One of the themes Americans have heard repetitively from the John McCain camp is how he strives to be distanced from the George W. Bush regime of hate and fear.
Yet Sen. McCain's campaign strategies reveal the truth.
In years to come the Bush administration will be looked upon as an administration that relied on propaganda and the exploitation of fear to move forward on a disastrous, single-minded agenda of social conservatism, laissez-faire economics and war mongering.
Remember the WMDs that were never found, the world will collapse if we don't hand over 700 billion dollars today, oil will dry up if we don't pollute the shores immediately - just to name a few of the scores of lies, twisted truths and outright ridiculousness of the past eight years.
The Bush era, since it's inception, has relied on the rhetoric of fear. It does not take a rocket scientist to sort the hyperbole and red herrings thrust upon unaware Americans.
Do we really see any difference in the McCain tactics being used to get him elected President?
No.
If, perchance the thought occurred, you kept a stick count during the debates of how many times McCain used the term "threat to the national security" you're hand would be sore. His parroting of the Bush method of exploiting the fear of supposed threat is remarkable.
But it is his ACORN rant and Ayers rant that is the most revealing. Up to and including the possible violation of law, McCain has targeted fear to try to swing voters to his side. Trying to exploit the fear of "terrorism," the past acquaintance of Obama, Mr. Ayers, is spun into an alliance of evil with a known "terrorist." Oddly enough the same boomer generation McCain is trying to appeal to had labelled Ayers as a radical.
ACORN, according to McCain is trying to steal the election and without any shred of evidence, McCain has accused them of violating campaign laws. ACORN - McCain's weapons of mass destruction.
Eight years is enough. Americans need to end the era of lemmings and once again become critical, free-thinking, independent human beings.
The rhetoric of fear is meant to stimulate the most primal emotions. To fall to the exploitation of that rhetoric and to act simply on emotion without logic makes us no better than cavemen.
And, like the Dark Ages, that is what the rhetoric of the Republicans strive for. A society much like the serfs, unquestioning, faithful and most of all fearful.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
In Praise of Free Speech
It's always amazing how extreme right-wing conservative will make every effort to thwart freedom of speech when such speech threatens them, while at the same time exploiting the First Amendment to push their agenda of hate, ignorance and bigotry.
Cases in point. The American Family Association (AFA) wants to silence PBS by promoting a campaign to withdraw federal funding from the network. This is nothing to to the AFA, they hate that tax dollars are being used to promote a public forum that presents points of view that challenges the AFAs views. Interestingly enough the latest AFA assault on Public Broadcasting is over a program that has not aired, and the AFA has not seen. Again, trying to censor something based on assumption and speculation.
This is the AFAs spin on the yet to be aired program. The program is an episode of "Nova" scheduled to air in November.
What is questionable about the AFA's position is that they are a tax-exempt organization and therefore reap the rewards offered by the government and that if they really wanted their view aired on PBS, they could. Simply put PBS is public and publicly funded. The right-wing has an equal opportunity to produce, pitch and sell their programs to PBS.
But the AFA, the epitome of right-wing extremism, rather silence the opposition then face off.
Yet at the same time another right-wing pundit stands screaming about his right to free speech, though his speech can do more harm than anything that PBS is supposedly promoting. While the questioning of the Bible's truth in an episode of "Nova" is considered dangerous, and could bring down the moral structure of America; Michael Savage can freely assail autistic children and the AFA doesn't bat an eyelash.
On his radio program Savage described autism as, “In 99 percent of the cases, it’s a brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out." Savage, in his defense claims that he was trying to wake up Americans to a potential of over diagnosing Autism and will not apologize for his hyperbole.
This verbal assault against autistic children is unnecessary and mean. It's based in ignorance. To say that a child who suffers from autism is a fatherless brat, is the highest form of untruth.
Now here we have a situation where a point of view is broadcast that serves no purpose but to inflame, misinform and promote ignorance. This comes from the same man who assailed a gay caller by calling the caller a "pig" and "sodomite."
With all the talk about Jesus among these right-wing conservatives like the AFA and Savage, why should we not question their concepts? If Jesus taught love, tolerance and brotherhood - in addition to encouraging his followers to question authority and beliefs about God - these conservatives acting in defiance of Jesus' teachings.
If they are fighting so hard to stop PBS from presenting a point of view opposed to their own, but knowingly support and promote their own point of view - despite how malicious and untrue - they are truly not Americans. They must be Communists, Socialists or Nazi's as they seem to believe that the First Amendment does not exist.
The First Amendment - the guarantee to freedom of speech. There are so many reasons why the right-wing conservatives should be applauded for defending only their right to freedom of speech.
They should be praised for supporting people like Savage and groups like the American Family Association.
They should be worshipped for doggedly assailing PBS and their quest to revoke the right of the other side to exercise the same First Amendment right that they so welcoming exploit.
Yes, we should thank the right-wing for not grasping the concept of freedom of speech to its fullest degree.
Let them continue to talk, to lie, to promote hatred and ignorance and intolerance in their own words.
It allows the rest of America and the world to see the truth and understand the ignorant bigots and haters that they really are.
Let their word be the catalyst of their own destruction.
Cases in point. The American Family Association (AFA) wants to silence PBS by promoting a campaign to withdraw federal funding from the network. This is nothing to to the AFA, they hate that tax dollars are being used to promote a public forum that presents points of view that challenges the AFAs views. Interestingly enough the latest AFA assault on Public Broadcasting is over a program that has not aired, and the AFA has not seen. Again, trying to censor something based on assumption and speculation.
This is the AFAs spin on the yet to be aired program. The program is an episode of "Nova" scheduled to air in November.
What is questionable about the AFA's position is that they are a tax-exempt organization and therefore reap the rewards offered by the government and that if they really wanted their view aired on PBS, they could. Simply put PBS is public and publicly funded. The right-wing has an equal opportunity to produce, pitch and sell their programs to PBS.
But the AFA, the epitome of right-wing extremism, rather silence the opposition then face off.
Yet at the same time another right-wing pundit stands screaming about his right to free speech, though his speech can do more harm than anything that PBS is supposedly promoting. While the questioning of the Bible's truth in an episode of "Nova" is considered dangerous, and could bring down the moral structure of America; Michael Savage can freely assail autistic children and the AFA doesn't bat an eyelash.
On his radio program Savage described autism as, “In 99 percent of the cases, it’s a brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out." Savage, in his defense claims that he was trying to wake up Americans to a potential of over diagnosing Autism and will not apologize for his hyperbole.
This verbal assault against autistic children is unnecessary and mean. It's based in ignorance. To say that a child who suffers from autism is a fatherless brat, is the highest form of untruth.
Now here we have a situation where a point of view is broadcast that serves no purpose but to inflame, misinform and promote ignorance. This comes from the same man who assailed a gay caller by calling the caller a "pig" and "sodomite."
With all the talk about Jesus among these right-wing conservatives like the AFA and Savage, why should we not question their concepts? If Jesus taught love, tolerance and brotherhood - in addition to encouraging his followers to question authority and beliefs about God - these conservatives acting in defiance of Jesus' teachings.
If they are fighting so hard to stop PBS from presenting a point of view opposed to their own, but knowingly support and promote their own point of view - despite how malicious and untrue - they are truly not Americans. They must be Communists, Socialists or Nazi's as they seem to believe that the First Amendment does not exist.
The First Amendment - the guarantee to freedom of speech. There are so many reasons why the right-wing conservatives should be applauded for defending only their right to freedom of speech.
They should be praised for supporting people like Savage and groups like the American Family Association.
They should be worshipped for doggedly assailing PBS and their quest to revoke the right of the other side to exercise the same First Amendment right that they so welcoming exploit.
Yes, we should thank the right-wing for not grasping the concept of freedom of speech to its fullest degree.
Let them continue to talk, to lie, to promote hatred and ignorance and intolerance in their own words.
It allows the rest of America and the world to see the truth and understand the ignorant bigots and haters that they really are.
Let their word be the catalyst of their own destruction.
Monday, July 21, 2008
My Own Prejudice
Deny it all you want, everyone is prejudice to some degree.
I view myself as pretty liberal, compassionate and open-minded. Truly the type of person who tries not to judge another. Skin color, sexual identity, age, ethnicity, etc. Really does not matter.
That's how I see myself.
But then there's the reality. The truth behind want I think and what I am. And indeed, I hold some prejudices.
Despite what may be argued, prejudice and stereotype is based in some fact. It's when we assume that each individual that outwardly represents our stereotype is judged on that stereotype; that is when it turns to prejudice.
My prejudices are not meant to be malevolent, with the intent to degrade or harm another person.
For example, when I receive a call from a person who is Indian, I assume that they are going to immediately ask for a bargain and then become irate when they realize there is no haggling over price as if they were buying fruit in the open market.
Or when I speak to someone who is Chinese. Automatically, I believe they are going to go for whatever is cheapest, and though will try to haggle, will eventually give in and accept the given price.
Rationally I understand that not every Indian or Chinese person is going to be like this. However, the reinforcement of stereotype by those who fit the bill has led to the irrational state of prejudice.
In cases of ethnicity or race, I do find myself calling myself to task and attempt to deal with each individual with tolerance and respect.
Yet there is one prejudice I seem to not be able to control.
This prejudice is based on years of interaction, reading and watching. Truly irrational because I do know not everyone fits the stereotype, but somehow rational because I have to be consistently alert to the threat.
This group? Those whom which I judge too quickly and will hold in judgment until they prove otherwise?
Christians.
Now, I'm not talking about your average go to church on Sunday because that's the way I was raised Christian. For that part, it's not even the Catholics - despite the history of atrocities caused by the church.
It's the speaking-in-tongues, glazed over, absolved of responsibility for their own actions, fish on my car Christians.
The real zealots. The ones who want to tell everyone how to live and love. The ones who have their shit all up in politics.
The James Dobson Christians, the George Bush Christians, the Jerry Fallwell/Jesse Helms Christians.
It is their hateful Christianity that creates a stereotype that Christian equals psychotic zealot. It is their politicization of the Bible and the exploitation of passages that leads to the stereotype of crazed piousness.
It is their marching against homosexuals and abortions, instead of helping the needy and actually being Christian, that creates the stereotype of Nazi elite lunatics.
Unfortunately, it is the stereotype that has become so prevalent in many countries today that are eroding the truth of Christianity and leading to a prejudice against the religion in general.
What makes this all laughable is those who cry out that there is bigotry against Christians are the ones who are responsible for creating the stereotype, that lead to the prejudice, that leads to this so-called bigotry.
Maybe, in all forms of prejudice, there is some primal fight or flight sensibility. (Of course these so-called Christians would not recognize primal fear as an evolutionary necessity). Based on my experience with these types of Christians, I know they are out to hurt me. I know this despite the glossy ways they say they are not.
This is sad. There's a new guy at work. I don't know him at all. But on the back of his car he has one of those "Truth" magnets. The symbol of the Fish, eating the evolutionary Darwin fish with feet symbol. Based on this alone, I avoid him. I have deduced through my prejudice that he is among the league of those who would do me harm. I have assumed his opinions of who I am are based on the prejudices created by his religion. That his prejudices are so inflated and irrational he would happily deny me any right to existence and humanity.
But this concept is totally irrational. I have had no interaction with this man.
Tragically, the stereotype of radicalized Christian has become so reinforced that my prejudice has evolved into one of intolerance.
Which makes it even more difficult to be the bigger man. It makes it more difficult to turn the other cheek and love my neighbor. It makes it more difficult to judge not, lest I be judged.
And, per chance, should this man be a true Christian - it makes it more difficult for me to not look over my shoulder at him.
Talking about this does bring some truths to light.
I view myself as pretty liberal, compassionate and open-minded. Truly the type of person who tries not to judge another. Skin color, sexual identity, age, ethnicity, etc. Really does not matter.
That's how I see myself.
But then there's the reality. The truth behind want I think and what I am. And indeed, I hold some prejudices.
Despite what may be argued, prejudice and stereotype is based in some fact. It's when we assume that each individual that outwardly represents our stereotype is judged on that stereotype; that is when it turns to prejudice.
My prejudices are not meant to be malevolent, with the intent to degrade or harm another person.
For example, when I receive a call from a person who is Indian, I assume that they are going to immediately ask for a bargain and then become irate when they realize there is no haggling over price as if they were buying fruit in the open market.
Or when I speak to someone who is Chinese. Automatically, I believe they are going to go for whatever is cheapest, and though will try to haggle, will eventually give in and accept the given price.
Rationally I understand that not every Indian or Chinese person is going to be like this. However, the reinforcement of stereotype by those who fit the bill has led to the irrational state of prejudice.
In cases of ethnicity or race, I do find myself calling myself to task and attempt to deal with each individual with tolerance and respect.
Yet there is one prejudice I seem to not be able to control.
This prejudice is based on years of interaction, reading and watching. Truly irrational because I do know not everyone fits the stereotype, but somehow rational because I have to be consistently alert to the threat.
This group? Those whom which I judge too quickly and will hold in judgment until they prove otherwise?
Christians.
Now, I'm not talking about your average go to church on Sunday because that's the way I was raised Christian. For that part, it's not even the Catholics - despite the history of atrocities caused by the church.
It's the speaking-in-tongues, glazed over, absolved of responsibility for their own actions, fish on my car Christians.
The real zealots. The ones who want to tell everyone how to live and love. The ones who have their shit all up in politics.
The James Dobson Christians, the George Bush Christians, the Jerry Fallwell/Jesse Helms Christians.
It is their hateful Christianity that creates a stereotype that Christian equals psychotic zealot. It is their politicization of the Bible and the exploitation of passages that leads to the stereotype of crazed piousness.
It is their marching against homosexuals and abortions, instead of helping the needy and actually being Christian, that creates the stereotype of Nazi elite lunatics.
Unfortunately, it is the stereotype that has become so prevalent in many countries today that are eroding the truth of Christianity and leading to a prejudice against the religion in general.
What makes this all laughable is those who cry out that there is bigotry against Christians are the ones who are responsible for creating the stereotype, that lead to the prejudice, that leads to this so-called bigotry.
Maybe, in all forms of prejudice, there is some primal fight or flight sensibility. (Of course these so-called Christians would not recognize primal fear as an evolutionary necessity). Based on my experience with these types of Christians, I know they are out to hurt me. I know this despite the glossy ways they say they are not.
This is sad. There's a new guy at work. I don't know him at all. But on the back of his car he has one of those "Truth" magnets. The symbol of the Fish, eating the evolutionary Darwin fish with feet symbol. Based on this alone, I avoid him. I have deduced through my prejudice that he is among the league of those who would do me harm. I have assumed his opinions of who I am are based on the prejudices created by his religion. That his prejudices are so inflated and irrational he would happily deny me any right to existence and humanity.
But this concept is totally irrational. I have had no interaction with this man.
Tragically, the stereotype of radicalized Christian has become so reinforced that my prejudice has evolved into one of intolerance.
Which makes it even more difficult to be the bigger man. It makes it more difficult to turn the other cheek and love my neighbor. It makes it more difficult to judge not, lest I be judged.
And, per chance, should this man be a true Christian - it makes it more difficult for me to not look over my shoulder at him.
Talking about this does bring some truths to light.
- Prejudice is based on stereotypes.
- Stereotypes have a basis in fact.
- That fact is based on personal experience.
- Prejudice is, therefore, a personal dictate.
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