Some folks are asking me what I think of the latest billboard controversy. At first I was under the impression from readers that it was Obama with a Hitler mustache. I think that sort of thing is awful and indefensible. But I misunderstood. The billboard actually shows Hitler, Obama and Lenin, each under different ideological banners (“National Socialism,” “Democrat [sic] Socialism,” and “Marxist Socialism”). Under all that there’s a big caption: “Radical Leaders Prey on the Fearful and Naive.”
I don’t like this billboard either, and I don’t think the Iowa tea-party chapter behind it should have put it up. That said, it’s not as bad as Obama in a Hitler mustache, and it isn’t quite saying Obama is a Hitler. In an academic setting, one could defend at least some of the ideas captured in the billboard; Lord knows I’ve tried. But at the end of the day, I don’t know that the billboard helps advance the tea party’s mission or sways the persuadable (personally, I’ve given up trying to persuade or influence the un-persuadable — because they can’t be persuaded!). I do think Obama is in his heart a social democrat and that is a variant of socialism, as everybody who knows anything about social democracy openly concedes. And I certainly think that National Socialism is a variant of socialism as well (which fewer people concede, alas). But I don’t think people who look at that billboard will glean such distinctions. Rather, it reads: “Hey, look at these three murderous left-wing dictators!” And that’s unfair to Obama — and unfair to America.
Meanwhile, I think the St. Louis tea party deserves a hearty round of applause for taking a higher road than the NAACP (which continues to prove that the moral and intellectual decay of that once honorable organization proceeds apace). Here’s their resolution:
St. Louis Tea Party Coalition Resolution
July 12, 2010
Whereas, the National Coalition for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded to advance the position of minority groups, and
Whereas a hallmark of the NAACP has been to do the important work of identifying and exposing remaining vestiges of racism and discrimination, and
Whereas the NAACP vocally stands against the discriminatory and harmful practice of labeling people with a broad brush, and
Whereas the NAACP decided to launch their 101st National Convention with a resolution condemning the Tea Party movement and labeling millions of their fellow Americans who subscribe to the movement as “racists”, and
Whereas the “Tea Party movement” is a label applied to patriotic Americans who have expressed their political free speech in the grand tradition of all that is American, that being the spirited expression of viewpoints in a 100% peaceful manner, and
Whereas, it is a hallmark of America that we settle our disputes civilly and avoid the gutter tactic of attempting to silence opponents by inflammatory name-calling, and
Whereas the very term “racist” has diminished meaning due to its overuse by political partisans including members of the NAACP, and
Whereas, the NAACP had an opportunity to preserve some semblance of legitimacy by standing up for Ken Gladney, the victim of a vicious racist battery conducted by a black avowed communist, even labeling him an “Uncle Tom”, but chose instead to use the opportunity to mock the St. Louis Tea Party, and
Whereas, the NAACP has refused to denounce the New Black Panther’s call to murder white cops and their babies, and
Whereas, the NAACP does its entire membership a grave disservice by hypocritically engaging in the very conduct it purports to oppose,
Now therefore be it resolved that the St. Louis Tea Party condemns the NAACP for lowering itself to the dishonorable position of a partisan political attack dog organization, and,
Be it further resolved that the St. Louis Tea Party calls on similar organizations to join in unanimous condemnation of this despicable behavior, and
Be it further resolved that we demand that the NAACP withdrawal their bigoted, false and inflammatory resolution against the tea party for any further consideration, and
Be it further resolved that these organizations call on the Internal Revenue Service to evenly apply their standards and consider the tax-exempt status of the NAACP considering the degree to which they are engaging in habitual partisan political behavior.
Adopted unanimously, this day, July 12th, in the year of our Lord, 2010.