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Friday, February 16, 2007
Reagan was a monster; Bush is a disaster. There, I've got that off my chest. My problem with both men is they have this imperial view of the world that suggests dissent is a capital crime and should be squelched at every turn. Granted, it was Margaret Thatcher, not Reagan, who began the process of neutering the Fourth Estate, but Thatcher was simply the distaff side of Reagan's imperial nature.
We are at a crossroads and we're not thinking clearly. Rupert Murdoch and his ken have dulled our senses with American Idol, Survivor and a pantheon of drug-addled, oversexed celebrities. Given the distracted state of the proletariate; my fear is that we may never have better in the White House because Republicans are dead set against change. I'm not saying Republicans are any less drunk on pop culture. It's just that most are reaching for the lowest branch. They are people who hate strongly and see kindred spirits in the Bushes, Reagans, Thurmonds and Santorums of the world. Honestly, I'm never dispirited to see a Ferrari with a Bush-Cheney bumper sticker. That at least makes sense. I'm amazed at the rundown cars and rundown car owners -- probably toting three mortgages -- who support the present regime. It's like me writing a monthly check to Bob Jones University. The sap has grown so thick in many of our heads that we're petting rabid wolves and saying, 'Nice doggy.' The resultant bankruptcies, diminished liberties and overall loss of freedom is a no-brainer prediction. Conservatives are holding the line against time and any idiot can see how that contest is going to turn out. Worse, they are couching it in terms of religion, which basically says no discussion is allowed. After all, it's a matter of faith, right? Change is a scary proposition and entire agencies -- the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, the GOP and some elements of the Democratic party are dedicated to stopping change. They don't want the White Male Power paradigm changed; they don't want the USA uber alles mentality changed; they don't want technology they don't understand; they don't want to change their lifestyle because of global warming; they don't want to hear different languages in America; they don't want diversity. I think the thing that makes them angriest is the fact that in less than four decades, American white people will be a minority. I almost think this is a "last minute" heyday for them. What they want is Davenport, IA, circa 1919 -- an all-white caste system wherein a handful of men made the decisions and everyone else lived with them. But, despite their best efforts -- Bull Connor, Ronald Reagan, Strom Thurmond -- things did change. They killed King to silence us and he became a martyr. They refused to pass the ERA and women became governors and senators. The irony is that conservative white people don't have to be afraid if they lay a foundation of respect for humankind. Just as bombing Iraq creates more terrorists, jailing a MILLION black men perpetuates a criminal element. Conservatism creates the things it fears. So, all that remains for conservatives now is the fear card -- which can become the race card or the class card at a moment's notice. Liberals and progressives have accomplished all the growth in America. Why? They attack the hard questions; they don't sweep them under the table. There are some seriously hard questions for liberals to address -- what is the proper amount of force to maintain national sovereignity, yet not become imperialist?; what global lifestyle can the earth support?; when does conservative speech tip over into hate speech and what should our reaction be? For conservatives those questions translate, respectively, to: Who wronged us and when can we kill them?; What lifestyle do I want -- damn the planet; Why do the PC Police want to censor me for calling black people niggers, Mexican spicks and gay people faggots? On this forum, an unspoken question is whether we should rise up against the conservative powers that be. Should that be peaceful, violent, armed or political? We know there is something wrong with the paradigm, but we're not going to assume it will fix itself. We are brave enough to ask that question in a climate when that can mean death for us. After all, the extreme conservative element has already shown its colors -- assassination is one of its tools, with lying a close second. Liberals and progressives have to be fearless because there is so much to fear from their foes. After all, King got killed, not Connor. Conservatives in this country have entrenched themselves in power by disregarding the rules. Liberals are at a disadvantage because we adhere to the rule of respect for humanity. That's why the death penalty is anathema to true liberals, while conservatives can rally around unborn babies and yet foam at the mouth crying for adults to be put to death. If you are a progressive, a liberal -- I want to commend and you urge you to continue the fight. If you are a conservative, I ask that you not be afraid and plead that you pay attention. 10 Comments:
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