Why do they generate and circulate a seemingly endless number of blatantly false and misleading chain emails that demean our President?
Why do they try to shout down everyone with whom they disagree?
Why do they parrot talking points instead of rationally debating issues?
Why do they protect the obscenely wealthy and attack the poor?
Why do they complain about immigration then hire illegal immigrants to do their landscaping or repair their roofs?
Why do they preach small government then pass laws giving government power to prevent gay marriages and lawful abortions?
Why do they fight to ban abortions while, at the same time, fighting against sex education and the contraceptive practices that would help avoid them?
Why do they revere police and firefighters for responding to 9/11 then try to take away their right to collective bargaining and health care?
Why do they praise those in the military and ignore veterans in need of help?
Why do they revere President Bush for adding $7 trillion to our national debt and crashing our economy then attack President Obama for adding $1.4 trillion in trying to fix it?
Why do they complain about the excesses of Wall Street bankers while trying to block laws that will regulate them?
Why do they slash budgets for education while complaining that the US is falling behind other nations?
Why do they complain about unemployment as they cut federal budgets to force even more layoffs?
Why do they complain about government health care while telling the government to keep its hands off their Medicare?
Why do they complain about passing health care reform after a 10-month debate then pass a bill to kill entitlements with virtually no debate.
Why do they talk about helping small businesses then undercut them with policies that only benefit large corporations?
Why do they refuse to eliminate tax loopholes for corporations that claim an offshore P.O. Box as their corporate headquarters?
Why do they subsidize big oil companies and refuse to subsidize renewable alternatives?
Why do they call themselves conservatives when theyre against conservation of our environment?
Why do they demand compromise then refuse to consider alternate ideas?
Category Archives: Culture
The Political Legacy Of The “Christian” Right.
Sometime around 1979, Jerry Falwell helped create the “Moral” Majority. Despite the separation clause in the US Constitution, the group’s goal was to push a Christian agenda in US politics. Although the organization was dissolved in the late 1980s, it was followed by Pat Robertson’s and Ralph E. Reed, Jr’s Christian Coalition in 1988.
Capitalizing on the fight against abortion, the group’s political clout reached its zenith in the late 1990s during the Clinton administration and during George W. Bush’s successful campaign for president. In Bush, the group had a president who gladly did its bidding. Bush repaid the group with his federal funding of “faith-based” organizations and his denial of federal funding for contraception and abortion.
Since Bush left office the group has taken a backseat to Tea Party Republicans. But it has left a substantial legacy which, in many ways, has become even more entrenched today.
You can see that legacy in the religious zeal with which the Republican faithful have purged their ranks of political moderates, aka RINOs (Republicans In Name Only). In this religious-based mentality, there is no place for compromise. It’s a mentality in which everything is as black and white as good and evil.
Ironically, the “Christian” right perverts the very tenets of Christianity – those of understanding, forgiveness and help for the poor. Instead, the leaders of the group have pushed an agenda of intolerance, hatred and even war. I’ve heard these leaders pray for the death of Supreme Court Justices so Bush could annoint, I mean appoint, another right-wing conservative to the Court. I’ve heard these leaders call for political assassinations of those with whom they disagree. And I’ve heard these leaders justify wars against people of other faiths.
Unfortunately, these leaders were given a forum for their ideas through syndicated “Christian” radio. Their zeal and anger have been parroted and amplified by Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and most every host on Fox News Channel. Now the “faithful” are demanding a crusade against government and those they consider non-believers such as Muslims, the poor, the elderly, immigrants, unions, teachers, firefighters and, of course, Democrats.
The Tee Hee Party. Making Politics Laughable.
If the consequences weren’t so very serious, the nonsensical ramblings of the Tea Party would be great comic theater. Certainly the Teapublicans have provided us with some of the best political comedy ever. Witness Saturday Night Live’s repeated skewering of half-governor Sarah Palin. The commercials for “I’m Not A Witch” Christine O’Donnell and for the chicken-bartering Sharron Angle. The Google results for Rick Santorum. Or the snickers whenever Michelle Bachmann exposes her utter lack of knowledge of anything.
But in between all of our belly laughs, we really should be crying. Because the sad fact is that these lunatics are in control of the US House of Representatives for another year and a half.
These are people who don’t know the difference between a deficit and a debt. People who believe that the only way to balance a budget is through draconian cuts. People who believe that those cuts will not create higher unemployment. People who have deluded themselves into believing that causing our President to fail will not cause harm to our nation!
They believe this because they’re either too rich or too stupid to worry.
Yes, we truly are witnessing a tragic comedy. And the most tragic thing of all is that we’re all responsible for electing these people, either through action or apathy.
Warring States
The current debate about withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and Iraq, and the anniversary of Daniel Ellsburg’s release of Pentagon papers started me thinking about our history of wars. When I looked it up, I was stunned!
Since our Declaration of Independence, the United States of America has been almost constantly at war. In fact, not counting the Cold War and relatively minor deployments intended to protect American interests abroad, the US has been at war all but 33 years of its 236 year history!
Now you may try to justify those wars (as I used to) by assuming they were the result of our desire to spread democracy around the world and to defend human rights.
You could use that argument. But youd be wrong.
After wresting the continent away from Native Americans, Great Britain, France, Spain, Russia, and Mexico, our military has spanned the globe. Few of our enemies actually attacked us. More often, wars resulted from a perceived threat to our future and security, especially that of our large corporations. Following is a partial list of military actions involving the US:
1775-83 – Revolutionary War
1776-1915 – Indian Wars
1798-1800 – Quasi-War (undeclared naval war with France)
1801-05 – First Barbary War
1806-10 Mexico
1810-18 War with Spanish Florida
1812-15 – War of 1812
1815 – Second Barbary War
1824 Puerto Rico
1838-39 Indonesia
1840 – Fiji Islands
1841 – Samoa
1843 – China
1844-48 – Mexican-American War
1853-54 – Japan
1854 – Nicaragua
1857-58 – Utah War (dispute with Mormons)
1859 – Mexico
1861-65 – Civil War
1863-64 – Japan
1866 – Mexico
1866 – China
1867 – Nicaragua
1868 – Japan
1871 – Korea
1873-96 – Mexico
1889 – Kingdom of Hawaii
1893 – Kingdom of Hawaii
1898 – Spanish-American War
1899-1913 – Phillipine-American War
1900 – China (Boxer Rebellion)
1914-17 – Mexico
1915-34 – Haiti
1917-18 – World War I
1918-19 – Mexico
1918-20 – Soviet Union
1941-45 – World War II
1945 – China (vs. Japanese)
1950-53 – Korean War
1955-75 – Vietnam
1957-75 – Laos
1965 – Dominican Republic
1968 – Laos & Cambodia
1975 – Angola
1983 – Grenada
1989 – Panama
1991 – Gulf War
1992-96 – Bosnia and Herzegovina
2001-present – Afghanistan
2003-present – War in Iraq
Moreover, since the end of World War II our military, led by the Central Intelligence Agency, has overthrown numerous democratically-elected leaders throughout the world. As a result of this incessant meddling, millions have been imprisoned, tortured and killed. For example:
1953 In Iran, the CIA overthrew democratically-elected Mohammed Mossadegh and replaced him with a brutal dictator, the Shah of Iran.
1954 In Guatemala, the CIA overthrew democratically-elected Jacob Arbenz after he threatened to nationalize the United Fruit Company, in which CIA Director Allen Dulles owned stock. The right-wing dictators who replaced Arbenz killed more than 100,000 Guatemalans.
1957-73 In Laos, the CIA carried out approximately one coup a year trying to nullify Laos democratic elections.
1959 In Haiti, the U.S. military helped “Papa Doc” Duvalier become dictator.
1961 In Dominican Republic, the CIA assassinated Rafael Trujillo, a brutal dictator supported by Washington. But only after his business interests began competing with our own.
1961 In Ecuador, CIA-backed military forced democratically-elected President Jose Velasco to resign.
1961 In Congo (Zaire), the CIA assassinated democratically-elected Patrice Lumumba.
1963 In Dominican Republic, the CIA overthrew democratically-elected Juan Bosch and installed a repressive, right-wing junta.
1963 In Ecuador, CIA-backed military overthrew President Arosemana. A military junta assumed command and began abusing human rights.
1964 In Brazil, a CIA-backed military coup overthrew democratically-elected Joao Goulart and replaced him with a brutal junta.
1965 In Dominican Republic, a popular rebellion tried to reinstall Juan Bosch. The revolution was crushed by CIA-led U.S. Marines.
1965 In Indonesia, the CIA overthrew democratically-elected Sukarno. His successor, General Suharto, massacred 500,000 to 1 million civilians.
1965 In Greece, with CIA backing, the king removed George Papandreous as prime minister for failing to support U.S. interests in Greece.
1965 In Congo (Zaire), CIA-backed military installed Mobutu Sese Seko who exploited his country for billions.
1967 In Greece, CIA-backed military overthrew the government two days before elections. The ensuing “reign of colonels,” backed by the CIA, tortured and murdered political opponents.
1967 In South Vietnam, the CIA helped identify and murder 20,000 alleged Viet Cong leaders.
1969 In Uruguay, notorious CIA torturer Dan Mitrione ascended to power becoming so feared that revolutionaries kidnapped and murdered him a year later.
1970 In Cambodia, the CIA overthrew popular Prince Sahounek and replaced him with Lon Nol. The move strengthened the Khmer Rouge, which rose to power and massacred millions.
1971 In Bolivia, CIA-backed military overthrew leftist President Juan Torres. He was replaced by Hugo Banzer who had more than 2,000 political opponents arrested, tortured, raped and executed.
1973 In Chile, the CIA assassinated democratically-elected Salvador Allende. He was replaced by General Augusto Pinochet, who tortured and murdered thousands of his own countrymen.
1975 In Angola, the CIA helped launch a war killing more than 300,000 Angolans.
1979 In Nicaragua, following the fall of CIA-backed Anastasios Samoza II, the remnants of his personal National Guard became the Contras, who fought a CIA-backed guerilla war against the Sandinista government.
1980 In El Salvador, following the murder of Catholic Archbishop Oscar Romero, the country dissolved into civil war. CIA-trained death squads roamed the countryside, committing atrocities and killing 63,000 Salvadorans.
1983-89 In Honduras, the CIA taught Honduran military officers how to torture people. The notorious “Battalion 316” used the techniques on thousands of leftist dissidents.
1986 In Haiti, following the exile of “Baby Doc” Duvalier, the CIA rigged elections in favor of another right-wing military strongman. The CIA-created National Intelligence Service (SIN) suppressed popular revolt through torture and assassination.
1990 In Haiti, after leftist priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide captured 68 percent of the vote he was deposed by CIA-backed military which brutalized the country.
1993 In Haiti, as chaos grew, military dictator, Raoul Cedras, is removed on threat of U.S. invasion. Aristide is returned to power only after being forced to accept an agenda favorable to the countrys ruling class.
Heres an idea. If Americans are as serious about wanting peace as most claim, maybe we could stop meddling in the internal politics of other nations. Then we could take half of our massive defense budget to solve real problems like poverty, climate change, diminishing energy resources, air and water pollution, and health care.
But given our propensity for war, that will probably be viewed as unpatriotic.
Who Really Cares About Weiner’s Wiener?
Okay, enough already! We all know Congressman Anthony Weiner did something dumb and distasteful. But enough is enough! Yes, he tweeted pictures of the little wiener to a few adult women on Twitter. Yes, he got married after the exchanges began. And, yes, he lied about his indiscretion after Republican hit man, Andrew Breitbart (purveyor of false claims against ACORN, Planned Parenthood and Shirley Sherrod), made the photos pubic…er, public.
But for more than a week, the Weiner story has dominated the news. The story has pushed aside debates over the federal debt limit, Medicare, and jobs programs. Can you for a moment imagine Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite, Eric Sevareid and David Brinkley reporting this story daily?
Where is the media’s sense of fairness and proportionality?
What Congressman Weiner did was show his body to a few women in what is supposed to be a private medium. He didn’t distribute the photos to the masses (Mr. Dumbart and the media did that). He didn’t have a physical relationship with those women. And though he may have intellectually cheated on his wife, he didn’t have a physical affair (as former Republican Senator John Ensign did). He didn’t hire prostitutes (as current Republican Congressman David Vitter did). He didn’t use the Internet to solicit sex (as former Republican Congressman Christopher Lee did). He didn’t dump his wife as she was fighting cancer (as former Democratic Senator John Edwards and former Republican Congressman Newt Gingrich did). And though Congressman Weiner lied to cover the truth, he didn’t have his mother write a $96,000 check as a bribe for silence (as former Republican Senator John Ensign has been accused of doing).
Yes, Congressman Weiner’s actions constitute a legitimate news story or two. But more than a week? It’s as if Lindsay Lohan had just been elected to Congress!
With the exception of media coverage of John Edwards, stories of indiscretions of all the other ethically-challenged elected officials combined haven’t equaled the media attention of Weiner’s wiener. And when is the last time you saw a story of Congressional corruption receive this kind of coverage?
One has to ask the question, Why? Does the public really regard the Congress-man’s behavior as that egregious? (According to polls in the Congressman’s district, the answer appears to be no.) Was his behavior worse than the aforementioned perpetrators’? (The answer has to be that cybersex between adult individuals does not rise to the level of actually breaking the law or physically cheating on one’s spouse.)
So why the non-stop media frenzy? I submit that the lazy and sensation-driven media have, once again, been manipulated by Breitbart and Fox News Channel. And in their rush for damage control, Democratic leaders have, once again, fallen into the conservatives’ trap by piling on with their own calls for Weiner’s resignation.
To put an end to the story, Congressman Weiner should tell the media that he will announce his resignation the day after Congressman Vitter resigns and after both Democratic leaders and sanctimonious Republicans censure all of those who have done worse.
That ought to shut them up.
Why Are We Still Here?
The time of the forecast rapture has come and gone. Yet, we’re still here.
I have seen no evidence of driverless cars or piles of clothing. I have witnessed no angels collecting the devoted lambs amongst us. Nothing. Worst of all, I’m still here. Why was I left behind? Was I not worthy? And if not, why not? I try to be a caring, charitable person. I’m not rich. And I’m not even a Republican.
So what now? Does it mean that we’re all unworthy sinners? Does it mean that Harold Camping and his Family Radio Network miscalculated once again? Or does it mean that Weird Harold is merely a crackpot with a large, gullible radio audience?
The Disney Effect
It’s estimated that Great Britain’s royal wedding cost nearly $50 million and that billions of people tuned in to see the royal dress and to watch “the kiss”. Now, I understand that every little girl grows up dreaming of becoming a princess and marrying Prince Charming. We have Cinderella and a number of other Disney classics to thank for that.
But, seriously, do you realize what $50 million could do to help eliminate world hunger? Or how much it could help in finding a cure for disease?
What’s particularly puzzling is the fascination for everything royal in the U.S. Why should we care about a wedding involving a family “across the pond” whose only real accomplishment is to find ways to spend the money that has been passed down for generations? After all, I thought we fought a revolution to end their influence on us.
Oh well, I suppose every little girl has a right to dream.
What will be the Boomers’ legacy?
The generation that began with so much promise – helping to improve civil rights, volunteering for the Peace Corps, and forcing an end to the Vietnam war – is now at a crossroads. As we reach retirement age, the Baby Boomer generation has to consider what our legacy will be. Will we be remembered for the aforementioned accomplishments? Or will we be remembered for unparalleled greed, selfishness and hate?
The answer depends on what we do next.
You see, I believe that Boomers have enjoyed advantages few other generations have. Unlike our parents, Boomers have enjoyed relative peace and prosperity. Most of our parents worked hard and scrimped to send us to college in record numbers. Many of our parents passed along modest estates. And, unlike our parents, we didn’t face great economic hardships until late in our careers when our retirement funds should have been nearly complete.
Our generation has enjoyed rising salaries, inexpensive food, and inexpensive energy. Our taxes have been lower than previous generations, so we have had the opportunity to keep more of our earnings. We have had more machines to help with our labor. We have had more leisure time. We have traveled more. And we have had more options for entertainment.
The real question is, what have we accomplished as a result of all these advantages?
We have consumed a disproportionate amount of the world’s resources. We have polluted the planet, resulting in dramatic climate change. We have failed to address poverty and hunger in our own country, let alone around the world. And though we contributed to the end of the Vietnam War and the Cold War, we have opened new battlefronts in the Middle East to protect our oil interests.
So now what? As we reach retirement, will we display the greed and contempt for the poor as the Tea Party has done? Or will we devote at least some of our retirement to charity? Will we help end poverty in the U.S. and the world? Will we make health care affordable for all – not just the wealthy and the connected? Will we find ways to curb pollution? Will we force our corporations to pay their fair share of taxes and create jobs in our own country? Will we finally level the playing field for minorities and women? Will we find ways to end homelessness in our own nation – find shelter for the approximately 2 million homeless children? Will we contribute to the rebuilding of our crumbling infrastructure built at such sacrifice by our parents and grandparents? And will we properly fund education, so our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will have many of the same advantages we enjoyed?
Our generation has the education, knowledge, experience and resources to accomplish great things and to achieve a legacy comparable to “The Greatest Generation.”
But, although I’m hopeful about our generation’s legacy. I’m not optimistic.
What’s Wrong With Calling For Civility?
Following the Tucson shooting, Pima County Sheriff Dupnik stirred up the proverbial hornet’s nest by suggesting that our rancorous political climate may have contributed to the violence. And his statements about Arizona’s insane gun laws fueled even more anger from the right.
How dare the good Sheriff ask for more civility in our public discourse! How dare he try to keep guns away from the mentally unstable or even the deranged!
Never once did he point fingers at a particular party or individual politicians and radio hosts. Yet following his statements on national TV, right wing radio hosts and right wing politicians went on the attack.
Certainly the right wingers were not responsible for the shooting. Still, Sheriff Dupnik made some valid points. Statements such as Sharron Angle’s threat of “2nd Amendment remedies” and “taking out” Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid most definitely could inspire another unblanced individual to act. Tea Party members carrying guns to Presidential appearances can only be viewed as a threat of violence to President Obama. Tea Party signs reading “Next time, we’ll come armed” can only be seen as a threat to elected officials. And maps of Congressional districts in the crosshairs of a gunsight most certainly present a violent image.
But right wingers claim that the violent implication of these statements and images is a misinterpretation of their intent; a fabrication by the left. For example, Rush Limbaugh said that liberals were the ones truly responsible for the Tucson shooting. Half-term Governor Palin defended her Mama Grizzly approach to politics by claiming she and other right wingers are the victims of “blood libel.” Even The Arizona Republic got into the act by printing an editorial calling for Sheriff Dupnik to “remember his duty” and “to recall that he is elected to be a lawman.”
In other words, right wingers have the right to state opinions in any manner they please. But if someone on the left takes issue with those opinions, they should remember their place and shut up.
Meanwhile, how have political commentators on the left responded? Have they displayed similar angst at the suggestion their discourse may have contributed to the shooting (despite the fact that they’ve never encouraged violence)? No. Instead of defending themselves, they seem to have taken the Sheriff’s suggestion to heart. Indeed, Keith Olbermann has announced that he will be acutely aware of language from now on. He’s even stated that he is dropping his show’s segment “World’s Worst Persons.”
The difference in reaction couldn’t be more revealing. Either the right is feeling some sense of shame and guilt over the Sheriff’s comments. Or they are so determined to win at all costs, they simply don’t care if their actions and words lead to more senseless violence.
Personally, I’m betting both of those motives are true.
Republican Leaders Provided Fertilizer For The Seeds Of Hate.
We don’t yet know why an armed lunatic chose to shoot Congresswoman Giffords. But we do know that the seeds of violence have, for years, been sown by commentators such as Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and their ilk. Moreover, we can be certain that those seeds were well-fertilized in the 2008 presidential campaign, most especically at the Republican National Convention.
I watched both national conventions gavel to gavel and was shocked by the vitriol prominently displayed in every speech by Republicans. Rather than focus on policy, Republicans chose to focus on personal attacks. From the snarky comments by Sarah Palin to the snide diatribes of Senator McCain, the conservative venom was unrestrained. We were treated to derisive questions about President Obama’s citizenship and his service as a community organizer. By contrast, I heard no such attacks from speakers at the Democratic National Convention.
And when the results were in, Republicans suggested that they didn’t lose the election, ACORN helped the Democrats “steal” it.
Since then, the ugly rhetoric from the right has only gotten worse. Republican leaders have used every conceivable legislative trick to block Democratic initiatives. They railed about the “big government takeover.” They talked about “death panels.” And they howled about Democrats trying to “push through their liberal agenda.” Then, leading up to the mid-term elections, we were treated to the sight of Tea Party demonstrators carrying signs portraying President Obama as Hitler and as the Joker. We were also forced to witness demonstrators bringing guns to rallies and threatening to “exercise their 2nd Amendment rights” if Republican Tea Party candidates didn’t get their way.
Here in Arizona, I have often been forced to bite my tongue as local Republican leaders referred to President Obama as “illegitimate” and Nancy Pelosi as “a disgusting pig.” I have listened to McCain, Governor Brewer and State Senator Russell Pearce vilify latinos. And, like most people, I have been the recipient of a seemingly endless variety of ugly, untruthful chain emails against our President and his supporters.
Now I know that those on the right will suggest that liberals are just as bad. But any comparison of Rush, Beck or Fox News Channel with MSNBC is a false equivalency. Certainly many on the left have contributed to the unpleasantness but, unlike their right-wing counterparts, I have yet to witness a Democrat talking about committing violent acts such as “taking out” an opponent. I have never heard Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow or Ed Schultz call for Democrats to take weapons to rallies, or to “target” those with whom they disagree.
In any case, we all must change the way we discuss politics. We must try to respect those with whom we disagree even when we disagree with their opinions. We must try to separate the policies from the person. And we must politely, but firmly, tell those who make outrageous statements that they are not acceptable. We must refuse to vote for candidates who invoke hatred. And when we hear political commentators make disgusting, violent statements, we must switch channels and inform the station or network that we will no longer tolerate the rhetoric of violence and hate.
If not, the event in Tucson is likely to be repeated across our nation.