Dear
Paleo-Netters
Lisa Park's
message does not convey by half the seriousness of the situation following
Tuesday's political disaster. George Bush is merely the figurehead at the lead
of a militant group of self-righteous
religious zealots that will not stop until all others are either converted,
marginalized, or eliminated (take that last one as you see fit, but remember
they are also the most ardent supporters of the death penalty). It may be that
Bush himself does not realize all the repercussions of his administration and
their ideology-driven politics, although I do not give him the benefit of this
doubt. Those at the top of his government make
their choices based on greed and self-interest, knowing their
government-supported increased wealth can insulate them from the detrimental
effects of their decisions. Hence we have middle-class tax breaks that enrich
the wealthiest 2% in the nation, and a "Clear Sky"
initiative for increased air pollution, and "Healthy Forests" for unrestricted
logging and denudation of watersheds, and "Wetland Restoration" that paves it
over for development or dredges it for shipping terminals. Those at the top also
use their power to dole out rewards to their supporters. These folks feel that
they've been denied for generations and it's time for them to get their just
rewards and let some of the power "trickle down"
too.
The ripple effect is
plain to see. Bush appoints
conservative cabinet members and administrators who MAY be somewhat pragmatic,
if for no other reason than they are daily in the public eye and must avoid
constant bad publicity. However, they appoint or hire other true
believers into the beauracracy and these people in turn are in close
communication with the most vocal, financially influential, and extreme members
of "the conservative base". As distance from the president increases,
freedom to eliminate the scientific/secular increases as does freedom
to promote religious conservativism. Witness "faith based" programs that give money to organizations
that discriminate on the basis race or sexual orientation, or the
distribution of creationist literature in the Grand Canyon gift shop, or the stacking of "scientific" review boards
with idealogs and fundamentalist wingnuts who are awaiting rapture and the
end times and have no regard for
time-tested research or the scientific method. I can confidently predict we will
see more aggressive tactics from the religious right, and those in the center and on the left will
have a much harder time in opposing them. Centrist politicians, school board
members, etc. will feel more pressure, harassment, and intimidation until they
bend or break. These folks on the religious
right do not accept compromise with nonbelievers, they consider that
a defeat, and they mean to win. After all it's for our own good, don't you
know.
"Moral values" as a political issue is presented as a
reasonable conservative stance on abortion, gays, and embryos. In reality
it is part of a smokescreen for a broad agenda that centers on
fundamentalist religious dogma as the fundamental law of the land (sound
familiar?). Substitute "word of God as in the bible" for the Sharia and the word
of the prophet and you can see where the American religious right is heading.
Same basic outcome, the difference is in a few details. Scientific methods,
research, critical thinking and independent thought represent their mortal
enemies and are incompatible with the "true
faith".
I certainly
agree with Dave Baldwin, if you were upset in 2000 you should be more horrified,
terrified and outraged now. The Smirking Monkey and Darth
Vader think they have a
mandate from the people and their
minions will prove to be utterly insufferable and arrogant. I think the real
question is will the damage wrought in the next four years be irreparable? We must resist at all levels including local
committees, school boards, city councils, literary circles, legislatures, poetry
clubs, PACs, advertising boycotts, public radio and TV, blogs and anywhere
else we can think of! If I may paraphrase Mr.. Churchill, " we should
defend our country, whatever the cost may be; we should fight them on the
beaches, we should fight them in the fields and in the streets, we should fight
them in the hills, we shall never
surrender.."