Oh yes, we’re gonna have a race war, right here in America, the one we never finished having…And while I’d like to say we can blame people like Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin, they merely represent and coalesce many of the people, especially white people, in this country who’ve kept to themselves in their living rooms because it wasn’t acceptable to say certain things in public. They now want their ‘freedom’ back, and that’s what Glenn and Sarah represent.
They are not interested in Pluribus. They are not interested in bringing together the America that exists. Their vision of America is a white one: no reds, no browns, no yellows, no non-Christians…White, with Jesus as your personal saviour (poor Jesus).
They preach a heartless each-man-for-himself kind of monoculture; they spread ignorance; and they whip up people’s most base fears and violence. People who are feeling disenfranchised and afraid of losing what they have are easy to whip up into rabid frenzies.
It is not impossible to imagine a kind of fascism getting started here: folks wearing brown shirts, marching through towns and neighborhoods, loud, angry, violent, showing their White Power, calling it a fight for Freedom, for America, in the name of God.
When this kind of behaviour started in Germany, people just let it go by because they couldn’t take “those people” seriously. The same as now: few non-tea-party types take “these people” seriously. After all, they’re so obviously inflammatory, irrational, pandering, performing, narrow minded, hysterical, manipulative, shocking, lying, full of shit, etc…They’re just a flash in the pan. It’s just FoxNews. This too shall pass.
We overlook this moment to our detriment.
The world is increasingly fundamentalist and reactionary, and full of murderous energy.
It is no small accident that this rally has been planned for the same day as the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a Dream” speech. And as usual, the irony of being so disrespectful to members of the black/interracial community while screaming about a lack of respect from the Muslim community, is lost on the less nuanced thinkers that are fired up by these two people and their kind of rhetoric.
These people want their country “back”, and their country a) never was; b) is only for white people who believe in manifest destiny. in the American flag. and Guns. and “God”. and by “God” they mean the god that they perceive Jesus to be the son and sole representation of.
Glenn Beck is quoted as saying: “We are on the right side of history. We are on the side of individual freedoms and liberties, and damn it, we will reclaim the civil rights movement.”
This is how our educational system is failing us. There is a disconnect in this sentence, and it’s so slick that most tv viewers would have a hard time parsing it out.
“We are on the “right side” of history”: I think that is the most true thing in the whole phrase. Yes, the “right” side, not the left. How left and right ever got to mean what they now mean (due to parliamentary seating?) is beyond me, but taken as it is, “right” meaning conservative, not traditionally aligned with multicultural polytheistic models of governance, “right-wing” usually meaning white-wing, yes, true statement; clear, simple, I agree.
But then comes: “We are on the side of individual freedoms and liberties.” In this context, it implies that anyone who isn’t with them, on the “right side”, isn’t on the side of “individual freedoms and liberties”.
I’d have to point out here that, traditionally speaking, historically speaking, the “right” side has not been in favour of individual freedoms and liberties for ALL, only for SOME, and always the SOME that looked liked, and worshipped like them, and usually owned property, property they acquired through some shady deal, or outright thievery.
Also, Freedom, Liberty, and Justice mean very particular things to these folks. Freedom, Liberty to be left alone to do whatever they want, no matter what the cost to others (who presumably only have the liberty to get dog-eat-dog, or get sick and die); and Justice for anyone who disagrees with them – Justice meaning exacting revenge on anyone who disrespects America – (kind of like justice for anyone who disrespects Mohammed – )
So this is Orwell speak wrapped in patriotic lingo.
And then, the coup de grace, linking all that with the worst insult of all, and a blatantly racist revelation: “We will reclaim the civil rights movement.”…
I mean, come on: How can a bunch of neo-con, fundamentalist white people “reclaim” the civil rights movement? Just what does that mean? Was it ever theirs? What do they mean by “civil rights”? What is there for them to “reclaim”?
I doubt that any of these folks would’ve even joined in any civil rights rallies, let alone lay down in the road for the rights of a black person! How many of them even work with black people? “Reclaim” the Civil Rights Movement???!!!
What a travesty they are. But a very dangerous one.
Glenn Beck is also quoted saying this rally is meant to “recognize our First Amendment rights and honor the service members who fight to protect those freedoms.” Is he including black service members? Hispanic service members? Muslim service members? Jewish service members? Asian service members? Women service members? Gay service members?????
And, is he thinking about whether or not bombing other countries actually protects “our” freedom? Couldn’t we do that by ensuring that we are not invaded, that we are strong and ready to defend ourselves here if something comes our way, by being a light unto nations, not a fight onto nations? Why go stirring up more hatred in other countries? How is that respecting the freedom of those people? Don’t they deserve their freedom? Or is it only freedom for those who subscribe to the agenda of Glenn, Sarah, and friends? Kind of like with the natives here: either you give up everything you are, and be Free Like Us!, or else…!
Oh, but this is too complex a conversation to have with people who shout and make grandiose statements rather than critically examining what they’re saying. Besides, few in their constituency are interested in complexities; it’s way easier to streamline these emotions into a few solid points that angry, probably depressed, financially precarious people can rally themselves around, go into boot camps with, work on their marksmanship with, be ready to sacrifice themselves for…(sound familiar?)
These people believe in this mission; it is very clearcut for them.
When they say America, they see white people on the shining hill, in the white house, wrapped in old glory, bombs bursting in air over anywhere that doesn’t bow down. March ONWARD Christian Soldiers!
They want the brown people out, cleaning bathrooms, or in jail, and everyone else in their places – that means women, too; don’t want no back talk; don’t want no gays; don’t want no marijuana…
These white, neo-conservative, right-wing, proselytizers are aligning against everyone else in this country. They do not simply believe in Live and Let Live. They want us all to believe in their version of god, they want power, and they want things run their way.
And, as always, the argument lingers on: Who are “We the People”?
:Victorials: 