On Restoring Honor
Once upon a time, people were poor. People were hungry. Children were hungry. Everyone was struggling and too many people were without jobs. Times were tough. A small political party formed, rooted in a call to freedom and economic reforms. Although first viewed as radical, as the economy tanked and unemployment rose, it gathered more and more attention.
The small, little party began to unite the struggling people in its promise of solutions. They promised to “restore honor” to the “one true” nation. They claimed that the economic difficulties and problems and sufferings of the people were caused by the undermining of the foundations of morality, faith, justice, and honor in their country.
They rose to power, promising to restore the nation to the principles upon which it had been founded, with "Christianity as the foundation of our national morality, and the family as the basis of national life." They called its fellow patriots to protect the “sanctity of marriage,” patriots who were “linked by a solid rock foundation of faith in the one true God of justice.”
Their “highest mission [was] the securing of the right to live and the restoration of freedom to our nation… a State which must have equal rights.” They called us to honor “the sacred charters of our liberty that all men are created equal.”
Of course, they honored our soldiers and also their mothers. “No woman gives birth thinking she will hand over her child to her country,” but “every mother who has presented a child to the nation” was honored.
Yes, they celebrated their “love for our Army as the bearer of our arms and the symbol of our great past.” In honoring soldiers throughout their nation’s history, they remarked that “For 200 years those mystical cords have bound us to those who are willing to sacrifice to restrain evil, to protect god-given liberty, to sacrifice all in defense of our country.”
And they didn’t just honor the soldiers, but their fellow patriots, who would “never retreat” and “never capitulate.”
“Are you not so proud?” Yes, their speeches and rallies filled the people with pride in their community, all the while reminding them that “none of us is too proud, none of us too high, none is too rich, and none too poor, to stand together before the face of the Lord and of the world in this indissoluble, sworn community!”
“Look around you! You are not alone! Let’s stand together and stand with honor! Let’s restore America!”
Whose words am I quoting? Sarah Palin’s Restoring Honor speech on Saturday, the speeches of Adolf Hitler, particularly the one upon his appointment as chancellor in 1933, or BOTH? Am I telling the story of the Nazi Party or the Tea Party? Or both?
It was only one month after the above speech by Hitler that the first concentration camp opened. I encourage you to read the speeches of Hitler and notice how much you agree with.
Replace a few political details. Replace Jews with Muslims, homosexuals with LGBTQ, Gypsies with immigrants (legal, illegal, and those who merely LOOK like immigrants) and OTHER.
One of the most frightening horrors of the Holocaust was that good, decent people were led by a call to moral values, like pride and honor and justice: values that no good person could disagree with. They were united against a common enemy, a threat to their nation and their prosperity. The energy of rallies, of inspiring speeches that filled you with pride and faith and goodness, united as a nation in hope and purpose and belief.
Propaganda works because of course you believe in the propaganda. Yes, you agree with what they’re saying. How could you not? And you’re too busy rallying for the propaganda to notice what they’re doing. And why. The small details of their agenda aren’t important.
What’s most important is Pride! Honor! Justice! Equality! Morality! PATRIOTISM! They will bring us prosperity and take us out of these bad times!
National pride is good. It’s scary-powerful stuff. That is one of the lessons of the Holocaust. Propagandists would trick you into subconsciously believing that if you’re not for their political agenda, then you’re not a patriot—and an enemy of morality and virtue.
Not so.
Let us not be tricked.
National pride is neither inherently good or bad. Let’s look past its rallying cry to how our leaders would wield it.
70 Comments »
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL
Natasha Fondren is a writer traveling the U.S. in a camper with her four cats. She is currently enjoying the lizards and desert heat in Arizona.
Unbelieveable. That you could twist around words thusly. And pin them upon a whole movement – one that HAS NO LEADER. I think that you missed that point.
I think you need to look to the words that your ONE speaks instead of a woman who speaks of American tradition to find out who is in line with the qualities that Nazis had.
Ladynitewolf, I quoted all words precisely as spoken by Sarah Palin and Adolf Hitler, so I did no twisting. I don’t know who my “ONE” is, but like I said at the end of my post, I am all for national pride, and of course I agree with all that Sarah Palin said about honor and tradition.
I’m merely pointing out that we need to make sure that the propaganda doesn’t bring about false “if then” statements. Such as: “If you believe in the sanctity of marriage, then you must combat same-sex marriage.”
That doesn’t work. I believe in the sanctity of marriage. I believe that all marriage is sacred, including same-sex marriage.
HAHAHA props to Ladynitewolf for sounding like a Nazi: defend American tradition against the constructed enemy derogatorily labeled as “the ONE,” created so that dolts such as yourself could have an easily identifiable (read: Black man named “Barack Hussein Obama”) place to pin your troubles and assign your blame while the robber barons of capitalism (Wall Street and the superrich that control 95%+ of wealth) could continue to subjugate you with promises that the way out of your quagmire is through “restoring” something that never existed.
Ladynitewolf, are you suggesting that you don’t believe Sarah Palin sees herself as an as yet unappointed Leader?
I guess you haven’t been paying attention to her daily attacks on our President, even to his most personal body parts and bodily fluids.
I guess you haven’t been paying to her speeches beginning in China (that den of human rights iniquity, where she seemed quite comfortable) in September 2009, and continuing weekly thereafter.
Just because she’s hit on a scheme for giving campaign stump speeches without paying for an iota of travel expenses, etc. herself doesn’t mean she’s not making a political statement, or not CAMPAIGNING.
I don’t think she wants to be President, though. I think she wants to be der Führer (the Leader).
Thank you for this post. I need to read it again and absorb the deeper meanings. Sent it to my wife as well.
Let me know if you find it.
My first thoughts are that Hitler was very charismatic and very smart. He was also driven – possibly by a bad early sexual experience (not sure how true that is).
Palin is charismatic. I have not seen the same kind of smarts. She doesn’t seem to have the drive either. She starts things, but has shown she lacks the strength, or whatever, to finish them.
What I’m more afraid of is that Hitler was able to maintain control of the masses he rallied. I do not see someone with that same ability here. In a way that’s good as the chance this will go down the same path is smaller. In another way, it’s not so good as this cannon is being filled with grapeshot and not being aimed with any finesse.
When you whip the crowd into a frenzy and then point them in no particular direction, you get chaos and the potential for random violence.
The anti-Muslim sentiment is very scary. Are we looking at the equivalent of the KKK only without the hoods and clandestine meetings? This is not from Palin’s speech but from what I’ve seen in the news lately.
No leader is scary. I would bet a hundred dollars that a leader will emerge, a reluctant one who is “surprised” and “honored” to be “chosen” by the people. This tactic is INCREDIBLY smart. Look at the timing of this… two years before the elections. In a year, someone will have been “chosen” by the people to lead this movement and run for president.
Someone is guiding and leading it. The timing and the message and the way it’s delivered is just too strategic, too Propaganda 101, to be an accident. They said all the right things. “This is not a political rally.” I’ve never believed that Palin could guide her own star, but she could certainly be the “reluctant face” to the message.
And she might not be that leader. Who knows who it will be? It’s the propaganda and its power that scares me, and what the reluctant leader who emerges will do.
Back to the figurehead and the scary shadow government? I hope not!
LOL! Maybe not that deep! I do think that in general, Democrats usually have a president who can stand on his own intelligence, and Republicans choose electability and make up for any lesser intelligence with those who will surround him/her.
The Koch Brothers are the money behind this movement.
Outstanding article! May I share it on my political blog?
As long as you credit and link back to me, sure!
What frightens me is how many people (particularly in my area,) buy into that garbage! I guess America’s been dumbed down all these years for just this reason…
Hitler also said: “What good fortune for those in power that people do not think.”
Replace Jews with Muslims
I don’t think she’d replace Jews. I think she’d just add Muslims in with them. After all, they aren’t “Christian.”
Oh. Right.
Although, honestly, part of the fear-mongering against Muslims is that Israel will be nuked by the religion of Islam… so there’s the enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend tactic. Otherwise… 
Palin and her ilk will not denigrate the Jews. They are the catalyst that will bring on the Rapture they believe is imminent after the re-establishment of Isreal as a nation. So you see they serve a useful purpose that the Muslims do not.
You said: Their “highest mission [was] the securing of the right to live and the restoration of freedom to our nation… a State which must have equal rights.” They called us to honor “the sacred charters of our liberty that all men are created equal.”
Ahhhh! That’s just like “all men are created equal.” Which was in the declaration of Independence. Ahhh! Thomas Jefferson was just like Hitler. Or worse–Thomas Jefferson was just like Sarah Palin. The horror!
And, oh no! “Stand together” which both Sarah Palin AND Adolf Hitler said sounds just like what Abraham Lincoln said: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
I can’t believe it! The founding fathers, Abraham Lincoln, they all sound just like Hitler. My whole life, I’ve been taught that these were great men. But look at all that propaganda they used. And look at all the terrible actions they were hiding under their propaganda. Forming a new nation, abolishing slavery. If only we hadn’t been so blinded by their words….
I didn’t say that, Erin. Hitler did. But yes, like I said, using propaganda to stir national pride is neither good nor evil. It is, illustrated well in all the examples you mentioned–Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Adolf Hitler–very powerful. Very, very powerful. And I am hoping that this power is not used to unite people AGAINST Muslims, LGBTQ humans, and any other race/religion/sexuality. What worries me is that Sarah Palin is proclaiming equal rights and freedom of religion today, while every other day she rallies against same sex marriage and a certain religion building a house of worship or community center.
A political scientist by the name of Laurence Britt studied the regimes of Hitler, Mussolini, Pinochet, Franco and Suharto and found that they share certain characteristics:
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause.
4. Supremacy of the Military.
5. Unapologetic Sexism.
6. Controlled Media Message or Outlets.
7. Obsession with National Security.
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined or Indestinguishable.
9. Corporate Power is Protected.
10. Labor Power is Suppressed or Eliminated.
11. Disdain for Education, Intellectuals and the Arts.
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment
13. Rampant Cronyism and Blatant Corruption.
14. Fraudulent or Suspicious Elections.
We are seeing these form today!
Wow, Gideon. I have seen many of those things. Scary!
Referring to Gideon’s list of 14 characteristics of known dictators in history, every one of those characteristics was exhibited by Sarah Palin during her 2-1/3 year reign as Alaska’s Governor (nearly everything she has said otherwise, i.e., re: corruption for example, has been debunked).
Review some of the “-Gates” at http://palingates.blogspot.com , where they have been thoroughly researched.
What’s even more horrifying about the hiden power Sarah Palin has is that the current governor of Alaska, Sean Parnell (hand-picked by Palin in 2006), has retained all of Palin’s personnel in all the branches of AK government, and is continuing her policies.
It’s like Palin still has the power in that state, but none of the responsibilities and hard work.
The Republican Party in Texas wish to make me a criminal. It’s part of their platform. Has the National Republican Party done anything about that? Not that I’ve heard. My crime? I married my wife. Legally.
Jefferson -> Revolutionary War
Lincoln -> Civil War
Hitler -> WWI and the deaths of multitudes of his own people by his command
Palin -> ?
It’s war talk. And it scares the crap out of me since I am one of those “unAmerican” people by their definition.
Another thing to keep in mind – history is written by the winners. Does that mean these were not great men? I think it means we don’t know the whole story, or that the bigger picture takes research.
The civil war was ostensibly about slavery. But was it really about freeing black slaves or was there a healthy dose of economic issues between the industrial north and the farming south?
You’re right, the Civil War was only about freeing slaves at its very end, when Lincoln had already virtually secured a victory. And that’s not to say that makes him any less of a great man. He could have chosen NOT to end slavery when he had the chance. But he wouldn’t risk it until victory was assured.
Honestly, I don’t think Palin and Beck are playing on people’s ignorance so much as they’re playing on fear. I can remember when I went to New Orleans around my 12th birthday for the World’s Fair, and we stayed for a couple of nights with my Dad’s cousins. Now, these people were wonderful hosts and had impeccable manners. But the things I remember them saying horrify me. They honestly believed that if minorities were to come into power, that the tables would be reversed and those minorities would do to them what they and their ancestors had done to minorities for years. I think the immigration “issue” has become one because Latinos are outnumbering whites. Now WHITES are the minority, and I think that scares plenty of people silly.
This is why i don’t think Obama has the luxury of ignoring people we think of as ignorant. We can say that all we want, but Obama really has to be clear that he’s their president, too, in the sense that he’s going to listen to them. I think it’s a shame that people like Palin and Beck stir up this kind of fear with their rhetoric, but I think they do it solely because it’s big business.
I agree that Lincoln could have chosen not to end slavery. I also believe he was an abolitionist at heart throughout the war.
But the bigger picture reasons for ending slavery include crushing the economy of the south so that they lost the power to continue fighting.
It’s not enough to win the war. You must also remove the ability of your opponent to regroup and try again. At least long enough for the new regime to be well established.
This is standard practice. And this is why I think the push to return to the good old days of (straight) white supremacy, to return to the ideals of manifest destiny are scary beyond belief.
Pushing prejudiced people down that path and giving them free rein should be criminal. It’s like shouting fire in a crowded theatre.
I don’t believe that all of the tea party people are like this. I don’t even think the majority are. But it doesn’t take a majority to cause such chaos and start a war. It also takes the silence of those who oppose it.
But it doesn’t take a majority to cause such chaos and start a war. It also takes the silence of those who oppose it.
Oh, absolutely! I agree with everything you’re saying, Sarah. We all have to speak up against this rhetoric and make sure we do our research when we do. It’s the only way to prevent another holocaust (and yes, I do think that sort of thing is possible – it’s always possible).
All great points. I think what most worries me is that the Nazi Party was known as small and radical… and then… somehow… it kept getting bigger. I feel like I’m seeing that happening now.
the problem turns to be when “doing good ain’t got no limits,” and the doing good is defined by people who really have only good for themselves in mind. This kind of rhetoric scares the shit out of me for sure.
Yeah. Very terrifying!
This is a great post. You really hit the nail on the head. I’m linking pretty much wherever I’m online.
Thanks, Stacy! And thanks for commenting.
Nastasha:
Check out my blog today on evocative words. When daily–DAILY–there is violence against immigrants (illegal or otherwise), when Muslim cabbies must now fear more than ever violence in their cabs, and so on, a person who DELIBERATELY chooses to tweet “reload” . . . evoking violence, and so on . . . it’s sickening. Where are the people of PEACE?
That’s a good question, Erica. I don’t know. I sure see a lot of hatred for immigration down here. Some good, reasonable people, too. But hatred is just so LOUD.
Natasha, great post! Love the parallels drawn between Hitler and Palin, although one was an evil genius, and the other, well, none of the above.
Now, if you had compared Glen Beck to Hitler, I’d have to say that it proves reincarnation is possible.
The problem with the entire “Restore Honor” and its fellow tea-baggers is that they are depending on ignorance. And unfortunately there’s a lot of that going around. Today’s public doesn’t realize the issues, won’t view all sides, and do not possess critical thinking skills. Do any of the “Restore Honor” believers understand our country’s history? Does Palin realize that during the Vietnam War era not all mothers were proud that their sons were shipped off and killed for no cause? True, some might have been, but the Vietnam War depended on the draft. Today’s wars depend on enlistment. And I have to question the mentality of those enlisting. It certainly isn’t entirely based on defending our freedoms, but rather, defending the new retro-morals exhibited by said Palin and her followers whose freedoms are based on certain interpretations of the faith they believe.
Faith based freedom is the fast-track to pre-Civil Rights as well as Women’s Rights – the Taliban twin.
Not my kind of freedom. Sadly, not freedom at all.
And when someone DOES enlist because of a true belief in honor, his story gets twisted. Happened to Pat Tillman.
A poor economy will always swell the ranks of the enlisted. No need for a draft if you can reduce the number of available jobs.
Agreed, Sarah. And unfortunately those enlistees returned/return from Iraq/Afghanistan to find the jobs they had before leaving gone.
It’s a no-win situation,but when is war ever a true win?
“Now, if you had compared Glen Beck to Hitler, I’d have to say that it proves reincarnation is possible.”
GASP! Is this why Glen Beck is so freaking obsessed with Hitler and Nazis in general? This explains so much.
Thanks for posting this Natasha. It articulates some of those creeping concerns I’ve had… really frightening how easily perfectly fine words can be twisted to serve a terrible cause.
That’s what I fear, Perri. That fine words will be twisted for hateful ends.
Creepy/scary rhetoric. You likely recall that same sort of hate masquerading as patriotism just before we went into Iraq. Back in 2001, the overtone was you were just as guilty of 9/11 if you didn’t agree with the war in Iraq (which had nothing to do with 9/11.) I couldn’t believe the craziness. It was enough to make me take the flag pole out of my yard, because it made me feel like I was betraying what my country and its flag stood for if I kept a flag up during that craziness.
This is a great point, Written. Yes. That’s exactly what I fear. Either you support X or you’re not a patriot. But it doesn’t work that way.
Wryttenwyrd:
My children’s father served in the Navy for five years–he is also Mexican-American. The slurs we hear now . . . it’s crazy. And he’s a citizen. He served his country. We were also against the Iraq war. We didn’t believe the evidence presented or the reasons given . . . and we, too, took down our flag, because it felt like the country had gone stark-raving mad. That patriotism ONLY meatn Christian, only meant you supported war, and that intellectual discussion and disagreement meant you were a traitor.
E
That’s exactly what bothers me, Erica!
Wonderful post. This weekend’s event was bizarre, and obviously choreographed by shadowy people with far more smarts than either Beck or Palin. Those two are simply performing puppets.
Lately I’ve been wondering if the teabaggers’ constant use of the words “Hitler” and “Nazi” to disparage our president is actually a very clever idea. With the words being thrown around so freely–and ridiculously–it makes it impossible to now apply the analogy where it fits, with these people.
Remember back during the Bush years, whenever liberals took alarm and started comparing the militaristic, bigoted drift of our country to Germany in the 30s, the conservatives would immediately invoke “Godwin’s Law”, i.e., whoever brings up Hitler in an argument immediately loses. Funny they never used that law against the tea baggers.
The Dominionists openly state they study the tactics used by Hitler and Stalin and Mao. Those tactics worked; they are deliberately being repeated.
Steve, it has become cliche. I hesitated to make the link, but Palin’s speech was soooooo like Hitler’s, that I had to.
And they do work. They do work well.
Excellent article – it goes hand-in-glove with today’s article at http://goo.gl/Ww1w which discusses Beck’s rally yesterday and how it ties into the climb to power by Hitler. Patrick of palingates has a unique perspective here as he lives and grew up in Germany where there is a healthy fear of such political machinations.
Kudos for tying Palin and Hitler together – although I believe she is only a minor player in the big picture because she does not have the innate intelligence, but she is useful for ginning up the hate.
Thanks for linking to that article, 1smartcanerican. I also agree that she doesn’t have the intelligence, but I always worry that she would play the “dumb, just doing as the people tell me for the people” card. I do think she would make a very electable puppet.
Fascinating post today, Natasha! The similarities between Hitler’s and Palin’s speeches are striking…and alarming. I’m not sure I’m ready to equate the Tea Party/Republican Party with the Nazi Party yet, however.
Aside from the widespread opposition to same-sex marriage, I don’t see blame being placed squarely on the LGBTG community for our economic and political crises. And although anti-Muslim sentiments definitely abound, I don’t think most of the people in these parties want to wipe them from the face of the earth. At least, not yet.
It bothers me when criticism of certain aspects of a political party turns into criticism of the party itself. I agree that the hate speech from Republicans is both dangerous and intolerable, but I still identify with some of the party’s principles (fiscal conservatism, for example).
I am firmly convinced that you can never bring folks on the far left and right together. Their beliefs fundamentally oppose each other. It’s the people in the “middle” of the spectrum who make the difference—those who agree with some aspects of both movements and are looking for a tie-breaker. Perhaps this post will make the difference for some of them.
Thanks for the great post and discussion! It really made me think.
LC, it’s true. Down here, EVERYTHING is blamed on immigration, both legal and illegal. It’s huge here… I feel like I’m living in a war zone. (And it’s definitely more anti-Latino than anti-Muslim.) I could definitely see things turning real ugly, but… that might be a product of where I’m at right now. I’m not sure what the climate of the entire country is.
You’re right about the middle. I wish there were more Middles rigt now.
My first thought after reading this post was “That is scary!”
After reading all the comments, I’m thinking “Holy crap! That is scary.”
Extremism in any form makes me nervous, especially when the people who hold those beliefs can’t articulate why the believe what they do.
Excellent, excellent post. I plan to link this.
I still can’t get out of my mind the conversation I had with someone who liked Palin and wanted her to be president because she spanked her kids and ate meat.
You’re so right about the inability to articulate why…
Natasha is asking you to think, by comparing the propaganda of Hitler to the PATRIOTISM/MORAL/GOD-FEARING speeches Palin and Beck also gave. No one is asking you to believing in what Natasha is saying — that would be itself a propaganda. But can you think for yourself what these words mean? What with the anti-muslim sentiment currently stirring in this country (and PALIN is publicly supportive of this sentiment), the continued denial of GLTBQ’s right to marry, etc. We should think very carefully what this “honor” thing means, especially if the Tea Party is so hell bent on “fixing America” — where were they 8 years ago or 5 years ago when the Republicans were in power and Bush sent us down a spiral with bigger spending and lower revenue (tax cuts and more cuts) and two wars going on? Where were their honor and values? Why suddenly Obama is public enemy #1? Oh, don’t forget, Obama is black.
Did you see any black people in the Tea Party rally?
Was it my imagination, Ray, or did Palin hesitate after honoring MLK? I felt like she was uncertain how the crowd would react. There was a pause before the obedient clapping, LOL. Coulda just been my imagination.
Not to mention the implication Beck and Palin and their ilk tried to impose: that those who do not believe in their values or religious leanings or what not is NOT patriotic or honorable, that we are ruining this god-fearing country. Say what?
It reminded me in 2003 when all the anti-Iraq War protests were going on, those same people were called by Republicans (who were in power) as unpatriotic and un-American. History does repeat itself, and we don’t need to look to 1938 to see it. That itself is a shame, to accuse those who don’t share your ideologies as unpatriotic. That’s not what the American constitution is about. How American are you if you don’t even understand the constitution, that ALL men (not SOME) are created equal? “Patriotism” has been thrown around a lot lately, and yes, it can be a very scary thing. Hitler succeeded to use this fear, this pride of nationalism and patriotism to achieve mass hysteria and support from otherwise good-natured people. The same was done during the Cultural Revolution by Mao — and that was merely forty years ago!! Propagandas like these are scary stuff. And they worked, as history has shown us.
All very intriguing, but a bit myopic. The very same characteristics contained in your missive also harkens back to the Founding Fathers of our country. Indeed, you can find similar striking terms in the dialogue of every nation’s leaders…and those that aspire to be so.
Stirring oratory has been around since mankind organized itself. It is no more unique to Hitler or any other despot (or those you appear to link to despotism). What is more notable for discourse is that our country codified a system that supports, and defends, both sides.
In my opinion, your premise is fatally flawed. Nevertheless, isn’t it wonderful that you can engage so many people on such a strong topic…and everyone still goes to their own bed tonight?
Ed, I think you just proved my premise: that propaganda of national pride is very, very powerful, but not inherently good or evil. It’s how it’s used, and that is what I’m nervous about.
I didn’t even hear the Palin speech, but while I was reading your post, I thought, “Oh, yeah. It’s Hitler’s speech that he used to stir up Germany!” Then I read the end of the post and I felt like I should get a prize or something.
Whenever I hear politicians prattle on about family values, I always think about Hitler. The punchline is always that there is some group preventing us from actualizing our wonderful values…let’s get ‘em!
You DO deserve a prize! The similarities were chilling. I kept reading Hitler’s speech, and I kept wondering if she used it as a template. Scary stuff.
A common enemy is so uniting. *sigh*
Natasha, you are spot on. In fact this has been discussed today in a post at Palingates.
http://palingates.blogspot.com/2010/08/glenn-beck-and-sarah-palin-restoring.html
As you have done, there are verbatim quotes. Also, Patrick analyzed the word “hope” in the title of the rally and explained that the connotation of the word is different in Europe especially Germany.
excerpt:
It would be impossible that one of the main political parties in Germany to choose such a title for an event – because “honor” (in German: “Ehre”) was one of the keywords of Nazi-ideology.
The word “honor” was used (and abused) by the Nazis for good reason. It’s very vague, can be interpreted in many ways and somehow appeals to patriotic emotions – but it’s quite difficult to establish what exactly it is, how it can be damaged, and how it can be restored.
LOVE it, Mirage. LOVE that comment and comparison and analysis.
L.C.
I just want to say, I hear you. But where are the MODERATE, thoughtful fiscal conservative Republicans? Why aren’t they calling out this deliberate religious-mongering. Why is Christianity even a part of whether you have “honor”–this was supposedly a call to GOD? Yet Beck called Obama someone with deep seated hatred toward white culture (not in this speech) . . . And I didn’t hear any moderate Republicans going on the offensive that that kind of talk was race-baiting and harmful. So I think–honestly–they are afraid too. That they see this for NUTTY . . . but they need to be elected, so they won’t go after these folks. And that’s sad. Because despite my disagreements on social issues, I KNOW there are moderate, INTELLIGENT candidates out there. They just are not taking back the Republican party either.
And I have news for Glenn Beck. Plug “poor” into a concordance of the Bible. Jesus WAS a social justice prophet. There are 6, maybe 8, references to homosexuality. Poverty merits more attention than ANY other issue. But I lay odds that Beck has never actually read the bible all the way through. Or studied it. Because the denial of Jesus as a social justice prophet is amongst his most ridiculous arguments.
Like you said the other day: WWJD? I don’t understand how politics has mucked that up so much. I hear of priests and preachers who tell their congregation that anyone who voted for Obama needs to pray to God for forgiveness. It’s so weird.
And I’m totally with you on separation of church and state. How we could not have learned the importance of that from our “war on terror,” I have no idea.
You would subject yourselves as slaves of the serpent for fear of being victims of the wolf.
And you would make a vague, incantatory, ludicrous, and laughable analogy in lieu of an actual argument for fear of being revealed as an ignoramus.
Joey: HAH!
Did I ever say before that I’m very proud that Natasha is my best friend!?! You give me hope in humanity. I am so very proud to know you. Hugs
And yes, I’ve enjoyed bragging in this post, even though I’ve offered nothing of intellectual value to this conversation
Awwwww! I love you, sweetie! Right back at you!
Excellent piece & comments Natasha –
I snipped a paragraph over to The Mudflats and linked to read more here.
Several years ago I visited a museum that displayed an art exhibit called “Propoganda Art”. Posters & ads from WWII about “Japs”, Germans and reporting suspicious behavior or people. Even understanding the time frame it was product of, I found it very unsettling to believe people are targets because they were different than “everyday Americans”. Which lead to our own “camps”.
Palin, Bachmann, Beck and many others a dividing this country, not only by how we look or believe, but how we vote. They are not supporting this country and Office of the President to solve its problems with idea’s & solutions, but by redirecting the GOPs failure to govern in a prudent & ethical manner – by moving suspicion & fear onto citizens and groups that had nothing to do with the issues at hand.