Republican Gomorrah

You know, after hearing the NPR interview of Max Blumenthal discussing his new book “Republican Gomorrah”, I realize I’ve never been so excited to read a new book; and I’m sorry if I bring such a volatile subject into my nature-blog…but I feel it must be said.

Yes, at first glance, one might think the book is set on demoralizing Christians…but listening to the interview, I know that is not the case. It seems though, to bring to light the fanatical ravings and machinations of a growing and dangerous (yes dangerous), fringe group intent on making their will the will of our nation. In my mind, this is parallel to the fanaticism of the Taliban and Al Qaeda-like ‘Muslims’ and their growing hold in the Far East.

I appreciate Christians for their faith and belief in the teachings of Christ…every bit as much as I appreciate Buddhists, Jews, Quakers, Catholics and Islamists.

Yes, Islamists. I know the Koran does not preach the murder and mayhem that the fanatical sects would have us believe, any more than the Bible preaches the imperial right of Christian men, or slavery, or the subjugation of women...or the murder and mayhem these sects teach.

It seems a shame to me though, that so many of the followers of Christianity seem to blindly follow the ones who speak the loudest; when did stupidity become a virtue? Intelligent people can be religious people…but fundamentalism organizes people who are crazy for God (whatever his name).

I’m pleased that so many are finally ‘seeing the light’ and coming to the realization that what has ruined the Republican Party is the very type of fringe we are fighting on the other side of the world. A wolf in sheep’s clothing? Just because a group calls itself ‘Christian’…does not mean it follows the teachings of Christ. I wish, instead of traveling to other countries to put down treacherous extremism, we’d spend more time and energy teaching our own people the dangers of following blindly.

Taliban and Al Qaeda are as far removed from the Muslim religion as are fringe right-wingers like the LaRouche Youth Movement, the Westboro Baptist Church, the KKK, People’s Temple, Branch Davidians, Children of God, Temple of Love, Heaven’s Gate and the Manson Family are removed from Christianity. Why do we have such trouble seeing that?

Has anybody else read the book yet? Is anybody else worried about how far these ‘Christian’ extremists’ have infiltrated the conservative party? It seems a shame that these days being ‘conservative’ is analogous with being fundamentalist. In the ruins of secularism is the stronghold of a widespread "invisible" network; populated by elite, politically ambitious fundamentalists. In the name of Christ their work will be done…if we let them.

Inspired by the work of psychologists Erich Fromm, who asserted that the fear of freedom propels anxiety-ridden people into authoritarian settings, Blumenthal explains in this compelling narrative how a culture of personal crisis has defined the radical right, transforming the nature of the Republican Party for the next generation and setting the stage for the future of American politics.

The book is said to show that many of the religious right movement's leading figures have more in common than just the power they command within conservative ranks. Their personal lives have been stained by crisis and scandal: depression, mental illness, extra-marital affairs, struggles with homosexual urges, heavy medication, addiction to pornography, serial domestic abuse, and even murder. It is no wonder that Sarah Palin, who’s ‘friend’ Thomas Muthree (popular Pentecostal self-proclaimed witch hunter) called upon Jesus to propel her into the governor’s mansion and to protect her from “the spirit of witchcraft” was chosen, by these Republicans, as one of our next leaders? Our past president, Dwight Eisenhower, a moderate republican who warned against exactly what is happening, would roll over in his grave.

And we would have these people as our leaders…or even just the leaders of the Republican Party? Why are we blindly following these Christian-wannabes and handing them such power? How can an intelligent people actually insist Obama is not an American…or that the Holocaust never happened or that there will be death panels in health care reform; and why do we let them spread their lies and disrupt our democratic meetings?

I highly recommend you listen to the Blumenthal interview I heard on ‘Fresh Air’. You can listen to the complete, 37 minute piece, here.

You can hear Blumenthal on The Young Turks here:

or watch his other YouTube video clips here.

Or just Google Max Blumenthal

What experience?

What was that I just saw? A McCain commercial stating things might get rougher (the entire clip is a film of choppy seas) and we can’t afford to chance an ‘untested’ president? Huh?

What I’d like to know is this:

How does a reckless boy, getting his plane shot down and being taken prisoner for five years, count as being tested? What about being a POW contributes to being a president? What about McCain has ‘been at the helm’? He’s been in politics for a long time…much of his success, like his military success, is due to family and friends…..well, and marrying money, of course.

But seriously…what about McCain is ‘a leader’? Really? Have you read his book? It’s disgusting. He’s an angry, nasty little man whose friends even say they’d hate to have him be the guy to answer that 3 am phone call. Ya know? I think the tone of his politicking says volumes about the man: small, nasty, so desperate to win (again) he will say anything?

Nope, not for me…I’d much rather the guy who pulled himself up by the bootstraps…refused to take a silver spoon (offered not because of where he came, but his own hard work and good grades (imagine that…a president with a GPA higher than a C!)) and instead gave back to his community. Really! Wow, a man who actually earned his own way?

I saw a thing the other day… here it is…it is so interesting, doncha think?

• What if the Obama’s had paraded five children across the stage, including a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?
• What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?
• What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?
  (...894th out of 899...)
• What if McCain had only married once and Obama was a divorcee?
• What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severe disfiguring car accident, when she no longer measured up to his standards?
• What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?
• What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?
• What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?
• What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five? (The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)
• What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?
• What if Obama couldn’t read from a teleprompter?
• What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?
• What if Obama was the one who was known to display on many occasions, a serious anger management problem?
• What if Michelle Obama’s family had made their money from beer distribution?
• What if the Obama’s had adopted a white child?

You could easily add to this list. If these questions reflected reality, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are?

This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in another when there is a color difference.

Compare these educational backgrounds each of these four pursued:

Barack Obama:
* Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations.
* Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna cum Laude
Joseph Biden:
* University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
* Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)
John McCain:
* United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899
Sarah Palin:
* Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
* North Idaho College - 2 semesters — general study
* University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
* Matanuska-Susitna College – semester
* University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A.

What does this say about our candidates?

And then there is ‘work experience’. Well, yanno…Obama doesn’t talk much about it (he’s too busy telling us HOW he’d bring change and WHAT his Policies are), but what about that Keating Five? What about the same ol’ same ol’ that’s going on up in Alaska? And just what are all those lobbyiests doing on McCain's staff?

I’m just plain ol’ overly tired of the ‘good ol’ boy politicking’…and ready for a REAL change! Google is your friend…well, where money hasn’t erased history. [sigh]…it happens, yanno.

I hope you join me in voting for Obama and Biden; together they make REAL leaders…Heads of State the whole world welcomes and would look up to…I’m ready for THAT change!

I also like that they're not bickering over who's in charge...but perhaps that should stay between you and me. Surely such in-fighting wouldn't affect leadership. Right?