I'm trying to put together my Big Long Fortuyn post, but it's taking me a little time. However one thing this whole episode has made clear is how many right wingers out there in blogistan really do perceive themselves to be a disadvantaged victim group and they are now identifying in collective group martyrdom with a real victim, Fortuyn. (See Crazy Andy for the worst examples of this, as always).
Much like bigotboy Horowitz, many of them really do seem to think, as I said below, that they believe their 1st amendment rights include the right to not be disagreed with.
It is not surprising that 'till this day, as evidenced on a recent Capital Gang flashback to Oklahoma City, the Right either misunderstands or deliberately misrepresents Clinton's Voices of Hate speech made after that dreadful day. Never did Clinton call for the regulation of speech, or even attempt to scare it into submission as Ms. Cheney and Bill Bennet have. He simply said that the rest of us have a responsibility to make our voices heard as well. Whether it is explicit racism, anti-semitism, or calls for violence, the silence on the other side should never be as deafening as it sometimes is. Other views need to be heard by those who are simply listening, rather than taking part in the political crossfire.
One can credit Fortuyn for bringing genuinely important issues into the public dialogue in the Netherlands, as one can credit Pat Buchanan for sometimes doing the same thing in this country at various times in his career. But, one should not ignore their more loathsome views or their race-baiting. And those who do are doing themselves a disservice.
Many European countries are increasingly having to come to terms with their newly multicultural societies. Simply stating that Fortuyn had the courage and panache to bring these issues forward in no way excuses him for his policy recommendations. I appreciate that Pat Buchanan talks about immigration, because in our country too it is difficult to have an open (if in his case repugnant and not entirely honest) dialogue about the subject. It is an important issue. But as
Death of the West makes clear, whatever other contributions Pat may have on the subject, in the end he just doesn't like Brown People, not even good Catholic Brown People.
This wasn't meant to be my long Fortuyn post, because that was supposed to have links to all the silliness in Blogistan, but now I'm just too lazy.
