And what will be jumping out of that Trojan Horse you ask?
An onslaught of “One Race-Secessionist-Christian Dominionist-Extremists” spilling forth in the name of a revolution!
Now I am not saying that they are ALL racist; they are not ALL secessionists; and they are not ALL religious zealots of Christian fundamentalism – but – they are ALL fringe extremists of different ‘mothers’ united in revolt.
They ARE angry, disenfranchised, in the minority and LOUD!
They ARE 99.9% Caucasian who somehow forget that at one point in there lineage, their relatives were also immigrants.
They ARE anti-tax and refuse to acknowledge that their buddy boy George spent more, and borrowed more than any other president in the history of the United States.
They ARE for less government…and refuse to acknowledge that same good ol’ boy George grew federal government jobs by more than any other president in the history of the United States.
They ARE likely to continue questioning the legitimacy of the citizenship of President Obama and overlook the fact that a birth certificate for Palin’s ‘son’ Trigg has never been produced.
They ARE okay with Palin using a “handprompter”, but against Obama using a teleprompter (huh?)
They do not use critical thinking skills; are easy to strike fear into even when the information is completely fabricated and/or embellished.
They ARE great at following orders from a handful of skilled manipulators and show that they are capable of memorizing talking points and repeating them without any understanding of the words and phrases.
They view themselves as defenders of the U.S. Constitution when it suits them, and put it on the back burner when it doesn’t.
They self-identify as the only “true” Christians, chosen by God and charged with the Great Commission. (C’mon RAPTURE!)
They ARE American Hatriots who tell the rest of us who patriotically defend our freedoms OF religion and FROM religion to move to Saudi Arabia.
They DO think that Palin (and Beck) are “just one of them” yet are too poor to afford the elitist price of admission to come hear her word salad speeches.
And oh how this list will increase! Like a living organism all unto itself…living and growing…like a fungus that will never see the cleansing light of the sun.
Labels are a thing of convenience to these folks. They are schizophrenic and rebellious, so they do not know from one moment to the next whether to call themselves republicans or push for the formation of a 3rd Party such as the Tea Nation. I say GO FOR IT! PLEASE!! Let the Eisenhower Republicans reclaim their Party and go get your own.
I call you the ReBiblican Party, but hey…here’s a thought…you could call yourselves the “Kool Aid Party”! If the shoe fits…
What insite! Why is this insanity, mainly Sarah and her followers, being talked about in the MSM as if it is worthy of being taken seriously. Save us from the loonies, hateies, and goddies who want to impose their twisted view of the world on the rest of us. There are problems to solve lets do it rationally.
You summed it up in a nutshell.
It is a scary world where being educated & using logic makes you an elitist & the enemy.
What is even more scary is that there will be new generations of children growing up via "homescholer-ing". They are being taught skewed versions of history & science. (I bet they could even screw up math if they tried)
When truth because subjective, where do we go from there?
I meant "becomes" instead of "because".
While Carol's sentiment that we need to solve our existing problems rationally, I think its time to acknowlege that it's impossible to do this when the other side is not rational. Great post on HuffPo:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-schweitzer/the…
That was a great article. Thank you for pointing it out.
That the author welcomes a confrontation between hope and hate in 2012 is perhaps not just a rhetorical fantasy. It appears it might come to that and we all will have to chose intelligence over ignorance and hope over hate. Maybe he's right: it is time to lance the wound Palin and her ilk has created.
My favorite lines in the piece are these: "I have been ignoring Palin, hoping that like a small scratch she would eventually heal and go away. Instead, she has turned out to be a drug-resistant staph infection intent on destroying our body politic. I now accept that reality. So be it. So I have changed my mind and welcome her to the political scene. We must lance the wound."
Enough really is enough. We all need to galvanize and work together to squelch the insanity and cruelty of the movement she represents by working even harder to ensure none of those who follow her rantings are elected anywhere in this nation.
Thanks WaveLenght for alerting us to this article because, despite your concern, I found it does promote rational resistance – lots of hard, hard work, but rational resistance nonetheless.
Thanks! That was a good read. The link to Slansky's article is:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-slansky-/the-h…
Another article is "The Tea Party Movement Is a National Embarrassment,"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stuart-whatley/the-…
And another commenter has mentioned Jeff Schweitzer's article. It seems that Sarah Palin may have awakened a sleeping giant with her Nashville appearance.
Wow! That was one amazing article. I hope EVERYONE here reads it.
BTW – I seriously doubt that Sarah really has a problem with the word retard. Going after Rahm is s just her brand of politics. But she can't criticize Limbaugh for one reason – he has the power to squash her like a bug. And he would if she dared cross him.
Thanks to 'fromthediagonal' I bought and just finished reading "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. I have to tell you that there are jaw dropping moments in this book when she is describing something about fundamentalist Islam and you realize she could just as easily be talking about Dominionist Christians. It was a profound book that will have me rethinking some of my opinions for months to come. I couldn't put it down.
Thanks for recommending this book. I am ordering it my local library in a few moments!
Inge promised I wouldn't be disappointed and I pass that promise on to you. Ayaan is an extraordinary young woman with a provocative story. I kept staring at her picture (she's exquisitely beautiful) and was just in awe of her courage.
Hey! Markos Mit … (Kos) is writing a book. Apparently the American Taliban is upset.
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald…
That's great! Wow, reading the article you referenced, I was dismayed to see the opinion expressed about Ana Marie Cox. I thought she was often a bit reluctant to comment negatively on some of Senator McCain's antics and poor judgment when she would appear on Rachel Maddow's show, but now I am beginning to wonder about her objectivity. That she would make sure a big stir about Markos being "far to the left of me," is sad. I am looking forward to his book.
I apologize for enjoying the following so much, but it does give me a cathartic release. He says in one paragraph what has been vibrating within me for quite a while. I hope it will help others release the inner queasiness that has built since Palin's rise to national coverage.
This is by Paul Slansky who writes for The New Yorker, amongst other great magazines and journals. He first came to national prominence after the 2000 election. The article appears on HuffPo – you know, that "liberal rag" that so many of us seem to gravitate towards. Amazing how people who can read and think about what they read seem to enjoy that site.
The name of the article is, "The Horror, The Horror" and he won me over when he stated his reaction to Sarah's TP Convention catch phrase: "How's that hopey-changey stuff workin' out for ya?" which, in all my years of watching politics, is the most viscerally nauseating utterance I've ever heard."
"After a year and a half of exposure to this virulently toxic presence, the question on the table is: In our lifetime, has there ever been a worse human being in American politics than Sarah Palin? For all the morons and criminals and bigots we've been subjected to, has there been anyone else who has combined all of the fetid qualities — the proud ignorance, the sadistic viciousness, the shameless hypocrisy, the arrogant laziness, the congenital dishonesty, the unctuous sanctimony, the bilious resentment, and whichever others I'm forgetting for the moment — that this morals-free harridan so relentlessly displays? (Not to mention that atonal bray with which she communicates it all.)"
Okay, now I feel better. Ah, thanks to Mr. Slansky for saying what I've been feeling for so long and saying better than I ever could.
MMFA has a post on Bill Sammons who has stated that the MSM hates Palin. I think he and the Fuchs Noose crew underestimated the sanity of the American populace. We don't crave a politician like Palin who offers unending hate, divisiveness, and criticism, but never substantive solutions to problems. I crave politicians who work together to solve some of the problems we all face. Sammons is angry because the reaction to Palin's speech at the Tea Party Convention wasn't full of accolades praising her brilliance and grasp of American politics. I don't award praise to anyone based solely on appearance and a mixture of incomprehensible talking points regurgitated from Fuchs Noose Network. I crave brains, intelligence, and substantive solutions to problems, and Palin offers none of these, IMHO.
Our country will never be the same, until people can work together. I despair of it happenning, while so many are drinking the christian hatriot kool-aid. Because they believe themselves to be following God's chosen path, anyone who disagrees is against God.
Please, how do we find common ground with people who are ingrained in this belief system?!
We don't. There simply is no common ground to find.
For something this serious, this extreme, this dangerous, there is only one answer – ecrasez l'infame!
There is none. If you're not one of them, to them you're working for Satan…or in some circles they'll say you're one of the "serpent seed" (literal Satan spawn)… "you're with us or you're against us" (cf Matthew 12.30 "Whoever is not with me is against me; whoever does not gather with me scatters").
Many years ago I worked at Remington Rand in upstate NY .There was talk of a huge layoff of approx.1,200 Workers.At the typewriter Division and other areas.This was an election year for Rockefeller (Nelson) He was campaigning in the area and made a big production of how he had interceded with Rand officials and claimed they reconsidered the layoff's this made the news all over the U.S. needless to say as soon as he was reelected the layoffs began.Some things never change a Republican will say or do anything to get elected .Dems mean well but Republicans LIE better.
The damage is done. The bigots and extreme right x-tians have been given carte blanche to preach hate… again. Their little Queen, who's strings are being pulled by big money, is true evil. And they have NO idea. In the meantime, we are subjected to the hate and bigotry by the media. They ARE the lamestream media. The cowards who allow this to go on are helping to push our country back 80 years. I hate it.
What a different feeling I have today compared to the absolute joy I felt on election night, when I truly believed that change had finally come and that I was going to finally be looked upon as "equal".
Ripley, my dear – these creeps are obviously making you feel as though you are seen as 'unequal' about something and I don't know if that is your gender, sexual orientation, religious or political beliefs, or the color of your skin. And I don't need to know. But I can assure you that on this board, YOU ARE EQUAL and appreciated and your voice has been heard. Stay with us – we are going to win!!
GenieO, the undercurrent against my personal orientation has been everpresent, I realize, but the leaps that have been taken in the past 8-10 years caused me to re-evaluate some of my own feelings about myself. The self-loathing that comes as a result of constantly being told that one is not acceptable takes a toll, especially as a Catholic (non-practicing because of it, in fact). Then to have a President who claims that it's ok, and to see people along the way release their preconceived notions made me feel relief. I was finally OK.
Now, and especially that it seems to be a talking point in the news again, the feelings of being judged are right below the surface. I blame these teabaggers and their little mouthpiece. Divisiveness is her job. And she'll use gays and minorities to keep her minions at her apron strings, dropping them little tidbits in order to keep them hungry for hate. They crave hate. They live for it. I pity them, in a way. They'll never love themselves because they hate others.
Despicable behavior.
Thank you for your words. I am not going anywhere!
Once again, as I have said in the past, the "Tea Party" is not a monolith. Many of these people are simply ordinary folk who just can't bear more taxes and legitimately feel that the govt is going the wrong way. I would gently caution you, Leah, that you start out by saying this very thing and then further down generalize by using the collective, "they."
Unfortunately, this group also attracts bigots, skinheads, birthers, anti-semites, racists and a whole host of other soreheads, but I would urge you think carefully before you belittle or dismiss them. As a student of WWII, I can tell you that this is exactly how the Nazi party started – headed by a little corporal named Hitler – whom nobody in Germany took seriously until it was too late.
I would urge everyone to remember that we are all trying to do the same thing – straighten out the mess largely left by Bush-the-Lesser, and that these people in the "Tea Party" – (they are not teabaggers – look at the Urban Dictionary for that particular definition!) are our neighbors and co-workers. If you belittle, dismiss, and generally ridicule these people, all you will do is make permanent enemies of them. Remember, "Many forgave injury; none ever forgave contempt."
I have unfortunately learned that lesson myself many times and I don't intend to re-learn it here. There is too much at stake to take the easy path.
The teabagger "movement" is an astroturf monster created by corporate interests to manipulate people. Racism, homophobia, and other forms of bigotry always have been tools of manipulation by corporate interests.
By the way, the people who created the teabagger movement gave it that name. It is important to keep using it because it shows how idiotic and out of touch people are who are involved in it.
I believe that Mrs. Palin is using the Teabaggers for publicity. That's it. She's all about her SELF not their agenda. As long as the Teabaggers get press, she'll get press because she has aligned herself with them, albeit by a string.
Opportunist Palin. Go figure.
Jim…I really do appreciate your caution. The Tea Party Movement was started by…folks who are not only not ordinary, but prey on those that are. And by that I am gathering that ordinary in this usage is referring to income. Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, et al. Freedomworks aka Dick Armey & Co.
I understand the frustration regarding higher taxes and big government, but where were these ordinary folks when Bush took our 5 trillion dollar budget surplus inherited from the Clinton administration and converted that into a nearly 10 TRILLION dollar deficit in less than 8 years? Where were they? Government personnel rosters grew larger under Bush than at any time in US history. Not only did existing agencies grow, but new ones were created. All this while putting us in a holy war that we could not afford and had no business being in and borrowing from China and others to fund it, seriously eroding our position as a leader in the world.
So to those who are insulted by being lumped in with the lunatics of the Tea Party Movement, I highly recommend severing any association if they expect to be taken seriously. The very creation of the Tea Party was started to ignite and excite the malcontents and rabble-rousers in an effort to lend success to oppositionists who are myopic in their goal to stop any and all things Obama and the Democratic majority.
Again, for those who oppose the embarrassing association I strongly urge them to get back into the fray and take the Republican Party BACK from the myriad of fringe fanatics who are quite successfully taking it down a sewer hole. Before extremists infested the GOP we had a far more rational debate in this country on fiscal spending. The Tea Party Movement is defined by its members, and the members that lead this movement are vitriolic and ill-informed. Not a demographic I would find appealing by association either.
O/T – Leah, have you seen the latest story on Crooks & Liars regarding John Murtha's death?
Pastor Wiley Drake prayed for his death and he sees nothing wrong with it or imprecatory prayer.
Good grief – there are some nutters out there!
Leah, I posted this over at IM. Thought I'd post it here. You're probably well aware of it but I think the connection is important and if it is a repeat, hope you don't mnd.
Earlier today at IM, I said
"Gryphen, terrific post.
Following the links in your post, I recognized the name of Christian Reformed Church when reading about Eric Prince's background.
Senator Scott Brown is also a member of the Christian Reformed Church.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Brown
Of course that doesn't automatically make Scott Brown a bad guy. Just saying..".
Actually I do think that Brown's membership in the same church that Eric Prince grew up in and apparently still "has close connections" to is something to be very concerned about. I'm convinced that Scott Brown will be the Repub's next candidate for POTUS. Brown is campaigning for McCain next month in AZ as is Palin. Tight group of people.