I am a medical doctor in Texas. This is an e-mail that I sent to all of my patients today. The days when silence can reign are now over.
God Help Us All.
I am sending out this statement to over 6,200 people on my email lists - former patients, current patients, colleagues, friends and family. I have been silent for far too long. Silence is no longer an option in the crises in which we now find ourselves. As you may know, I was an officer for the College Republicans in my college - I came of age during the Reagan Revolution - he was like God to me growing up. The bloom is definitely off the rose. I can no longer sit by and watch these "conservatives" destroy the country without standing up and doing something about it. This is the only way I know how.
First - go to this website and read the post READY FOR ANYTHING NATION:
http://cunningrealist.blogspot.com/
This gentleman - The Cunning Realist - has been one of my favorite bloggers for a long time. He only posts one or two items a week on average - and they are typically short and to the point.
He is a TRUE conservative - not the pseudo-national socialist fascists running around now days calling themselves conservatives.
Some of his best blogs are simple reprinting of quotes in the recent news - as is this one - READY FOR ANYTHING NATION.
The "Ready For Anything" moniker comes straight from the first book in the trilogy THE COMING OF THE THIRD REICH by Richard J Evans - a noted British historian of the Nazi era.
His 2nd book in the trilogy is entitled THE THIRD REICH AT WAR - and the third is yet to come out. If you have not read them, I strongly suggest that you do. His description of the "psyche" of the German people in the 1920s-1930s is now unfortunately eerily familiar to me.
"Ready for Anything" was Professor Evans' description of the mood of the German people in the 1930s. They were absolutely whipsawed by the daily increasingly contradictory statements coming from their government as compared to their government's actions. Not unlike our own current administration. The Republicans believe in limited government yet preside over the largest expansion of the government both economically and into our civil rights in the history of the Republic. The Republicans say they are anti-socialism - and then the Republican administration demands the largest single bailout of corporations by a government entity in the history of mankind. The Republicans say they are all for freedom and the American Way - yet preside over an era when torture is not only condoned but CELEBRATED, when the civil rights of Americans are shredded beyond recognition, when the 800 year old Magna Carta stipulations such as habeas corpus are summarily dismissed, when innocent taxi drivers and chefs are arrested in Afghanistan and hauled to Guantanamo without trial or any legal recourse --- to be tortured, harangued, executed - whatever Bush and Cheney want - without ever having even a single appearance in court. The Republicans say they are all for the Bill of Rights and American Freedom at the same time they have suspended the First Amendment and banned the press from covering the events surrounding Hurricane Ike in Houston (http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/10/03-3). The Republican party wants us to be free at the same time the Bush Administration appears to have suspended Posse Comitatus and begun to garrison entire brigades of federal troops in major American cities (http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/army_homeland_090708w/).
What Professor Evans was saying is that after one blow after another to the psyche of the nation, having to carry wheelbarrows full of their once valuable currency to buy a loaf of bread really was no longer surprising - they were READY FOR ANYTHING, and just sluggishly blew it off. When the Jews were rounded up, they just blew it off. When the clergy were rounded up - they just blew it off. When the corporations were nationalized, they just blew it off. After a while, they quit worrying about blowing things off, and began to revel in the orgy that became the Third Reich.
So, when Americans see their constitutional freedoms being destroyed, their response is "Who got kicked off on Survivor last night?" When they see that their President has ramrodded a bill down the Congress that charges each and every one of them $5,832, their response is "Ooooh, I wonder who won Dancing With the Stars last night?" When the Administration takes Congressman into a back room and threatens them with financial apocalypse and martial law, Americans' response with beer in the left hand and cheeseburgers in the right "Dude, what is wrong with the Cowboys defense this year?"
READY FOR ANYTHING, indeed.
So, as pointed out by the Cunning Realist in his blog, these two "conservative" columnists, Kathleen Parker and Rod Dreher, are horrified by the amount of violence sent their way via e-mail since they both had the gumption to publicly state that Governor Palin does not seem to have the most basic of qualifications to be the Vice President. They have been threatened with their lives apparently by hundreds of rabid "conservative" red-meat eaters. I am sorry - I have no pity for either of them. They, along with Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, David Brooks, et al, have spent the last decade destroying the character and patriotism of anyone who dared to announce that Bush and his team were taking the country into a dark place. They have never questioned the absolute idiocy of many of the things that Bush has done - rather he gets a pass because he is a Republican - "one of us". Meanwhile, they delight in caricaturing liberals and democrats and community organizers as traitors to the country. They have savaged anyone and everyone who was not a "conservative". They have unleashed the hatred and pent-up violence of 40% of this country toward anyone and everyone who does not believe in the current fascist dogma. And now the beast has turned against them. So sorry. Mr. Dreher and Ms Parker- you have spent the last 10 years of your lives feeding this beast with every scrap of red meat you can throw. You and your friends at Fox News have destroyed any chance that these "conservatives" will come to the table in a peacable manner in a time of crisis. You have created this monster - now you are going to see what it is like when monsters like this realize how screwed they are. It is not pretty - and it will get very very ugly.
After the events of the last three days in this country, it is now clearly obvious to me that the "conservative" intelligentsia and columnists are now READY FOR ANYTHING. They have now truly checked out of reality.
Let me explain.
I remember the very first thing that went through my mind when Sarah Palin opened her mouth on national TV in late August. One word. INCITATUS. What is Incitatus? He was the horse of Emperor Caligula in Ancient Rome. Caligula named him as his pro-consul (roughly equal to our vice-president). Yes, believe it, a horse was the proconsul of the Roman Empire for about 18 months. It has been largely speculated this was done out of Caligula's insanity. Most modern scholars completely disagree. This was done as a symbol of Caligula's absolute contempt for the Roman Senate and the Roman people. I suspect that John McCain felt the same way - She is pretty and can talk nice - dumb as a brick - but who cares - so are the American people.
Well, the intelligence level of the candidate and the people was clearly confirmed on Thurday night. We all now know what it would be like to have a character from Mama's Family nominated to the 2nd highest position of the land and debate on national TV. Wasn't it fun!!! Wasn't it EXCITING!!!! Gee, she didn't vomit or have a seizure - so she must have won!!!! In my reckoning, she not once actually answered a question. When she attempted to, at best it was confusing/meaningless, at worst it was downright mendacious. But wouldn't she do well on Hee Haw!!!
I sat and wondered if the "conservative" intelligentsia would agree with me that this was a total joke. Even I was taken back with their response. Here, in a single response, is the cataclysmic answer that has now sealed the fate of my once beloved Republican Party.
This is from Rich Lowry - the editor of the National Review and frequent guest on the Jim Lehrer Newshour. (My God, Mr Buckley has to be just spinning in his grave right now) ---
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Projecting through the Screen [Rich Lowry]
A very wise TV executive once told me that the key to TV is projecting through the screen. It's one of the keys to the success of, say, a Bill O'Reilly, who comes through the screen and grabs you by the throat. Palin too projects through the screen like crazy. I'm sure I'm not the only male in America who, when Palin dropped her first wink, sat up a little straighter on the couch and said, "Hey, I think she just winked at me." And her smile. By the end, when she clearly knew she was doing well, it was so sparkling it was almost mesmerizing. It sent little starbursts through the screen and ricocheting around the living rooms of America. This is a quality that can't be learned; it's either something you have or you don't, and man, she's got it.
10/03 12:08 PM
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So, while I was sitting in my home trying to figure out what these people were going to do about the crises my family, my patients, and my country are engulfed in - he was masturbating. Starbursts indeed. I hope it was good for you Mr. Lowry. READY FOR ANYTHING.
The next time you are in Dallas, Rich, I can get you set up at the Living Inn Motel on Harry Hines. Rooms there go for about 20 bucks a night. I will make sure that the porn counter is stocked with all of Sarah Palin's debates and speeches for your viewing pleasure.
(Just a little "medical advice" aside for Mr. Lowry -- having TV figures reach out and interact with you personally is one of the solid DSM 4 Criteria for both schizophrenia and dementia.)
So, my friends, family, colleagues, and patients - I am very concerned about where we are headed. Whatever else this message may mean to you - please do your best to pull away from the "bread and circuses" and attempt to pay attention. Things are going to begin moving at a very fast clip now.
Heading Towards Kristallnacht,
Dagan68