An Overlooked Dimension of the Republican Psychosis We are Up Against

[lip-sink]

"The road to environmental apocalypse

writes "Grist Magazine, Oct. 27, 2004

by Glenn Scherer

"A kind of secular apocalyptic sensibility pervades much contemporary writing about our current world. Many books about environmental dangers, whether it be the ozone layer, or global warming or pollution of the air or water, or population explosion, are cast in an apocalyptic mold." -- Historian Paul Boyer


"When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale; the sky vanished like a scroll that is rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place." -- Revelation 6:12-17

Abortion. Same-sex marriage. Stem-cell research.

U.S. legislators backed by the Christian Right vote against these issues with near-perfect consistency. That probably doesn't surprise you, but this might: Those same legislators are equally united and unswerving in their opposition to environmental protection."

http://cawwrec.org/ipw-web/portal/cms/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=721

[Melodybe]

1. My step mother in law, a fundie, could care less about the environment

she thinks that it doesn't matter since the apocolypse is coming.

I wish I was kidding.

[thecrow]

2. I posted this article the other night.....

it's a realistic view of what we are up against. The tough thing I believe, is the people who believe parts of this but not other parts.
How to strike a compromise with these people who are very uncompromising and figure on the Rapture saving them is a good question. Everybody who's ever wondered about the fundamentalist movement in America should read this as well as some of the links.
I don't think Christ would approve of how the fundies and dominionistas are acting in this world.

Thank you for posting it again
O8)

[OneBlueSky]

3. well I, for one, haven't overlooked it . . .

as a long-time environmentalist, I've been sounding the warning siren since Bush's first "selection" . . . BushCo's goal is nothing less than reversing 30 years of progress in environmental protection . . . during the campaign, I posted repeatedly that Kerry should be making this a major campaign issue . . . I also communicated that to the Kerry campaign and to my own Congressman and senators . . . I posted similar thoughts on other websites, and I sent innumerable e-mails to reporters, newspaper editors, tv talking heads, and my own list of friends and associates . . .

I was convinced then and I'm still convinced that not speaking up LOUDLY on the environment ceded the issue to BushCo, who have now convinced themselves that they have a mandate to dismantle virtually every last vestige of environmental protection in this country . . . one of the reasons they feel this way is because the Democratic candidate didn't challenge them on the issue during the campaign . . .

Kerry's total non-response to numerous pleas from environmentalists, scientists, columnists, and regular folks like me was more than distressing . . . it was, in fact, probably predictive of his current actions (or lack thereof) regarding an equally critical issue, election fraud . . . that he didn't do anything about the environment issue makes his position of election fraud look like what it no doubt is: a real capitulation . . . those waiting for Kerry to do an about face and engage the issue head-on are deluding themselves . . .

[Nadienne]

4. Sadly, I agree

with what you say about Kerry... The disappointment of his silence about the environment is frustrating. And, given what I understood to be a strong environmental background... should I be a little suspicious?...

[ladjf]

5. I fear that our candidate was riding on the same bus with

the Pubs. Too many fishy things have happened. He never once stepped up and took Bush on, just whined around a bit.

[Nadienne]

6. Do you ever sometimes wonder if this is all

a diversion?

[lip-sink]

7. more an instrumental component than a diversion

without the religious screen and the moral-political push it delivers, how could the geo-politics of ascending american empire, present and future, be run?

[ladjf]

16. The people who are actually running the world seem to be

working from a blueprint that places the rest of us in a subtle, veiled form of slavery, or more precisely a type of serfdom. Just because we go home at night doesn't mean that we are living like slaves. There are so many of us who have just enough energy to get up in the morning, go work for the "man" all day, come home, grunt hello to our family, eat some dinner, watch 10 minutes of TV and then off to bed for another brief sleep before the 5:30 A.M. alarm to start it all over.

Many intelligent and well meaning posters on this good board, complain about our complacency. List up folks. We're simple to f.....ing tired to hit the streets and tussle with cops in an endeavor that's not likely to yield anything anyway.

Democracy is already dead. The elections, the media, the Congress, the Supreme Court, the military leadership are all rigged in favor of the super wealthy, with the religious nuts tagging along and facilitating their take over of the American government. And in the end, even then, the nutty right wingers who Bushed us will be blaming someone else. That's what they do.

The mostly "Happy Days" we've spent since the end of WWII are over. America has lost it's civility, hope and most importantly , it's joi d'vivre. We have become an ugly, greedy and FRIGHTENED herd. Yes, frightened. That's the main explanation as to why so many have taken leave of their better judgment. They are scared as he..l. Bush and his boys are masters at addressing the reptilian brain.

[slowroll]

8. One thing that gets me.

This might be tangential, but...

A lot of the neo-fundies (the fundies nowadays seem a lot different and even more narrow than the very strict Christians I remember even 10 years ago, ergo "neo-fundies") seem to be sprawl-dwellers, inhabiting McMansions or big, cheaply built houses in subdivisions. They seem to be trying to get away from the evils of liberal urban and suburban living. This rampant, stupid growth that's eating up farmland and forests has DEFINITELY severly impacted the ecosystem on the fringes of the Northern Virginia region; I can see it very clearly in wildlife patterns and the sinking water table (you'll be able to walk across the Shenandoah River in 20 years without getting your feet wet).

So now you've got two factors here impacting an attempt to regulate growth on environmental grounds-middle/upper middle class neo-fundies who want their little plywood palaces for cheap and wealthy developers, most of whom are Republicans who don't give a damn about anything but money.

And the neo-fundie influx impacts communities in other ways-many of them tend to be commuters, screwing up the tax base, community standards change, etc. :grr:

[leesa]

9. And ye shall be stewards of the earth...but what Fundie has ever paid

the slightest attention to what God says?

[SpiralHawk]

10. The Earth is our Mother

We must take care of her.

She gives us our food, water, shelter, clothing and beauty.

We must take care of her.

Hey Yunga Ho Yunga

[PATRICK]

11. and as usual, both ways

They criticize scientists for being 'alarmist" then shrug and rationalize global disasters for the "bright side" or as exciting new change or ecstatic end times according to God and Enron's Will.

This doublethink has always been typical of the GOP but pushed to its extreme,yes we are committed to dying very very stupidly indeed.

it was never about the pretty scenery or the Gaia, it was about SURVIVAL stupid. As usual, unless engaged in ducking and running for the bunker, reality is simply too unpleasant to let spoil our beliefs and games.

I hope someone will appreciate and remember how the quizzical incompetence of those who know the science could not prevent decisions being made that will inevitably result in the needless death and torment of BILLIONS of humans under a host of scenarios derived from careless handling of a dangerous world.

No one is going to do anything but curse this whole lousy generation of ours, starting with the spoiled rotten American business state.

[AllegroRondo]

12. Funny thing about "end of the world" predictions

they all have one thing in common



they've all been wrong.

[jbnow]

13. Texas ranchers try to help bring the end

A few years ago I stumbled upon an article about how a Texas rancher group (led by Clyde Lott) set up an artificial breeding program in Israel hoping to produce the perfect "Red Heifer" demanded by prophecy to bring about the rebuilding of a temple, the coming of the Messiah and Armageddon.

They thought the one produced in 97 was "it", but before it could be sacrified at age 3 it sprouted white hairs, so declared not divine. But they got another one in 2002 and are all a'twitter about 2005 now.

It just amazed me that fundamentalist believers in Texas would try to create God's miraculous sign, the red heifer, through artificial insemination program in Israel...to bring about the end of the world.

I just googled it now and grabbed a link, but there are many.

http://www.arkwebshost.com/biblestudies/joevberry3/

[neweurope]

14. My God. Just looked that up.

I'm just afraid the end of the known world will indeed come because some nutheads believe it and therefore bring it about.

If the concept should be true that we are creating God and reality then I'm afraid we're really lost because more and more people are getting afraid, me included. It's hard to keep up one's courage nowadays.

[DistressedAmerican]

15. Our Father...

A couple of graphics I've made up since the election.

Millenial freaks should never be allowed to make plans for anyone's future.

Distressed American
www.seedsofdoubt.com/distressamerican/main.htm