There is a word that precisely describes what the Republicans are doing with our government and, more specifically, the ideology they promote through their actions. Today's Republican Party is based on
nihilism.
Follow me below the fold for the hints, clues, and aspirations that lead me to this conclusion.
Under Republican leadership, no word means what it is. Bush repeatedly tells the public he's protecting civil liberties, while he destroys our civil liberties and the Bill of Rights. When Bush says we're winning the war in Iraq, reality tells us we're losing. Bush tells the world that the US does not torture, while his Attorney General and Secretary of State trumpet the "successes" of our torture and expand the legal justifications for abuse.
How is it that a Party allegedly representative of Christian values and sound business leadership is so ignorant of ethical guideposts? How is it that the near total majority of scandals and allegations of corruption (DeLay, Abramoff, Ney, Cunningham, Pombo, Frist, Burns, and on and on) are found tattoo on an elephant's giant ass?
The simplicity of the answer is hidden by the political trappings of the Republican Party. The facade of religion, flag, and almighty dollar does ever less to hide the fact that in the Republican Party all is permitted, nothing holds, and all language is empty. The Republicans will never push to punish Bush for breaking the law because he's allowed to break the law. Read that again. The Republicans are suggesting that it is acceptable for the president to break the law -- to do exactly what the law prevents. The law no longer holds, nor does the consequences that law requires.
Ed Kilgore at TPM Cafe has already made notable observations about the anti-moral basis of Republican justifications.
The big pattern, then and now, is that Republicans have steadily degenerated from the party of law and order, to the party that is actually contemptuous of the law when it doesn't serve their purposes, and indifferent to constitutional and legislative order when it thwarts their will. What the Schiavo incident said about the true Republican attitude towards federalism and separation of powers, the "martial law" rule says about the GOP's true interest in rational policymaking and honest debate.
The
Schiavo incident and the attempts to change GOP House leadership rules following DeLay's
initial implication in criminal activities were some of the earlier examples of nihilism dominating the Republican decision-making apparatus. About ten months ago I
wrote:
Nonetheless I ask: where are the Republicans? Where are there values? Who among them is so committed to his beliefs that he would stand by what is right and not what the national party structure dictates? Where, in the words of Madison, is the "zeal for different opinions"?
[...]
Bush and the Party are all and nothing else matters. Consider the numerous ethical scandals and investigations into the affairs of Tom DeLay. When the Gingrich revolution happened, Republicans differentiated themselves from Democrats and simultaneously showed the moral integrity, by implementing a rule that said any pol indicted in a felony would have to step down from leadership positions. Yet when DeLay and his clear ethical shortcomings is brought to light by the bipartisan House Ethics committee, Republicans vote to change their rules to keep DeLay in power if indicted. The message here is clear: anything is permitted. Any violation of rules and ethics is allowed. This is nihilism.
[...]
The lack of dissent from within the Republican caucus and the anything goes attitude of Republicans in Congress towards their leadership represent the dominance of nihilistic submission to the authority of the President. We have many problems in our nation and in our world today and they cannot be solved when one party refuses to turn to moral certainty or political discourse. In Federalist No. 10 Madison writes, "It is in vain to say that enlightened statesmen will be able to adjust these clashing interests, and render them all subservient to the public good. Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm." Madison is pushing towards process and moderation through differing opinions; there is no hope to have an all-wise leader.
Our present problems of war without end, economic conditions precipitous of disaster, and continual degradation of our moral authority by policies of secrecy and torture demand confrontation by diverse political views. To borrow the style of Barack Obama, these issues are not Democratic issues or Republican issues, but American issues. As such a solution must be brought forth by the diverse positions, considered and dialogical, and because of this the nihilism of the Republican Party is not only preventing progress and solutions for our nation's problems, but exacerbating the problems' threats.
Republicans need to speak to their beliefs, even when their President presents options that are against what they believe in. Progressives need to make obvious the failures of Bush's proposals and the dangers they continue to pose. Democrats must use this weakness, the nihilism of the Republican Party, to their advantage and appeal to those good Americans who believe in right and wrong, who believe in the promise and future of America through a strong economy and the respect of the world.
The sad thing is that in everything we see today with the Bush administration and Republican leadership in Congress, last winters' nihilism has only spread and expanded. It has taken deeper root and in doing so force the Constitution and Bill of Rights from the Oval Office. But the lines of battle are clear, the Republican transgressions are unmistakable, and the solution is fomenting as I write this in the progressive blogosphere and slowly beyond.
I believe we have the power to stop Republican nihilism and preserve American democracy, but only when we look at the problem with the clearest possible lens. We cannot expect change if we do not recognize that we are dealing with an opponent that does not believe that anything holds, that any words used need connect to their meaning, nor that all are equal under the law.
Don't miss gabbardd's diary -- it provides an extensive breakdown of nihilism's historical power. It will help anyone confused about the exact weight this word should carry understand why it's an accurate designator for Republican actions.
Crossposted at The Baltimore Group