Goodbye, Cruel World
The world would be a better place if the American right wing had never existed. Thousands of Americans and Iraqis would still be alive, tens of thousands or Iraqis would still be living in their own homes. The American economy would not have hopped from bubble to bubble if the right wing had not put all of their faith in deregulation, and American jobs would not have been sent abroad. Our tax dollars would not have flowed upward into the coffers of the rich, and the war machine would not comprise such a large part of our economy. We would have retained the respect of other nations, and not aroused the absolute hatred of those we have attempted to bomb into submission. We would get along better with one another if the right wing had not used tribal hatreds to arouse their base against black people, immigrants, liberals, and the well-educated. Our infrastructure, health care, and schools would be better if the billions spent on futile wars had been spent on domestic needs. The planet would be a better place if our addiction to oil had been broken 25 years ago.
But the issue goes deeper even that these practical matters. We would, in fact, be happier people if the right wing had not terrorized us with their horror-filled systems of belief. The Friedmanites are bad enough -- in their world, there are only winners and losers. Everyone deserves what they get, and if a child who gets melamine in his milk is a victim of "creative destruction", well, too bad, because some rich person is getting a little bit more money. In the capitalist world, you are not just supposed to starve, you are supposed to deserve starving -- insult added to injury, humiliation added pain. Of course, as Naomi Klein has shown, the "free market" is never free at all, it is fixed, by dictators and armies and oligarchs. But the thrust of the propaganda stands. We may call this the "Phil Gramm Position".
As bad as this is, far worse has been the effect of religious fundamentalism on the individual spirit and the national mood. By now, we all know some child (or former child) who has been terrorized by "the Rapture" -- who has come home after school to an empty house, only to panic because he or she is convinced that everyone else has been "raptured up." The left behind one has to reckon with the idea that not only is everyone he or she loves gone, he or she has done something wrong according to Jesus, and failed to deserve salvation. I call this child abuse. The religious right has been determined to enforce the unhappiness of others, no doubt so that that unhappiness will match their own. After all, they want to make sure that gay people understand that no matter how much they pay in taxes, they are second class citizens. They also want to make sure that every woman in the world understands that her interests are secondary to those of any embryo, any man, even, indeed, any sperm cell. This would be the "James Dobson Position".
The God of the right wing, and of the Bible, is a pretty arbitrary guy. He lays down the rules, but you can get those boils or those locusts even if you didn't knowingly do anything wrong, in fact, even if you didn't do anything wrong at all. Your personal God could punish you for something someone else did, as in the Bible he frequently punishes the enemies of Israel, men, women, children, dogs, cats, goats, etc., just for being the enemies of Israel. I love how right wing preachers pray away hurricanes, sending them to places like Bermuda. If your God is arbitrary, then of course you are always anxious and depressed -- your adrenaline is always pumping. And you are never motivated to understand how the world works. But locusts and boils and hurricanes have causes -- physical, medical, and ecological. Society can avoid locusts and boils and even mitigate the effects of hurricanes if it understands cause and effect, but if your God is an arbitrary authoritarian, and your father was an arbitrary authoritarian, then you never truly understand cause and effect in the world we live in. As we all know, no religion has ever successfully answered the problems raised by the issue of an omnipotent God. The best they offer is to forbid questioning, and to punish those who do. Because the right wing experiences the world as cruel and arbitrary, they have no inhibitions about enhancing that cruelty -- as in "Hurricane Katrina", as in "Iraq War", and in "Abu Ghraib".
This is the world we have been living in for the past thirty years.
In a week, we have a chance to leave this world behind. If we look at our two candidates, the differences between them are stark. John McCain, who was raised by and accepts the authoritarian model, is evidently never at peace. He is hot-headed, erratic, and has been remarkably cruel. He claims to have principles, but his principles change every time he loses his cool. The more he is pushed, the more it becomes evident that he lives by his own selfish desires -- for money, for power, for women. He's is a classic avoider, who can't even answer the simplest question -- if something "unpleasant" comes up, he changes the subject. Barack Obama rarely changes the subject, because he is fully capable of looking at an issue and considering it. He seems to have been reared in a non-authoritarian household, by a loving mother and loving grandparents. He thinks that the world is a rational place that can be understood and modified. His own family seems happy and loving. Right wingers think he is shallow, but he isn't shallow -- he's well-adjusted. And we've had two whole years to poke him and prod him and discover this. Obama has grown through campaigning because he has learned from it. McCain gets ever smaller and more weird as he campaigns because he doesn't understand what is happening to him. When we choose between these two men, we are choosing between two worlds -- the world of ignorance, fear, manipulation, and cruelty, and the world of rational investigation, weighing of options, and planning. This world is a world where sexual preference is not such a big deal, salvation is not an eternal mystery, and life goes on. It's a world where bad things happen, but there is no malign Godly intention behind them. It is world that understands the temptations of human nature and attempts to deal with them rationally and systematically. Some of these attempts will fail, but on balance, not as many as have failed in the last twenty-five years.
Most of my friends see the coming election as the most important we have known. The right wing has damaged our country, our livelihoods, our national honor, and our planet, but not yet fatally. If McCain gets elected, that could change.
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Jane Smiley, I always make it a point to read whatever you post here on the Huffington website because you are invariably "right on" with your analysis, commentary and compassion.
This time, you have exceeded even your own very high and exacting standards.
Just a fabulous and memorable read... Absolutely fabulous.
Thank you.
Ooooops I meant PTS.....yeech
I know I am somewhat buying into the black/white, with us or against us damaging viewpoint of the last 8 years, but I really see the choice as having an opportunity to enter the age of enlightenment vs. staying in the dark night of the soul, fear-based paradigm we have been in. I believe and pray that there are enough of us yearning to ascend and demonstrate the goodness, love, equality, in fact the HUMANITY we are each capable of. It does seem this stark a choice to me. LET US ALL CHOOSE LOVE OVER FEAR! As a lawyer, public radio host, musician, etc., I am capable of deep analysis of policy, etc.. I keep coming back to that simple mantra of choosing love over fear. Our roots are in the same tree... Blessings...
America had a case of PST after 9/11 and went to sleep..
Obama woke them up.
Do not be afraid....people...you will just end up looking a little more like Canada...that is not a bad thing really..
A little laid back...a little more tolerant...a few less crazy religious nuts.
Try it Americia you might like it.....
It is time to realize that one of the major ploys of the McCain/Palin/NRC campaign is to belittle the asset of intelligence and education. The attack, meant for the blue collar vote, is to paint people as elitists because they can deal in facts and comprehensive logic; as well as communicate verbally and on paper using proper English language grammar. (Or is it that the Republican Candidates do not possess these skills?) The most recent attack on Barak’s association with Rashid Khalidi, a Palestinian scholar and professor at the University of Chicago and Columbia, is just one example. Similar snide comments attack Barak’s education at Harvard and other Universities where his performance should be the desire for every parent’s child. The overall character performance by Gov. Palin has played up to ignorance, including her butchering of the language and non participation in news shows. I believe this is just a continuation of the Rove/Cheney policies under Bush. Knowledge, intelligence and communication skills are some of the most important attributes needed if we want to reach out and solve problems, particularly where opposing views are so divergent. Remember that intelligence, education and learning were some of the first things suppressed under the despotic leaders of Germany, the USSR, and China. Did you know that Sarah! Bob Landis
Not making education accessible has also suppressed many black people in this country, and still does today. There's a reason slaves were forbidden to learn to read, and it's simple fact that knowledge is power. When you know better, you can do better.
The poorer and more ignorant the populace, the easier it is for leaders to control them.
Great read... Thanks!
Jane is right that deliberate systemic religious brainwashing has dumbed down the U.S. as a whole. Not only that, religion (in this case the Christian Taliban) fosters the hate and racism that has come out of the woodwork after a good stoking by McCain and Palin. The right neocon wing of the Republican party can easily mold these people in any direction they want. But make no mistake that the millions of religious zealots in this country are so far gone that it is absolutely useless to use logic, truth, or reason with them.
Here's hoping there are enough sane people left in the United States to carry the election for Obama. Here's further hope that his lead is big enough that Republicans can't steal it.
I agree that religion in this country has done far more harm than good. People use the word faith to cover a multitude of ignorance. SEE RELIGULOUS!!
Fabulous quote from Ghandi regarding Christianity:
"I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
I understand exactly what he means. I was raised Christian, and to me, being a Christian means trying your best to live your life in the likeness of Christ. To so many other "Christians", Christianity means knowingly sinning all week long, because you can go to church on Sunday (or whenever it's convenient) and be absolved of all your sins. I don't think Christ wanted us to commit sins knowingly and willingly just because we have a "Get out of Jail Free" card. We should be trying our hardest at all times to live in his likeness. This is why many Christians today are looked at as hypocrits by other religions (or people who are not religious at all). And I completely understand why they feel that way. Today's so-called "Christians" have become very good at talking the talk, but rarely walking the walk. And they will do completely heinous acts, and say completely horrible things, all in the name of Jesus Christ. Personally, I think Christ would be disgusted with most "Christians" today because they do so many things that are not Christ-like at all.
Almost 100 years ago Emiliano Zapata led peasant revolutionary forces inside Mexico who were trying to overturn the elite ruling class that took all the money and resources for themselves and left most of the people with nothing. "Land, Liberty, Justice" were the demands of the Zapatistas. A similar chorus can be faintly heard across the U.S. today as people see their meager resources stolen by the elite and despair of ever having an honest government. Unfortunately for Zapata, he was lured to a supposed peaceful meeting and gunned down. And years later, the people of Mexico still need land, liberty, justice.
I keep hearing about the Republican voter fraud all over the country and it terrifies me. I believe the majority will choose Obama, but also believe the Republicans may steal the election by rigged voting machines, 12-hour lines, challenges to all newly-registered voters, and various intimidation tactics.
I think the majority will choose Obama, but I worry that a significant minority supports Palin, supports a religious-dominated government, racism, wars against everyone, me against you-ism, reign by brutality and violence and complete eradication of civil rights.
So I guess we need to keep working for Obama, keep our eyes open, and be ready to start working even harder on November 5 if anyone claims McCain won.
I read Huff Post every day, but haven't bothered to login for months. After reading this brilliant piece, I came out of lurkdom. This is one of the best pieces of commentary of the '08 elections and a perfect wrap-up of the Right Wing rule this country has endured for a generation. Your observations on the wingers' religious philosophy and Obama's starkly contrasting outlook are erudite. Thank you, Ms. Smiley, for putting into words what many of us feel.
Very well done. I'm going to be forwarding this furiously. I hope this receives wide circulation and exposure.
Conservatism is a disease, they project their symptoms upon humanity
Very true in alot of ways.
My son came home from visiting his dad (who is very fundamentalist in words, if not in actions) and was asking me if it was true that anyone who didn't believe in Jesus would get their heads chopped off. My daughter, who visited as well, told me that they had already found abunch of guillotines, and that she was scared that if we didn't get the "mark" that we would all be beheaded.
One really plssed off phone call later...
Jane, I keep coming back and read your essay about every two hours or so and share it with a few others here and there with the response, "she says it so well" or something like that.
It gives hope, pause and then action. Everywhere I go there is this manifest hope that yes we can and that hope shall prevail.
Keep up the great impulse that is you.
Dave
Tumwater, WA
The takeover of the Republican Party by the extreme religious right is now complete. What began as a strategic (and cynical) effort during the Reagan years to expand the GOP base beyond economic conservatives and foreign policy hawks has led to complete domination by the evangelicals. Reagan and Bush 41 merely paid lip service to these folks in order to garner votes. Bush 43, on the other hand, is one of them and has incited them further.
The ironic thing about McCain is that he showed some promise in the 2000 primary to confront these folks and return to a more traditional GOP brand. Obviously, he learned from that experience that this is an impossible course for a GOP presidential candidate: the far right must have their red meat.
The religious right have been absolute poison to the national debate over the last 25 years. Their orthodoxy is largely responsible for the negativity and hyper-partisanship we exerience today.
How do you educate people who won't even listen?
For 2 years we have been running Primaries and General Election on TV and Cable day and night. Yet there are people out there who DON'T KNOW???
Don't hold your breath hoping that these perfectly un-interested people will suddenly wake up to any kind of reality.
Interesting. That's exactly what we say about you. Hmmm.
Here's an important difference. While conservatives make up most of the listeners to NPR, and represent the majority of readers of the lib MSM, you folks stick to your insular sources of information.
I keep saying this but you guys really need to take a hard look at yourselves.
Where exactly did you get this information?? According to one study found on the Pew Research Center website it is in, in fact, true that Republicans/Conservatives are bigger consumers of radio media in general.....no surprise here. The study does not break out NPR specifically, so I'm interested in what leads you to the conclusion the NPR listeners trend conservative. As far as newsaper print, conservatives and progressives read them about as often as each other. The only differences I did see is that progressives tend to watch network news and CNN more frequently than conservatives while conservatives tend to be heavier Fox viewers. Again, no surprises here. At the bare minimum, this all sugests that NEITHER conservatives nor progressives stick with "insular sources" of information. So screw you!!
The second to the last paragraph summing up the basic differences between McCain and Obama is probably the best spot on commentary I have read that really gets to the basic human difference between the two men.
They are as different as night and day.
Jane, you always make my day. :)
I second that, kegbot1. You nailed it, Jane.
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