"They are also ruining the reputation of the United States."

[babylonsister]

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2011/12/1/13816/2900

America, Beacon of Freedom and Liberty

by Geov Parrish
Thu Dec 1st, 2011 at 01:38:16 AM EST


As seen by the German magazine Der Spiegel (translation courtesy Harper Magazine's Scott Horton; bold emphasis mine):

“Africa is a country. The Taliban rule in Libya. Muslims are terrorists. Immigrants are mostly criminals, Occupy Wall Street protesters are always dirty. And women who claim to have been sexually molested should kindly keep quiet.”

Welcome to the wonderful world of the Republican Party. Or rather: to the distorted world of its presidential campaign. For months it has coiled through the country like a traveling circus, from debate to debate, from scandal to scandal, contesting the mightiest office in the world — and nothing is ever too unfathomable for them… These eight presidential wannabes are happy enough not only to demolish their own reputations but also that of their party, the once worthy party of Abraham Lincoln. They are also ruining the reputation of the United States.

They lie, deceive, scuffle and speak every manner of idiocy. And they expose a political, economic, geographic and historical ignorance compared to which George W. Bush sounds like a scholar. Even the party’s boosters are horrified by the spectacle…

Platitudes in lieu of programs: in serious times that demand the smartest, these clowns offer blather that is an insult to the intelligence of all Americans. But as with all freak shows, it would be impossible without a stage, the U.S. media, which has been neutered by the demands of political correctness, and a welcoming audience, a party base that seems to have been lobotomized overnight. Notwithstanding the subterranean depths of the primary process, the press and broadcasters proclaim one clown after the next to be the new frontrunner, in predictable news cycles of forty-five days.

As Horton notes, the real takeaway from this is what the Republican primary circus is doing to seriously damage America's reputation abroad. One of Barack Obama's biggest accomplishments has been the normalization of US foreign policy and bilateral relationships after eight years of the profoundly alienating ignorance and arrogance of the Bush administration. (It hasn't made US policy much less bloody on the ground, however.) Now, without even holding high office, eight clowns are dragging the US back into that Bush-era image morass, and actually doubling down on it, with the eager complicity of a stenographic US media that would never, ever, ever lay it out like this.

[KurtNYC]

1. None of the smarter ones want to lose to Obama

Whoever "wins" the debates will get the same treatment that Trump got, and Cantor got, and McCain got.

An expensive way to end your political career: run against Obama in 2012.

[saras]

2. He's wrong about the media. They're deeply implicated, and PC has nothing to do with it.

Without the media, there WOULDN'T BE A BASE for this kind of wacky. There would be just a handful of powerless impotent freaks, no more important than the Time Cube guy.

If the media was "stenographic" they'd do an equally good job documenting OWS, right?

[Bluenorthwest]

3. Actually he is correct. The treatment of crazy as resonable

because it is coming from a 'major Party' is a form of 'political correctness' that is wildly harmful. The author's view starts up a path that leads somewhere, and it should be meditated upon by those who are married to a simplistic view of how what you call 'the media' although what you mean is the televised news media, particularly cable. Sorry if that sounds rough, but I am sick of seeing progress set aside in favor of slogans and snark and saying M$M and sheeple. Those memes do not work, they do not help, they are ineffective because they are too simplistic to carry power.

[and-justice-for-all]

4. Fantastisch! nt

[treestar]

5. They do make Dubya look like a genius

Good grief, Republicans are ridiculous.

Other countries have conservatives, but they aren't as nutty.

[freshwest]

6. +1,000, knr

[opihimoimoi]

7. Are we witnessing a GOPer Death Spiral in an incipient stage w only hints of whats in store

for the future...?

Me thinks so...Reason Logic and Sanity has its price....they trump negativity and the GOPers 3 Basic Principles (LIE CHEAT STEAL)

GOP Power is on the WANE

Cantor, Boner, McConnell, Paul, Ryan, etc etc are in PAIN,

A major GAFF comes in the form of a CAIN...,

If only the Nation took a turn to become SANE...WTF is taking so long??

[tledford]

9. Unfortunately, we are witnessing the death spiral of democracy in America.

It took 30 years to get here, but the United States is now a fascist country.

[opihimoimoi]

11. We have a Solution in the form of Elections Hopefully we still can have them...

[Martin Eden]

8. Americans seldom see themselves as others see them ...

... and usually don't give a rat's ass either.

But I agree -- the Republican Party is a huge embarrassment -- and also extremely dangerous, because despite the ignorance & scandal one of them could win the White House in 2012.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

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[ellisonz]

12. Let's Go Get Those GOP Bastards

C'mon Dems!

:applause:

[Inuca]

13. I saw it and was emabarassed again

I was hoping I won't be for a while :-(.