"We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated Governments in the world - no longer a Government of free opinion, no longer a Government by conviction and vote of the majority, but a Government by the opinion and duress of small groups of dominant men.”
-Woodrow Wilson [U.S. President during World War I]
The policies of George W Bush can be construed as a significant event in American politics. For it has deeply polarized America into one deeply conservative dominated by militia groups, right wing Christian organizations and the other liberal which is steeped in the ideals of an egalitarian society.
The truth of the matter is that the Christian Right, a dogmatic religious movement, is an important constituent of Bush’s Republican Party. They are also the biggest backers of Israel and Bush’s planned war against Iraq. According to Jim Lobe (Conservative Christians Biggest Backers of Iraq War) 69% of conservative Christians favored the war against Iraq. Almost two thirds of evangelical Christians supported Israel’s military action against the Palestinians[1].
The Christian Right denounces abortion, gay marriages and opposes contraception and birth control. They are against the use of condoms to prevent AIDS. Since 2001 the Far Right Christian fundamentalists have assumed positions of power in the Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Drug Administration and on commissions and advisory committees.
The profiles of the appointees are controversial and make disturbing reading. Tom Coburn former Republican Congressman who was appointed to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS is reported to have forced condom manufacturers to label their products as ineffective. Dr. Joseph McIlhaney, Jr, appointed on the HIV and AIDS advisory council has a long and well-documented history of disseminating misleading data on condom failure rates. Dr. W. David Hager, appointed to the FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee, is opposed to contraception. Dr. Joseph B. Stanford, appointed to the Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee, is a strong advocate of abstinence and "rhythm method." Dr. Alma Golden, a Texas pediatrician who was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of Population Affairs is a longtime proponent of abstinence as the only acceptable means of birth control. “Three years later this administration”, writes Stephen Pizzo in his article The Christian Taliban, “has established one of the most rigid sexual health agendas in the Western world”[2].
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - gonzo marx
oh boy..this one is gonna stir up a shitstorm;
heh...
nicely written and sourced
::starts making the popcorn::
this shoudl get Interesting, prepare to defend yer figures and analysis
Excelsior?
2 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
CR,
Don't drag Israel into this. This country didn't sour the American dream - the corporate shits who corrupted the Israeli leadership did. These are the same corporate shits who have dumbed down education in America, pushed concepts anti-thetical to democracy, helped establish multinationals as the world's rulers and who await the final fall of democracy in America. Go check the name Carol Quigley on the internet, read his works, and you'll discover the source of many of America's problems.
While you're at it, type in "banna" and "Nazi" into your search engine, and you'll pick up a whole fistful of articles and documents describing the relationship between the CIA and the Moslem Brotherhood.
3 - Christopher Rose
Ruvy: Do you mean me - or are you confused again?
4 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
No Chris, I'm not confused at all. I mean CR Sridhar, the author of this piece, who is using the nom de guerre "Socrates." But go do the internet check I suggested anyway. You might learn something not normally broadcast on the BBC... ;)
5 - Christopher Rose
Ruvy, as you are the prisoner of your dogma, how do you ever learn anything new? It must be comforting thinking your superstition has all the answers down; dumb but comforting...
The issues Socrates raises (that's a nom de plume by the way, not nom de guerre) are indeed profoundly important so I think I'm going to wait to see what on topic responses this interesting piece generates. Pass the popcorn, gonzo!
6 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Chris writes,
"(that's a nom de plume by the way, not nom de guerre)"
On this site, any "nom" is a "nom de guerre," whether it be a "nom de plume" or not. Your comments above are proof of that.
I agree that CR's issues are of some profundity. That is why he rated my answer, which for the most part, agreed with him...
7 - gonzo marx
:::passes Chris some white cheddar popcorn:::
well now...still no fireworks yet
we'll see when some of the froth at the mouth types find it...
oh yeah..another "special comment" from Olberman tonight on Countdown...yer gonzo suggests catching it if you can, or scope the transcripts on msnbc.com this evening... i'll link the video once it's available
objects in mirror are closer than they appear
Excelsior?
8 - Nancy
Extremely well written, but hunker down, Socrates: the right wing, Bush apologists, & Reaganite Trickle-downers are about to alight, I'm sure, charging you with being delusional, anti-american, and (horror of horrors) a "leftist moonbat". Goodness, can you stand it?
One thing I always thought was interesting is that while fundies & conservatives violently object to supporting hordes of the Undeserving Poor (& I don't blame them; I object m'self), they refuse to mandate or even allow any kind of birth control on the part of these hordes. You'd think if they wanted to be shed of supporting ho's and their bastard swarms, they'd go in the other direction and positively legislate birth control if not outright sterilization practices, but apparently they all, to a man (& notice, they're almost totally & universally MEN who run that sector; their women have no say or rights from what I can see, being Good Christian Wives) seem to rely on wishful thinking and the theory that if you make life hard enough, the poor will stop fucking & breeding. Somehow, I don't think so. Do wish someone on the right would explain this one to me; the logic escapes me.
The tactic of wrapping oneself in the flag and/or religion & denouncing ones opponents is an old chestnut; you'd think by now even the average American idiot in the street would recognize it: Goering used it, Machiavelli used it, even Sun used it waaaaaaay back in the beginning of recorded history. I guess that's no surprise when I consider that most people these days are totally ignorant of anyone who isn't a celebrity, or which doesn't pertain to entertainment or consumerism - qualities which have been engrained in the last few generation at the behest of these same corporate masters. Makes for easy control of the masses as well as expansion of profits, hey?
9 - gonzo marx
just a side note in regards to Nancy bringing up sexual/reproductive Issues...
with the FDA passing the "morning after pill" for over the counter sales, the steam is about to be let out of much concerning these Issues...
with the ability for active folks to get this Pill, i would assert that the actual instances of abortions (the D&C surgical procedures) will decline tremendously in the next few years
for those interested, looking up what this particualr drug has had to go through with this Adminstration's FDA is a comedy of horrors
at first, the FDA admin banned this drug for over the counter sales without ANY testing having been done by the FDA.. that got a bit of furor started, and the position reversed after the usual lobbying by the drug company that manufactures this pill
my Thought is that this drug is going to let a lot fo the air out of this debate, since everyone over 18 will be able to purchase it, and NOT have to go to clinics and the like for a surgical procedure, thus removing the stationary target to protest against as well removing the statistics concerning folks choices in the matter
just a Thought
Excelsior?
10 - Bliffle
We've succeeded in monetarizing everything, including the government: for sale to the highest bidder. So the most aggressive among us have united monopolies across broader fronts until government and industry are one unified sovietized whole, determined to keep outsiders outside and increase rewards to insiders as they compete among themselves to display more outlandish patterns of consumption.
11 - Bliffle
Keeping the world safe for Paris Hilton.
12 - Nancy
Aaaagh, Blif - horrible!
13 - Catana
Nancy, go get thee a blog please. I'd love to be one of your fans.
14 - Howard Dratch
It is the nature of dreams to be hard to hold onto after waking.
That American one sure is elusive.
15 - Dave Nalle
Equally disturbing and ominous to the health of the American Republic is the growth of Militia Groups,
Militia groups are so 1995. I'd be interested to see some evidence that they're on the increase, because I haven't heard a word about them in years.
Dave
16 - Socrates
Dear Dave,
The militia groups have kept a lower profile in recent years but it would be a mistake to believe that the numbers are not growing. Militia groups use the internet but tend to 'prefer the lower-profile arenas of online discussion forums and mailing lists over Web sites.'As early as 2004 the militia membership has seen a spurt of growth in atleast 30 states in US.Refer to 'Quiet Retooling of Militia Movement' a report dated Sept 7, 2004 released by the Anti-defamation League.
It will be appreciated that the members of the militia groups do not consider themselves as members of the Rotary club and hence operate under the Radar.so the fact that you have not heard of their activities is not surprising.
17 - STM
Dave Nalle wrote: "Militia groups are so 1995."
STM wrote: "Militia groups are so 1775."
18 - Socrates
Dear Ruvy,
Thanks for your feedback.
I apologise if I have hurt your feelings inadvetently.
I agree that the corporate elements who corrupted Israeli leadership soured the American dream.
take care my friend.
19 - Socrates
Dear gonzo,
i have prepared myself for the flurry of F words.
Glad you liked the piece.
20 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Thank you CR,
Sorry, Socrates was a Greek philosopher who has a very distinct identity in my mind... I just can't link you with that name. That's not meant as a personal comment on you, but a comment on how strongly Socrates and the ideas he used have impressed me.
Be well.
21 - Socrates
Dear Nancy,
Making us brain dead through TV/ media propaganda is an infalliable method of keeping us pliant and consuming.Descartes'pithy saying 'I think therefore I am' should read 'I buy therefore I am.'
Very recently I saw a movie of John Carpenters 'They Live'- uncannily captures the media assault on the masses.
thanks for your comments.
22 - Nancy
Catana #13 - no you wouldn't, tho I thank you for the compliment. I'm too emotional to write my own; they would lack the balance they should have to be credible as blogs. I know my limitations, at least.
23 - Anand Menon
If i am correct this is the second article within 2 days that has anticipated the fall of a dream.....the other one being"On the Edge of Packing in Politics"By Mark schannon....what's happening doomsday-prophesizers on the rise?....or response to reality?
I'm not sure how far Americans understand these things....but the phrase "American Dream " is much more than applicable to just Americans.There are a lot of people out there in developing nations like India who dream of the same thing.But at what cost?For example, the race to "keep up with the Joneses" pushes many Americans to work longer hours so they can earn enough to consume all the "right things." This leaves little time for getting together as a family, or for community or civic participation, which diminishes the quality of community and family life. The average American now spends six hours a week shopping and only 40 minutes a week playing with children - and the average couple only spends about 12 minutes per day talking together!...Its very simple....substitute the word "Americans" with..."Upwardly mobile Indians" and you get pretty much the same effect....The U.S. is seen as a model by so many other people, and the media ..especially the Indian media...which has gone the "American way" and
is busily promoting materialistic and consumption-oriented lifestyles.
Also, the Earth can't support the current level of U.S. consumption and waste, especially if it were extended to the rest of the world. Environmentalists have estimated that we would need about three Earths to support the entire global population at the current U.S. level of consumption and resource use - and about nine Earths to absorb the wastes and toxins generated.
Also, a materialistically focused culture is especially brutal to lower-income communities.
The tacit message of the article is that when "isms"....whether it is christian fundamentalism or market fundamentalism...are built into a culture.....or rather allowed to gain ground...the messages the populace is bombarded with also become regulated.It's hard enough to be poor because you don't have material necessities, with all the extra work and stress that entails. But it's especially cruel to have the whole culture bombard you with the message that you're only a worthwhile person if you buy this or that.....or do things in a certain manner ...especially in a manner which agrees with the agenda set by fundamentalists....fundamentalists we have unwittingly installed where they can screw us.
Anand Menon
24 - Nancy
There is a lot to amend in American culture, most of it instilled in us from childhood by the omnipresent US marketing cartels which incessantly urge & encourage even the youngest kids to "buy-Buy-BUY". Before the American hyperconsumerism can be 'cured' to accomodate earth's limitations, someone will have to put a damper on the damned advertisers & the corporations behind them, and that will never happen because they're too greedy to ever give up either the money or the power.
25 - Martin Lav
Dave Nalle writes:
"Militia groups are so 1995. I'd be interested to see some evidence that they're on the increase, because I haven't heard a word about them in years."
....but didn't Dave Nalle also have a Apolytic
dream a while back that tied a liberal/democratic controlled congress/senate/President to the predictable rise in militia groups. Didn't Dave essentially blame Clinton and his like for McVeigh and the bombing in Okla. City?
Good article Socrates, I guess the right has stayed away on this one, since they are busy dishing out mathmatical figures and formula's on their own articles......
IT'S THE WAR STUPID