i'm going to quote nearly the whole thing because i can't decide how best to paraphrase him, and frankly i'm not in the mood to write anything novel on the sad state of affairs. all i can say is the general voting public in this country has fallen to the level of a numb trash tv addict no longer capable of seeking and learning new information, formulating intelligent and (god forbid) well-read opinions, or functioning in society as a responsible/respectful citizen. from one of my favorite central texas gardners:
...In the past I have written about the "spiritual discipline against resentment." Well, after watching the Republicans it is easy to see they have no spiritual discipline whatsoever - in fact, Governor Palin's speech and most of the other sneering rants that oozed from the podium were the spiritual equivalent of resentment stoking. The R's have taken a page from the very worst identity politics of begrudged charlatans like Al Sharpton and and are now claiming to be the victims of terrible, condescending "elites and the media." They wear their alledged victimhood like thorny crowns, whining about their mistreatment. Never mind the fact that the so-called conservative movement has held sway in Washington for most of the past thirty years, and that Fox News and dozens of other media outlets are little more that propaganda machines for Republican party. Meanwhile, the Democrats have passively allowed the Republicans to engage in disasatrous wars and drive the nation ever deeper into debt while the so-called "media elite" has gone along for the ratings ride. What we witnessed last week was McCain's final capitulation to the very same "agents of intolerance" (his words) who once savaged him, spreading lies about the legitmacy of his daughters, his sanity, even his sexuality. So much for McMaverick! I thought mavericks weren't supposed to sell their souls.link
We need to be very clear about this, the alleged "conservative" movement is now a sham that has disintegrated into corruption and cronyism while diminishing American power in the world and bringing our economy to its knees (if not the knees of the nations that actually own us!) Real conservatives don't tax their grandchildren. Real conservatives don't cheat veterans. Real conservatives don't ignore the constitution. Real conservatives don't pillage the earth without a care for tomorrow. Real conservatives don't whine and wring thier hands about how put-upon they are. The truth is the Republicans are not "conservatives" at all, they are reactionaries. The party of Lincoln has become the party of George Wallace and Elmer Gantry - a shot-gun marriage of old fashioned greed and willful ignorance that is whipped into a froth of bitter resentment every four years. Governor Palin is George W. Bush in a skirt - a pretty smokescreen of train-wreck family values happily allowing herself to be used as a distraction designed to make people bury the hope for real change under a smoldering pile of fake resentments. While preaching bi-partisanship, McCain has chosen the low road of divide through fear politics. Shame on us all if he succeeds.
well said, tom. and thanks unk for the intro to a new slangism.
