Kevyn wrote:
I found this to be a pretty accurate summary of the views and goals of many on the right especialy many of you on OPP. Do you agree? if not why?
by Chip Berlet & Margaret Quigley
(revised)
As the United States slides into the twenty-first century, the major mass movements challenging the bipartisan status quo are not found on the left of the political spectrum, but on the right. The resurgent right contains several strands woven together around common themes and goals. There is the electoral activism of the religious fundamentalist movements; the militant anti-government populism of the armed militia movement; and the murderous terrorism of the neonazi underground--from which the bombing the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City emerged.
It is easy to see the dangers to democracy posed by vigilante forces such as armed militias, and the extrteme right including neonazis, and racist skinheads. However, hard right forces such as dogmatic religious movements, regressive populism, and White racial nationalism also are attacking democratic values in our country.
The best known sector of the hard right--dogmatic religious movements--is often called the "Religious Right" It substantially dominates the Republican Party in at least 10 (and perhaps as many as 30) of the 50 states. As part of an aggressive grassroots campaign, these groups have targeted electoral races from school boards to state legislatures to campaigns for the US Senate and House of Representatives. They helped elect dozens of hard-line ultraconservatives to the House of Representatives in 1994. This successful social movement politically mobilizes a traditionalist mass base from a growing pious constituency of evangelical, fundamentalist, charismatic, Pentecostal, and orthodox churchgoers.
The goal of many leaders of this ultraconservative religious movement is imposing a narrow theological agenda on secular society. The predominantly Christian leadership envisions a religiously-based authoritarian society; therefore we prefer to describe this movement as the "theocratic right." A theocrat is someone who supports a form of government where the actions of leaders are seen as sanctioned by God--where the leaders claim they are carrying out God's will. The central threat to democracy posed by the theocratic right is not that its leaders are religious, or fundamentalist, or right wing--but that they justify their political, legislative, and regulatory agenda as fulfilling God's plan.
Along with the theocratic right, two other hard right political movements pose a grave threat to democracy: regressive populism, typified by diverse groups ranging from members of the John Birch Society out to members of the patriot and armed militia movements; and White racial nationalism, promoted by Pat Buchanan and his shadow, David Duke of Louisiana.
The theocratic right, regressive populism, and White racial nationalism make up a hard right political sector that is distinct from and sometimes in opposition to mainstream Republicanism and the internationalist wing of corporate conservatism.
Finally, there is the militant, overtly racist extreme right that includes the open White supremacists, Ku Klux Klan members, Christian Patriots, racist skinheads, neonazis, and right-wing revolutionaries. Although numerically smaller, the extreme right is a serious political factor in some rural areas, and its propaganda promoting violence reaches into major metropolitan centers where it encourages alienated young people to commit hate crimes against people of color, Jews, and gays and lesbians, among other targets. The electoral efforts of Buchanan and Duke serve as a bridge between the ultraconservative hard right and the extreme right movements. The armed militia movement is a confluence of regressive populism, White racial nationalism, and the racist and antisemitic extreme right.
All four of these hard right activist movements are antidemocratic in nature, promoting in various combinations and to varying degrees authoritarianism, xenophobia, conspiracist theories, nativism, racism, sexism, homophobia, antisemitism, demagoguery, and scapegoating. Each wing of the antidemocratic right has a slightly different vision of the ideal nation.
I found this to be a pretty accurate summary of th... (
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I am a libertarian, which, for the most part, finds me aligned with the right. Our credo is: Never initiate force on another. It's why I could NEVER be aligned with the left. At every turn, they want to steal from me at the point of a gun. "Not true!" you lefties (which I find offensive since I am left handed) say? What happens if I don't pay the taxes you steal from me and give to others. Someone from the government comes to my house with a gun and takes me to jail.
Now to the charge I am racist. I have been a manager for decades now. I have hired hundreds of people. I have had exactly 3 blacks apply for jobs in all that time. I hired 2. One stole from the company I managed and I fired him. The other just didn't show up one day, and never came back. Que Sera Sera.
Homophobic? I have many gay acquaintances, and a couple I call friends. I would never consider imposing my sexual preferences on them and only ask the same respect in return. Just don't try to get government money from me to promote your agenda.
Guns? The Second Amendment is there not to let me kill Bambi, or to protect my home against criminals. It is there to protect me from a thuggish government. Unfortunately, that is no longer possible unless I am able to fashion my own atomic bomb. But I hope you and others of your ilk remember when you come to take my guns, I have guns.
Theocracy? It doesn't apply to me personally since I am an atheist, but I will go with what Ben Carson said on the subject. I will vote for them if they subjugate their religious preferences to the U.S. Constitution!
Racism? Are you kidding? It is almost considered blasphemous to be happy you are white. We are automatically assumed to be racist BECAUSE we are white. It is like assuming one cannot be racist if they are black. Anyone who has heard Louis Farrakhan speak knows that isn't true.
Anti-democratic? You betcha. We are not a democracy. We are a representative constitutional republic. Big difference! A democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. It is 50% plus one vote stealing from 50% minus one vote. Quit stealing from me at the point of a gun, okay?
Xenophobic? A little xenophobia may have been in order before those 19 hijackers flew those jets into the twin towers. Oh, I forgot, I am a conspiracy theorist. George Bush had them flown into the World Trade Center. Oops, that's a left-wing conspiracy nut theory. Sorry.
Sexism? Yes, I'm a sexist. I open the door for a woman. I wait to shake hands until it is offered. I watch my language. If they can dig a ditch alongside me, I'll give them a job at the same rate of pay as the men. If they can't, they should find something different to do.
Anti-semitism? Really? Your lefty president has done everything he can to undermine Israel. The only support the Jews have is from the right (at least openly) and from democratic Jews under the table. I personally don't want you giving anyone MY money. Even the Jews. If I want to, I'll give them my money.
The most laughable criticism is scapegoating. Barack has spent the last six years blaming W. for EVERYTHING, except Benghazi, which he blamed on a video. LOL!
The other "isms" follow the same track. Specious, untrue, circular arguments and just plain nonsense (B.S.). You on the left equate us wanting to give to the charity of our choice as racist. You feel it is not only your right, but your obligation to steal from us and give to the person of YOUR choice. We on the right are stockpiling our arms and ammunition for the day you try to take them by force. Be careful. You may find you have unwilling allies in the military and police who will not take up arms against their friends and neighbors.
You better quit poking the bear before it is too late.