November 3, 2004
MEMO TO FOREIGNERS--AMERICANS AREN'T REALISTS:
In God - or reality - we trust: Because the stakes are so high, this is a world election: if George W Bush is re-elected, it will send a strong signal that Americans support the neo-conservative agenda and all that it entails - including Iraq. (Pepe Escobar, 11/03/04, Asia Times)
No matter what happens on election day - or days or weeks if the multibillion-dollar special again goes to the Supreme Court - the fact is that at least half of the nation, and the majority of its cultural and intellectual elite, has already rejected Bush as a divider, not a uniter, someone who did not even have a popular mandate to begin with.The choice now is stark, between faith-based domination and rational leadership; between a messianic cult backed by vast corporate power and the "reality-based community".
We couldn't agree more. As the gay marriage bans amply demonstrated some 60-70% of the U.S. remains faith-based. Posted by Orrin Judd at November 3, 2004 8:49 AM
"As the gay marriage bans amply demonstrated some 60-70% of the U.S. remains faith-based."
There are a lot of reasons behind opposition to gay marriage. Religious faith, at least of a certain sort, is only one of them.
Posted by: M. Bulger at November 3, 2004 10:21 AMOJ:
The point being, your fellow travelers aren't all necessarily "faith-based." Some of them just hate fags, and it doesn't make any difference if it's because God tells them to or not.
Is this what you on the right mean by a "coalition of the willing?"
In practical terms, I think the push for gay marriage has been nothing but a disaster, and has almost certainly hindered any movement for "civil unions," perhaps not unlike what our finally elected President has proposed. But don't try to tell me that 70% of the country voted to prohibit gay marriage because of their lamblike faith in God Almighty. At least half of them fall well outside that tent.
M:
They hate themselves. It's inevitable their transgressiveness provokes a strong reaction.
Posted by: oj at November 3, 2004 2:22 PM"It's inevitable their transgressiveness provokes a strong reaction."
Fair enough. But the reaction is independent of faith.
"They hate themselves."
This might be true for some. Every minority--whether racial, religious, or defined by other characteristics--has members that cannot resist society's prejudgement of them. They are _taught_ to hate themselves.
The only exception to the rule, of course, is lawyers, who cannot be taught.
Posted by: M. Bulger at November 3, 2004 2:36 PMOrrin:
I think M has a point. For example, Eminem doesn't like gays, but I don't think you can say he is a member of the Religious Right--far from it.
Posted by: Vince at November 3, 2004 7:28 PMOrrin, I think anybody who believes in Original Sin as much as you claim to do ought to ease up on accusing other people of self-loathing.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at November 5, 2004 4:26 PMHarry:
Hating yourself for being sinful makes no sense. Repeating the same sin over and over makes you deserving of self hatred.
Posted by: oj at November 5, 2004 4:36 PM