Just Had A Realization About "Civility"

[ProudLib72]

The RW doesn't mean liberals should be "civil". They mean we should be "obsequious", "demure", "subservient". Any challenge to their authority is "uncivil".

[jrthin]

1. Bottom line, just be quiet. nt

[treestar]

2. Exactly

Sarah can be rude, but we are to be civil to her. Because she is in a position of authority so they claim

[lame54]

3. Civil equals Roll Over

[eleny]

4. Stay still and silent while we rape you

[niyad]

5. they would prefer that we were dead, actually.

[ProudLib72]

7. Yes! Auntie Maxine springs instantly to mind

The Rump's reaction to her being "uncivil" was to call his lapdogs in to take care of the problem. I think we need to take our cue from Auntie Maxine. She is in the spotlight, a high profile politician who is willing to draw the ire of millions of Rump supporters. If she is willing to deal with the crap that comes from calling out the nasties, so should we.

[gratuitous]

6. They only call for civility when they've pushed too far

The oppressed put up with a lot. A whole lot more than the privileged and the powerful. The oppressed know that things are stacked against them, and that fighting back is mostly futile. But every now and then, they get pushed too far. Far enough that even the hoi polloi notice the injustice and the oppression, and a long overdue backlash builds.

That's when the Occidental Organization of Prisses, Pittypats and Schoolmarms (or "OOPPS" as they're known) swings into action to admonish the oppressed and those taking their part to respect the rules of civility. Whatever injustice is being inflicted is peanuts compared to bad language or 86ing someone from a restaurant. OOPPS is on the job to make sure that the powerful and the privileged are shielded as much as possible from the normal and ordinary consequences of their oppressive behavior.

[ProudLib72]

10. I'm going to make an effort to remember "OOPPS"

That's a good acronym. It connotes "special ops" or "psy ops", too.

[Bettie]

8. They demand nothing less than

absolute unquestioning compliance.

Lucky for them, Trumpers are ultra-authoritarian and do as they are told, always.

Liberals? Yeah, not so much.

[Louis1895]

9. I trace the lack of civility in our political discourse to 2000

[wellst0nev0ter]

17. No, further back

Newt Gingrich was waging his asymmetric warfare on Dems and turned it into a 1994 wave election.

[Louis1895]

19. Yep, you are right

I wish I could claim I was too young to remember but, alas, I cannot.

I guess I could claim I am too old to remember that far back!

[0rganism]

11. yep, and when the RW behave rudely we're supposed to suck it up

when any lefty shows signs of developing a spine, the media breaks out "uncivil" to brand all of us (syn. "uppity"?)

[ProudLib72]

12. Yep, I thought about adding "uppity"

You mention the second half of the equation: the MSM. I believe the "civil" debate is a way for the right to maintain control of the narrative. As long as the number of those being "uncivil" is relatively low, that charge will stick. That is why we all need to be in on fighting against them using "uncivil" methods. Only when we present a united front will the right lose control of the narrative.

[Caliman73]

13. I'll put this right here....

You are absolutely correct. There was an article in the LA Time Business section that said this, and then there is this article


https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/6/26/1775487/-Historian-Pulls-Up-NYTimes-Editorial-From-1934-Urging-Jews-Be-Civil-Towards-Nazis

[ProudLib72]

14. Maybe that's where I got it from

Well, it doesn't matter who came up with it so long as everyone is aware that this is what is happening. Better that the NYT is printing articles like this than agreeing with the RW that we are uncivil.

[Caliman73]

15. Thanks for starting the topic. We need to take back the framing on this.

Civility is talking, protesting, even doing so in loud and uncomfortable ways. Republicans protest by vandalizing, bombing, punching, and killing. Remember what has happened at women's health clinics when a right winger tells you to be civil.

[raven mad]

16. Wearing this t-shirt to our rally on the 30th:

[ProudLib72]

18. I have t shirt that is coming in the mail

I can't show it on DU or I'll be banned. Let's just say it is up there in civility with what the rump supporters wear. The funny thing is that I had to order it from China!

[raven mad]

20. LOL! DUmail me a pic! I love that it's from China!

This isn't my exact shirt - Mine's BLUE!

[Garrett78]

21. I think it's just willful hypocrisy and an effort to control the narrative.

Actually, it's not even hypocrisy, as that would suggest that what happened to SHS was uncivil--it wasn't.

Simply put, they're lying. They know Trump and his surrogates are incredibly uncivil, and they don't care. They also know how to control the narrative by projecting onto their opponents what they themselves do. Then, when their opponents (i.e., Democrats) accuse them of being uncivil, it looks like their opponents are just being defensive. And the media goes along with the ruse. Because, again, the Republican narrative about the "liberal media" has been allowed to dominate for several decades now.

[ProudLib72]

22. If they behave in a way that is uncivil WE need to punch back ten times as hard

SHS lies, and everyone needs to bash her lie. Rump says something nasty (like about Auntie Maxine), every single Dem congress person must stand up and rail against it. I am confident that, if this happened, we would soon have more control over the narrative. We would be pointing out, bolding, and underscoring their vile remarks in a way that no one (not even the rumpers) could argue with. But it will take some major coordinated effort.

[GoCubsGo]

23. Yep. They're just telling us to sit down and shut up.

Fuck 'em.

[ck4829]

25. Indeed

[ck4829]

24. Yep

[catrose]

26. Yes, they've mixed it up with "servility"

They get neither

[lunatica]

27. Exactly!

Their idea is kneel down and kiss ass or else...

[George Eliot]

28. Subservient. We're too smart for our britches. Dems must get back to base.

[ProudLib72]

29. Yeah, they would use words like "subservient" if they were in their vocabulary

and they could pronounce them. Really they are an unthinking unimaginative lot that usually resorts to...

[ck4829]

30. Kick