Agree totally. It’s amazing what these “holy grail” pseudo-conservatives will put up with just because someone is “wearing their teams’ jersey”. Clinton was the best President of my lifetime, even given his indiscretion and his support of NAFTA. Bush is absolutely, positively, the worst president of my lifetime.
Maha-
I just read the post at C&L but wanted to comment here because I figured you’re more likely to read it over here since comments are way too active to follow over there.
I loved the post.. and it’s just at the right time for me. I was born in 1970 and only started becoming politically aware in the mid-80’s. Lately I am getting much of my political history that was never taught in school from reading your work and others you refer me to. And I’ve been a C-Span junkie for many years. In fact I started reading you blog after seeing you on Washington Journal a couple years ago.
Today I just watched a 3-part series done by BBC called “The Power of Nightmares, the rise of the politics of fear” (releaased January 2005) which I heard a C-SPAN caller mention to Brian Lamb this morning. It’s available at Google Video for free, but it will likely never be shown in the US in any comercial means. There have been a few private showings in the US but none of the US media companies will touch it.
Anyway, this series covered the history of both the American neo-conservative movement (Leo Strauss) and also of the Radical Islamist movement (Sayyid Qutb) from the 1950’s and on through the present day. Your history lesson of today really feeds into the story told in the film. It has been a big learning day for me. I can’t believe how many of the made-up Neocon ideas that so many of us had just been accepting as reality… and things are getting a bit clearer.
The BBC series was really excellent (Oh my god… blew me away…) and I wanted to know what you thought of it, if you’ve seen it. I am sure you would appreciate it… Maybe even write a review and encourage your readers to see it if you see value in it. You can find it at google video and also some decent summary info at Wikipedia, Both under “Power of Nightmares.” BBC also has their information pages at bbc.co.uk/nightmares.
Here’s a wingnut advocacy for American deaths squads. We’re losing in Iraq because we haven’t been brutal enough. We need to employ terror to win. Didn’t I just read that the Washington Times is one of Rev. Moon’s pet projects?
The truth of it is that wingnuts know only how to destroy, not to build. And wingnutism is a philosophy of resentment, not of governing. Give the American Right a free hand to govern, and it will fail, every time.
I am so tired of these people, and of the way they’re running this country into the ground – like a slow motion crash taking place over several decades. Frankly, I hope someday to move and (hopefully) be done with this stupid, endless conflict in our national character. Sadly, I know that “the money power” that Lincoln and others spoke of, the power behind wingnuttism, has become international, using this country (among others) as a base.
Comment 2, The Power of Nightmares, should be required viewing for everyone.
Another great post, maha. It shows clearly that the real ‘religion’ of the republicans isn’t christianity but laissez-faire economics. Right wing republicans really don’t believe in the government that they have been given. They see the government as the problem and that all of societies problems will be solved if government will just get out of the way. This is their party line which is how they’ve been able to get support from middle and low class (economically) people who would benefit the most from government programs. The real reason for the laissez-faire mantra is greed, making more money for the rich. But fear mongering in the form of Islamo-fascists and socialism has kept them in power way, way too long.
RandyH, thanks for the heads-up about BBC’s ‘The Power of Nightmares’…….I devoted three hours last night and today watching all three segments. Very well worth the time, because it was so enlightening, being filled with facts not offered anywhere else. I felt as though a fog had lifted.
Barbara:
I’ve been itching to contact you about what a great post this is since I saw it the other day because I’ve got another book to recommend, if you can find a copy. Back in ’62, Pyramid published a little paperback by Richard Dudman (50¢!) called “Men of the Far Right” that is a fascinating extra primer on the conservative movement of the ’50s and very early ’60s. Plus, it chronicles some of the names who were really just getting their start in the political arena (Billy Graham, Phyllis Schlafly) almost in passing. Well worth looking up at a large used bookstore, if you can find a copy.
Agree totally. It’s amazing what these “holy grail” pseudo-conservatives will put up with just because someone is “wearing their teams’ jersey”. Clinton was the best President of my lifetime, even given his indiscretion and his support of NAFTA. Bush is absolutely, positively, the worst president of my lifetime.
Maha-
I just read the post at C&L but wanted to comment here because I figured you’re more likely to read it over here since comments are way too active to follow over there.
I loved the post.. and it’s just at the right time for me. I was born in 1970 and only started becoming politically aware in the mid-80’s. Lately I am getting much of my political history that was never taught in school from reading your work and others you refer me to. And I’ve been a C-Span junkie for many years. In fact I started reading you blog after seeing you on Washington Journal a couple years ago.
Today I just watched a 3-part series done by BBC called “The Power of Nightmares, the rise of the politics of fear” (releaased January 2005) which I heard a C-SPAN caller mention to Brian Lamb this morning. It’s available at Google Video for free, but it will likely never be shown in the US in any comercial means. There have been a few private showings in the US but none of the US media companies will touch it.
Anyway, this series covered the history of both the American neo-conservative movement (Leo Strauss) and also of the Radical Islamist movement (Sayyid Qutb) from the 1950’s and on through the present day. Your history lesson of today really feeds into the story told in the film. It has been a big learning day for me. I can’t believe how many of the made-up Neocon ideas that so many of us had just been accepting as reality… and things are getting a bit clearer.
The BBC series was really excellent (Oh my god… blew me away…) and I wanted to know what you thought of it, if you’ve seen it. I am sure you would appreciate it… Maybe even write a review and encourage your readers to see it if you see value in it. You can find it at google video and also some decent summary info at Wikipedia, Both under “Power of Nightmares.” BBC also has their information pages at bbc.co.uk/nightmares.
Here’s a wingnut advocacy for American deaths squads. We’re losing in Iraq because we haven’t been brutal enough. We need to employ terror to win. Didn’t I just read that the Washington Times is one of Rev. Moon’s pet projects?
http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20061227-092444-4051r.htm
The truth of it is that wingnuts know only how to destroy, not to build. And wingnutism is a philosophy of resentment, not of governing. Give the American Right a free hand to govern, and it will fail, every time.
I am so tired of these people, and of the way they’re running this country into the ground – like a slow motion crash taking place over several decades. Frankly, I hope someday to move and (hopefully) be done with this stupid, endless conflict in our national character. Sadly, I know that “the money power” that Lincoln and others spoke of, the power behind wingnuttism, has become international, using this country (among others) as a base.
Comment 2, The Power of Nightmares, should be required viewing for everyone.
Another great post, maha. It shows clearly that the real ‘religion’ of the republicans isn’t christianity but laissez-faire economics. Right wing republicans really don’t believe in the government that they have been given. They see the government as the problem and that all of societies problems will be solved if government will just get out of the way. This is their party line which is how they’ve been able to get support from middle and low class (economically) people who would benefit the most from government programs. The real reason for the laissez-faire mantra is greed, making more money for the rich. But fear mongering in the form of Islamo-fascists and socialism has kept them in power way, way too long.
RandyH, thanks for the heads-up about BBC’s ‘The Power of Nightmares’…….I devoted three hours last night and today watching all three segments. Very well worth the time, because it was so enlightening, being filled with facts not offered anywhere else. I felt as though a fog had lifted.
Barbara:
I’ve been itching to contact you about what a great post this is since I saw it the other day because I’ve got another book to recommend, if you can find a copy. Back in ’62, Pyramid published a little paperback by Richard Dudman (50¢!) called “Men of the Far Right” that is a fascinating extra primer on the conservative movement of the ’50s and very early ’60s. Plus, it chronicles some of the names who were really just getting their start in the political arena (Billy Graham, Phyllis Schlafly) almost in passing. Well worth looking up at a large used bookstore, if you can find a copy.