Reactionaries: The Enemies of a Free Society.

20score

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Sun Dec-13-09 02:03 AM
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Reactionaries: The Enemies of a Free Society.

Edited on Sun Dec-13-09 02:04 AM by 20score

Back in the year 2000 during the Bush Gore campaigns, I worked with someone who seemed to be a collection of right wing talking points, personified. There was never a minute spent during his life on introspection. If this person was ever asked, by anyone, to explain why he believed a particular platitude, the reaction was anger, followed by an ad hominem attack and possibly a joke. But an explanation was never forthcoming, no matter how respectfully the question was asked. This was illustrated by an argument we had about something going on in Southern California at the time.

There was a storeowner in Westminster, California, an area with many people of Vietnamese ancestry, who had displayed a picture of Ho Chi Minh and the flag of North Vietnam. There were protests and a bit of violence in the city. We both agreed the protesters should be allowed to march in the streets, the contention between us came when he said loudly that the “Cops should close the store and tear down the flag.” I thought it was just hyperbole and reminded him we live in a relatively free society and in a free society sometimes people have to live with other’s who have different opinions. He responded with, “How can I be free if I have to look at a flag like that!?” The stupidity of the statement floored me.

I’m using this person as example of reactionary thought. The Teabaggers who loudly protest against their own interests, people who push zero tolerance laws in elementary schools, those who see no limit to the percentage of people who should be incarcerated in the country, nor any limit to the length of incarceration, even for non-violent crimes – these groups of people are all using emotions, anger and fear, with no regard for long term consequences. In other words, reactionary thought. Even if it’s only in one area that a person is too angry to think things through, in that one area he or she is making a contribution to being a part of the problem, as they used to say.

For years reactionary thought has kept alive the ridiculous war on drugs, even to the point of denying sick people medicinal marijuana. It has helped to make the U.S. prison system far too crowded with non-violent offenders. And yes, the profit motive in filling our prisons is criminal in and of itself, but it would never be allowed if it weren’t for popular support.

The PATRIOT ACT, the Iraq War, support of torture, mandatory sentencing, all were enacted with the support of reactionaries, and all of those things, plus many more, had long term negative consequences.

It would be nice to have reasoned debate on each subject as it came up; whether it was healthcare, tax codes, banking regulations, trade policies, war, fossil fuel or immigration. It would go a long way to making our country a better place, and for a much longer time.