Duck Speak

By Acey. Originally posted at Come on Pilgrims.

"It was not the man's brain that was speaking; it was his larynx. The stuff that was coming out of him consisted of words, but it was not speech in the true sense: it was a noise uttered in unconsciousness, like the quacking of a duck."--George Orwell 1984

President Bush was not the most eloquent of speakers. To those of us who love a gaffe he provided a collection of hilarious and awkward quotes that rival Steve Carrell's portrayal of Michael Scott on "The Office."

I'm certain that Jesus is Michael's favorite political philosopher too.

If there's a classic Bushism this is it... classic.For all his obvious struggles, I only occasionally doubted that President Bush had a stable, consistent and rational world view. Though I disagree with his perspective on most issues, there was what seemed to be a solid foundation for reasonable discussion and debate with the former President. Too gracious... maybe, but with the guy out of the White House I'm feeling charitable.

More than charity, perhaps it's nostalgia. Nostalgia for a GOP that I could wrap my head around. With the GOP in shambles after a disastrous Presidency and the loss of both houses of Congress--a new breed of Conservative has emerged from the toxic mess that is the Republican party. The breed is not the Neo-Cons informed and led by intelligent, but Faustian characters like Paul Wolfowitz, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld... rather it's a vitriolic movement led by a "Guy who cares enough to ask" and a Governor who so loved her people that she gave-up her one and only term, that she shall not perish at the hands of ethics probes and may make fat bank on a book tour. 1984. There is no more apt discussion of language and its misuse and abuse at the hands Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin than Orwell's, granted this is an anachronism, but that actually gives me comfort. It comforts me to know that clowns have performed the same sideshow for generations, and we're still here.

The central point Orwell makes in 1984, in regards to language, is that fools like Beck and Palin string together words, sentences and on occasion paragraphs that have no true meaning. They're but the unconscious syllabic chirps of their orthodoxy. They carry no meaning, express no truth--rather they are a comforting clamor for the indoctrinated. They speak in "Duck Speak."

The Duck Speak of Beck and Palin paints a world of conspiracy, bizarre correlations, and ire directed at a nebulous "They." The hatred of the "They" provides that emotional catharsis their disenfranchised and frightened followers crave. What exactly this New GOP is afraid of is difficult to pin down--at its core they seem to fear modernity itself. With modernity comes a more open and honest reality of the human experience in all its complexities. Beck, Palin and those like them want is a fictional past, a sort of throw back Disney Reality where the world fits neatly into Good/Bad, Black/White, Male/Female, Straight/Straighter (there was no Gay in this throwback world they envision) and whatever other absurd oversimplified dichotomy you can muster.

Their "Duck Speak" reflects this... they quack and quack occasionally throwing out keywords and phrases that the indoctrinated have been taught to respond to with venom, disgust and fear.

This Beck clip is a brilliant one--he uses keywords "Communism" and "Fascism" (scary/angry words for his aging Fox demographic) oftentimes using them almost interchangeably. If you can follow his argument you're more clever than I am...try to make it to his discussion of the chariot, it's particularly good.


The Duck Speak translation of this... and really you've got to listen to Beck solely in Duck Speak it loses so much in translation is, "Quack quack quack Communist. Quack, quack quack quuuuaack? Quack, NBC. Quack, Fascist. Quack quack I'm losing my mind."

Beck shows his audience how they should feel at each stage.
Audience you should feel:
Superior--that you and the others in the know have this special knowledge
Angry--at Communists
Angry--at Fascists
Afraid--of those who don't get it
Unstable/Crazy--this last emotional cue confused me... until I watched some Tea Party rallies and town hall meetings, the New GOP wants to come across as a unstable and crazy, because it's frightening. Most rational people don't want to deal with the angry and unhinged so it's a strange, yet effective way to empower your followers.In this nine minute clip he makes no salient point. Identifies no real issues. Illuminates nothing... but I know I'm supposed to be afraid, afraid and angry.
Palin is equally adept at Duck Speak. Check out the sound and fury signifying nothing in this instant classic.

47 Seconds in poor Bill is actually so dazed by Palin's incomprehensible answer he nearly passes out.
Come on now she's making it too easy... The stuff that was coming out of HER consisted of words, but it was not speech in the true sense: it was a noise uttered in unconsciousness, like the quacking of a duck.Just because your speech takes up time, is audible and made up of individually recognizable words doesn't mean it's an answer.

I've heard pundits on the Right claim that the reason the Left hates Palin is because they're afraid of her... the inevitable response from the Left is the playground, "Am not!" I'm a political independent so maybe I can be honest and say, "Am so!" I'm totally afraid of Sarah Palin. I think she and Beck represent real dangers. They're dangerous because they're so phenomenally unstable and irrational--yet they still draw huge followings of equally rabid and irrational acolytes. Sarah Palin totally frightens me. Her mind is a mob of one. She encapsulates the aggression, blind stupidity and irrationality of a mob of people--frighteningly, she manages to do this without the social pressures of an actual mob.

In a twist only the Universe knows the answer to, she has come to command an actual frightening mob as she and Beck are becoming the De Facto philosophical leaders of the Tea Party Movement. How can people whose only philosophy is crazy talk, man-crying and incomprehensible Duck Speak be the philosophical touchstones for millions of Americans? Imagine the mental gymnastics it would take to glean any clear mission statement from either Beck or Palin. I know Beck has his Principles and Rules or whatever, but they're so vague and broad that I'd wager he picked them up from his kid's kindergarten class at parent-teacher conferences.

And Palin... yes she's "Gone Rogue." But Sarah, how do standard, albeit poorly articulated, GOP talking points equate with your self-appointed Tom Clancy title? Don't you have to do something novel, unique, or interesting to be a rebel/rogue/rabble rouser/rapscallion or any other naughty "r" word you care to come up with?

One need look no further than her insane resignation speech for proof that she and Beck are the unholy mother and father of the New GOP.

Irrefutable proof that Palin practices "Duck Speak" note the quacking at 5:38.

Here's a break down of her speech and its key points.
Support the troops, the troops have sacrficed for our national ideals. "God Bless our Military"... so I'm quiting.
My administration is doing so well... so I'm quitting.
Media victim...so I'm quitting.
Obama bad...so I'm quitting.
Big Brother/Federal Government Bad... so I'm quitting.
Being right is better than being popular... so I'm quitting.
Liberal courts bad... so I'm quitting.
Media victim part 2... so I'm quitting.
My ethics law and ethics standards are applying to me... so I'm quitting.
This job is harder than I thought... so I'm quitting.
Tearing things is down bad, building them up is good... so I'm quitting.
The quitter's way out is bad (5:47)... so I'm quitting (My personal favorite)
Fighting for our state and country good... so I'm quitting.
GOP Talking Points Good... so I'm quitting.
Lame Duck isn't fun... so I'm quitting.
Sarah is a Cyborg who isn't wired to be a Duck (7:46)... so I'm quitting.

The body of evidence on this woman so thoroughly demonstrates that she is unable to rationally or logically deal with any issue that I'm stunned she's taken serious by anyone. The doublethink required to write that speech is second only to the double think that would be required for someone to watch that and think, "Man, she's totally right. What a brave move she's making for her country, state and family by quitting. What a patriot! She's right the quitter's way out is for quitters, that's why she's... ummm--two legs good, four legs bad, two legs good, four legs bad."

The only comfort I have in the phenomenon that is Beck, Palin, Tea Parties and all the associated nonsense is that their hatred for rationality, logic and their inability to do anything other than evoke fear and anger in their followers can't be the foundation for viable longterm movement. Beck is not a patriot. He's a vapid blow hard posing as a reporter on a network that poses as a news outlet. It's infotainment which has its place, provided the viewers are savvy enough to know the difference. Palin is not a rogue. The last "Rogue" I knew was Han Solo and he earned his title with a howling Wookie and Death Star debris. I knew Han Solo, Han Solo was a friend of mine and you Sarah Palin are no Han Solo.

Now that's "Going Rogue."