Rise of the New Right

[dreadgeek]

Originally Posted by Linus

I'm watching this on MSNBC right now. It's an interesting piece but I wonder how much stuff like this creates divisiveness within the US by creating an "us" vs "them" ideology? This is something that seems to have grown (probably starting in the Reagan era and continued from there). Some of the sound bites have been interesting thus far ("The islamics are taking over everything in the US! The President isn't even Christian!").

What is also interesting is that the Militia numbers have tripled in membership and number of groups (from the 300s in the 80s to 500s+ today).

Anyone else watching this?

I watched this over the weekend (and will probably watch it again when I'm less distracted) and found it interesting although, quite honestly, I think this documentary comes a day late and a dollar short. The MSM is behaving as if this is a new phenomena on the American scene when, in fact, this movement has long and deep roots in American conservatism. As far as the 'us vs. them' thing; at some point, you have to realize that they DO mean you harm. I don't consider it us vs them to state what is plainly obvious--there is a non-trivial part of American conservatives who want to make America active hostile to queer people. Acknowledging this isn't divisive, it is merely talking about reality in unvarnished terms.

By actively hostile, I mean this; for the most part, the state of play in America vis a vis queers is one of spotty but largely passive hostility. Sodomy, for instance, is currently legal in all fifty states and in most states being queer will not automatically lose you custody of your children. The Texas GOP would like to change *both* of those and since it's in the Texas GOP platform in 2010 you can bet those provisions will also be in the 2012 national GOP platform. Now I, for one, appreciate the Texas GOP for being so out-front because it makes it easier to point out what they are doing. However, it is disturbing that they feel so comfortable putting out such a document that is so blatant in its bigotry. Again, this isn't 'us vs. them' any more than claiming that the segregationists in Alabama circa 1961 were bigots and in the wrong.

While mainstream conservatives bear quite a bit of responsibility for this, I also have to point a finger at the mainstream media and at liberals for letting this go unchecked. The mainstream media has, for about two decades done this false 'objectivity' that ends up being 'report what one person says, then report what another person says but don't actually follow-up'. So we now have a media that behaves like this: "Sarah Palin said that the sky is green and the moon is made of cotton balls. Some "scientists" say that the sky is blue and that the moon is made of rock." Those two statements are then treated as if either one could be equally true. The problem with this is that we have now raised a generation of folks who no longer even have the ability to determine whether a statement is true or false nor do they see any reason why they should *care*. It doesn't really matter if global climate change is *actually* happening, as long as Lord Monckton is willing to get up and say it isn't people will say "well, it might not be happening so the envirowhackos are trying to scare people so they can have a One World Government". It doesn't matter if that statement is crazy on its face, crazy has come in from the cold in American politics.

Worse yet, liberals have sat pretty much silently by and allowed this to happen. From teaching creationism in schools to climate change to gay rights liberals AND progressives have fallen back or, worse, ignored the threat. They did this by minimizing the influence of folks like Pat Robertson, making the religious right out to be nothing more than a few hundred people, meeting in a basement church and, as such, safely ignored.

So now we have a conservative movement with its own, parallel media universe that is large and has reach and that movement has been seized by the most extreme right-wingers available in the country. Because of this, conservatism has become unmoored from anything that might be generously called reality with drastic consequences for us all.

Chris Matthews (who I really, really wish would lose his job because he's a horrible interviewer) has done a public service in highlighting what the New Right believes in their own words but it comes a day late and a dollar short.

Cheers
Aj

[Nat]

As a Texan who loves her deeply flawed state, I'm really concerned and upset about this bs. It's almost too upsetting to think about and it makes me feel fundamentally unsafe.

[Kobi]

I dont find anything new or different in the current attempt to exploit the unhappiness of Americans for political advantage.

Since Murdock assumed control of the media outlets and given his ultraconservative beliefs, it should not be surprising that the new right is getting so much airtime.

What is sad is that they dont pick on just one group i.e. gays or blacks or latinos or women....they spread it out so they hit as many potentially useful markets as they can. The sad part is people are so wrapped up in their own misery and need for change that they cannot see that they are being preyed upon and exploited.

And, those seeking control know how stupid American voters can be. They are counting on that stupidity to take them right into office. Sad thing is a lot of them will be voted in.

[Greyson]

I am posting this in this thread because the Texas GOP Platform was noted in previous posts.

_____________________________________________


TAKE ACTION: Tell Republican National Committee to Reject Anti-LGBT Texas Republican Party Platform
By Michael Cole
June 24th, 2010 at 1:08 pm

HRC today condemned the Texas State Republican Party for including anti-LGBT language in its 2010 State Party Platform. The language, which goes far beyond the usual conservative talking points on “traditional family values,” sinks to a new low of intolerance and hate. We’re calling on RNC Chairman Michael Steele to publicly repudiate the anti-LGBT language in the State Party Platform and we want you to do the same.

Texas GOP Platform:

Calls for making it a felony to issue a marriage license to, or perform a marriage ceremony for same-sex couples;
Calls on Congress to withhold jurisdiction from the Federal Courts in cases involving family law – a clear violation of the separation of powers in the U.S. Constitution;
Opposes the recognition of and granting of benefits to domestic partners;
Opposes any and all employment protections for LGBT people;
Opposes the legalization of private, consensual sex;
Indicates possible anti-transgender bias with the terms “natural man” and “natural woman”;
States: “Homosexuality must not be presented as an acceptable ‘alternative’ lifestyle in our public education and policy, nor should “family” be redefined to include homosexual ‘couples.’”
Texas has failed to meet benchmark measures to protect LGBT citizens, including: employment protections, hospital visitation rights, protection in housing, joint-adoption, and relationship recognition. In 2003 the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Texas’ anti-sodomy laws. The 2010 State Republican Party Platform advocates violating this decision and puts Texas even further behind the times.

The outrageous platform doesn’t stop with attacking LGBT citizens. It also calls for: Congress to evict the United Nations from the United States, opposing legislation allowing stem cell research, reversing Roe v. Wade, prohibiting more than three years of bilingual education for students, and repealing the No Child Left Behind law and eliminating the U.S. Department of Education.

Take Action Now and tell Chairman Steele to reject this anti-LGBT, anti-family platform.



http://www.hrcbackstory.org/2010/06/take-action-tell-republican-national-committee-to-reject-anti-lgbt-texas-republican-party-platform/