell. Specifically, the issue of "free speech" is one that needs to be rationally defined. Or, perhaps it is the term "free" or "freedom" that is the problem. At any rate, some seem to think that freedom means total lack of restraint and their misunderstanding of that concept is usually accompanied by the phrase "..it's a free country" ---usually uttered in defense of some absurd perception of "rights" that don't exist, such as speeding, etc.. While that may be an extreme example, the misinformation campaigns of the tea partiers and even some political campaigns reach the a level of abuse of speech that should be considered treasonous. Intentional incitement to undermine the facilities of democratic process is wrong although not illegal; and that is the fundamental flaw that threatens us all. It is time to begin to incorporate right and wrong into our system in place of legal and illegal where rights are concerned. Historically, legal and illegal have had more to do with profit and loss than right and wrong. Freedom does not mean doing anthing you want to do--that's chaos. Freedom is a choice among acceptable alternatives tempered to protect the rights of all.
02:35 PM on 04/17/2010
You're spot on it's ALL about profit$ (and bribes); from arresting and incarcerating MILLIONS in 'industry wars' - where the bought CONgress keeps cheaper and more renewable alternatives (hemp) from market JUST to protect the profit$ of other and more toxic industries; to why all rules, regulations and oversight for Wall Street, big-business and industry diminished and even disappeared over the last 30 years. Profit$, lobbyi$t$, 'bundled' contribution bribe$ and peddling their lawmaking influence legally...

The Dems are certainly not without lobby purchased influence themselves, but it's not hard to see why the more hypocritical and FAR more corporate / big-business minded republican'ts - really ONLY want the Democrats to 'change' ...nothing.
09:48 AM on 04/18/2010
The disconnect is the inability to recognize (or choice to ignore) that freedom and responsibility are two sides of the same coin. There is a childish petulance at play here, like Cartman on South Park, "I can do whatever I want". It's just tiresome that the righties seem willing to say and do anything to achieve their purposes, which are basically money and power. Nevermind what may or may not be good for the country.
10:21 AM on 04/17/2010
You have hit a raw nerve with this one Steven so it must be as good as I thought when I first read it. Thanks!