A Phony Climate of Hate

[Valin]

Real Clear Politics:

David Harsanyi
1/12/10

No doubt some of you are upset by the hysterical politicization of the murders in Tucson, Ariz. Be heartened that a new CBS poll found that 57 percent of respondents believed the political tone in the nation had nothing to do with this particular madman's rampage.

It starts with incessant hand-wringing about an imagined lack of civility in society -- flaring up, as luck would have it, whenever the most recent person you voted for happens to be elected. The conversation will soon turn into a growing and phony anxiety about looming political violence and unrest that happens to be solely, as it turns out, a byproduct of a certain nutty belief system.

(Snip)

But this impending conversation about civility and our climate of hate is not only a useless one but also meant to discourage dissent. It is a rigged talk because not only do we -- by any standard and context available -- reside in a highly civil and peaceful political system but also violence is almost nonexistent. The tea partyers didn't pick up pitchforks and storm the White House; they knocked off Republicans in primaries.

(Snip)