John Liming on the right-wing’s slide into extremism.
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Religious fundamentalism is a distinguishing characteristic of some pretty scary ideologies around the Globe and I often wonder if that kind of ideology might someday pose a similar threat to The United States.
It seems to me that Religious Fundamentalists are often the ones who embrace the most extreme concepts of government and who, because of what I consider to be some of their crazy ideas also pose the greatest threat to our own form of Democracy.
I have heard at least two supposed-to-be Republicans telling America recently that their idea of “Compromise” in the affairs of State is to force the other side around to their way of thinking.
I cannot help but see that kind of an attitude as the attitude of a wannabe dictator.
It has been very well demonstrated, in my opinion, that the current crop of what I consider to be irresponsible extremest Right Wingers have shown signs of wanting to be dictators rather than compromisers and as far as I am concerned, that bodes ill for Traditional Americanism – - – very ill indeed!
In fact I see that development as downright dangerous and frightening.
That kind of attitude no longer represents an idea of “We The People” but, rather, it speaks to me of the uncompromising voice of rising Oligarchical Corporatist Dictatorship and if that is true then it is my opinion that it is crap—pure and simple crap… the pure stuff!
And Americans, having become more sheep than people in many cases, are stepping in big piles of it and don’t often even seem to be concerned.
What I want to know is, where is that old American Fighting Spirit that once spoke so loudly about honesty, tolerance, decency, compassion and protecting our Democracy from all who would defile it?
How is it that we have descended into this darkness where what seems to be a bunch of nasty-tempered, greedy, grasping, militant dork wads has gained such Public prominence on a platform of undoing what was once The American Dream and grabbing it all for a minority we often call the wealthiest 1%?
Is there a way to stem the tide of decay and demise for our beloved country’s best and most honorable characteristics – - – the things that have made us great and sustained us for two centuries – - – or are the pickle-faced, air brained screamers and their foul cohorts finally going to grab it all and leave nothing but ashes and despair for whoever is left?
What I want to know is if the damned millionaires and billionaires do finally wrest control of the government into their own hands, what do they intend to do with us? I don’t feel particularly good about their intentions for The American People. I somehow have the notion they are not going to act like beneficent caretakers and make life good for all of us.
I do not think that many of them are going to be seen as “The Doting Uncle.”
I think the real picture will be more like “The Ever-Watching Big Brother.”
Orwell . . . Orwell . . .Orwell at last!
Another way of framing that question might be, “What will America be like if the voice of “We The People” is finally silenced by the voice of Big Money?”
I have a sneaking suspicion that if Big Money is able to “Buy” us, lock, stock and barrel, the governmental gridlock that we have been subjected to under the obstructionist Republican idiots will be seen as mere child’s play in light of what “Boardroom America” has yet in store for us.
American Radical Conservatism has been very good at screaming their vile propaganda over the extreme-controlled airwaves in this country and convincing the least educated and most easily led among us to vote against their own best interests and install what I consider to be some pretty wildly dysfunctional foot soldiers of tyranny into some fairly high governmental positions in the last few years.
We have seen evidence of this unfortunate development in recent times when a totally gridlocked Congress has been absolutely hand cuffed from doing any thing to undo the financial damage done to us by a previous administration of mindless Radical Conservatism and we are seeing evidence of it now in the words and actions of some of the newer disciples of oppression that have somehow managed to sneak in.
I am wondering if the time will ever come when the more reactionary of the Fundamentalist Extremists in Republican ranks will be forced by Public opinion to become more tolerant of the 99% and will actually switch from bitching and moaning about everything they don’t like to providing some kind of workable, viable alternative plans and solutions that do not decimate the Middle Class and the Poor?
For my money, the only things I have seen Republicanism offer to fix what is broken about America are things that would make the situation even worse and, as far as I am concerned, that highly-touted “Ryan Plan” they keep pushing wins the prize for something that has the power to make life really unbearable for an awfully lot of people who have had to struggle to make it from day to day in what have been pretty unhappy financial times.
But from what I am hearing, there is now some possibility that the current plans of Republicans campaigning to put their man in as President include grabbing onto that “Ryan Plan” as their ultimate solution and in my opinion, if they are successful with that, it might well be the “Final” solution for all that ails America because it will absolutely destroy the Social Safety Net and people will die because of it.
I think that if Republicans get their way in November, 2012 and do somehow manage to get The Affordable Health Care Act (“Obama Care”) thrown out and people get thrown off their insurance because of all their pre-existing conditions and all the other stuff that some big insurance companies like to do, people will die! It is that serious and I wonder if enough people are aware of the seriousness of it all to actually vote to get something done about it?
You know folks, I think the old Republican ideals of “Self-Reliance and Self-Sufficiency” have some merit but I also think that these concepts can be pushed too far and that the end result can be some awfully fearful damage to individual lives and to the nation as a whole.
I don’t think some of the crazies know that.
I think there might be too many others who simply do not care.
John publishes The Liming Liberal Democrat.
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With the current course Republicans are on, I don’t see them winning the White House in this election or any one after that. Americans might not be the brightest people on the planet but we’re not the dumbest either. Eight years of Dubya taught us a lot. It’ll probably take a couple of election cycles to wean the tea party out of our system before the GOP wakes up and realizes that Americans are not buying into rightwing extremism. Until then, the lemmings will keep on jumping off that cliff.
Dear Arthur L,
I see your point but all this voter suppression that Republicans are doing all over the country to kill the Democrat Vote and the fact that the so-called “Tea Party” was actually able to con America into giving them the House of Representatives in 2012 and the fact that they have now targeted the Senate in much the same manner and the fact that the average person on the street sometimes doesn’t even know who is President or who the VP is or any other simple question you might ask them about the government, I am worried about the outcome of this election.
The polls indicate that while the President is ahead right now, we must remember that polls are very selective and not everyone takes part in them.
Also I have heard that this election is being driven by voter angst about the economy and that they are angry and dissatisfied with what the administration has done and many of them are looking for a change (Any change will do) and they don’t know what they are asking for because of the continual drone of The Riightie Myth Machine – - –
I think America could be in a real bucket of – - – for want of a better description – - – manure (Most likely hateful, bigoted “Chicken” manure) and I think we had all better be praying that the old dependable “American Collective Consciousness” hasn’t been duped to the point where they might be willing to do 2000-2008 over again (On steroids this time).
The righties that vote against their own interests, don’t realize that they members of the very same lazy, government draining, welfare queens that the republicans so often talk about. They believe it is the brown and black people that are living off the liberal nanny state. Can you imagaine the look on their faces when they loose their benefits, are working for $3.00/hr, living under some bridge with their uneducated hungry children?
Also when entire communities are so poverty stricken, their only hope is god. He becomes their only source of medical care, shelter and food. I have read posters thanking god and counting their blessings if they can find a part time minimum wage job. They are being taught to be happy with the crumbs that the 1% throws them.
John, I am just as frightened as you for what is in store for us if the GOP take over. We will become Iran, and life as we know it, will be gone forever.
I think one of the reasons that this happens is because Republicans never publicly admit that anything is broken about America; America is perfect. Flawless. They may actually know about all the cesspools we slog through every day, but all they say they see is Reagan’s “shining city on a hill”. How many times have we heard Republican politicians say that the US has “…the best healthcare system in the world.”? They keep saying that in the face of declining lifespan, rising infant mortality and the recurrence of diseases formerly thought eradicated*. They keep saying that despite the fact that nearly every American in the 99% has a medical- or insurance-related horror story to tell or is related to or knows someone who does. They keep saying “We’re #1″ in spite of the fact that we are trailing further and further behind other countries, most of which have extensive social (gasp!) safety networks and treat their citizens like assets to nurture and invest in not resources to be exploited. The more this goes on, the more I am coming to think that there were never be a peaceful resolution to the situation.
Here are two quotes that express their sources’ sentiments far better than I ever could:
*Although there are other reasons for this, like the anti-science anti-vaccine idiocy.
Another way of framing that question might be, “What will America be like if the voice of “We The People” is finally silenced by the voice of Big Money?”
The 1% need to heed the lessons of the French Revolution. The NRA-backed right wingnuts could very well come to regret pushing little-to-no gun control if a desperate, downtrodden, heavily-armed 99% take to the streets.
I keep hearing how we’re a center right nation (from the GOP, of course) and yet everyone claims Romney will never win without being a moderate to claim the middle moderate votes. Moderate does not equate to center right the last time I checked.
I cannot begin to voice how utterly angry I am over Ohio. 88 counties and all the Democratic leaning ones will not be allowed to have extended hours while the Republican counties will have them.
I remember 2004 when they moved all the voting machines from the urban areas to the suburbs and people ended up standing in line for hours, or going home (estimated almost 200K went home – and Bush won by 118K votes). Blackwell shut down the voting (as I recall) at 9:00 pm while people were still waiting. I was so angry I sent him email (it is a wonder I’m not behind bars — although I did not threaten, but I was pretty fired up to say the least!).
When you add all the other states where the right to vote is being snatched from various members of the population, we should be marching in the streets – Democrat and Republican – to prevent this from happening.
When the former FL RNC chair comes on national television and admits the reason for the voter suppression laws were not because of “fraud,” but deliberately to take away a person’s right to vote, it should not be tolerated.
If this election is changed because of these voter suppression laws, I cannot imagine the American public accepting the outcome.
But what this does tell me is that the GOP knows fully well this is not a center right nation — or they wouldn’t have to bother with voter suppression.
The GOP is a dying party – and the sooner the better.
I agree with most of what you are saying, except:
Orwell . . . Orwell . . .Orwell at last!
I think it should be:
Huxley . . . Huxley . . . Huxley at last!
Inspired by Neil Postman’s book “Amusing Ourselves To Death” here are some interesting graphics by Stuart McMillan. He compares Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” and George Orwell’s “1984.”
The uncompromising Tea Party types are the bullies of our society. They’re the ones who would stop some small kid heading to school and force him to give them their lunch money.
What happened in 2008 was that Barack Obama won the White House and Democrats controlled both the Senate and the House and the bullies — supported by the Koch brothers — went out and showed their outrage that a black man was in what they considered their White House and they were livid. It was the perfect opportunity for the biggest bullies of them all — the Koch brothers — to make their move and form a group that would do all the dirty work while they enjoyed the gains.
If Romney and Ryan win in November and Republicans take control of both houses, this country is in for a shake up that will turn us over on our heads. Not only that, they’ll change the voting system and voting laws in a way that will allow them to keep control for years to come and completely lock Democrats out.
Canada, here I come!