January 11, 2011

Bill Clinton: "We cannot be unaware of the fact that, particularly with the internet, there's this huge echo-chamber out there, and anything any of us says falls on the unhinged and the hinged alike, and we just have to be sensitive to it."

On the unhinged and the hinged alike....

I think William Shakespeare said that.
The quality of internet speech is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the unhinged and hinged alike....
ADDED: Violent metaphors are out. Door-frame metaphors are in.

52 comments:

chickelit said...

Enough with all the pivitol...

Alex said...

Frist! I'm inflammatory, I'm fierce!

Fen said...

So Billy Boy, how come you and your Brownshirts keep calling us racist sexit homophobic murderers?

You need to STFU and go back to boinking the help.

Freeman Hunt said...

What is going on? I feel like I live in the Twilight Zone today. All of these people keep saying that we need to tone down rhetoric because crazy people might become violent when there is absolutely ZERO evidence that that happened in this case. In fact, there's a lot of evidence to the contrary.

How can this absurd posturing be allowed to stand?

PaulV said...

Rhetoric alert-Fox Weather sauys snow storm will bomb Northeast -blue states all

Fen said...

Freeman:

"Never let a crisis go to waste"

explains everything about the Left's behavior on this.

The Crack Emcee said...

Speaking of the unhinged, Bill Clinton has always held a prominent place in the NewAge world.

Like I said yesterday, all the usual suspects.

Freeman Hunt said...

Rhetoric alert-Fox Weather sauys snow storm will bomb Northeast -blue states all

Obviously we need a Snow Storm-Free America Zone Act.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Trend spotters- all these big shots love to think they can predict the new or next big trend [good or bad]. It's too bad that very few of them actually have a good feel for the future [except Al Bore, of course, who invented the internet].

Btw - what is the greatest idea the brilliant Bill Clinton ever had? [I am serious]

PZ said...

Don't make me report you to Language Log! AP Style and common sense call for a capital Internet.

HKatz said...

One of the sanest voices so far has been Jon Stewart of all people.

The clip is at the link. Listen to it starting from 2:28.

He is thoughtful and human.

http://www.businessinsider.com/jon-stewart-political-rhetoric-had-nothing-to-do-with-az-shooting-2011-1

Anonymous said...

I feel like I live in the Twilight Zone today. All of these people keep saying that we need to tone down rhetoric because crazy people might become violent when there is absolutely ZERO evidence that that happened in this case.

These are the same people who believe you can spend a bunch of government money and recessions end.

These are the same people that believe in "Head Start," a program with hundreds of billions spent and no positive impact on children.

These are the same people who believe you can not read ahead of time but pass a "health care reform" bill 2,000 + pages long and it will a) be popular and b) enable
"cost savings"

In sum: they have little connection to the real world.

Peter Hoh said...

Door-frame metaphors are in.

Don't knock it.

Unknown said...

Sort of agree with Fen.

You get the feeling Willie, sociopath that he is, wants to position himself so he can say whatever happens with the Internet because of this was partly his doing.

After all, it's always been about him.

KCFleming said...

By any means necessary.

Keep the pressure on, with different tactics and actions, and utilize all events of the period for your purpose.

Never let a crisis go to waste.

One acts decisively only in the conviction that all the angels are on one side and all the devils on the other.

I did not have sex with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky.

traditionalguy said...

Clearly the "target of attack" of the leftests today is our wild and free internet. Bill Clinton, who only and always loves us, has noticed that what the world needs now is a new Digital Governance Agency to be named the "Normals Against Zealous Inciters". These NAZIs will make his world safe again.

chuck said...

I was waiting for Clinton to figure out how he was going take advantage of this and... I think he just blew it. He would have been better advised to keep his mouth shut. Same goes for Hillary.

Anonymous said...

The hinges make for a nice change. We're more used to hearing about Bill's knob.

KCFleming said...

If the unhinged are too sensitive for this world, well, fuckem.

Hells bells, if you're already in your own world, stay there.
Shut the goddamned door.
Spray the hinges with Loctite.

Hoosier Daddy said...

What is going on? I feel like I live in the Twilight Zone today. All of these people keep saying that we need to tone down rhetoric because crazy people might become violent when there is absolutely ZERO evidence that that happened in this case. In fact, there's a lot of evidence to the contrary.

Honestly Freeman it's a lot less Rod Serling and more George Orwell.

bagoh20 said...

Wisdom from a man who could not keep his front door latched in the presence of an intern and attempted to use a cigar as a key to to unlock her passions after having his knob polished.

chickelit said...

The hinges make for a nice change. We're more used to hearing about Bill's knob.

Knackered knowledge of knobs and knockers.

Phil 314 said...

What is going on? I feel like I live in the Twilight Zone today. All of these people keep saying that we need to tone down rhetoric because crazy people might become violent when there is absolutely ZERO evidence that that happened in this case. In fact, there's a lot of evidence to the contrary.

How can this absurd posturing be allowed to stand?


Agree.

This seems to be a fixed, firm conviction not based in reality. (That's the definition of a delusion.)

KCFleming said...

Why do modern US politicians seem hellbent on doing precisely the wrong thing at the wrong time?

rhhardin said...

It's capitalizing on the MSM soap opera audience, whose tastes edit every debate.

Because they pay the MSM bills.

That's why no progress in debate can ever be made. It doesn't interest that audience. The inflammatory language meme will never die. The audience would tune away.

They want the familiar narratives and no surprises.

You either have to ridicule them into the margins of public debate, or start watching hard news even though you don't want to so that the media can sell your eyes instead.

In short, it's a news business model problem.

The Democrat party is just free riding on that.

ricpic said...

Yesterday Mrs. C, the Secretary of State of The World I guess, since she clearly holds no allegiance to Amerika, compared the Gifford shooting to 9/11, in some arab shithole of all places and today Mr. C, that paragon of virtue, warns us that the rhetoric must be toned down or else.

knox said...

We all need to pay close attention when Bill Clinton advises on correct/appropriate/thoughtful and sensitive behavior.

I'm Full of Soup said...

"Why do modern US politicians seem hellbent on doing precisely the wrong thing at the wrong time?"

The pols ate battening down their hatches [can I still say that?] which feels right to them as they are under siege from us dumb American voters.

Let me pretend I am Bill Clinton by making a big prediction: in 2012, more Congress critters will decide to retire than ever before.

The Scythian said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
The Scythian said...

Freeman Hunt wrote:

"How can this absurd posturing be allowed to stand?"

Is it standing, though? People like Clinton are putting this shit out for sale, but are people buying?

Henry said...

The post title may be a mashup of two different quotes. At least they were split up at the link. I hope the Althouse version is correct. The mixed metaphor is a wonderful poetic juxtaposition. How do echoes fall? What are hinged people hinged to?

Henry said...

In truth I think Mr. Clinton is paraphrasing the bible.

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

The Scythian said...

Freeman,

I was curious, so I turned to Google:

Poll: Rhetoric, Arizona shooting unrelated

It doesn't look like America's buying it.

Meade said...

We must not be unaware of this from Longfellow:

"Behind the clouds the sun is shining,
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life a little unhinginess must fall."

And echo chambering Paul Zrimsek's hilarious 4:46 comment, I just have to be sensitive to that famous verse from Ecclesiastes 1:5:

"The knob also ariseth, and the knob goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he aroseth."

rhhardin said...

Cited by John and Ken (KFI)

Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) urged Republicans to change the name of the repeal bill, which is titled the “Repeal the Job-Killing Healthcare Law Act.” “I’m not suggesting that the name of that one piece of legislation somehow led to the horror of this weekend — but is it really necessary to put the word ‘killing’ in the title of a major piece of legislation?” Pingree wrote on The Huffington Post website.

Shanna said...

Pingree wrote on The Huffington Post website.

That's a joke, right? Because it's gotten to the point where I just don't know. I feel like freeman....twilight zone.

In what universe is actual blood libel not considered dangerous rhetoric? Because, not to go all godwin on you, but haven't there been some problems with that kind of thing before?

We have freedom here in this country, and that has to be freedom for people to say things you might not like. Crazy people are going to do crazy things and no amount, or lack of, dangerous rhetoric is going to stop that. Sheesh

Paddy O said...

I don't know. Being someone who spends a bit of time on the internet and picks up the memes and chatter that pass through the tubes, I'm always a bit surprised when the vast number of people around me have no idea what I'm talking about. The echo chamber is a fair bit smaller than the general population, with the hinged and non-hinged occupying both spheres.

Better just to keep chattering freely. Kooks can be inspired by taxi-cab movies just as much as by internet charts and trolls.

Caroline said...

Violent metaphors are out. Door-frame metaphors are in.

There are people who believe we can fix society by passing laws that curtail our freedom; while ignoring the reality that you can't legislate away stupidity or insanity. They need to ask themselves, what good is a lock on an unhinged door?

(Hey, I tried.)

jr565 said...

Back when the libs were speaking truth to power they used those huge echo chambers to feed raw meet to the unhinged foaming at the mouth crazies solely to get democrats elected. You can look at any commentary on DU or Kos or even Move On to see. Maybe if they handn't been so quick to suggest that 9/11 was an inside job, their rabble wouldn't be so bat shit crazy espousing scenarios that wouldn't even make sense to crazy people.
Those who were sensitive to this phenomenon also saw how much it galvanized the dems, so went along with it. Ad now they find that their own people are similarly victimized by insane talk. Like the french revolution, eventually they too get their heads chopped of by the giulotine (rhetorically).

Back when Clinton was being impeached I supported him becuase I thought the conservatives were acting crazy and while Clinton did commit perjury i thought the conservatives used that incident to go way beyond the bounds out of a need to seize power. Fast forward to the 2000 elections and 9/11 and the libs took the bat shit craziness of the conservatives and put it into overdrive, the likes of which I've never seen in my lifetime. For all the talk about how the truthers are crazy and irrational, do you understand, liberals, the depths of insanity you delived into when a great number of you actually were arguing that the govt took down 7 WTC or that it wasn't a plane that hit the Pentagon, or that the 2000 election was a coup de tat. Do you not understand the degree to which you lowered the bar on debate and that those accusations are incendiary and actual calls to arms? If there is a coup de tat going on in this country, then perhaps it is warranted to kill your leaders, because they, after all, are engaged in a coup de tat. if they are blowing up buildings, then they in fact are as bad as Timothy Mcveigh and we executed him. No wonder the libs hate Bush so much. He's guilty of crimes unimaginable to humanity in their eyes. Only they are rabid dogs, and their reality is out of hte bizzaro world.
So libs, since we had to listen to you howling at the moon for 8 years, you should realize that you should NEVER AGAIN EVER suggest that people are engaging in wild rhetoric. You had that cake and ate it too. You won grand prize on seditious, outrageous slanderous blood libels that could cause a crazy person to lash out. You made militias sound like the PTA.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Yeah - and the echo-chamber is--- that the shooter was reacting to "rhetoric".

Henry said...

April -- Excellent point.

Bill Clinton may not have figured it out, but it is "particularly with the internet" that "we cannot be unaware of the fact [that] ... there's this huge echo-chamber out there."

It's no wonder that folks like Paul Krugman have become so unhinged.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, Bill. It is a giant echo chamber. And your lyin' words are still resonating plenty.

"I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms Lewinsky"

Big Mike said...

Death to violent metaphors!!!

dave in boca said...

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Only libs are so hysterical that they think people become unhinged with fiery rhetoric. THEY become unhinged, but they needn't project their insanity onto independents and conservatives.

Ralph L said...

coup de tat
That's the groan caused by sticking with needles. You want coup d'etat.

Big Mike said...

Between John Nash and Paul Krugman, it's clear that the Nobel for economics has a set aside for people with a history of mental illness.

Anonymous said...

"The rain it raineth on the hinged,
And also on the unhinged fella.
But chiefly on the hinged, because
The unhinged steals the hinged's umbrella."

Fen said...

Bill's statement is funny when you consider that ABC (echo-chamber) was sitting on the intern abuse story.

It was Drudge (internet) that broke it.

Maybe he's still bitter about it. Maybe he should beat down Algore for inventing it.

BJM said...

@AJLynch

Let me pretend I am Bill Clinton by making a big prediction: in 2012, more Congress critters will be retired by the TEA party than ever before.

FIFY

Methadras said...

The only echo chamber Bubba the wonder fuck hears is the one in his empty skull.

Anonymous said...

Ah yes, Bill Clinton, guru of sensitivity, fountain of non-violent enlightenment. Perhaps an opportune moment to remember the 25 children killed at WACO.

1. Chanel Andrade, 1, American
2. Shari Doyle, 18, American
3. Cyrus Koresh, 8, American
4. Star Koresh, 6, American
5. Bobbie Lane Koresh, 2, American
6. Dayland Gent, 3, American
7. Page Gent, 1, American
8. Lisa Martin, 13, American
9. Sheila Martin, Jr., 15, American
10.Anita Martin, 18, American
11.Crystal Martinez, 3, American
12.Isaiah Martinez, 4, American
13.Joseph Martinez, 8, American
14.Abigail Martinez, 11, American
15.Audrey Martinez, 13, American
16.Melissa Morrison, 6, British
17.Mayanah Schneider, 2, American
18.Aisha Gyrfas Summers, 17, Australian, pregnant
19.Startle Summers, 1, American
20.Rachel Sylvia, 12, American
21.Hollywood Sylvia, 1, American
22.Michelle Jones Thibodeau, 18, American
23.Serenity Jones, 4, American
24.Chica Jones, 2, American
25.Little One Jones, 2, American

Fen said...

Yes. Lets not forget that he went ahead with the tear gas even AFTER being warned that normal doses would be lethal to children with smaller lung capacity.

All because the siege was dragging on and making him look impotent.

I don't approve of the OKC bombing, but I understand why it happened. Especially when I learned that the perp deliberately inquired if there was day care in the building.