The rightward swing in America does not stem from an ill-defined ideology which is increasingly seizing dominance over policy by some peculiar coincidence or natural pendulum fluctuation. Unlike the Democratic Party, it has clear objective and, thus, has an attraction for Americans desiring strong, decisive leadership (which constitutes the majority).
The right aims to take us back to the day when white males were exclusive members of the ownership society and all others (women, African-Americans, Latinos, non-Christians, etc.) were but property at their disposal.
The medieval white males-only club views blacks, such as Trayvon Martin, the same as farm animals to be butchered or terminated at the owner’s pleasure. (Already there is rightwing talk that since Trayvon’s parents are on welfare, the killing was justified homicide. Of course, the parents are not on welfare, but why should facts get in the way of good rightwing narrative?)
Not only African-Americans are sub-human in their eyes, but females and all dark-skinned races. There’s a definite connection between events, such as Sanford, voter suppression, and attacks on women’s rights – which are emerging strongly in this election cycle. Social conservatives are on the march. The “club” views women as silent child-bearers and servants to the man. It views the elderly poor and the lower class as less than capable in knowing “how” to vote, consequently they should be taken off the rolls and forbidden from voting. Corporate’s tool to accomplish this is ALEC, which introduced voter-suppression laws in 33 states during 2011 alone.
The aim is to take America back… back to 1850 – “their” good ol’ days. They want to make it impossible for any Democrat to win the White House, especially Barack Obama, and voter suppression is their instrument. Obama could poll a comfortable majority before the election but lose by double digits if ALEC succeeds. Over 10 million Democrats will have been silently thrown off the rolls, Karl Rove’s signature achievement. Voters won’t know what hit them until attempting to cast ballots this fall. (Where is Obama’s Justice Department in all this? Asleep at the wheel, as usual.)
Naturally, the religious right reinforces such political heresy. The beast would not have risen to power had it not been for the corpulent whore, the compromised church, that saw opportunity to take dominion by serving as the adulterous bride of the evil emperor. The end justifies the means; so joining forces with Christ’s enemies is a reasonable trade-off if gaining power over the populace is the reward. Situational ethics is okay just as long as intent is pure, the whore reasons.
This is the picture of the rising Republican America. Their unspoken core doctrine is private ownership of everything – where government is subservient to the will of the select “owners.” Extreme libertarianism leads to the dismantling of the commons, the public sector – where schools, roads, bridges, and the post office are privatized and even the military evolves into nothing but a mercenary force. Nothing could be more destructive to a society.
The only ones making a living wage are the white-male-owners in this future vision where surveillanced castles (gated communities) are surrounded by tin shanties occupied by the impoverished vast majority. Megachurches rise over city landscapes reminiscent of prominent cathedrals of antiquity towering over paupers’ huts. The New Dark Ages has arrived.
Yet, the owners proceed. We, the people, are nothing but property in their hands – commodities to be traded on the “open” market. “Free trade” is not free for the increasingly enslaved.
International trade agreements are observed in many eyes as a feather in the cap of whatever politician came up with the mechanisms that, in truth, further force the U.S. into decline. For, they’re actually instruments of destruction – encouraging companies to outsource whole industries overseas in order to exploit slave labor. The question is: Why would a Democratic President, put in office by labor, concede to such anti-worker treaties – not only signing his name to our death certificate, but celebrating its passage as a trophy to be exhibited for political gamesmanship?
Twenty years ago a teenage boy got caught shoplifting a pack of gum at a convenience store on the southside of town. He was placed in juvenile detention. The same day, another young man in his 20s, the son of a judge, got caught selling drugs to university students. His father, naturally, bailed him out, hired the best attorneys, and (the short of it) – sonny got off-the-hook – his charges expunged. Which crime was more offensive – stealing bubble gum or selling drugs? Which boy received more punishment? (The poor boy was ruined for life while the rich boy got off scott-free.)
This is a true story. But more, it is a picture in contrast of America’s disparity with its obscene double standards, where justice is bought by the “owners” and all others are at their mercy. Not only do they buy elections, they buy justice, tax codes and law-making.
The 20-year old story reminds me of the Trayvon case – where George Zimmerman could possibly get off-the-hook for murder because of who his father is, and the only ones punished will be the demonstrators who react to such crass injustice. The boy carrying a bag of skittles from a convenience store is no match for the bully whose daddy is a retired judge with strong Republican links to the State Attorney General. It’s not just a white-black case, but rich-poor.
People are property in the emerging Republican world. There is no commons, no public sector, no fair tax structure. This vision can only be defeated by a vigilant Democratic leadership. We have yet seen nothing but spineless cowardice.