Why Conservatives Punish Their Victims: A Lesson From Arizona

[Judi Lynn]

Richard (RJ) Eskow
Consultant, Writer, Senior Fellow with The Campaign for America's Future
Why Conservatives Punish Their Victims: A Lesson From Arizona
Posted: 06/20/11 10:40 PM ET

So far from God, so close to the Republican National Committee

When some Simpsons characters took refuge in the local church after a hurricane, the church marquee read "God welcomes his victims." With that invitation, Reverend Lovejoy (an underrated Simpsons character second only to Apu on my favorites list) was alluding to that thorniest of theological questions: If the Almighty loves us, why does He subject us to so many disasters?

Modern conservatives don't need to wrestle with that kind of moral dilemma. Today's Right hates its victims, and its leaders do everything in their power to make their suffering even worse. Arizona's Republican legislators, most of them self-professed Christians, aren't singing from God's hymnal. Instead they're channeling Lyle Lovett's memorably bitter and resentful song, "God Will," as they survey those left trapped conservatism's economic wreckage:

"God may love you but I don't/God will but I won't/and that's the difference between God and me."

Kicking 'em while they're down

Arizona's conservatives have committed an extraordinarily mean and petty act, even by the low standards of today's Right. They've refused to change one word in a state law - a change that would have let at least 15,000 people keep receiving unemployment benefits. And they've done it even though it wouldn't have cost their state a penny.

More:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/why-do-conservatives-puni_b_880972.html

[Vanje]

1. Link isnt working. nt

[Vanje]

2. Works now. Thanks nt