One thing that has disillusioned me about American politics is how quick we can be to treat our fellow Americans with differing political opinions as villains. It happens on both sides of the aisle, and as a conservative, I probably notice it coming more from the liberal end, but it really is getting out of control. Karl at Protein Wisdom made the same point earlier this week. Another example, in the top 10 of Digg this morning, the question is asked, is the GOP the greatest threat America has ever faced? I have two answers for this question. The first answer is fuck you. The second answer follows below.
Every side wants theirs to win, and there is nothing wrong with that. It’s typical for a political party to misrepresent the effect a candidate will have on the country. “Don’t elect John Smith, he’ll legalize baby eating and will make a national holiday to burn down our forests.” The point is exaggerated, but it happens all the time. He’ll take away your guns. She’ll take away your right at an abortion. He’ll give tax breaks to the wealthy. Etc… That’s just politics.
But what isn’t politics (or at least it shouldn’t be), is associating a political opinion with moral correctness. But first let’s deal with some of the claims of the original article as to exactly why Republicans are the greatest threat to America.
The Republicans’ policies have driven up the price of both oil and gold by 400%.
Wow, really? You don’t suppose the Democratic controlled Congress has any part in this at all? The Senate Majority Leader has gone on record saying coal and oil makes us sick, and that he wants us to stop using fossil fuels. Even this morning he is doing everything he can to prevent new drilling. There is nothing wrong with wanting alternative energy. The majority of people on this planet, including myself, want less reliance on fossil fuels and more alternative energy, but to prevent solutions to the oil price increase and simultaneously put the blame on Republicans is ridiculous.
The Republicans have violated the Nuremberg prohibitions against war crimes, and they have violated the Geneva Conventions against torture and abuse of prisoners. Republican disregard for human rights ranks with that of history’s great tyrants.
As far as Nuremberg goes, the complaint is specifically with Principle V, which is “Any person charged with a crime under international law has the right to a fair trial on the facts and law.” I’m sympathetic to this and other arguments even though any discussion I have with people over Gitmo results in me being branded a villain. Out of all held combatants, only 10 have undergone a trial. But large group of detainees are frequently released without trial, and likewise some don’t wish to be released for fear of their home governments. Some of those released have even been recaptured. Yet as I said, the very small number of only 10 with trials deserves an answer, or normally would. Except that enemy detainees now have more rights more rights than they’ve ever had.
How many Republicans can you name who respect and honor the Constitution?
This is where his true colors start to show and his arguments turn shoddy. The whole “Republicans don’t respect the Constitution” is one of the largest and completely bullshit memes that people seem to love to say without facts. As if the truth of the statement is self-evident. When I learned that Vanity Fair made a parody of the now infamous Obama New Yorker cover, I knew instantly that the Constitution would be burning in the fireplace. Republicans typically have a strict interpretation of the Constitution instead of viewing it as a living document, and they get blamed for not respecting it? It boggles the mind.
Republicans have no sympathy for anyone but their own kind.
Well I certainly can’t disagree with this one. There is really no use hiding it any more, not wanting a nanny state like Europe does not actually come from any sort of political convictions about freedom and choice, it’s actually because I hate the poor.
I have yet to hear any of my Republican friends express any concern whatsoever for the 1.2 million Iraqis who have died
Congratulations sir, you have taken an exaggerated and debunked study of the Iraqi death count and fully doubled it. The balls on you are thick, indeed. As far as concern goes, please let me know what level of concern would be adequate. Personally, I’m heart-broken at the amount of violence they have had to survive through the past 5 years. I can’t even begin to imagine what the people have gone through, but they weathered the storm, and the end is in sight. And good for them for doing so, no amount of American soldiers could have achieved victory there without the help of the Iraqi people.
In the neoconservative view, there is no place for the voices of citizens: the government makes the decisions, and loyal citizens support the government’s decisions.
Wow, really? Maybe you should look into the Fairness Doctrine that conservatives have spent the last twenty years fighting, and then get back to me.
Is the GOP the greatest threat to American? No. Are Democrats the greatest threat to America? Also, no. We seriously need to get some perspective in this country. And that will never happen as long as we don’t give a damn about other people’s point of view. I disagree with just about every line that Mr. Roberts wrote in his article, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to group him with the Joker and Two-Face. Vilifying a dissenting political opinion represents far greater threat to America that that specific opinion could ever do.
I disagree. And if you disagree with my disagreement, screw you for judging me.
Wait..lol. The existence and amount of villifying is totally ridiculous, I couldn’t agree more. I’ve had an ex-girlfriend’s dad tell me every Democrat was a socialist screaming to get out. Being a Democrat, I had to disagree. I wonder if any sort of toning down of the partisan hostilities will happen with the next president.
During an election year, and given the new president will be replacing one of the most generally dissatisfying two terms of presidency people seem to remember, it’s not too surprising that everyone is polarizing and seeing the other side as an enemy (Dems more than the GOP, probably). Definitely a shame though. Hell you can’t even mention being a republican in a starbucks in San Francisco without being blasted by the people in line. Fail.
Uncompromising political polarization is one of the most dangerous threats to the US today.
The picture I see in my mind is of a pendulum swinging back and forth… from left to right to left and back again, ever widening. Too much of a swing either to the left or to the right and the whole thing falls over.
We are familiar enough with the stereotypes of conservatives and liberals. The fundamental problem here is that people appear to be demonstrating behaviors that show they believe themselves to be better and smarter than their opposition.
The problem is when they also start believing they can MAKE people be “better”.
Liberal or conservative, both go down the path of classist and racist ideologies when they decide that any further dialogue is pointless and without value.
That is the path that leads to “reeducaation” and oppression.
I see this in both sides of the political “debate”. A simple summation of a person’s value and intelligence based solely on their political alignment.
Or worse… when people are no longer willing to talk, even to simply shout at their opposition, violence is sure to follow shortly thereafter.
This may sound overly-dramatic at the moment. However, the right of self-determination has been the root of many conflicts through out history.
Both sides of our little American political circus currently represent fundamental threats to their opposition’s right to self-determination.