G.O.P.: R.I.P.
So there it stands: a naked, pigeon-chested old man, random strands of white hair on its boney shoulders; its swollen-knuckled hands clasped over its dead genitals, looking at once forlorn and menacing, shivering with self-loathing and xenophobia, raging pathetically at its timely and appropriate defeat at the hands of Reason.
Ladies and gentlemen: The Republican Party.
With every passing day, the people who stubbornly, maddeningly cling to an obsolete ideal and who stand in the way of the cultural advancement of this country, this America, spew the base reality of their caustic ideology into the air.
The Republican Party is like a dying tyrant, mad with syphilis, ironically like that very Stalin they would accuse their enemies of associating with. How else to account for their desperation to resurrect the wraith of Joseph McCarthy; the hammy and baffling utterances from high level party officials like Boehner and McConnell; the blatant desire on their part to let the country fail out of sheer resentment; the wanton sedition of Conservative shit-stirrers ranging from the quasi Madame Defarge Michele Bachmann to the porcine, pill-popping porcine propagandist Rush Limbaugh?
It is an all out assault on reason, on progress, on truth. What is the difference between the Republican Party and, say, the Taliban? A rogue by any other name would smell as rank. Their frantic accusations all churned out in a futile effort to explain their current pariah status is as pathetic and draconian as stoning a woman in the street.
I feel I must apologize for my own particularly febrile anger. It's unseemly and ugly. But finally, the enemy is clearly outlined. We can see it for what it is and what it always has been. It exists not in myth but in a reality which has plagued humanity for millennia: utter, hateful ignorance born from a fear of truth, indeed a fear of life itself; a mad and impotent pursuit of some long-forgotten ecstasy having spawned generations of paranoid power addicts who chase the past at the expense of the future, cloaking their real intentions in perfumed patriotism and the seductive swoon of religion.
It's so fitting that we are living in an age where beheadings, torture, piracy and now unbridled power mongering are all common place. Perhaps that element of humanity is going back into hibernation and is snapping at any and everything before its eyes finally close. In our lifetime the choice has never been so stark.
Don't be intimidated by that naked, pigeon-chested old man. His party's over.
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Somewhat ironic that the author claims that the GOP makes an all out attack on reason and truth and yet fails to articulate how this is done. It is rather an emotional rant using word pictures, but never stating ONCE what it is that the GOP does that is so wrong. Forward emotion! Onward rage! Really how is it that what is merely a more elaborate form of the childhood accusation "Are too", "Am not" merits any space at this site? I will hope for better in the future, where adults can reason with each other.
You really need to take a look at Mr. Weber's past posts. He articulates very well. To elaborate on any of the points made in this article is like trying to beat a dead horse. All of the elaborating has been done. The GOP has nothing to bring to the table other than fear, anger and ignorance. If I was represented by Michelle Bachman, I'd move. That's the best that the state of Minnesota has to offer? There's nothing left to elaborate on. Fear, anger and ignorance. I will hope for better in the future too. Karl "Goebbels" Rove needs to be put in a dog kennel in Guantanamo Bay. That's about where I'm at with adults reasoning with each other. Pass out the oxycodone, Meatpants. Let's get faced!
If Obama succeeds with the economy, then the Republian Party will truly be dead meat. And I assume he will, so have fun in Palookaville, Rush, Sean, and Glen. If Obama fails, then Katy bar the door because here comes the trimphant fascist backlash which drive wipe the Democrats into the sea on a wave of bitterness and ignorance which will make Archie Bunker look like the soul of wise moderation. The country's in just as dangerous a place now as Germany was in 1923. No doubt we'll have no Holocaust or racist exterminations. But we WILL get a fascist crackdown nonetheless.
Great post. Best of the day.
I live in Bachmann's district, and believe me the people who voted for her deserve her.
But Minnesota does have better to offer, including Keith Ellison, a really brilliant man who is serious about representing the interests of his constituents. We also have Al Franken, who will take over Paul Wellstone's seat as soon as dead-man-walking Coleman finally keels over.
This may come out as a little bit politically incorrect, but trying to explain what is wrong with the Republican party to those who currently pass for the Republican faithful is like trying to explain string theory to a Chinese peasant. Indeed, when what the Republican faithful do all day long is soak up the rants of Fox and Rush, truth and reality might as well be something spoken in a foreign language.
They are whinier than a spoiled three year old. When they had the power they took it, pushed the Dems out and gave them nothing but when it happens to them it is all about being "unfair." Well the right must need to understand that there are two kinds of right in America, those who do and believe in doing it, and those who think it is only a political dogma or idea. Obama, not like Bush and Cheney proclaimed in 2004, but Obama and the Democrats have a MANDATE and they will honor it no matter how loud the whine.
contined from previous..
Corporatists -- these are the folks who think "too big to fail" is just the right size. They subscribe to the belief that without giant corporations controlling cash flow, promoting consumerism, funneling wealth to a certain class of people -- that life would just not be as much fun. Greed is good, sharing is for stupids. Government was created to defend their interests and keep the good times rolling, like going to war for oil.
Neocons -- or if we're being truthful, Fascists. We don't know exactly what the true Neocon believes -- it may be elements of the above, or simply they just want to be in control -- control of the media (talking points), demonization of the enemy, toppling foreign governments. Their philosophy includes the phrases "by any means necessary" and "the neverending campaign". Their methods were described by Orwell's 1984.
GOPers -- these are who make up the moderates of the current Republican party. They believe in modest government, limited taxation, balanced budgets, helping those who need help, a strong military, no unnecessary wars, traditional values (whatever those are). The salt of the earth,
the backbone of America, and all that...
So, Republicans, do yourselves a favor and put the old elephant out of its misery and make some new parties. While there used to be strength in numbers of strange bedfellows, that approach has led simply to unwanted pregnancies of bad ideas and impotence. New parties will mean new beginnings with a semblence
continued from previous -- (sorry for appending)
... of sanity and coherence at last.
Steven, great post as usual. You've identified the sickness, now how about the cure?
These days Republicanism has manifested itself more as a disease than a political philosophy. It is self-conflicting and incoherent causing its sufferers to exhibit symptoms of a degenerative mental affliction. The cure is obvious -- to split the party into coherent separate parts.
While in politics, truth in advertising has rarely existed, let's suspend disbelief for a minute and ponder which parties could be formed from Republicanism if such a truth were applied to it.
Libertarians -- really these are old-school Republicans -- get the government out of my business, small taxes, small government, let freedom reign, less government programs. Sound familiar? If this is what you really believe, stop calling yourself a Republican and join the Libertarians.
Christian Righties -- at odds with Libertarianism, these folks believe government should reflect and enforce their religious values, nevermind the fact there is no official American religion. They do not mind government intervention when its for the cause.
continued --
continued from previous..
Corporatists -- these are the folks who think "too big to fail" is just the right size. They subscribe to the belief that without giant corporations controlling cash flow, promoting consumerism, funneling wealth to a certain class of people -- that life would just not be as much fun. Greed is good, sharing is for stupids. Government was created to defend their interests and keep the good times rolling, like going to war for oil.
Neocons -- or if we're being truthful, F*a*s*cists. We don't know exactly what the true Neocon believes -- it may be elements of the above, or simply they just want to be in control -- control of the media (talking points), demonization of the enemy , toppling foreign governments. Their philosophy includes the phrases "by any means necessary" and "the neverending campaign". Their methods were described by Orwell's 1984.
GOPers -- these are who make up the moderates of the current Republican party. They believe in modest government, limited taxation, balanced budgets, helping those who need help, a strong military, no unnecessary wars, traditional values (whatever those are). The salt of the earth, the backbone of America, and all that... Note: these folks have been calling themselvers Independents for about 20 years due to the influence of the other four factions.
continued --
Some animals become extremely agitated before they totally expire as a last desperate attempt to hold on to a life that is slipping away . I think that is what is going on now with the GOP.
You are kidding right?? The GOP is not perfect but it certainly is not going anywhere. Obama will have to be the president of the millennium to make the GOP go away. And things will have to improve a lot.
http://www
GOP may not be going anywhere soon, but it is certainly shrinking rather rapidly...
I think most of the prominent Republicans, like Cheney and Rove, are aware of it.
That's why they have been throwing tantrums like 2 year-olds.
BTW, how can you be sure that Obama will not be the President of the millennium? He still has 3 years and 9 months to go. Probably 4 more years after that... Look what he has accomplished already so far.
FYI, the economy is already showing recovery signs. GOP has done a big mistake to gamble on economic downturn. It will not happen and GOP will look ridiculous in 2010 election.
we can hope so!!
Republicans want the president to fail, therefore, they want America to fail, therefore, the republicans are treasonous; they are enemy number one, the enemy within, the most formidable enemy. They must be eradicated.
Abraham Lincoln once said that if American is ever defeated it will be done from within.
Republicans used to say the same thing about Democrats wanting the President to fail, etc.
President Obama is not America. President Bush wasn't America. President Lincoln wasn't America. People wanting presidential policies to fail don't want America to fail, they just want the president's policies to fail.
President Obama has implemented policies to restore America's economy.
If President Obama's policies succeed, America's economy succeeds.
If President Obama's policies fail, America's economy fails.
There is no distinction between the two.
AMEN. But let us never underestimate the infinite stupidity of human nature. Republicans almost destroyed the most powerful and wonderful country in the world. Evil almost won. So let us be vigilant and let us use the power of reason, progress and truth to finally murder this ugly side of The United States: the republican party and all social conservatism.
I think it's interesting that the writer compares the GOP to the Taliban. In talking about politics with friends and associates, I've been saying the Repubs are a Christian version of the Taliban (albeit a milder version, thus far) almost since we first heard about them when this war started.
That's interesting indeed. I've made a similar analysis with a few exceptions. The GOP is a party of Nazi sympathizers. Apparently, some think they can't be considered full-blown Nazi's until genocide occurs but the similarities are they use a spirit of nationalism to advance a doctrine of supremacy. It's the Baptists however, who emulate the Taliban because they use their religious intolerance to propogate their violent and evil tendancies.
Two things.
1. Republicans want President Obama to fail.
2. Republicans are showing us how they will lead if this occurs.
Conclusion: We cannot allow President Obama to fail.
Allow him to fail? He's doing just fine on his own to do just that without any help from us.
If anything 'the left will do all the work with massive spending and programs we in no way can afford!
I read some interesting comments the other day of how the traditional Republican Party was transformed into the rabid, ignorant, no-nothing Party of today. It seems that it all started with the Southern Strategy when all of the Southern States switched their allegiance to the Republican Party. Prior to that the epi-center of the Republican Party could be found in New England where thrift, small government, main street business governed the ideology of the Party. The Democrats held onto to the big cities and labor unions.
The South, although a big part of the Democratic Party had its power held in check by the money and power that emanated from the large cities. However, when the southerners became Republicans they were able to gain control of the Party because the traditional Republican Party didn't have the big money power of urban centers. Thus, today we have the extremist ignorant under-educated party of Palin, Limbaugh, Hannity, and Coulter rather than the prudent Party of main street New England values that dominated the Party earlier in the century. So the name may be the same but this isn't your parents' Republican Party.
Nor is this the party of Lincoln, The Repubs are about 180 degrees away from what
they were in their great charter days.
Unfortunately, it will continue to live on as the distillation of every vile, selfish, hateful, intolerant and super-nationalistic strain of American culture.
Bet that felt good!
I generally agree, with a couple of big modifiers. First, you're talking about the leadership and shills of the GOP, not more conservative voters. Believe me, there are more than enough bigots and willful ignoramuses in the rank and file, but a lot more who just ignore problems they find "distastef
Second, while the party may change it isn't going away. Most political parties go through a phoenix life cycle. I hope and expect that our side gets to be in charge for a while, but it will flip again.
Third, what about those 45% who didn't vote for Obama last time? Something tells me they're not just going to go away.
Still, I have to admit it felt good to read it too! I think I'll go have a smoke.
It's not over until Democrats stop covering the dying man with blankets
and infusing him with IV's.
Nice article, however since America is so stuck on this two party system the republican party will never die as long as the system doesn't evolve into a greater system that allows for & elects from other parties.
The party must evolve, it must stop making hopeless demands of it's members to support and believe in a system of punishment and reward for its own advancement. The Ideas must evolve. Fomenting fear, hatred and demonizing the Other, (whoever serves the purpose at that time) is not as effective as it used to be. The republicans need a monster to blame for all they see wrong in the world and refuse to acknowledge it is staring them in the mirror.
I firmly believe in the two-party system.
1. The Democratic Party
2. A reasonable political party to be named later
Can I just point out that while Barack won the majority of the popular vote, over 45% of the country still voted Republican? All these articles about the death of the GOP are a bit premature, don't we think? When the GOP is getting less then 30% of the vote, then we can start talking about the demise of their party.
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