I've been meaning to write something condemning right-wing extremism for the past several months. Though I still haven't had a chance to formulate something well thought-out, I read this and this earlier today and could not let it sit any longer.
Both of those postings, combined with the atrocious recent hanging of a federal census employee in some backwater area of Kentucky, make me feel sick. I do not understand how any rational person could identify with what is currently touted as mainstream conservatism. It has taken a dangerously radical tone, under the false guise of patriotic populism.
I do not dispute the fact that there are loony segments of the left as well. Despite agreeing with some of his views, I look down on Michael Moore as a mostly obnoxious rabble rouser. And being accosted by a screaming woman from Greenpeace in a whale costume in Chinatown was nearly enough to turn me off to environmentalism for awhile. But the difference is, what most of these people propagate is at least somewhat based in truth. Lack of gun control does facilitate (if not necessarily cause) violence in schools and climate change is certainly a pressing issue. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the current "tea party" conservative culture.
The vitriolic healthcare debate of the past few months has been utterly Palinesque. This is incredibly unfortunate, because I feel that there are some important substantive arguments against the plans favored by progressive Democrats. None of them, however, should involve the words "socialism" and "Nazism" (which are not even remotely the same thing and, in any event, have nothing to do with a debate about healthcare).
Like Palin's farcical campaign last fall, the loudest opposition to healthcare reform has been focused on drumming up mass anger and inspiring people to rail against Obama without knowing what they are arguing about. Although manipulative, Rovian Republican strategists would have these idiots believe differently, the debate over healthcare reform is not about a "government takeover." A single payer system has never even been on the table. But all that the people at these town halls and rallies seem capable of doing is parroting back the lies and zingers that they picked up from watching Sean Hannity. Being duped by scare tactics is not a reasonable substitute for formulating a well-informed opinion.
This doesn't even address the fact that it is stupid to oppose healthcare reform completely - medical care in this country is expensive and the system sucks. If people disagree with the shape of reform, then they should proactively suggest alternative fixes. But Fox News has convinced half the country that it is more productive to yell than to try to actually solve this burgeoning social and economic problem.
What is really worrisome is when the scope of this misdirected anger expands to encompass everything that the government or, more specifically, Barack Obama does. Some of the rhetoric on the extreme right is absolutely chilling. This differs from liberal opposition to Bush because, in many cases, Democrats were telling the truth. Liberals whined about Bush's record on human rights because he was, unequivocally, suspending due process and torturing prisoners. They complained when he fabricated a reason to go to war in Iraq because Saddam Hussein was, in reality, not harboring any weapons of mass destruction.
All Barack Obama has done to draw such potent ire is try to deliver on one of his most pivotal campaign promises - to reform the nation's healthcare system. Asking Congress to pass a bill to this effect does not, in any way, make him comparable to Adolf Hitler. This laughable comparison offends my rational and historical sensibilities, but it also terrifies me. There is far too much venom flying around right now. God forbid any wingnut should choose to act on the violent extremism promoted by the rhetoric of his or her party. The current lack of civility is truly frightening.
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