Midnight in America: the Mainstreaming of the GOP's Lunatic Fringe

[babylonsister]

Midnight in America: the Mainstreaming of the GOP's Lunatic Fringe
Arianna Huffington



The most significant takeover of the past decade isn't to be found among the telecoms, the big oil companies, or in Silicon Valley. The reconfigured entity is headquartered in Washington, but we can see and hear the results everyday on your television, radio, and computer screen. And America is much the worse for it. I'm talking about the takeover of the Republican Party by its lunatic fringe.

Reagan's GOP has been replaced by the dark, moldering, putrefied party of Bush, Cheney, Rove, Limbaugh, Coulter, and Malkin. Morning in America has given way to Midnight in America.

Of course, there the Republican Party has always had its Jesse Helmses, Spiro Agnews, and Lee Atwaters. But they were the minority, far removed from the mainstream of the Party -- Ronald Reagan, Jack Kemp, the first George Bush.

But these days it has become impossible to tell where the mainstream stops and the fanatical fringe begins. Just look at what the so-called "mainstream" of the party is endorsing

We have a mainstream on the right that supports torture, that is backing an Attorney General nominee who is agnostic on torture, and that rallies behind a president who refuses to define what the word "torture" means.

A mainstream that supports -- even applauds -- the behavior of Blackwater thugs.

A mainstream that continues to back the White House's delusions about Iraq at the expense of our military, our treasure, our safety, and our standing in the world.

A mainstream that supports the gutting of our civil liberties.

more...

http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/cgi-bin/blogs/voices.php/2007/10/23/midnight_in_america_the_mainstreaming_of

[BridgeTheGap]

1. I NEVER thought it would be RADICAL to be a Democrat

Until Bush was selected.
We live in an insane country where murderers, liars and thieves occupy the White House. Regardless of how they make it seem, it ain't normal!

[ixion]

2. Reagan's GOP? Just as extreme

Ray-gun heated up the so-called War on Drugs and used this PR campaign as an excuse to attack civil liberties. The GOP has been a band of extremists for decades now.

[mwb970]

3. Whenever Republicans are in charge, America suffers.

Or I should say, the lower 95% of Americans suffer. The super-rich are doing super-well!

[GTurck]

4. Remember Niemöller..

His poem says it all. It was true in Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia and now here in America. If I am not directly effected it is none of my business and perhaps they deserve it afterall. It is a crude and childish way to think but it seems to be a universal pattern.
First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.
I hope somehow we can wake up those who do not see the dangers to themselves and those they love before we go that far.

[Briar]

5. It's worth emphasising

that a majority of those who vote, vote for these far right policies. Enough for the Democrats to fear losing them by taking a principled stand against out-of-control gun ownership, the death penalty, torture, international law and all the other horrors of extreme conservatism. Plenty of illiberal democrats would desert their party if they did take such a principled stand.

And it is also worth emphasising that the same picture can be seen around the English speaking world, with (for example) a "Labour" party in the UK which promotes inequality and wealth accumulation over social justice and the rights of employees.

The right wing tide triggered by monetarism and the free market has just about swept round the world now, and we are all drowning in it.