> Things HAVE gotten worse with the rise of Limbaugh, et al., and the advent of the internet. These developments have given the lily-white, flag-waving, assholes a rallying point, and much that was formerly only mentioned in private is now broadcast for all the world to hear and read. The assholes feel more emboldened with each passing day. Also, I think that the fact that U.S. participated in the horrendous wars of the 20th century, but escaped most of the horrors of those wars, has a lot to do with the belligerent attitude of homo americanus palefacium. War-mongering European nationalists have a great deal history to overcome when they press their case; Americans don't. The bad shit always happens five thousand miles away, at least since Appomattox. Finally, let's not forget the racial aspect to this, which I alluded to above. The bellicose assholes that Woj wonders about are almost exclusively white: It's highly unlikely that any of these online political scientist
s !
> are black, Hispanic, or Asian. Many, if not most, white American men are scared shitless of everything, particularly those in precarious economic situations. They believe themselves to be unjustly assailed and beleaguered on all sides, so they adopt a façade of mock-ferocity to show the world how tough they are, that they won't take any shit from anyone. It's all pretty pathetic.
Rush Limbaugh bears much of the blame, but progressives and radicals have been slow to respond and organize against the nutcase right.
I take comfort in the fact that their movement isn't the majority of Americans and that more conservatives are getting sick of them. But they are shrill as all hell, which I was reminded of a few minutes ago when I was browsing the "current affairs" section at Barnes and Noble. There are more liberal and progressive books on the shelves these days, but the Nutcase Right keeps pumping out the books that scream about how liberals are "ruining America."
I just laugh when I pick up these book rants. Like a new one that has a chapter on Chomsky. The book is about liberals, but the moron who wrote the book can't comprehend that Chomsky is an anarchist. He does devote several pages that accuse Chomsky of being a hypocrite for having some money. Then there is a new book by Tammy Bruce which is a hoot. Her first FOOTNOTE is to the Little Green Footballs website (widely called Little Green Fascists). She asks her readers to "destroy the ACLU." I don't know how they are going to stop an organization that is doing well in reaction to right wing nonsense, but perhaps they'll use a truck bomb.
Mark is absolutely correct about the fanbase of OxycontinHead being white males. Out here in Dittoland you will often come across the sad spectacle of some white guy spending his lunch hour sitting in his car in some parking lot listening to Rush. Don't ask me where these guys hands are, I don't look to closely.
Out here, the people with flag stickers on their car are the same folks with those Christian fish icons and the anti-abortion stickers. Almost always white and almost always driving an SUV or minivan. And drive into any church parking lot and you'll see a larger percentage of flag stickers on cars than on the regular streets.
Chuck Munson