In the semi-euphoria and tentative calm of Obama's election, this excellent post about the continuing "cancer of conservatism" by blogger J. Miller Rampant reminds us all what we're still up against. And when I say "us", I mean anyone with half a brain and/or half a heart who lives in America.
This is no defense of the Democratic Party's many flaws, including some boneheaded politicians like the Illinois governor. But Rampant's post does beg the question: if government is all about policy, what major policy has a U.S. conservative government ever enacted that benefited the majority of Americans? The answer is none.
Helping average Americans is not their goal. Their goal is power and pushing their will and crazy ideas -- economic, religious, social, scientific, etc. -- on the unsuspecting electorate who fall for their latest PR strategy. They are bereft of ideas because they can't come out and tell you what they really believe -- hence "compassionate conservative" and other ruses finely tuned for the masses.
Rampant's main point is that the progressive netroots should take on the responsibility of stopping the conservative irrational juggernaut forever. A good point just in case you thought we could all take a breather with Obama's election.
Anyway, here are some choice excerpts:
Today, look what the Republican Party stands for: opposition to American working men and women, the channeling of trillions of dollars to the richest Americans, hatred of gays, hatred of immigrants, continued smoldering racism, opposition to desperately needed health care reforms, opposition to all environmental protections, spitting hatred for science, hatred for public schools, hatred of all those who are not fundamentalist Christians, support for torture, support for rendition, and support for the fantastically corrupt Bush-Cheney regime. The conservative cancer is the perpetuation of all the worst features of American life--intolerance, fear, prejudice, and tribalism. It is this cancer that screams out that Barack Obama is "the AntiChrist", a "Muslim radical", "corrupt", "ally of Satan", and all the other filth we have seen hurled at our next president. The Radical Right is now going to try to destroy Obama and block every reform he tries to institute. We, the Progressive Netroots, must and will fight these dangerous radicals every step of the way.
And this:
It is time for the conservative cancer to be cut out of our body politic. All of our nation's most shameful acts and policies have their roots in it. The humane, progressive, and sensible American majority must, once and for all, put the right-wing minority in its place--and save our country from the death toward which the conservatives have so blindly pushed it.
I would add we need to save our world as well as our country from them. I think the world would agree.
I thought this post should get a wider reading here. I urge you to take a look at the full read.