As part of the historiography of the lead-up to the Iraq War, future analyses will surely look at the massive government-led misinformation campaign that began in September 2002 to sell the war to the American public. That propaganda campaign worked exceedingly well, as much of the mainstream media acquiesced. As recently as late 2006, 90% of U.S. troops in Iraq stated they were there as a result of Saddam Hussein's "attacks" (in which, of course, he had no part).
If George Bush exhibits equanimity (as is claimed) in the face of his knowing that his administration massively lied to create the conditions for a trillion-dollar war, and several hundred-thousand Iraqi deaths, and the hell-to-pay when American society experiences the PTSD misery of many returning Vets--if Bush is calm in the face of his being at the center of so much manufactured misery and evil, then he truly is possessed of some zombie-like equanimity afforded him by his warped sense of good and evil.
Terrifying to contemplate, Gov. Sarah Palin has the same worldview as George Bush. Even more scary, and even more so than Bush, Palin sees herself as God's chosen instrument for rectifying what she sees as the current dominion of Evil in the world.
The Religious Right now has taken control of the Republican Party and Sen. John McCain. They see the presidential election (and the fight against Islam) as Holy War. Those of us who understand this must work to defeat the extremely dangerous Religious Right/Palin forces for the good of humanity.
Otherwise, religious extremists will create the history about which George Bush is so zombified and we are so worried.
Showing posts with label Sarah Palin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sarah Palin. Show all posts
20 September 2008
18 September 2008
WOULD PALIN MARCH US BACKWARDS?
Some people get it wrong when their argument is to show that Sarah Palin is more "feminist" than, say, Gloria Steinem. This is a ploy that feminists themselves do not use. Do not forget: feminism is about choice and equality, not about promoting a particular lifestyle.
It is not that Sarah Palin herself is so successfully feminist or has successfully benefited from the long struggle of feminist praxis. It is, instead, that she, with her religio-political ideology, would never have been for the feminist cause in the first place (even though today she is the beneficiary of that cause) and would, if elected, arrest the forward movement of feminism. As Gloria Steinem said, very near the top of her recent op-ed piece (http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-steinem4-2008sep04,0,1290251.story), "Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It's about making life more fair for women everywhere. It's not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of us for that. It's about baking a new pie." Can you imagine that Palin would lead the effort to create a new pie for women in America?
Many have distorted the discussion by making Palin's own life the point; the real point is what she believes, in her religio-political ideology, and what she would promote as political policy. After all, she thinks Creationism should be taught in schools; she believes in an ultimate war between Good and Evil; she thinks Islam is a false religion; she thinks the Iraq War is holy war, with God on the side of America. I ask you: Can someone like this make rational choices for the good of the country? Would she not continue the Bush Administration assault against science policy? Since she is a global-warming skeptic, would she not set back environmental policy? And she is against a woman's right to choose what to do with her own body, even being against abortions when the pregnancy is due to rape or incest.
Who cares whether her husband stays home with their children (with plenty of hired caretakers) or that she personally kills animals from helicopters? The point is that Palin herself is a walking contradiction. If not, then let's hear her repudiate what her branch of Pentecostalism stands for. For example, it promotes the very fundamentalist position that wives must submit to their husbands. I have no problem with Pentecostalist belief, UNTIL it--with the beliefs outlined above and its belief in God's special dispensation of making America always right and their chosenness to lead--exersizes political power over my life and national policy.
So, congratulatons to Sarah Palin for exploiting the feminist history of struggle in which she cannot believe. But let's not give her the priviledge of walking the halls of power. That's when her religio-political ideology can become dangerous. She just might become a leader marching us backwards.
Note: See the anonymous comment and its link to some frightening info about Gov. Palin's religio-political ideology.
It is not that Sarah Palin herself is so successfully feminist or has successfully benefited from the long struggle of feminist praxis. It is, instead, that she, with her religio-political ideology, would never have been for the feminist cause in the first place (even though today she is the beneficiary of that cause) and would, if elected, arrest the forward movement of feminism. As Gloria Steinem said, very near the top of her recent op-ed piece (http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-steinem4-2008sep04,0,1290251.story), "Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It's about making life more fair for women everywhere. It's not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of us for that. It's about baking a new pie." Can you imagine that Palin would lead the effort to create a new pie for women in America?
Many have distorted the discussion by making Palin's own life the point; the real point is what she believes, in her religio-political ideology, and what she would promote as political policy. After all, she thinks Creationism should be taught in schools; she believes in an ultimate war between Good and Evil; she thinks Islam is a false religion; she thinks the Iraq War is holy war, with God on the side of America. I ask you: Can someone like this make rational choices for the good of the country? Would she not continue the Bush Administration assault against science policy? Since she is a global-warming skeptic, would she not set back environmental policy? And she is against a woman's right to choose what to do with her own body, even being against abortions when the pregnancy is due to rape or incest.
Who cares whether her husband stays home with their children (with plenty of hired caretakers) or that she personally kills animals from helicopters? The point is that Palin herself is a walking contradiction. If not, then let's hear her repudiate what her branch of Pentecostalism stands for. For example, it promotes the very fundamentalist position that wives must submit to their husbands. I have no problem with Pentecostalist belief, UNTIL it--with the beliefs outlined above and its belief in God's special dispensation of making America always right and their chosenness to lead--exersizes political power over my life and national policy.
So, congratulatons to Sarah Palin for exploiting the feminist history of struggle in which she cannot believe. But let's not give her the priviledge of walking the halls of power. That's when her religio-political ideology can become dangerous. She just might become a leader marching us backwards.
Note: See the anonymous comment and its link to some frightening info about Gov. Palin's religio-political ideology.
06 September 2008
GOV. PALIN AT THE INTERSECTION OF FAITH AND IDEOLOGY
In terms of foreign policy, the vice-presidential candidate of the Republican Party, Sarah Palin, has no known views and, of course, no experience. Gov. Palin is, though, a life-long Pentecostal, although she now attends a non-denominational church in Alaska. Her talks to church meetings have been analyzed by an academic who has authored two books on Pentecostalism. This scholar says that Gov. Palin uses wording, metaphors, and concepts that exhibit a typical Pentecostal world view.
Recently (ca 4 Sept. 2008 on NPR's All Things Considered) that scholar stated that a speech by Gov. Palin indicates that she believes in spiritual warfare, a war between Good and Evil. (You can imagine which side she believes she and the Republicans are on.) Palin believes the war in Iraq, then, is a holy war fought by the U.S., according to the scholar. Further, Pentecostals believe Islam is a false religion. Last point: Pentecostals believe God intervenes in human affairs. All this is the interpretation of a Pentecostal scholar who says Gov. Palin exhibits beliefs of mainstream Pentecostalism.
My addition here is to ask whether America really wants a Vice-President, so close to the presidency, who might believe God has intervened to give her that office (and perhaps the presidency) and who believes in spiritual warfare played out in world affairs, that God is on the side of America, and in a holy war with Islam.
You might recall that George Bush during his first presidential campaign said he believed God had chosen him for President. Perhaps George Bush also sees the war in Iraq as a holy war, a war that has killed 86,863-94,781 civilians. (See http://www.iraqbodycount.org/). Do we want any more politicians with lethal power who believe in their own Chosenness?
To be sure, there is an unknown interplay within all of us between our faith and ideological elements. Gov. Palin might emphasize her conservative ideological beliefs over her Pentecostal beliefs. But where the two meet, as they could often do, we can assume some primacy at the intersection of the two sets of belief. (There is some precedent of a Pentecostal in the Bush Administration with Attorney General Ashcroft. I will not attempt to analyze how his religion influenced his policy decisions. (But see http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9403EFDB153DF937A25752C0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all)
Pentecostals and all others can freely practice their religion in America. But do we want someone who sees the world in such good/evil terms as apparently Gov. Palin does? This seems to me to be a formula that could cost the lives of countless thousands and untold millions of dollars. If one thinks God is on their side and all other sides are evil, then I believe rationality will sit on the sidelines and the world will become a more dangerous place.
Recently (ca 4 Sept. 2008 on NPR's All Things Considered) that scholar stated that a speech by Gov. Palin indicates that she believes in spiritual warfare, a war between Good and Evil. (You can imagine which side she believes she and the Republicans are on.) Palin believes the war in Iraq, then, is a holy war fought by the U.S., according to the scholar. Further, Pentecostals believe Islam is a false religion. Last point: Pentecostals believe God intervenes in human affairs. All this is the interpretation of a Pentecostal scholar who says Gov. Palin exhibits beliefs of mainstream Pentecostalism.
My addition here is to ask whether America really wants a Vice-President, so close to the presidency, who might believe God has intervened to give her that office (and perhaps the presidency) and who believes in spiritual warfare played out in world affairs, that God is on the side of America, and in a holy war with Islam.
You might recall that George Bush during his first presidential campaign said he believed God had chosen him for President. Perhaps George Bush also sees the war in Iraq as a holy war, a war that has killed 86,863-94,781 civilians. (See http://www.iraqbodycount.org/). Do we want any more politicians with lethal power who believe in their own Chosenness?
To be sure, there is an unknown interplay within all of us between our faith and ideological elements. Gov. Palin might emphasize her conservative ideological beliefs over her Pentecostal beliefs. But where the two meet, as they could often do, we can assume some primacy at the intersection of the two sets of belief. (There is some precedent of a Pentecostal in the Bush Administration with Attorney General Ashcroft. I will not attempt to analyze how his religion influenced his policy decisions. (But see http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9403EFDB153DF937A25752C0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all)
Pentecostals and all others can freely practice their religion in America. But do we want someone who sees the world in such good/evil terms as apparently Gov. Palin does? This seems to me to be a formula that could cost the lives of countless thousands and untold millions of dollars. If one thinks God is on their side and all other sides are evil, then I believe rationality will sit on the sidelines and the world will become a more dangerous place.
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