For awhile now, I've been wondering about the rationales behind the opposition to President Obama and the majority-dem congress. I'm not at all surprised that there is opposition, but some of the expressions have been confusing to me. Portrayals of Obama as Hitler, and feral opposition to Health Care reform in particular. While the health care industry lobby is certainly supporting opposition to reform, the rage that we've seen at the tea parties and town-halls speaks to a more visceral motivation.
One key response to suggestions that the right is going to far, is to say, "Well, that's what the left did to Bush!". And it's not hard to find examples of Bush=Hitler claims, and large demonstrations in opposition to Bush. Which got me thinking whether one inspirational source for the republican/conservative opposition is the Left's treatment of Bush.
Do unto others, as you have been done to. Is this the right's mantra?
It's strange to me is how quickly the Right's opposition has metastatized. Obama and the Dem congress haven't done that much, in terms of provocation. TARP was initiated by Bush - even blaming Obama for the entire bailout, puts him up there with a pre-9/11 Bush, who had cut the estate tax, and was talking about social security reform. At the time, I was concerned, and hoped that his initiatives would fail, but I don't remember the same level of rage. For a few days after 9/11, I gave him the benefit of the doubt, imagining that his choices and actions were driven by trauma-based response.
Things make a lot more sense, if you use the Bush era as a mirror, and evaluate the right's opposition, as a reflection of the left's opposition to Bush. Certainly, it must have been hard for the right, to keep the faith, in the face of such opposition and derision. And now that they're in the minority, it's their turn. They might not rationally think of it as such, but I believe that this is a strong underlying force.
And one that better explains the current political situation. For example, under Bush,
_The validity of both his elections was questioned.
_Major political initiatives were opposed, and their defeat was celebrated as a victory.
_He was portrayed as a malicious idiot, a puppet of powerful interests, a tyrant and a murderer.
_There were large demonstrations where he and his policies were viciously mocked.
_The Bush admin faced numerous lawsuits and oppositional campaigns.
So what if, during those years when we seethed and raged, while the Right stayed true to Bush, they were also learning from us? What if on some level, once they realized that they were the new minority, they chose forms of expression, based on what they'd experienced during the Bush years? I've learned in my personal life, that my choices and decisions affect those around me, and that I often learn from/reflect the behavior of those I'm close to (and vice versa). I believe that Gandhi's principles of non-violence, and Buddhism's commitment to compassion, are based on a profound understanding of the principle that we are intimately connected with our opposition: the principles and tactics that we chose, influence our opposition, and vice versa.
I'm certainly not saying that the left was wrong to oppose Bush, in the ways that they did. While some actions crossed the line, during the Bush era, I was primarily concerned that there wasn't enough opposition to his actions. Torture, human rights violations, false pretenses for invading Iraq, manipulatively capitalizing on a national tragedy, deliberate use of polarizing and demagogic tactics, subversion of democratic principles, and a general profoundly reckless and irresponsible approach to politics and government based on party success - I knew that Obama would have a lot of cleaning up to do.
This isn't really a solution-oriented diary. More of an awareness-oriented one. I'm still reframing my perspective on the current political landscape, based on this insight, so I'm not sure where it will lead. I think it's worthwhile to think of the Bush era as traumatic, on a certain level. It was certainly a period where I was often profoundly disappointed, and despondent, about the direction that things were going in.
I can argue that was based on a rational assessment of the Bush Administration, but rationality is relative. Everyone gets to chose their own. I think it's worth considering that the Bush era was traumatic for many on the right, as well, that many felt forced to defend their commitments and principles against a horde of angry and hateful protesters. And it's likely that their current (probably unexpected) experience of being the minority has triggered memories of the opposition they faced.
Since the most extreme forms of opposition are often the most memorable, the expressions that individuals on the right chose will likely reflect them. Which would help explain why we're experiencing such an emotional response to Obama's actions.