Over the weekend Sarah Palin gave us another dose of seductive untruth. Her complaint about the Christmas bomber “lawyering up” wasn’t about finding the right policy against terrorists. It was a come-on to the Tea Party’s prejudices, egging them to believe that what Muttalab deserved was a dose of good old fashioned torture. Never mind that the Bush administration “lawyered up” Richard Reid, the failed shoe bomber in exactly the same fashion.
Her appeal to jingoism came with the phrase about giving the Christmas bomber the rights guaranteed by “our Constitution,” which she intoned a second time to make the point — also beloved of the Tea Party — that nobody deserves any rights except red-blooded Americans. Never mind that the whole point of operating under the Constitution is that everyone is given the same guarantees and rights.
But we all know why Palin has spiked the tea. In the past year the Republicans have decided, as a group, that fostering lies, attacks, and smears is good politics.
So it is. Americans are worried and jittery. The very mention of terrorism still makes millions of people believe that the next 9/11 is just around the corner. Rationality is cold comfort in such a climate. In politics, morality often comes down to whatever works. And what is working right now is to spike the tea with poison and tell people that it’s actually sugar.
The overall picture of a fix-it President struggling to get the country to follow him may be discouraging. Every rational adult knows that the social cost of entitlement programs and health care has one inevitable outcome: higher taxes and lowered benefits. But when the kids are throwing a tantrum, the adults feel helpless.
I take a different, more positive view. America turned a dark corner when Nixon and Reagan inflamed the worst aspects of populism with manipulative demagoguery. After a generation of social reform and altruism, they brought back selfishness, prejudice, and xenophobia — with add ons against feminism and gay rights, Using code words like “law and order” and “silent majority,” the right brought about a populism that was really the revival of the Know-Nothings of a bygone era.
Palin plays into that Know-Nothing strain the way George Wallace did with his “pointy-headed intellectuals.” Because of it, the very smart people who saved us from a potential depression and who want to solve other looming crises can be vilified in favor of very crafty people who play upon rough prejudice.
My positive take is that Obama and the other smart people (always remembering that they are more than smart but also good-hearted, far-seeing, honest, and credible) are playing the role of adults trying to call forth the adult in all of us. Americans have had the luxury of a long period of post-adolescent irresponsibility. The crown prince of that trend was George W. Bush, for whom both luxury and irresponsibility were a given. It will take a long time to bring a turn around, and Obama may drag the Democrats into some tight places. No one has the right to demand that this society grow up. But eventually that’s where we are headed, and since Obama gives adulthood the best face I can imagine from a President, I am encouraged, no matter who thinks they want another glass of poison tea.
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Everything one gives attention to has the ability to grow.
Believe it was you Deepak who said this once.
This is what happens in the duality of the politics. While they are constantly word fighting the world just turns around and the people all live their own lifes and everything happens at once.
The Internet has made it only too clear that everything is happening at once.
Obama knows this already. Most politicians not yet, they still think themselves too important
Why are people still talking about sarah who?
Better go Lady Gaga
Thank you, Dr.Chopra. Your voice is loud and clear. The tendency of the sane and temperate to retreat from the howling mobs of the Tea Party is unfortunate for all Americans. Politicians cowered last summer when their security employees failed to provide a civil environment in Health Reform town meetings. This surrender to outrageous public tantrums, fueled by Rightist dollars and organizers, allowed the Tea Party to become legitimized and popularized in the media. Now they have their ideologues (Palin, Brown) poised for the Presidential election in 2012.
While the dainty elite of Neo-Liberalism cringe at the words "pogrom" and "putsch", those who are not afraid to look at all-too-recent human history know that horrors can occur here in the U.S. as easily as anywhere. Mesmerized by pro-greed, pro-Reaganite, nationalist propaganda, the majority of Americans are being manipulated by monopolized media to go against their own interests, to reject health-care reform and to disrespect an impressively intelligent leader, President Obama.
Obama is not smart nor is he a mature politician, and has proven that over the last year!! He is Naive when it comes to…well almost everything, except the abortion issue (proving I am not a concervative). Terrorist countries see him as a joke, thats why AhmadineJad thinks he can do as he likes – before we know it Iran will have a Nuclear weapon…then what…will Obama continue with his head in the sand politics?
I have no problem with some "good old fashion torture" if its going to save the lives of thousands of INNOCENT people! As far as I'm concerned the second you become a terrorist and plot and plan, then carry out – or attemtp to carry out an attack on innocent people you should automatically lose your human rights! Wanting to keep your country safe from terrorists is not being xenophobic – thats just a childish notion. When are the liberals going to understand that you cannot negociate with people (terrorists), who not only want to blow everyone who is not muslim up, but have no problem with blowing themselves to smithereens – mad men.
All I am left to say is, thank God for Israel!
Beware of the naive, for the meek will inherit the earth.
It is called the weak force but the meek are not weak.
A certain amount of naivity is needed to keep the faith!
What one radiates one receives back.
Certainly in politics this can be negative and positive.
Sorry I cannot take any "wisdom" from the christian bible…or any bible for that matter!
This may come from the Bible to you but I am a woman and I speak from my own experience.
Guess it is time to write my own Bible
Well, I did it already in a way: http://www.heartphone.org
I even did it in 3D!
I dont mean to insult you, its just that if to be meek in the bible means to be naive, I disagree with that
. Meek and naive for me have two different meanings.
I dont mean to insult you, its just that if to be meek in the bible means to be naive, I disagree with that
. Meek and naive for me have two different meanings.
Dear Tarryn,
You do not insult me at all.
I believe that, in order to be meek, you will have to have a bit of the naivity of a child. You will have to believe in the inner goodness of a human being. Now children can be innocent, can be naive but can also be very intelligent. And they have a good advisor standing by: their intuition.
Later on in life all those qualities are snowed under in one way or another, either by one's experiences or by the linear education in (western) school.
Yet there comes a stage in life when one by one those qualities seem to return in one's life and when they do, then the combination, together with the wisdom learnt, maybe will produce the meek person I envision.
But that is only my vision lol. I know one thing, I benefit from it in a positive way!
Hello Everyone,
It was discouraging that CNN decided to broadcast her tea-bragging evening live but I suspect it was simply to draw some of the FOX viewers their way.
The problem with "a little good ole fashion torture" is that once it is "okay" to torture the "terrorists" then it is "okay" to torture period. In South America many innocent civilians were tortured in the name of "whatever" government or revolutionary group decided that they were a threat to their cause. The United States covert agents were often the "instructors" behind the scenes and example would have been in El Salvador and Chile during their power struggles.
Using the "olesaving of lives" excuse in order to justify torture makes one no different than the "terrorists."
Frankly, living in a world where torture is accepted practice is a world not worth much to anyone in the long run.
You may "think" you are saving lives with the practice of torture but you're not, the damage being done to humanity is much greater.
The Bush/Cheney reaction to 9/11 was simply "overkill," and opportunism as far as greedily snatching powers wherever they could "in the name of" national security.
Deepak's right sooner or later this Nation will have to grow up and take responsiblity for itself.
She's out of her mind!
Obama is a one-term prez…he has become part of the establishment he once bashed…just as bushnut did.
I have nothing at all original to add to this thread.
The only thing I can pass on is a quote from Krishna Das: "We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we are just as crazy as everyone else!" – Krishna Das
Since when is Intent about politics, Deepak?
I agree with Bobby, not sure political debate is the best here.