The end is near—all of those people we thought were crazy, toting about signs claiming the fall of mankind are close to being right. At least as far as rationality goes in the greater American political discourse. The latest straw to be added to the pile of extremist fear mongering is that next week, President Obama is going to indoctrinate our children into a socialist Brownshirt brigade—to serve his evil ends. My information told me that the President was speaking to encourage students to remain in school and excel. That appears to be scary stuff the ultra right conservatives, affiliated whackos, and gullible members of the American public who keep buying into such right wing fear mongering. A story in today’s New York Times illustrates the stupidity: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/us/04school.html?_r=1&hpw
For the past several days, I have been engaged in a forum conversation about just this thing. It has been an opportunity to read just how screwed up average Americans have become—and how much they are buying into the hateful, deceit filled propaganda being shoveled out by the more vocal members of the Republican Party. Along with the expected paranoid delusional and conspiracy fanatics, village idiots, and those who are simply unable to resolve the fact that a negro couple now sleeps in the big bed at the White House—are those who are buying into every bit of rabble rousing fallacy being churned out by the Republican machine and their illustrious spokespeople. What they are writing is frightening, and the general attitude is one that threatens the premise that America has been built upon.
Over the past 50 years, we have seen a transition away from the once collegial Congress that shaped national ends, toward an extremely polarized and adversarial collection of powerhouses of polemic. Beginning with Barry Goldwater in the early 1960s, the Republican party has become increasingly bellicose, distanced from the interests of the ordinary citizen, and enamored in playing a game of fear and distrust in furthering its agendas—usually those of the elite rich and large corporations. This crew has progressively more seen government as akin to a sandlot football game—in that a particular team must win at any cost. This is in direct disregard for the fact that the majority of the history of Congress has led to a series of middle of the road comprises that have generally done well to serve the needs of the American people. 
But, forget all that—this is the age of disingenuous dogma! It would not be so bad if this latest Obama bogeyman story were something in isolation—conjured up by the same folks who have had their rectums inspected while being abducted by aliens—but is something that is coming with the aid and assistance of the Republican party. Now, in this day of “win or else”, it is expected that there be some sore losers as the result of the 2008 elections. But since that time, and if we really want to be honest for some time before that—the Party of No has engaged in an unceasing campaign of lies, half-truths, scare tactics, and character assassination in order to deflect notice of the status of the country. You know, those two unwinnable very expensive conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, the near collapse of the American economy, an unemployment rate not seen since the Great Depression, the dismantling of the Constitution and personal privacy, trashing of habeas corpus and a right to trial, under the rubric of homeland security —all things that happened during or as a result of their 8 year watch and “stewardship” of citizen interests.
The garbage that is issuing through right wing talking heads such as Limbaugh, Hannity & Malkin, Beck, and others of 
their hate filled ilk is unthinkable as fact to an intelligent person, but unfortunately too large a segment of America has lost the ability to think for themselves and must now rely on such a group of malcontents as are represented by the punditocracy of Fox News to interpret the world for them. Death panels are going to kill you and old people. Socialism is going to absorb all business—the government will rule all. Obama is a communist—or socialist—or Nazi—or a Muslim—or take your choice. Everything the President of staff do is now under indictment as something that will bring down America. Labels and hate fly—and citizens try to bring guns to Presidential events. There have been four successful assassinations, and six unsuccessful ones—all because firearms found their way into the proximity of the President. I do not want to see number 11, and the NRA and Republican right wingers should be ashamed of itself advocating for this sort of behavior under some Second Amendment pretense.
All of the lies, innuendo, and propaganda campaigns have come without a single alternative solution being offered by the Republicans. There are those in the party, from Mitch McConnell down who only seek to see any initiative begun by the Democrats or Obama fail—so that they can claim “I told you so” and supposedly use that as leverage to win future elections. Let’s hope that America has not become that dense, but serious questions are emerging whether that is true or not. Average Americans defend and spread this hate and dysfunction through the internet and their participation on it—sort of their own private National Enquirer type newsfeed service. Talking heads including “Simple Sarah” Palin incite mob mentalities through their disingenuous propaganda. The ignorant and misinformed are taking to the streets and meeting houses, and stymie any chance of improving the condition of things through cooperative means.
So, while the retirees stand protesting health care for all on the street corner while enjoying their socially subsidized retirement and health care; and the parents fear socialist indoctrination of their children attending socially subsidized education; and the ordinary “citizen patriots” wrap themselves in the flag and Jesus in their pocket to disrupt the political process with lies visited on them by special interests and losers—life goes on. I am listening much closer to the words coming from my neighbors, and watching how people are behaving badly toward each other. Change just a few words in the invective, and history has seen this play run its course before. And it is hardly a pretty performance. We try very hard to keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of children—it’s unfortunate that we cannot keep the political process out of the hands of idiots. The result is always the same—the innocent suffer.
[Editorial Note: For several days, I attempted to contact the administration of Knox County schools to learn of their position on Obama's educational message. The call on Thursday was not returned, and everyone in administration had abandoned their offices on Friday to take a four day Labor Day weekend. After such a short summer vacation, everyone must be exhausted and need a few days off. Must be good work if you can find it…]
© 2009
