The Right’s Plunge Toward Fundamentalist Tyranny
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That kind of attitude no longer represents an idea of “We The People” but, rather, it speaks to me of the uncompromising voice of rising Oligarchical Corporatist Dictatorship and if that is true then it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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