Titus Oates and today's GOP

[Midnight Writer]

1678 England. A cabal of English oligarchs recruited a firebrand named Titus Oates (think Rush Limbaugh and co.) to push a conspiracy theory that the Pope was going to manipulate the line of royal succession to force England into a Catholic monarchy.

Oates was quite successful, and anti-Catholic violence and riots ensued. Any who questioned the validity of the "plot" were also attacked.

An interesting quote from the time. "The extravagant frenzy of the London mob took most people by surprise...London witnessed an exhibition of emotional fanaticism which has seldom been equaled in the history of a civilized nation. Mobs have often been as wicked, but not often so stupid."

As England exploded, the oligarchs merrily looted the nation, unimpeded.

We are seeing the same playbook being used today. The American oligarchs are using racism, religious extremism, machismo, and fanatical nationalism to stir up the hysteria. They have employed provocateurs and propagandists to turn us against one another, while they cut themselves bigger and bigger slices of our economic pie.

We've seen this movie before.

[abqtommy]

1. But then all of the "civilized nations" we know in history were founded on slavery. So fanaticism

and the Spanish Inquisition are to be expected and really required. And that's why we can't have peace
and plenty for all. Unless we're willing to fight for it.