Return of the Dark Ages
I am most appalled by the ignorance and hubris exhibited by the current crop of asinine idiots recently elected (and almost elected) to various American governments – inspired, led, and urged to violence by the serial liars on talk radio and cable television. They rally behind the banner of “anti-intellectual” (as if they know what that means). It is amazing that they are so proud of their ignorance, and they show off that ignorance at the slightest opportunity. They have, however, mastered the art of the Big Lie, spreading disinformation and half-truth so successfully that most of the American people (especially those who watch the “faux news” on Fox) actually think that ridiculous crap is the truth. Limbaugh, Beck, and their ilk manufacture mythology as they please, and their dittoheads scoop up the reeking manure and spread it about. We get another group of lies in the Letters to the Editor almost daily.
They deny the overwhelming evidence for evolution and global warming; they deny that two useless, illegal wars have bankrupted the country; they deny that ALL American citizens deserve justice and basic health care. They pretend to understand and respect the Constitution, yet they scoff at our right to the separation of church and state as guaranteed by the First Amendment. They pretend that our economic problems can be solved by gutting “big government” and its essential services, especially education, welfare, and Social Security. They pretend to favor “getting government off our backs”, yet they insist on using the power of that government to destroy a woman’s right to make her own reproductive decisions. They are eminently hypocritical and almost totally without political ethics or religious morals – although many of them dredge up their alleged religious piety and hang it on their sleeves. Then they use their churches as Political Action Committees, and still expect them to remain tax-exempt and regulation-free.
It is almost impossible to carry on a civil discourse with these people, as we have with political opponents for more than 200 years. They have almost no legitimate political ideas – just buzzwords and bullshit. These extremists are strident, nonsensical, and dangerous, and they are gaining power, mostly by lying to the American people – and ignoring truth and reality when it suits their purpose. Time after time, progressives point out the ridiculousness of these people and their incessant lies, yet the messages are rarely disseminated by the mainstream media. Except for the rare clearly-partisan channel, the media still pretend to be unbiased reporters. They are afraid to take a stand against this obvious stupidity, lest they become the targets of the wingnuts and their evil minions. The time has come to drop this ridiculous pretense of “fair and balanced” reporting, since we all know it can’t be done.
Never in my lifetime have I been so concerned for the future of my country. The next few years, we may well have to go through the political Dark Ages until reason returns and we can throw off this epidemic of voluntary ignorance and deceit. For the sake of my children and grandchildren, I can only hope it’s a short Dark Ages – followed by a re-awakening of intelligent thought and an aversion toward idiots of all stripes.
Walt Bittle – February 2011