Democracy, even our half-assed democracy, only works if people are not idiots. On November 3, it was proven to me just how stupid America is. The rest of the world is appalled, aghast and disgusted at what we have done, describing the American Bush supporters as “the self-righteous, gun-totin’, military lovin’, sister marryin’, abortion-hatin’, gay-loathin’, foreigner-despisin’, non-passport ownin’ red-necks, who believe God gave America the biggest dick in the world so it could urinate on the rest of us and make their land ‘free and strong’” (The Daily Mirror). The ramifications of this election on the future of America are terrifying.
The next part is pretty foul (I feel like Monty Brogan from Spike Lee’s “The 25th Hour”). There is some personal criticism, so I’m enclosing it in a cut.
I have not spoken to one Bush supporter who voted for him for any good reason, except for perhaps abortion – but that issue is simply not sufficient to overlook Bush’s record in every other area. Our economy is fucked, the rest of the world hates us, and we’re raping our Constitution. To those who voted for Bush, fuck you. Seriously, take your precious tax refund and shove it up your ass. Each of you is stubborn, brainwashed, ill-informed, misled, or just an idiot.
Mark, you are self-admittedly bad at research, at absorbing information from the written word, and self-admittedly raised from childhood as a right-wing Catholic whose parents giggle with glee at the suffering of others. Don’t you see the hypocrisy, the inconsistency? Take a good, hard look at your beliefs! Make a really thorough pass through that Bible that you supposedly believe in but as Lucas pointed out don’t actually follow, and tell me what possible rational reasons you could have, that you actually find compelling, for believing what it says, and for supporting neoconservative politics.
And Bill, you are the worst. I don’t understand you. There are so many common fallacies (e.g., faith) to which people fall victim, and your keen rational mind avoids them. But you have come to some of the most irrational conclusions. The worst part is that you seem to be completely aware of it, but too prideful to change. Andy and I tried so hard to get you to explain why you support Bush. You were my best hope. I really wanted to hear good reasons from someone who is not a short-sighted, selfish, money-grubbing businessman; a gun-toting hillbilly redneck warmonger; or an insane, Bible-thumping religious zealot. But you must know your reasons are bogus, or else why wouldn’t you have shared them with us? Surely if Bush was really the best candidate, you would have enlightened your friends as to why, in an effort to increase the President’s chances of winning Wisconsin.
About gay marriage: what people don’t seem to realize is that it is already Constitutionally protected, because it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of gender. If Jane wants to marry Paul, it’s allowed, but if John wants to marry Paul, he can’t? Well, what is the important difference between Jane and John? Obviously, John is male, and Jane is female. Thus, it is discrimination based on gender.
About the war in Iraq, the war on terrorism, and any other wrongheaded pointless wars we might be fighting: I have already argued a few reasons why the war was a terrible idea and is continuing to turn out badly. Might does not make right, the ends do not justify the means, etc., etc. Anyone who still thinks the war in Iraq is doing any good, or serving any useful purpose, or morally justifiable, has not read the facts and thought it through clearly enough.
About welfare: while I will point out that Lord Aristar’s economic scenario is somewhat idealistic, and it’s unrealistic to say we can (on average) provide necessary goods to the poor at “no cost” (I’d instead say “insignificant cost”), his point is well taken, as is Jessie’s that government can serve as a social conscience for the people. Before this election, I was more committed to a government where individual people make compromises strictly as necessary. And I didn’t see welfare as a necessary compromise. But after seeing that more than 59 million of my fellow countrymen are not rational and well-informed, I am resigned to our government demanding more from people who clearly do not possess the intellect necessary to understand why such systems improve society rather than harming it. Those of us who do will keep trying to forge the U.S. into a better nation, even if we have to drag the stupid half along with us kicking and screaming.