Jingoism is a term that we never hear much any more, but describes perfectly the Reagan era of Republican politics, which both on Wall Street and at the ballot box, will hopefully come to a resounding end.
Jingoism is an extreme patriotism, marked by aggressive political behavior and warlike foreign policy.
Sounds like my sweet Neo Cons? To quote our buddy Mrs Palin: "You betcha."
The McCain campaign has more political slogans retired to its wardrobe than Paris Hilton has clothes. The current, and final run is "Country First."
It adorns all rallies that are stoked up by getting the few thousand that show up to start screaming USA! USA! USA! This is the tail end of a dog that began barking with the bombastic Rush Limbaugh tarring "liberals" as anti-American, and has been stoked by the Joseph-Goebbels-in-a-dress, Ann Coulter, who has called Liberals pretty much everything under the sun from baby-killers to socialists.
We had Patriot radio on XM, and anyone who watches the Fair and Balanced Fix News gets their daily dose of jingoism as well.
Standing here the digital mountain top, let me say that all of you who think that being on the Right makes you right can kiss my a*s.
Patriotism is not a party thing. It's an American thing. We may disagree on many things, from how we choose to worship, or not, to how we raise our kids or not, to what the government should or should not do. That's all part of the political process.
When you tell me, though, that my views have no place in American life, I'm apt to start thinking the same about yours. Pretty soon, we have polarized to the point where we look more like Iraq than the USA that you keep blindly chanting about.
Of course, I'm not talking to most of you, since few of you pick up a newspaper, and fewer still bother to come to the Internet, let alone the Daily Kos.
What amazes me most is how many of these folks call themselves good Christians. Yet, when it comes to supporting the party whose current platform is much more focused towards doing the Christian thing, and helping thy fellow man, they immediately retreat for the party whose basic tenants are all about self-interests being served on taxes, and trying to dictate societal behavior.
The sad part is that the Neo Cons are using you.
Why would they want to end Roe v. Wade? For Republican politicos who want you to vote, it's a great "wedge" issue to keep you angry and voting. Technically-speaking, if the GOP was so gung-ho on ending abortion, they could legislate it out of existence. Even then, do any of the smart folks in the Republican Party think legislation is going to bring an end to abortion? It didn't back in the day, any more than the crusaders against alcohol ended drinking. Information, not legislation, persuades people to see your point of view. Remember that free will is still considered a basic tenant of your faith. You cannot compel someone to be either a saint or a sinner. You can only show them why the Way should be their way.
The same is true about everything from "socialism" and "Joe the Plumber" to every other charge that the GOP is rattling around the airwaves. They are jingoistic Twinkies, full of flavor but entirely lacking in political nutrition or economic substance.
The Republicans hope is that all of this chest-pounding and flag-waiving and Bible-thumping is going to get you to forget that a loaf of bread that was a buck under Clinton is now nearly $3.00 under Bush, that a gallon of milk that was $1.19 is now $4.29. You may not notice that the Hedge Funds and the big investment banks have so raped and pillaged the economy that your company may not have a job for you next week.
But all that will be okay, because Sarah! Magic Sarah, whom 59% of the electorate feels could not be ready to be President of the United States, will save you with her enchanted teleprompter and a well-placed wink.
If Mrs. Palin ever had to assume the office, you should be looking for every advisor that she hires, because the PalinDroid is programmed from start to finish
You are being fooled by very well-to-do and very old forces in politics who are truly afraid of the crowds and money that they can no longer control.
If you really are excited by what you're chanting, then you should turn and run from John McCain at lightning speed. That doesn't mean to stop being a Republican. You believe what you believe, BUT, maybe it is time to look towards more reasonable Republicans, like Charlie Crist of Florida, who can govern by consensus, are smart people, and can meet "the opposition" with ideas and plans instead of political Twinkies.
My shiny two.