Besides, where exactly were all these self-appointed guardians of civility during Trump’s fractious tenure? He was serenaded by ‘Fuck Trump’ for every single day of his four years in power. No anti-Trump protest was complete without a four-letter salute to The Donald. Back then, bien pensant liberals celebrated these f-bombs. At the 2018 Tony Awards, Robert De Niro memorably announced, ‘I’m gonna say one thing. Fuck Trump.’ He was given a standing ovation.
Yet when Republican politicians or even an airline pilot say ‘Let’s go Brandon’ they’re treated as if they pose a threat to the body politic. CNN political analyst Asha Rangappa went so far as to liken the pilot’s sign-off to someone saying ‘Long live ISIS’. This prominent commentator apparently struggles with the distinction between being rude about Joe Biden and pledging allegiance to the Islamic State – between a juvenile wind-up and a political gesture in support of a genocidal regime.
This shouldn’t be difficult to grasp. Insulting, rude language is part and parcel of political discourse. It has its place. Sure, insulting politicians won’t advance political debate – after all, it’s often swearing to the converted. But it won’t end political debate, either.
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