Crashing Down the Right Wing, Republican Wall
by Rob Kall
It has become clear that under George W. Bush's watch, the US has perpetrated some of the most shameful, despicable acts in its history. Torture, murder, corruption, lies, distortions, international outrages, the destruction of our nation's reputation as a freedom loving, open, fair democracy.
George W. Bush and his administration have presided over the dismantling, putrefaction, disembowelment and abomination of a 230 year historical endowment of honor, nobility, justice and an archetypal symbol that has led the world towards a better future.
The criminals who have advised him and carried out his combination of stupid and malevolent policies have been allowed total freedom, with none of them being fired, let alone accused of the treachery, treason, law breaking etc. that they deserve.
We are in the early stages of seeing cracks in the wall of unanimity among right-wingers. This is a wall that is a threat to America, a threat to America's future, a wall that must come down if the US as a free nation, respected by the world's other nations, is to survive.
The cracks are starting to show in this wall because, finally, there are Republican leaders who have been able to see that their loyalty to the Bush administration has been returned with perfidy, with incompetence and traitorous policies and actions that clearly are not consistent with loyalty to the US.
So far, there are four Republican US senators who have stood up to the other 47, holding them from passing even more egregious laws and policies and budgets-- Chafee, Voinovich, Snowe and McCain. In addition, Senator Warner has been taking a tough stance asking questions about the Abu Ghraib tortures. Lindsey Graham has also ruffled some Republican feathers with his questions.
Of course, when these independent legislators of character take steps outside the "allowed" range of operations that the right wing Republican leadership prescribe, there are repercussions. Dennis Hastert lashed out at John McCain recently. The Washington Post described the interaction:
On Tuesday, McCain gave a speech excoriating both political parties for refusing to sacrifice their tax-cutting and spending agendas in a time of war. At the Capitol yesterday, Hastert shot back: "If you want to see sacrifice, John McCain ought to visit our young men and women at Walter Reed (Army Medical Center) and Bethesda (Naval Hospital). There's the sacrifice in this country."
The obvious crack in the wall is McCain's criticism of the Republican party. But perhaps the more significant outcome is how badly Hastert comes off, not getting the whole idea of sacrifice by people other than the soldiers. It reminds me of the way patrician George Bush Sr. couldn't tell how much simple items in a grocery store cost. This disconnect from reality cost him dearly at the election booths. It is clear that the Republican leadership either doesn't get the idea of sacrifice or, worse, and probably more accurate, they believe they can get away without it.
The question is, are the supporters of the Republican party so selfish, so shallow and gutless that they are willing to allow the words of Hastert to stand for their own values. Is sacrifice only to be sustained by our young soldiers?
Are the wealthy exempt from sacrifice? Can the 25-35% of the Republican supporters who are fundamentalist Christians opposed to abortion willing to tolerate torture and murder, starvation of budgets for the poor, for military families, for veterans, students and even homeland security?
The far right has learned how to manipulate the spiritual faiths of a huge segment of the population, preying upon their hopes, their beliefs. But how much evil, how much malignant destruction will these purportedly spiritual, God-loving, good-intending souls tolerate. How many reports from former employees of the Bush administration, documenting failure, incompetence, dishonesty, dissembling, torture, homicide, total disrespect for laws, for humanity, for God's creations, will these Christian Republican sheep tolerate before they wake up and see that they have been led by the devil, by the antichrist they fear and that they have been manipulated into making the world a worse place with more suffering and unjust deaths?
I use the words; Devil, Antichrist, because these are the terms that these people relate to. These symbols are the ones they fear, yet they have been led along a primrose path that now puts the very planet and certainly the US as a nation at the brink of ruin.
So how do we take the small cracks in the wall and shake them and throttle them so the wall begins to crumble, begins to show further signs of crashing down?
First thing is to support the brave people who are showing the first signs of courage. Let them know that you appreciate their taking stands. Tell them you will seek ways to do extra business with their states. Write to them and tell them they are heroes.
Next, contact the republican leaders in your state-- at all levels, but certainly the federal legislators. Point out the leaders who are standing up against the Bush cabal and ask them to take independent stands. Tell them you want them to represent you and not an extreme right wing Republican party that, with the likes of Tom DeLay and Dennis Hastert are out of control and no longer representative of your values.
Protest in front of churches. Make signs that say: HOW CAN YOU OPPOSE ABORTION AND SUPPORT TORTURE AND MURDER?
Call up the right wing talk radio shows. Ask them how they can support the most hated man in the history of the world. These radio talk shows all justify the use of torture by citing the behavior of terrorists. It is outrageous to cite criminals as justifications for the US to set a policy of torture in prisons. Where is the character and integrity in that? Ask them why the Bush administration is not developing alternative sources of fuel so we no longer depend upon dwindling oil supplies and middle east oil. Laugh at them when they stupidly and foolishly suggest that the solution lies in Prudhoe Bay. That is a short-sighted reply that does not deal at all with the need to develop an alternative to oil.
Contact the main media networks and demand coverage of issues that they are avoiding-- electronic voting and paper ballots, corporate takeover of government and the commons, failure of Bush to fire anyone... anyone at all, the massive incompetence of Bush appointees, the neocon cabal that Bush brought into government, the quashing of democracy.... One email is not enough. Print out and send snail mail. Do it often. These media respond when they see massive numbers of people roused to action.
Contribute, in the next five months, more than you have ever given before-- to candidates, to the Democratic party, to MoveOn.org, to Emily's list, to underfunded alternative media like OpEdNews.com, Buzzflash.com, alternet.org, commondreams.org, The Nation, The American Prospect, The Progressive, TRUTHOUT, SmirkingChimp, Democratic Underground, whatreallyhappened.com...
Support the newly emerging progressive talk radio media-- radiopower.org, Airamericaradio, the Thom Hartmann Show, Pacifica, Bernie Ward, Counterpin... click here for a list of almost 40 progressive radio shows, most with access from the web, sattelite radio and or radio waves.
The Great Right Wing Republican Wall is beginning to crack. You can help expand the cracks and contribute to helping it crash and fall. It's not about destroying the Republican party. It's about remind the leaders that they are supposed to represent the interests of the voters, not of corporations and special interests. If millions of us all take small actions, we can bring the walls down.
Rob Kall rob@opednews.com is editor/founder of OpEdNews.com. This article is copyright Rob Kall and originally published by opednews.com but permission is granted for reprint in print, email, blog or web media so long as this credit paragraph is attached. Over 100 other articles by Rob Kall including a series of articles on the need for progressive policy promotion think tanks.
