Screw you, America

[eg101]

Are you ready, man? Are you ready to GET...IT...ON?

Excerpts:
>>>>>>>
BY CLIF GARBODEN

....

John F. Kerry, you’re first. In your befuddling concession speech, you actually called for unity and healing. Sounds good, clown, but can’t you even imagine for a second that the people who supported you so zealously for the past five months might just see that insincere gesture of good sportsmanship as a betrayal? See, unlike you pols, we voters actually believe in shit. We believe that George W. Bush and his henchpeople are a real threat to the survival of democracy. We believe that they’re killing people for profit. And we believe that they don’t have a goddamn clue about forfending terrorism on US soil.

That’s not a position gap; that’s an ideological gash. And it’s not going to heal, because, unlike you expedient professional truth-manipulators, I’m not prepared to meet the enemies of freedom halfway just because you lost the election. Your speechwriters might see the Bush administration’s failings as nothing more than convenient fodder for your campaign blather, but the GOP junta’s sins don’t go away just because decrying them no longer serves your ambitions. Last week they were the imperialist pigs who misled us into war and you were the savior. Now we’re the goddamn Getalong Gang?! Screw that. Fight back or shut up.

Now, the rest of you ...A lot of us effete Easterners want to know: what the fuck is wrong with you?! You voted against your self-interest at every turn (you dumb-asses in South Dakota deserve special credit for voting out one of the most powerful Democrats in the Senate) and re-elected an ignorant cowboy who can’t be trusted to remember a lunch order, never mind run a country. What in the name of God ...?! Wait, it was in the name of God, wasn’t it? Rendered weak and ignorant by a spoon-fed climate of fear, you slack-jawed inbred flatlanders have sought refuge in the traditional twin towers of mindlessness — jingoistic patriotism and fundamentalist religion. God’s on your side. Like hell. Jesus loves us, dammit.

Okay, you want God? Let’s talk about God. Your religion is bogus. Fundamentalism, the facile belief in the unexplained and un-researched, is something you born-agains (couldn’t get it right the first time, huh?) share with Al Qaeda, whose ideologues doggedly adhere to religious misinterpretations every bit as silly and dangerous as yours. Just like you, Muslim fundamentalists long to impose an unrealistic and intolerant pseudo-Calvinist morality on the world. In fact, America’s religious right has so much in common with the Shiah, it’s a wonder you guys don’t invite them to join the Rotary. Born-againsters look for the face of Christ in the wallpaper; fundamentalist Muslims hallucinate the voice of the 12th Imam; but aside from that (and extremely divergent attitudes toward pork), you both hate the same stuff — homosexuality, pacifism, Jews, education, uppity women, enlightenment, short skirts, gangsta rap, tattoos, infidels ... (They also share your love of super-lethal weaponry.)
....
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much more here:


http://www.portlandphoenix.com/features/other_stories/multi2/documents/04258175.asp

[frankrizzo]

1. FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS

I recently read this article on
www.thecatholicchallenge.com/768articles.htm
Any comments or opinions?





FOR THE WRONG REASONS

by Thomas W. Rezanka, Esq.



Some people voted for George Bush because he was anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage. Some voted for him because they refused to believe that he lied America into the war with Iraq. Some voted for him because they couldnít quite warm-up to John Kerry. Some voted for George Bush because their prejudice would not let them vote for a Catholic. Some voted for George Bush even though they donít agree with a great many of his decisions. Some voted for George Bush because he is a Republican, and if the Republican Party ran a monkey, this voter would still vote Republican. Some voted for George Bush because we are at war, and they believe that we should not change Presidents in mid-stream. Some voted for George Bush because they believe the big lie advanced by the U.S. Catholic Bishops that voting for John Kerry, a pro-choice candidate, was a sin. Some voted for George Bush because he is more like them. Some voted for George Bush because he is adamant about his positions. Some voted for George Bush even though they recognized that a man who never admits that he is wrong can be a dangerous leader. Some voted for George Bush because the responsibilities of their jobs and family keep them from reading a daily paper or from watching the news each night. Some voted for George Bush because they are inherently selfish and would never consider what is best for their community or their nation as a whole. Some voted for George Bush because they refuse to believe that his administrative rule changes or lack of enforcement of laws or rules (which were put into place to protect all of us) is now actually endangering our health and general welfare. Some voted for George Bush because they are not concerned that 44 million Americans are without health insurance or that over the last 3.5 years between 3 to 5 million more Americans are now classified as living in poverty. Some voted for George Bush because they never heard he wanted to re-classify mercury as a non-toxic or less toxic substance. Some voted for George Bush because of pride; the pride that tells you we are Americans, we donít have to consider the views of people outside of our country who disagree with us or who despise our leader. Some voted for George Bush because he ran the most deceptive political advertising in our history, which deflected attention from his own dismal record. Some voted for George Bush because they believe he is right. Some people voted for George Bush because they are unaware of the number of political appointments that he made of people from industry who are now regulating those same industries. Unfortunately for all of us as Americans, this means that George W. Bush was re-elected mostly for all of the wrong reasons. The question now is: Are we going to actively participate in what our President and other elected representatives are doing?

[liberalhistorian]

3. That's definitely true.

Too bad that by the time enough people realize this, it will, in all probability, be too late.

[liberalhistorian]

2. WOW!

That's quite a powerful rant. I have to wonder, though, how many people will quit reading after they see themselves being called "slack-jawed inbred flatlanders."

[Dr.Phool]

4. I don't think slack-jawed inbred flatlanders can read.

[genieroze]

5. They are too dumb to realize it's about them.

Lookie thar sister wife, dat guy said some of we's are slack-jawed inbred flatlanders. Must be talkin bout cusin Cletus. Wat's a slack-jawed inbred flatlanders anyhow?

[liberalhistorian]

6. But don't you see that that is

exactly the kind of attitude that makes them dismiss us as elitists and that has consequently lost us elections? You can't convince people of something if you talk down to them and have such obvious contempt for them.

[OneBlueSky]

8. bullshit! . . .

what the hell do you think the neocon/Christianoids have been doing to US for the past how ever many years? . . . talking down to us, disparaging us and everything we believe in and stand for . . . calling us un-Americans, terrorists, heathens, and every other name in the book . . . and what's lost the elections is not how we perceive THEM, but how they own and operate the entire voting process in this country . . .

this rant is probably the closest thing to my own way of thinking that I've read in a long time . . . these people have been brainwashed, and (listen carefully) THERE IS NO COMPROMISING WITH THEM! . . . because they REFUSE to compromise . . . they're right, we're wrong, case closed . . .

well bullshit! . . . I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I do know that what the ranter says is, by and large, dead on accurate and true . . . how do we deal with it? . . . I have no idea . . . other than to start telling the truth instead of pretending that Bush has any credibility whatsoever . . . the man should be in jail, not in the White House . . . and until Democrats start saying that, we will remain fucked . . .

[ixion]

9. ah, so why is it okay for them to call those of us anti-war folk

"cheese eating surrender monkeys" (a.k.a. France)

"traitors"

"wimps"

"communists"

And so on?


Again, we are going to have to play on their court until we can reframe the debate. I would rather see people speaking honestly than calling for us to play along by their rules.

[genieroze]

10. contempt for them?

They are ruining our country with their ignorance.

[Psephos]

7. "Screw you America" message is not likely to produce electoral majorities

Although the emotion is impressive and there many strong points raised, it's a failure as a piece of political rhetoric. The principal (no, make that the only) standard by which to judge rhetoric is whether or not it persuades its audience to change their minds. No one who does not already believe as the author believes will even finish this piece. Calling the very people you hope to persuade ignorant slack jaws is not a good strategy. (Which is not to say it doesn't feel good sometimes.)

[liberalhistorian]

11. That is exactly the point I was

trying to make in my earlier post above! I may agree with every single word in this piece, and I may love how it's written, but it ultimately doesn't do us any good. And I also don't believe that half the country are "slack-jawed inbred flatlanders."