Yeah, that’s right. If you recognized the line you are now or at one time were a Star Trek geek. It’s from "The Savage Curtain," a fair-to-middling episode of the original series.
I’ve been thinking about Ann Coulter’s "faggot" remark a lot, and had almost forgotten her "raghead" remark at the previous CPAC. It led me to an interesting train of thought: How am I different? Or am I different? Believe it or not, I found the answer in that cheesy old sci-fi show.
Don’t get me wrong—I love the old Star Trek and some of its variations. It really was visionary, and an extraordinary show for its times. Looking back on it, the original "final frontier" show did contain some profound moral truths that have become more relevant as this country lost its way these past 20 years or so, under the stiletto heel of Ann and her ilk.
But why am I different? And if I am different, am I different good or different bad? Her "faggot" remark helped me find the answer, by looking not at what we and our counter-parts do, but what we want. First, some background.
In "The Savage Curtain" an alien race of lava-rockish guys captures the starship Enterprise and forces Kirk and Spock into a battle with duplicates of four of that part of the galaxy’s historic criminals in order for the lava guys to understand the difference between good and evil. To help out the Captain and his First Officer, the aliens supply duplicates of Abraham Lincoln and an ancient Vulcan hero, Surak, who brought peace, logic and discipline to a planet of uncontrolled passion and violence. The "hook" to get Kirk and Spock to fight is the aliens’ threat that if they don’t defeat "team evil" in two hours, Enterprise and all aboard will be destroyed.
Of course, the good guys win. But that’s not enough for the rock monster. Quoting from memory here, so it’s going to be rough:
Alien: "I still do not understand, you both used the same methods to try to destroy the other."
Kirk: "What did you offer them?"
Alien: "What they wanted most: power."
Kirk: "You offered me the lives of my crew."
Alien: (pause) "I perceive."
So let’s look at a few examples of the similarities and differences between what are called "conservatives" (them) and "liberals" (us). We both use words like "faith," "impeachment" and "treason" and call each other some pretty unique names. Some of this is speculation, some of it is a personal point of view but in looking for a real difference, let's be alien rock-guys for a while and examine the underlying motivation of each movement on key matters.
THEY wanted—and got—the impeachment of a popular and effective president who was also a womanizer, admitted to past marijuana use in his youth, and avoided service in Vietnam through a thoughtful letter to government officials. His crime was lying under oath about sexual relations in a legal proceeding that was entirely about events in his private life.
WE want the impeachment of a hugely unpopular and incompetent president who is an admitted recovering alcoholic, reported past cocaine user, avoided service in Vietnam by having his father’s friends pull strings to get him into the Texas Air National Guard then, by accounts never factually refuted, went AWOL on his assignment to the Alabama Air National Guard which was also reportedly done to get him out of Texas where he was an embarrassment to his family. His "high crimes and misdemeanors" that could be the basis of an impeachment proceeding are legion, excessive and too extensive to list here.
THEY wanted—and got—the deconstruction of as much government as possible in exchange for a reduction in taxes with the notable result of the Katrina Debacle, America’s worst, and an internationally embarrassing response to our country’s most significant natural disaster. Meanwhile, THEY tolerate a tax system that favors the rich and favors the super-rich even more.
WE want a government designed to allow society to move collectively to address its most pressing concerns and problems on the broadest basis possible, and we’re willing to pay equitable taxes if they help build a better society.
THEY want their president to be above the law, a "unitary executive" who can ignore the Constitution when it is convenient for him to do so, and for Congress to be a rubber-stamp or at least mind it’s own business and leave the president alone.
WE want a Congress that is a co-equal branch with the executive and the judiciary exactly as the Constitution decreed it to be so.
THEY want (speaking of the judiciary) judges who will impose upon their decisions and deliberations the narrowest and most intolerant form of Christianity.
WE want judges who know and understand the Constitution and decide cases fairly and competently regardless of ideology.
THEY want to silence any media that is critical of their president or their worldview, or willing to report the truth about Iraq and Afghanistan to the point of calling for the execution of some as traitors.
WE want a critical and questioning media ready, willing and able to expose corruption and incompetence in government wherever it occurs and whoever is the culprit.
THEY want a unilateral foreign policy that allows war on the barest suspicion of need or whenever they perceive it advances American interests.
WE want a foreign policy that relies on diplomacy and multilateral engagement where war is recognized as a highly ineffective and counter-productive approach to be used only as a last resort with full justification.
THEY want to win elections at all costs, use narrow "wedge" issues to get voters to vote on emotion and against their interests, and for voters who disagree with them to be suppressed, excluded, harassed or inconvenienced.
WE want candidates to win based on character and positions, addressing important issues that should transcend politics, with as inclusive an election system as possible where all votes are fairly and accurately counted.
THEY want "their" homosexuals hidden from view and "their" sexual predators shielded from punishment because of the political cost to their movement.
WE want a society that does not discriminate against gays and that finds and punishes sexual predators regardless of their position or power.
THEY want an "every man for himself" society and encourage ignorance as a tool to gain and keep power.
WE want to address poverty, injustice, inequality, and see ignorance as a pernicious illness holding society back.
THEY want a society dominated by their strict religious views.
WE want a society that is inclusive of all forms of spirituality and non-belief.
THEY want to ridicule and ignore global warming and climate change.
WE want to save humanity.
I could go on and on but you go ahead in the comments and I’ll cut it here. It’s actually depressing seeing just how screwed up the Republican base really is. Frankly, with this kind of base, if I was a Republican I’d be worried that my party won’t be around when my children are grown ("Damn it, Jim, I’m a Republican not a Whig!"). Just as the Star Trek alien "perceived" from his experiment, there is a big, big difference between "team good" and "team evil": It comes down to what they want. Come to think of it, unlike that Star Trek episode, we also differ in tactics and methods.
We’re just better people than they are.