Philosophy
Hilary Clinton was blasted for claiming that there was a "vast right-wing conspiracy" out there attempting to undermine the Clinton Administration's ability to govern. It is a phrase that comes to mind looking at the world this week.
Norway had its version of the Oklahoma City bombing with twin attacks masterminded by a "a right-wing fundamentalist Christian and a gun-loving Norwegian obsessed with what he saw as the threats of multiculturalism". As the far right gains power in parliaments throughout Europe and center right parties run on watered down, wink-wink, versions of the same nationalist, anti-immigrant rhetoric, how was this horrible tragedy not an inevitability?
But what is even more worrisome is that in the manifesto he wrote before the murders, the Christian terrorist Anders Behring Breivik claimed to be part of an international group bent on violent overthrow in the name of their right-wing cause.
But while there is the populist racist brand of right-wing conspiracy in the headlines, it exists alongside the corporate control of government brand of right-wing conspiracy. Rupert and James Murdoch's conservative papers helped British Prime minister David Cameron get into 10 Downing street and as a thank you, they've been allowed incredible access, to the point of allowing them to govern -- they wanted the BBC neutered and Cameron has obeyed, starting the process. They wanted the British media oversight commission, their version of the FCC abolished and Cameron has initiated the changes. Add to that, that they controlled elements of Scotland Yard and you have something pretty darn scary. We look at developing nations and tsk-tsk over the level of corruption in their governments, but if you look at the corporate control of Western democracies, it seems that we're really just calling them amateurs. "C'mon, you call THAT a bribe?"
But what is interesting is that in the U.S., we are seeing these two vast right-wing conspiracies clash. We have the populist wing in the tea partiers pulling one way and the corporate side in the guise of Wall Street pulling the other on the question of the debt ceiling. Republican leaders are not sure which of these conspiracies to obey and as a result have looked ridiculous hopping in irrational circles as the nation sits on the precipice of financial despair. While they cause substantial damage when they cooperate, it seems that they do the same when they don't.
- Osama Bin Laden And The Dread Pirate Roberts
It has been very interesting watching the administration's finesse in handling the bin Laden assassination. Some of the interest was in doing the right thing because it is the right thing, some of it has been to make sure that there was as little...
- Rhetorical Insanity
A second element of the right-wing commentator's element that they bear absolutely no responsibility for the attempted assassination of Gabrielle Giffords is that Jared Loughner is CRAAAAAAZY. They are pleading innocence by reason of someone else's...
- Teabag Terrorism?
Kerry wanted to have a discussion about whether Joseph Stack's suicide bombing of the IRS building in Austin last week constituted a terrorist attack. This is a semantic question (although do NOT think that this means it is trivial), what exactly...
- What Are The Necessary Conditions For Democracy?
As Bush attempts to negotiate a Status of Forces Agreement with Iraq that includes what amount to permanent bases and immunity from prosecution for US troops and contractors, one realizes that even the person who spent so much time trying to trumpet the...
- Buy Starschmucks, Attack God?
Apparently evangelical Christian and right-wing conservative 'historian' David Barton and I have something in common: we kind of hate Starschmucks. Our reasons, however, differ. My antagonism is based on the condescending pretentiousness of the...
Philosophy
Dueling Vast Right-Wing Conspircacies
Hilary Clinton was blasted for claiming that there was a "vast right-wing conspiracy" out there attempting to undermine the Clinton Administration's ability to govern. It is a phrase that comes to mind looking at the world this week.
Norway had its version of the Oklahoma City bombing with twin attacks masterminded by a "a right-wing fundamentalist Christian and a gun-loving Norwegian obsessed with what he saw as the threats of multiculturalism". As the far right gains power in parliaments throughout Europe and center right parties run on watered down, wink-wink, versions of the same nationalist, anti-immigrant rhetoric, how was this horrible tragedy not an inevitability?
But what is even more worrisome is that in the manifesto he wrote before the murders, the Christian terrorist Anders Behring Breivik claimed to be part of an international group bent on violent overthrow in the name of their right-wing cause.
The manifesto, entitled "2083: A European Declaration of Independence," equates liberalism and multiculturalism with "cultural Marxism," which the document says is destroying European Christian civilization.
The document also describes a secret meeting in London in April 2002 to reconstitute the Knights Templar, a Crusader military order. It says nine representatives of eight European countries, evidently including Mr. Breivik, with an additional three members unable to attend, attended the meeting, including a "European-American."
The document does not name the attendees or say whether they were aware of Breivik's planned attacks, though investigators presumably will now try to determine if the people exist and what their connection is to Breivik.
Thomas Hegghammer, a terrorism specialist at the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment, said the manifesto bears an eerie resemblance to those of Osama bin Laden and other Al Qaeda leaders, though from a Christian rather than a Muslim point of view.
"It seems to be an attempt to mirror Al Qaeda, exactly in reverse," Hegghammer said.
But while there is the populist racist brand of right-wing conspiracy in the headlines, it exists alongside the corporate control of government brand of right-wing conspiracy. Rupert and James Murdoch's conservative papers helped British Prime minister David Cameron get into 10 Downing street and as a thank you, they've been allowed incredible access, to the point of allowing them to govern -- they wanted the BBC neutered and Cameron has obeyed, starting the process. They wanted the British media oversight commission, their version of the FCC abolished and Cameron has initiated the changes. Add to that, that they controlled elements of Scotland Yard and you have something pretty darn scary. We look at developing nations and tsk-tsk over the level of corruption in their governments, but if you look at the corporate control of Western democracies, it seems that we're really just calling them amateurs. "C'mon, you call THAT a bribe?"
But what is interesting is that in the U.S., we are seeing these two vast right-wing conspiracies clash. We have the populist wing in the tea partiers pulling one way and the corporate side in the guise of Wall Street pulling the other on the question of the debt ceiling. Republican leaders are not sure which of these conspiracies to obey and as a result have looked ridiculous hopping in irrational circles as the nation sits on the precipice of financial despair. While they cause substantial damage when they cooperate, it seems that they do the same when they don't.
- Osama Bin Laden And The Dread Pirate Roberts
It has been very interesting watching the administration's finesse in handling the bin Laden assassination. Some of the interest was in doing the right thing because it is the right thing, some of it has been to make sure that there was as little...
- Rhetorical Insanity
A second element of the right-wing commentator's element that they bear absolutely no responsibility for the attempted assassination of Gabrielle Giffords is that Jared Loughner is CRAAAAAAZY. They are pleading innocence by reason of someone else's...
- Teabag Terrorism?
Kerry wanted to have a discussion about whether Joseph Stack's suicide bombing of the IRS building in Austin last week constituted a terrorist attack. This is a semantic question (although do NOT think that this means it is trivial), what exactly...
- What Are The Necessary Conditions For Democracy?
As Bush attempts to negotiate a Status of Forces Agreement with Iraq that includes what amount to permanent bases and immunity from prosecution for US troops and contractors, one realizes that even the person who spent so much time trying to trumpet the...
- Buy Starschmucks, Attack God?
Apparently evangelical Christian and right-wing conservative 'historian' David Barton and I have something in common: we kind of hate Starschmucks. Our reasons, however, differ. My antagonism is based on the condescending pretentiousness of the...