This new strain of not only Nativist, but Racist hatred on the part of the Right Wing in the Birther movement shows us progressives how unhinged our opponents are.
This fear and hatred of "other" is ingrained in them from the corporate-controlled culture they spring out of. To paraphrase Marx "Fear is the gateway drug of the masses." Fear (of being passed by, of losing what one has worked towards, of never feeling one has ever had the chances others have had to succeed, etc...) leaves one open to manipulation and irrational behavior. Combined with economic desperation it makes for a potent cocktail which, when drunk, leads to movements like the Tea Baggers and the Birthers.
But let's view the Birthers from the perspective of how their message almost guarantees a progressive Democratic majority for decades to come.
It starts with Obama's birth certificate.
Do they pull the same stunts with the next candidate of mixed race origins? with the next Muslim candidate? With a candidate or official who was born to illegal aliens but was born an American citizen? With a legal immigrant running for an office at the statewide level?
And with the rapidly changing ethnic nature of this country at some point you start to say to yourself: "They are talking about someone like my friend" or "They are talking about someone whose life experiences mirror that of my mother or father or wife or daughter or... me."
Will they ever resort to an even more mob-like mentality? I think they will, in all seriousness. And when that happens and they get violent or invade the personal space of an event participant or elected representative, will our cause have the strength to stand up for ourselves in a constructive fashion? Will we surrender to the irrational? Will we let the corporate masters prey upon these people? do we have the ability to communicate effectively enough to deprogram these people to learn to act in their self-interest?
The GOP once campaigned for "the silent majority." It was code. It meant "you're not one of those hippie, anti-war protestors marching in the streets. You're one of us, and you believe in order and stability."
It's time for us all to make sure we, as the new majority, are neither silent nor silenced.
This craziness does serve to illustrate to anyone of moderate or progressive temperament that "this way madness lies." We owe it to ourselves to keep associating the Republican Party establishment with their shock troops and make them accountable for the actions and points of view of their beloved "base." We owe it to ourselves to keep following the money trail. We owe it to ourselves to exhibit how in lock step the entire Conservative movement acts - as if they had no freedom to express an individual opinion at all. Same talking points followed and promoted all the time. No room for a non-conforming point of view.
That's not America.
Anyway - I know this wasn't put together as cogently as I would have liked, but I have been putting this together at work all day. I hope you all find somehing positive here. Take care.