Austin Debate

1. We don't need an "official language." We've done pretty well without it in the 218 years since the Constitution has been in effect. The ONLY purpose of the English Language amendment is to stir up disunity. It's bigoted, divisive, and WOULD ACCOMPLISH NOTHING IN TERMS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

2. Eminent domain is a valid point of discussion when talking about the "border security fence" -- especially in the Rio Grande Valley. Those of us who actually live down here have already seen the government wanting to put their fence [which will never be unbroken or contiguous] through the houses of some homeowners while plans call for it stopping at the property lines of a nearby golf course -- and then continuing again at the other end. We've already seen another huge gap in the fence so that there's no building on the property of a well-connected Dallas millionaire [named Hunt]. So, yeah. I think that selectively taking property is something that should be discussed.

3. Meanwhile, anybody notice that there's still an elective, unnecessary, and costly war going on? Anybody notice that underequipped soldiers and marines are still dying because vehicle and body armor still isn't being supplied to them? Anybody notice that "the surge is working" sounds an awful lot like "mission accomplished" and "bring it on" did in early editions of "what are you traitors talking about? The Emperor has lots of clothes on?"

4. Anybody notice the huge deficit created during this administration, the huge debt on the next 6 or 7 generations of Americans -- primarily because of profligate spending on this unnecessary war? Anybody notice how Blackwater and Halliburton and other administration pet companies have gotten obscenely wealthy on no-bid contracts in Iraq and in Lousiana? Anybody commenting at all on the size and arrogance and pure absolutism of the Bush Administration?

5. No, of course not. Don't look at people without homes or jobs or health care. Woo hoo! Look over here! Woo hoo! Mexicans!

Next up: flag burning, left-wing professors, unaccountable judges, gay marriage, and the war on Christmas. Brought to you by the Republican Party -- the Party of Ideas!

 

and I've said it before many time, some even on this site, that in order for fringe groups to rally the poorly- or un-informed to their extremist cause, they have to create an "other." This "other" is a group of people who can be scapegoated for all society's ills. This group is responsible for the bad economy, for poor national security, for high taxation, for "fringe religions," for pretty much everything.

Today, the "other" in the United States that the right wing needs to convince the poorly- or un-informed that their home and family and nation is at risk has been -- at various times recently -- immigrants, college professors, "unelected" judges, homosexuals, trial lawyers, AND MUSLIMS. In the past, this group has included socialists, blacks, Native Americans, Jews, Mormons, Catholics, and labor unionists.

The key is to convince people that half of their problems are directly caused by the "other." The other half of their problems, of course, are caused by liberal government programs that favor "the other" over PEOPLE LIKE YOU. It works pretty well, especially during election campaigns. That's why you'll see such "issues" as Gay Marriage, English First, flag burning, prayer in school, and the War on Christmas put forth. It's all designed to get those people who don't really pay attention to things like the economy, our foreign policy, the war, etc. to focus on some quick slogan and get them to vote and/or protest, write letters to editors to support the very people who are trying to (a) scare them to death (b) making them feel like they're being betrayed.

News flash: it works. It almost always works. And it's not just limited to electoral politics. The same "other" tactic works well for recruiting for groups like the KKK, urban street gangs, and groups like Al Kaeda.

 

and of course, nothing in my last post in this thread is untrue, historically or politically.

heh yerself 8)