Saturday, March 6, 2010

John Patrick Bedell - Left or Right

The Examiner posted an article addressing the very question that has been raised by a number of commenters on my yesterday's post: was the Pentagon shooter another example of the right wing gone wrong or was he really a deranged lefty?

My main point in bringing Mudrake's post over here was about the gun. This is a guy who had no business with a gun, regarldess of his political leanings. And, interestingly, it turns out he had more in common with the radical right than the left, in spite of that 9/11, Bush-hating theory.

18 comments:

  1. "My main point in bringing Mudrake's post over here was about the gun."

    Bullshit.

    Anyone who reads your previous post will come to the same conclusion.

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  2. Let's see he didn't use a a flyswatter, mousetrap, pencil sharpener, piece of paper, cross bow, knife, brass knuckles, axe, machete, chain saw, stapler, toothbrush, or frying pan: he used a gun.

    Two for that matter and handguns at that.

    Maybe we should note that fact.

    Of course, the usual talk comes from the gun crowd to try to dodge the fact that a lunatic somehow managed to get his hands on a firearm and use it to public detriment. Oh well, they will managed to do that anyway. Nothing we can do about it.

    We should just resign ourselves that this is the cost of our "freedoms".

    Was that what the people who said this meant:

    “That the people have a right to bear arms for the defense of themselves and their own State, or the United States, or for the purpose of killing game; and no law shall be passed for disarming the people or any of them unless for crimes committed, or real danger of public injury from individuals; and as standing armies in the time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be kept up; and that the military shall be kept under strict subordination to, and be governed by the civil powers.”"The Address and Reasons of Dissent of the Minority of the Convention of Pennsylvania to their Constituents (December 18, 1787), reprinted in Pennsylvania and the Federal Constitution, 1787-1788, p. 422

    Laci

    P.S. and why is there that reference to standing armies anyway?

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  3. Mikeb: it turns out he had more in common with the radical right than the left, in spite of that 9/11, Bush-hating theory

    Bedell "had more in common with the radical right than the left" only by ignoring the evidence and only after desperate spin.

    He believed that the Bush administration or "neo-cons" staged 9-11 to justify invasions and restrictions on civil liberties. Who does that sound like? More here:

    http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/25360_35_of_Democrats_Are_Truthers

    His Amazon.com profile page showed a reading list of deranged anti-Bush hatred:

    "The Immaculate Deception: The Bush Crime Family"

    "Family of Secrets: The Bush Dynasty, the Powerful Forces That Put It in the White House, and What Their Influence Means for America"

    He registered to vote as a Democrat.

    Most of his rants were made when Bush was president -- need I remind everyone that countless incredible rants were made by left-wingers when Bush was president?

    Here is how you get Bedell as a right-winger:

    Bedell ranted against Bush and the government under Bush, and anyone who rants against any government is right-wing.

    What crap!

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  4. Mikeb: "My main point in bringing Mudrake's post over here was about the gun."

    That's good, because of how WRONG Mudrake was about the shooter.

    But let's talk about the gun. This morning's news is that the shooter bought the the gun at a shooting range / gun store in Sacramento California.

    Well what do you know -- the state that the Brady anti-gunowner group credits with the "strongest gun control laws in the US."

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  5. Let's consider the evidence.

    Bedell often railed against "big Government."

    Was convinced the Government was involved in huge conspiracies.

    Was a Ron Paul fan.

    Was a fan of the Ludwig von Mises Institute--a libertarin/right wing group.

    --JadeGold

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  6. Laci: "Of course, the usual talk comes from the gun crowd to try to dodge the fact that a lunatic somehow managed to get his hands on a firearm and use it to public detriment."

    WRONG -- I adressed it as soon as Mikeb mentioned it:

    This morning's news is that the shooter bought the the gun at a shooting range / gun store in Sacramento California.

    Well what do you know -- the state that the Brady anti-gunowner group credits with the "strongest gun control laws in the US."

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  7. Left wing nut, right wing but, regardless he was a prohibited person who used guns illegally at a gun free zone.

    Just another classic example of gun control failure. Your silly laws protect no one.

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  8. FJ is still trying to push the meme that 9-11 truthers are left wingers. His logic is simple: 9-11 truthers believe the Govt was actively responsible for 9-11 (e.g, they did it or directed others to do it). Bush was the unelected President at the time--ergo, to be a 9-11 truther is to hate Bush.


    Of course, FJ couldn't be more wrong. Massive Govt conspiracies (and I think we can agree 9-11 qualifies) are a purely rightwing phenomenom.

    What FJ is hoping for us to buy is a conflation of those of us on the left side who believe 9-11 happened, in large part, due to the inattention and negligence of the Bush admin with those 9-11 truthers who believe 9-11 was an inside job perpetrated by the Govt. There's a huge and readily apparent difference--but FJ is simply being dishonest.

    Again, you can go to most any gunshow and you'll find the 9-11 truthers next to the white separatists and the 'pay no taxes' folks.

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  9. "regardless he was a prohibited person who used guns illegally at a gun free zone."

    FWM is being silly again. Remember, Bedell attacked two armed guards.

    Now, I realize that FWM fantasizes about pulling out a gun to play Die Hard--but reality is very different.

    --JadeGold

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  10. Can it count as a gun free zone when there are armed guards there?

    I really don't care if he was a righty or lefty, I care that he had a couple guns when he was clearly one of those who shouldn't.

    Why don't we forget about the 2nd Amendment and rights, and consider the permission to own a gun a rare privilege, one which is denied to people like this. Wouldn't that work out better for everyone?

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  11. Jadegold: "Of course, FJ couldn't be more wrong. Massive Govt conspiracies (and I think we can agree 9-11 qualifies) are a purely rightwing phenomenom."

    Yep, just like in the 60's.

    -TS

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  12. Crazy, suicidal murderer is crazy suicidal murderer, regardless of political affiliation or choice of weapon.

    "massive gov. conspiracies are purely right-wing"

    Really? What world do you live in?

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  13. JadeGold: "Again, you can go to most any gunshow and you'll find the 9-11 truthers next to the white separatists"

    I have already confessed that my failure to see any 9-11 truthers at all the gun shows I have been to must be due to my inexplicable inabilty to find the white separatists that they are always next to.

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  14. JadeGold:FJ is still trying to push the meme that 9-11 truthers are left wingers. His logic is simple: 9-11 truthers believe the Govt was actively responsible for 9-11 (e.g, they did it or directed others to do it). Bush was the unelected President at the time--ergo, to be a 9-11 truther is to hate Bush.

    The most common explanation given by 9-11 truthers for the 9-11 attacks is that they were staged by the Bush administration or "neo cons" to justify invasions and Bush restrictions on civil liberties.

    OMG, JadeGold -- that does sound tlike right-wingers. I've never heard any left wingers complain that the Bush administration used deception to justify invasions or to infringe upon civil liberties.

    We can just ignore this, too:

    http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/25360_35_of_Democrats

    And as for Bedell's reading list on his Amazon.com profile page, those must be about "right-winger" conspiracy theories, too.

    "The Immaculate Deception: The Bush Crime Family"

    "Family of Secrets: The Bush Dynasty, the Powerful Forces That Put It in the White House, and What Their Influence Means for America"

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  15. Good post, Mikeb.

    The first Bedell post let Mudrake make a fool of himself, but this one lets JadeGold wade way into the deep end.

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  16. Jade, I have no such fantasies.

    And yes, my point was this is a total gun control failure.

    Gun Control 1: He was a prohibited person that could not legally by a gun. He did. Criminals do that. FAIL.

    Gun Control 2: He was not permitted to possess or carry a firearm in Washington D.C. He did. Criminals do that. FAIL.

    Gun Control 3: It is a federal crime for him to bring a firearm to the Pentagon but he did anyway. Criminals do that. FAIL.

    Gun Control 4: It is a federal crime for him to use a firearm to attempt to murder people, armed guards or not. He did anyway. Criminals do that. FAIL.

    Gun Control = FAIL.

    Can you name any of your silly gun control laws that stopped this from happening? No. FAIL.

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  17. "Massive Govt conspiracies (and I think we can agree 9-11 qualifies) are a purely rightwing phenomenom."

    Go to your local NOI mosque and mention MKULTRA, COINTELPRO, or HAARP and see how wrong you are.

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  18. FishyJay: "I have already confessed that my failure to see any 9-11 truthers at all the gun shows I have been to must be due to my inexplicable inabilty to find the white separatists that they are always next to."

    The white separatists are the ones selling lugers or any other piece of war memorabilia from the Axis side. This automatically qualifies you as a skinhead neo nazi.

    -TS

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