Comments on: How Dangerous Is the Wingnut Right?

By: Ragnarok 2012

Ragnarok 2012 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:18:51 +0000

I always figured that Reagan and the Religious Right’s ascendancy was partly the result of Watergate. The scandal almost certainly damaged the Republican Party. As I understand it, many GOP politicians lost their seats. I remember a special on Bob Dole (back when he was running for President) that indicated that he only narrowly won his post-watergate election. There was presumably a shakeup in leadership, and people like Jesse Helms gained greater power.

However, those are some very good points about the Red Scare, the fight against Civil Rights, etc.

By: Eating Their Own

Eating Their Own — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:40:52 +0000

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is usually thought of as a loyal Republican in Washington — but he has now been censured by a county Republican organization back home, for working too much with the Democrats.

The Charleston County GOP has censured Graham, citing his work with Democrats on a climate change bill as the final straw, and saying that he he has weakened the Republican brand.

I think that brand’s been sliding downhill since Saint Ronnie was at the helm

By: Yellow Journalism

Yellow Journalism — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:01:17 +0000

Just hasn’t been a good week for conservative rags so far, has it?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/10/shocking-allegations-levi_n_352314.html

By: Bad Moon Rising

Bad Moon Rising — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:49:06 +0000

Wingnut stage right? This is like a WASP family fighting for Daddy’s Rolex by the coffin at his funeral

The Sunday firings of executives at the Washington Times and the possible exit of its top editor are apparently being driven more than previously known by last month’s transfer of power of the Unification Church and associated business empire from Rev. Sun Myung Moon to his children.

A newsroom source familiar with church politics tells TPM that the root of the shakeup at the Washington Times is a feud between Hyung-jin Moon, 30, and Hyun-jin Moon, 40, also known as Preston, both U.S.-educated sons of church Father Rev. Sun Myung Moon. The church announced in early October — in an exclusive given, notably, to the Associated Press not the Washington Times — that day-to-day operations were being handed over to Preston, Hyung-jin, and a third son.

Preston is chairman of News World Communications, the church-owned parent company of the Washington Times.

The youngest of the three sons, Hyung-jin, was selected last year to be the church’s religious leader, presumably a responsibility that will fully vest when his father, who is nearly 90, dies. Hyung-jin may have won Rev. Moon’s favor with feats such as his reportedly performing 21,000 “full body” blows bows in honor of his parents over the summer.

But the selection of Preston’s young brother for the high-profile role — along with Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s doling out of powerful posts to other siblings — rankled Preston, a Harvard MBA who has competed in two Olympics on the Korean equestrian team, the source tells us.

By: dyedinthewoolliberal

dyedinthewoolliberal — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:56:24 +0000

RE:It is so easy to get people riled up over letting illegal immigrants have free health care, but would you like to see the streets littered with dead and dying people? Erinyes
I have said this same thing to many people in the discussion of single payer, everybody in, no body out health care financing. It is a punch in the face to hear them say, ‘they can go to the emergency room.’ I get the feeling I am wasting my breathe. Can anyone say, ‘let them eat cake,’ any better?

By: Chief

Chief — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:55:25 +0000

Excellant post – great comments. This IS the issue facing us and whether or not the USA will remain a country. Ungovernable ? That’s on a teeter-totter, I’d say.

I am on a mailing list with a lot of ex-military, a lot of which are retired military. A good number, including the ol’ Chief are in their 60s and 70s.

The vast majority seem to believe that WorldNetDaily IS the gospel, Obama is a Muslim/Socialist/Nazi.

Maybe it is simply racism. Maybe they feel that being white makes them superior to any person of color. But that is only the immediate situation.

The eing-nuts have been around for 30 – 40 years.

I have searched for a common thread – can’t find one. Lack of education? Did they stop learning when they graduated high school? Do they watch too many 1/2 hour sitcoms? Do they not read books?

I would like to be able to get to the bottom of how someone who’s spent 20+ in the Navy, rising to a senior enlisted status has such a closed mind.

By: We Are The 801

We Are The 801 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:12:28 +0000

“I saw 2 items on Palin yesterday which were interesting. She’s giving a speech to a pro-life group. The press is un-invited and there will be no cell phones or recording devices allowed. I would be willing to bet that there will be security & metal detectors to enforce this.”

Oh, the irony! When Dems had their town hall meetings, they needed metal detectors for the gun nuts. Palin would need them to keep out… recording devices.

By: We Are The 801

We Are The 801 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:09:14 +0000

“It also strikes me that many Americans have been conditioned to think dogmatically. They hold on to opinions not because the opinions are rational or useful, but because it’s what they “believe in.” It’s one thing to “believe in” religious dogmas, but large chunks of the American public don’t seem to be able to use their brains in any other way except to absorb tribal dogmas and hang on to them fanatically. Notice, for example, the way they treat the Constitution as if it were the fifth book of the Gospel. Of course, they don’t know what’s in the Constitution any more than they know what’s in the Gospels, but they sure as heck “believe in” the Constitution, don’t they?”

Yes! This! This! This!! This cannot be emphasised enough!

By: dyedinthewoolliberal

dyedinthewoolliberal — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:07:37 +0000

I don’t know where the quote came from but here it is (maybe not exact). ‘the pain of the present is not a bad as the fear of change.” That seems to be where we are now. It fills me with fear to think about how much pain is necessary to switch it balance.

By: erinyes

erinyes — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:45:31 +0000

There is a little marina close to where I live. I go down there most weekends for a little while to talk to the local boys, and have a beer or two. Last weekend, the conversation turned to the shooting at the Texas Army base. Of course, the opinion was militant Islam is to blame. Like most things, it’s a bit more complicated than that. The crazy dude that shot the abortion doctor in church several months ago was no doubt, a religious fanatic, yet I didn’t see any reports of “Christian extremism” in out local press.
we have had several terrible crimes in the past few years, one which a drug dealer shot and killed a polk county sherrif’s deputy, and was pretty much executed by the cops when they chased him into the woods just off 1-4( over 60 gunshot wounds), and another where a young mother allegedly killed her beautiful young daughter.
The guys all thought the drug dealer had it coming, and that the mother should just be taken out and shot to save the court system money.
These same guys talk about their right to bear arms, and are concerned about Obama being a “socialist” and being a closet Muslim.
So I said “Let me get this straight, you guys believe the cops can act as judge, jury, and executioner? That is Tyranny. We are a nation of laws, the constitution protects us from just that sort of thing, as well as allowing you to keep your guns”
Several of the guys have recently lost their jobs, and have recently gotten popped for driving under the influence. Suppose we are fed up with drunk drivers, how about we execute them on the spot?

I think a big part of the problem is people just don’t take the time to think things through. For every action, there is a reaction. It is so easy to get people riled up over letting illegal immigrants have free health care, but would you like to see the streets littered with dead and dying people?
The opposition can try to derail a health care bill with abortion b.s., but it is far scarier to think that almost 20% of the population may have lost or may soon loose their health insurance.
I play mental hockey with those guys weekly, and they are begining to see the light….especially when it is getting difficult to pay the bills.
Fear is a major driver. Little Kissimmee is now home to two Mosques and a Sikh Temple, scary shit in Kowtown……….