Rage Against the ‘Socialist’ Machine – Killing in the Name

Teenage angst is something every parent has to deal with. As adolescents struggle with identity and their initial exposures to the evils of the outside world, they have these feelings that something’s wrong, but they have trouble articulating these emotions. They tend to be filled with a paranoia that the world is out to get them, exacerbating their anxiety through exaggerations and misattributions. To the average 16 year old male, it’s a dark world with big brother watching your every move. When individuals grapple with their own identity, it is easier to cope with troubles and shortcomings by shifting the responsibility and blame to others since we don’t really know where we stand. It is easy to be fearful of the unknown, and we become quick to believe any expert claiming to have answers.

The current populist rage in America is a lot like teen angst, and the self-proclaimed savior with the solutions is Ms. Sarah Palin. We all were once rebels without a cause, but did the same Tea Partiers raised in the '60s ever grow up? Liberals had their chance to protest in the name of love and civil rights, now conservatives are protesting in the name of guns and individual rights.

Without a question, Health Care Reform exemplified the complexity of government, so when the leading conservatives both in Washington and in the media demonized the Bill and its supporters, no one should be surprised that a large portion of their constituents believed them. If the average politician struggled to fully comprehend health reform policy, how could the average American without objective information? It’s much easier to lead a clueless flock of sheep than an educated and informed group of enlightened Americans, so keeping the objective information to a minimum serves the GOP’s interest. Check out this abridged version of a pre-tax day rally by the nation’s best fundraiser to see how typical rally rhetoric works.

What started with a response to the health-care system, which closely emulates the one proposed by Republicans in 1993 in response to Clinton-care, has expanded into an anti-government movement. Instead of real applicable answers, Tea Party advocates like to talk about the principles and ideologies which perpetuate the previously-held sentiments of their constituents. Instead of being driven by information, these pep-rallies, just like the high school days, are meant to build party spirit, but instead of cheerleaders, band members, and student athletes driving the motivation, it’s Sarah Palin. Sometimes she sparks just passion, but other time it turns into rage and violence as discussed by Effective Response . A recent Harris Poll has shown how the name calling of the Glenn Beck’s of the world have affected public opinion.

“57 percent of Republicans (32 percent overall) believe that Obama is a Muslim 45 percent of Republicans (25 percent overall) agree with the Birthers in their belief that Obama was "not born in the United States and so is not eligible to be president" 38 percent of Republicans (20 percent overall) say that Obama is "doing many of the things that Hitler did" Scariest of all, 24 percent of Republicans (14 percent overall) say that Obama "may be the Antichrist." These numbers all come from a brand-new Louis Harris poll, inspired in part by my new book Wingnuts. It demonstrates the cost of the campaign of fear and hate that has been pumped up in the service of hyper-partisanship over the past 15 months. We are playing with dynamite by demonizing our president and dividing the United States in the process. What might be good for ratings is bad for the country.
The poll, which surveyed 2,230 people right at the height of the health-care reform debate, also clearly shows that education is a barrier to extremism. Respondents without a college education are vastly more likely to believe such claims, while Americans with college degrees or better are less easily duped. It's a reminder of what the 19th-century educator Horace Mann once too-loftily said: "Ignorance breeds monsters to fill up the vacancies of the soul that are unoccupied by the verities of knowledge."

The violence and threats that occurred to congressmen immediately following Health Care Reform’s passage may be just the tip of the iceberg. When the leader of a gun-toting mob says "Don't Retreat. Let's Reload!” and has targets on her website over the political battles she wants to hit hardest, one can, and should, be concerned. Republican leaders say they aren’t promoting violence, only advocating the rage against socialism. It’s like handing a teenager and their friends a plastic bottle of vodka and telling them not to drink it.

Don’t believe me? The Hutaree Christian Militia planned on murdering a police officer, and then bombing the funeral in order to provoke a Holy War against the government. If you really believe that Obama is the Anti-Christ, it makes a weird sort of sense to want to go to war against him albeit incredibly foolish and ignorant. As discussed by Nanashi, it would be wrong to condemn those who oppose Obama of treason, outliers do exist, and they are dangerous. And when public support is raised for their causes, they have more incentive to strike.

Yes, everyone is entitled to their free speech, and by no means would I want that right to be limited, but I would encourage these powerful public figures to consider the consequences of their actions. Indirectly inciting violence doesn’t benefit anyone, nor does it play out well politically. Are one’s personal aspirations worth more than a human life? Instead of invoking rage through your passionate rally cries, use this opportunity to promote meaningful civic engagement through objective education instead of sensationalization. The current Pep-rally strategy might increase the quantity of your supporters, but it’s hardly developing the quality of your movement.

I would hate to wake up one morning and read that America’s first African-American President became a martyr for social justice.

Killing in the Name of…

The Grand Obstructionists Party: Good for Theatre, Bad for America

As a self-proclaimed maverick and moderate conservative, John McCain won the Republican presidential nomination because of his supposed appeal to moderate voters. Even though this strategy was jeopardized the moment his running mate opened her mouth and winked at America for the first time, McCain’s platform included stances that were controversial among the conservative base, including a health care plan that resembles the one signed into law this week.

It would be assumed that someone with moderate values would be engaged in bipartisanship, but when Mr. McCain realized that his central stance jeopardizes his Senate Seat, he knew he had to return to the status quo. "There will be no cooperation for the rest of the year… They have poisoned the well in what they've done and how they've done it." This Maverick learned his lesson from the best of the best – never leave your wing man.

One might ask if McCain should retain his rank of Maverick if he’s pandering to party needs, but the Republicans, bolstered by the Tea Partiers, have become a party of mavericks. Merriam-Webster defines the term as ”an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party.” Since the GOP (Grand Obstructionist Party) leads an “independent” mob of individuals against the “Evil Empire,” McCain’s title holds clout.

And I can’t think of a better way for McCain to promote this position than joining forces with the infamous rogue revolutionary herself, Sarah Palin. Despite the fact that McCain is running against one of her beloved Tea Partiers J.D. Hayworth, she believes the party needs "statesmen and heroes like John McCain."

One has to wonder if this is an indication that Ms. Palin has completed her institutionalization into the world of politics. When one considers the controversial campaign fallout between McCain and Palin publicized in her best-selling book "Going Rogue" combined with Hayworth's credentials as an ideal Tea Party representative, it seems suspicious to say the least that Palin pledged her power and influence to McCain. I wonder who scratched Sarah's back and made her an offer she couldn't refuse.

Regardless of the outcome, this is just another painful example of the polarization of this nation. When John McCain, a brilliant man but poor politician, is forced to sell out because his values are too moderate, there definitely is a problem.

But with McCain and his fellow Republican Senators pledging to oppose anything and everything coming from the left, what are the Democrats to do? Senator Frank Lautenberg wants to make a spectacle of it best enjoyed with heavily buttered popcorn and a cola. The Senator is pushing for anti-filibuster legislation dubbed the Mr. Smith Filibuster Bill, named after the Oscar winning 1939 classic "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" which portrays a politician killing time on the senate floor by reading allowed the phonebook or vintage literature like "Moby Dick."

Essentially, the bill allows for obstruction through a filibuster only when someone actively is on the floor debating an issue. This ensures that thought provoking discussion is actually taking place by creating transparency and allowing the American people to hear the side of the minority. If the minority wishes to use the filibuster to kill a bill altogether, then they will need to engage in various time wasting techniques in front of the American people, allowing the public to judge whether the arguments are in good faith or simply an obstructive tactic used to inhibit the legislative process. This legislation will create incredible political theatre and hold the minority's feet to the fire.




If John McCain doesn't want to cooperate for the sake salvaging of his political career, lets at least ensure that either some productive discourse occurs or reveal the obstructionist sham for the mockery of our system that it is.