http://www.atlargely.com/2007/09/the-right-wing-.htmlPlaying politics with our national tragedy, again...The right wing continues to demonstrate not only its willingness to exploit our national tragedy for political purposes, but also its well organized propaganda and how easily they will psychologically terrorize anyone who disagrees with their fanatical nationalism.
Apparently, Iranian president and madman Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wanted to lay a wreath at ground zero in New York during his planned visit to the United States next week. The request was denied purely on security issues, for him, not for us by the way.
To be clear: I do not support Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, his hatred of my people and my religion is offensive to me. I do not support his extreme policies and his overt threats to the West and I don't like the idea of any form of extremism prancing around ground zero. No, I am not exactly comfortable with the idea of a visit from the nut-job. That said, the issue here- for me anyway - is not Ahmadinejad, rather, it is the political gaming of a national tragedy by those who have been so instrumental in exploiting it.
Let's first begin with the story:
An advance team for the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, asked earlier this month that he be allowed to lay a wreath at the World Trade Center site during the opening of the United Nations General Assembly next week, but the request was denied, New York City police officials said today.
Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly caused considerable confusion earlier today when he suggested that the request was still pending. In fact, police officials said later, the request — made at a meeting that included the Secret Service and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey — was denied for reasons of security and safety. They added that Mr. Ahmadinejad’s aides had asked that he be allowed into the pit, where construction is taking place.
The right-wing reaction is as extreme and ugly as it is well organized down to the exact talking points from every corner of their little universe. In my view of the argument, the issue is not really about Ahmadinejad, rather, it is about the continued politicization of September 11. My own argument - written far too early this morning - examines the right-wing outrage and what I believe is actually at play here:
A). They want to own their best political tool: the suggested claims of ownership of a national tragedy by a political party who has so greedily horded the events of 9/11 for all sorts of political porn and propaganda. Because they have yet to show real moral interest in 9/11, outside of its political uses and benefits.
B). They want to defend their best political tool: by mobilizing an angry mob of nationalists to decry a madman extremist visiting their national shrine (which they continue to ignore for all non-political purposes).
C). They want to redeploy their best political tool for political purposes: to paint as "elite" and as "terrorist enabling" anyone who would attempt to impose on their theatrics and props. Be it an Iranian madman or the liberal elites in New York (the actual victims of 9/11).
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I repeat, Ahmadinejad is a madman and I don't like the idea of his visit either. But that is not the issue here. Not by a long shot.
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