I have a cousin. I call him my right wing cousin. He's been a "Conservative" since 1992 when hurricane Andrew knocked out power for months leaving him listening to talk radio and thinking about politics for the first time. We were always different growing up and turned out looking at the world in two very different ways. While there is some unease at holiday get-togethers, the family love remains.
I had a radio show. It was on a right wing station. (Man, they were pissed that I was on the air). I started in 1993 when the talk radio buzz was the Branch Davidian standoff. David Koresh and his church were in showdown against the government. They were really pissed about that. Churchgoers were upset that the government was interfering with the rights of people to practice their faith. Good `ole boys were up in arms about second amendment infringements, former Perot supporters were out party shopping and the disaffected were just looking for someone to follow. Talk radio pushed all the right buttons and convinced them that the Democrats and the oppressive liberalism (huh?) in America were to blame for it all.
With the tragic ending of the standoff in Waco, I seemed to sense a "moment" where all the right wingers came together. The hosts exploited the whole thing, successfully laying the blame on Democrats by accusing us of disrespecting freedom and then killing innocent civilians. (Shortwave radio was even worse.) They all had become anti-Democrats and super-Republican.
My right wing cousin sent me this today.
President tested banned chemical weapons and white phosphorous on civilians in Texas killing 74 men women and children. Used illegal chemical weapons retrofitted military tanks on civilians on US soil. The military CS gas used on civilians is a banned chemical weapon in 130 countries. White phosphorous flares were used to illuminate the night sky as a psychological warfare tactic. This happened in Waco Texas during the 90's
That was his rebuttal to the story on my blog about the U.S. military's current use of phosphorus in Fallujah. It brought back memories of a unique moment in politics. I don't know if this is something he thought about on his own or if it is the latest talking point from the ultra right but the sudden reappearance of the Branch Davidian story now, at a point where Republicans are more vulnerable than at anytime since they took Congress in 1994, is fascinating. Maybe even meaningful.