I should be accustomed to jaw-dropping moments from the right wing these days. Simple corruption is passe, and handled by the lower levels; ruthless abuse of power is the order of the day. We have given control of the most powerful nation in history to bullies and fools, like Apollo who gave a feckless Phaethon the reins of the Sun Chariot, and the whole world suffers.
And yet it seems I still retain the capacity for surprise. I
read today of a
new book put out by the editor of National Review. Apparently the Democrats are now "the Party of Death." Comments from the right on the book include such catchy phrases as "the death cult of Planned Parenthood, Howard Dean, and the New York Times." Apparently we're all out to "abolish the right to life" for
everybody now.
"...the death cult of Planned Parenthood, Howard Dean, and the New York Times." The quote illuminates the right in a new way to me. The noise machine isn't just generating spew; it's generating
brainwashing material.
The far right is now, right now, a cult.
Think about it. The far right now:
- provides a view of reality disconnected from facts to its members, including the demonization of those opposed to them
- employs unethically manipulative techniques of persuasion and control
- implants and nurtures in its members deep-seated anxious dependencies on its leaders
All of these terms are taken from the
definitions of a cult provided at Wikipedia.
Do the Democrats also fit this mold? We welcome substantiated facts from all sources and prefer freedom of thought and publication of facts to secrecy and control. We have so many diverse ideas under our rubric that we become disorganized as a party. As a result of that, we have either no leaders or too many, depending on the issue.
Republicans? Republicans I can work with. These people? Not so much.
