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Okey-Doke Time: Are Obama Thugs Behind Cull of Prominent Opponents?

Limbaugh & Ritual Defamation: Conservative Immolation by Progressive Foes



Increasingly, Conservative leaders are being isolated and surrounded by implacable, foam-lipped foes, rabid wolves fomenting false-standards, offering victims to the god of Marx. Many recent examples abound, including attacks upon Pat Buchanan, Lou Dobbs, and Rush Limbaugh, etc. These partisan assaults, indecently launched in the name of "decency" caused these to be called out for violations of some nebulous civil code, i.e. for simply being too Conservative. Is this an example of a sophisticated leftist campaign to purge political opponents, led by Barack from the White House? All indications suggest this collusion is indeed occurring, raising again the specter of Barack employing groups like Media Matters to direct national media discussions.
Professional researcher, hoax debunker, and fringe movement researcher Laird Wilcox has spent a lifetime studying the ideology and tactics of extremist political groups. He describes how movements use tactical elimination methods of their foes in a manner he terms Ritual Defamation. This tactic is fairly simple, but deadly when applied correctly. Further, in the current political milieu of the US, the media is so lacking in ethics and so complicit with the resident political establishment that they now appear to work hand-in-hand. So, one domino's fall is often all it takes to remove a stalwart Conservative advocate. The subject of this essay is the claim that liberals are using Ritual Defamation to remove leading Conservatives from public life, in an attempt to create a fascist environment where only their views will be supported.

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I. Ritual Defamation

A. Defining Ritual Defamation

Laird Wilcox defines "Defamation" as the...
Destruction or attempted destruction of the reputation, status, character or standing in the community of a person or group of persons by unfair, wrongful, or malicious speech or publication.
Wilcox explains the essence of Ritual Defamation:
The central element is defamation in retaliation for real or imagined attitudes, opinions or beliefs of the victim, with the intention of silencing or neutralizing their influence, and/or making an example of them so as to discourage similar independence and "insensitivity" or non-observance of taboos. It is different in nature and degree from simple criticism or disagreement in that it is aggressive, organized and skillfully applied, often by an organization or representative of a special interest group, and in that it consists of several characteristic elements. Ritual Defamation is not ritualistic because it follows any prescribed religious or mystical doctrine, nor is it embraced in any particular document or scripture. Rather, it is ritualistic because it follows a predictable, stereotyped pattern which embraces a number of elements, as in a ritual.

B. Elements of Ritual Defamation

According to Wilcox, elements of a Ritual Defamation are these: 1. Breaking a Taboo Ritual Defamation begins where the target violates a taboo. Wilcox says this happens by...
Expressing or identifying with a forbidden attitude, opinion or belief. It is not necessary that he "do" anything about it or undertake any particular course of action, only that he engage in some form of communication or expression.
2. Method of Attack: Character Assassination Ritual Defamation is waged by attacking the target's character. Defending against the target's criticism of the protected topic is not highly relevant. 3. Avoidance of Debate Ritual Defamation must avoid any debate over the truth or reasonableness of the target's position. Only condemnation is allowed. Debate opens the floor to examining the issue on its merits; opposite what the ritual defamer is trying to do. Wilcox states: "The primary goal of a ritual defamation is censorship and repression." 4. Victim Profile: A Public Person It's helpful if the target is a person in the public eye, vulnerable to public opinion. Says Wilcox, "Visibility enhances vulnerability to Ritual Defamation." 5. Group Assault: Drafting Others to Wage War It's important others be encouraged to join in the defamation. For example, in the case of a writer, other authors will be encouraged to publicly condemn the offender. 6. Victim Dehumanization For Ritual Defamation to be effective, the target must be seen as inhuman. Writes Wilcox,
The victim must be dehumanized to the extent that he becomes identical with the offending attitude, opinion or belief, and in a manner which distorts it to the point where it appears at its most extreme. For example, a victim defamed as a "racist" or "anti-Semitic" will be identified with the worst images of racism/ anti-Semitism, such as lynchings or gas chambers.
7. Goal of Public Pressure & Humiliation According to Wilcox, successful Ritual Defamation delivers "pressure and humiliation on the victim from every quarter, including family and friends." Targets may be fired from a job, etc. 8. Explanations are Irrelevant Wilcox claims that mitigating circumstances are considered superfluous or absurd given the monstrous nature of the target's sins. He writes,
Any explanation the victim may offer, including the claim of being misunderstood, is considered irrelevant. To claim truth as a defense for a Politically Incorrect value, opinion or belief is interpreted as defiance and only compounds the problem. Ritual defamation is often not necessarily an issue of being wrong or incorrect but rather of "insensitivity" and failing to observe social taboos.
9. Purpose: Intimidation, Terror & Destruction The logic behind Ritual Defamation is described by Wilcox:
The power of Ritual Defamation lies entirely in its capacity to intimidate and terrorize. It embraces elements of primitive superstitious belief, as in a "curse" or "hex." It plays into the subconscious fear most have of abandonment or rejected by the tribe or by society and being cut off from social and psychological support systems.
10. Propaganda Meant Not to Persuade, But Punish Ritual Defamation is propaganda, a disinformation campaign employing manipulation of words and symbols, meant not to persuade, but punish. Its primary thrust is emotional. Wilcox writes,
Ritual Defamation is used to hurt, to intimidate, to destroy, and persecute, and to avoid the dialogue, debate and discussion upon which a free society depends. Therefore, it must be opposed regardless whom justifies its use.

II. Conservative Targets of Ritual Defamation: Coordinated by Obama?

Since elite media regularly portray Conservatives as intellectually dishonest, mentally unfit, morally suspect, or educationally deficient, the stage is already set for Ritual Defamation. Thus, it simply remains for leftist vigilance to monitor targets in order to collect data for a Ritual Defamation campaign. Recent recipients of Ritual Defamation include:

A. Lou Dobbs

Lou Dobbs hosted CNN's most enduring and profitable show, a business-themed program. After September 11th, Dobbs' epiphany caused him to express more opinions on topics he regarded as crucial to America's future. His departure afterwards was described by NPR:
Lou Dobbs, one of CNN's founding anchors, quit the cable news channel Wednesday evening after months of tensions with executives, saying he would seek new ways to advocate his often inflammatory views.
The NY Post reported, "CNN was so sick of Lou Dobbs, it gave him an $8 million severance package to leave. They wanted him out." Dobbs described his own theory to GQ:
GQ: Have you heard from the Obama administration? Lou Dobbs: Of course I have. Sure. Without question. They are coordinating with a number of groups, including the Center for American Progress. The usual suspects. To carry out constant and absolutely insidious and sordid attacks on me. And the reason they're doing so, I'm the leading independent voice, and I am critical on their policies and intent, on unconditional amnesty, and leaving the borders and ports unsecure. They cannot, they're. . . GQ: They're afraid of that point of view? They don't think their point of view will carry against... Lou Dobbs: Apparently not. Otherwise why would you do such a thing? But I will not be intimidated, and I understand that. Therefore they're trying to intimidate my network and my owners.

B. Patrick Buchanan

Former Republican speech-writer Pat Buchanan is one of America's most analytic and iconoclastic Conservative pundits. His tenure was made untenable at progressive MSNBC after publication of his latest book, Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025? The book examines race and religion in a manner that made some uncomfortable, so the channel decided to fire him. Buchanan believes he was fired after "...an incessant clamor from the left." But even Buchanan's many critics were baffled at the timing, as uber-liberal Chris Matthews defended his brand of journalism, with Stanley Fish admitting to missing Pat, and another commented:
When I heard that Patrick Buchanan had been fired as a commentator from MSNBC, my first reaction was "It's about time!" It's a little baffling because Buchanan basically says nothing in his new book that he hasn't said before, on television and in writing. He wrote in his blog that "in the 10 years I have been at MSNBC, the network has taken heat for what I have written, and faithfully honored our contract." So why ditch him now?
According to the WashPost, Buchanan himself believes an outside campaign was organized to hasten his departure:
I know these blacklisters. They operate behind closed doors, with phone calls, mailed threats, and off-the-record meetings. They work in the dark because, as Al Smith said, nothing un-American can live in the sunlight.
Pat believes Obama's favorite Marxist, former Green Jobs czar Van Jones, was behind the firing, as his group Color of Change is mentioned with the decision, according to the Daily Caller:
Liberal activist group Color of Change announced it received confirmation the left-leaning cable news network MSNBC indefinitely suspended conservative commentator Pat Buchanan. An October campaign was launched to remove Buchanan from MSNBC programming. "Amazing news!" a Color of Change email alert announced: "Pat Buchanan and his white supremacist ideology will no longer be on TV."

C. Rush Limbaugh

Radio personality Rush Limbaugh's recent comments regarding sexual rights advocate Sandra Fluke's demand for free birth control at Catholic universities caused a firestorm. As advertisers fled in droves, leaving America's most listened-to radio commentator exposed, a hasty apology was offered. Much remains unknown regarding the strangely timed Fluke appearance. Bill O'Reilly suggests the whole thing is a creation of Obama, reporting:
Fluke is managed by public relations firm SKDKnickerbocker, owned by Anita Dunn, former adviser to President Barack Obama. Dunn served as White House Communications Director in 2009. Right now, Fluke's in California with her boyfriend, son of Democratic stalwart William Mutterperl, who made at least 56 donations to Democratic candidates or organizations.
Is it possible Limbaugh, one of the savviest observers of American culture, was okey-doked by Fluke in another Obama directed smear campaign? All early indications lead to this conclusion. IBD asks, Was Sandra Fluke a Honey Trap? Obama chose to comment on the ruckus, and phoned Fluke while comparing her to his daughters. But the question of the day is whether Fluke was recruited and directed by Obama?

Conclusion

Has a sitting American president ever directed a psy-ops campaign against the upper tier of the opposition media? Perhaps Barack finally realized without a major injection of state-directed propaganda, his viability as a candidate with $6-a-gallon gasoline, and 9% unemployment, was nil? Interestingly, Van Jones himself boasted of an "October Surprise" against the Tea Party (video). As Barack 's followers continue to insist he never errs, it is chilling to witness a campaign to wipe-out all of his most vocal detractors. In his farewell, Dobbs noted that major issues today are "Unfortunately, these issues are now defined in the public arena by partisanship and ideology rather than by rigorous empirical thought and forthright analysis and discussion." This action by the Obama media can only continue the trend that acceptable opinions in America are only deemed fit after vetting by the White House.


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Kelly O'Connell -- Bio and Archives

Kelly O’Connell is an author and attorney. He was born on the West Coast, raised in Las Vegas, and matriculated from the University of Oregon. After laboring for the Reformed Church in Galway, Ireland, he returned to America and attended law school in Virginia, where he earned a JD and a Master’s degree in Government. He spent a stint working as a researcher and writer of academic articles at a Miami law school, focusing on ancient law and society. He has also been employed as a university Speech & Debate professor. He then returned West and worked as an assistant district attorney. Kelly is now is a private practitioner with a small law practice in New Mexico.


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