I know I've ragged on this subject before, but it is worth comment again. Our country specifically and the world at large is in a very precarious point in history. The United States, with some help from our allies, is expending huge sums of money fighting Islamic Fundamental Extremists around the world and specifically in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Human lives are lost daily in this battle to control them. This battle has emboldened the radical Christian fundamental extremists especially here in the USA. We are mobilizing for a modern crusade, similar when the Christians drove the Islamic and Jewish people out of Spain.
Here in the USA, it has raised its ugly head in our political discourse through the conservative groups like the Tea Party caucus and the John Birch Society caucus of the Republican Party. They state words that can be construed to mean armed conflict within our country to obtain power and force the country into what they see as the righteous constitutional country they think our founding farther wanted. Typically these small marginal groups get very little media attention and mostly lip service by the conservative Republicans to gain their votes at elections.
These political caucuses profess to be guided by Christian beliefs. They claim American was divinely created by God as a Christian Nation. They also hold that God's law trumps man's law. Therefore, if there is a conflict between them, then God's law shall be supreme. Glenn Beck of Fox News proclaims to receive visions from God, guiding him in his rants against liberals, progressives and anyone not agreeing with him. He is developing more than a political following, but a religious following who think he is the next messiah or prophet. We know how dangerous a person can be when he feels he has been called by God for his great crusade. You have half governor Sarah Palin who is the Christian Political Action Candidate poster person. She holds religious rallies to win over admirers and fans. Mike Huckabee who is also on Fox and a presidential candidate in '08 is an ordained minister who preaches there is no separation of church and state. The Republican party as a whole has affiliated themselves with Glenn, Sarah, Mike and these other Christian political action groups in hopes of winning their votes.
Because the Republican party is leaderless, media nuts like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh have captured the control of the party platform. Politicians in the Republican Party now feel compelled to cater to these small wacko groups in hopes of winning the next two election cycles against the Democrats. The Republican Party is no longer interested in governance, just in obtaining power and control of government. What they will do with that control, should they win enough seats in Congress, is unclear. So far their platform is to eliminate government and let the people fend for themselves. Essentially what they claim is false in human development, being the survival of the fittest. If you are weak and can't take care of yourself and family, then parish, don't burden the rest of society to help you survive and support you until you can do it on your own. Such things as health care, social security, unemployment insurance are all things to be eliminated. But how is this all within the Christian teachings of compassion, care for the needy, healing the sick and tolerance of others (turn the other cheek). Their politics is so contradictory to their faith. I just don't understand...
No civilization has survived anarchy and that is what will result if the Republicans achieve their goal of elimination of government regulations and social safety nets. Why more of the voters don't see this is beyond reason. Polls show that 60% of Americans favor the Democrats governing the country, but lean toward electing these radical right wingers into office, resulting in just the opposite of what they favor. What has happened to sanity????
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