There's a Rep for That

Quote of the Day

Mom and Dad met with presidents Ford, Reagan, and Bush Sr. and stayed in the White House several times. In the 1990s when my mother Edith - then in her eighties - heard that George W. Bush might run for the presidency, she exclaimed, "What? But Barbara asked me pray especially for young George. She didn't think he had what it took to do anything."

Frank Schaeffer, Crazy for GOD How I grew up as one of the elect, helped found the religious right, and lived to take all (or almost all) of it back, 2007 p. 2

Kris Kobach Reading Material

A little reading material on Mr. Kobach to get you started thinking about the 2010 elections here in Kansas.

Kris Kobach wishes to use Kansas in a grand voter experiment

Kris Kobach - Right uses 'ACORN' as mantra in bid to restrict voting

Kris Kobach announces candidacy for Mayor of Fantasyland

Kobach says statement about Obama ‘just a joke’

Maybe Kris Kobach Is What's The Matter With Kansas

Does Fascism Describe The Christian Right?

Let me say up front that I don't agree with everything Mel White says in his book Religion Gone Bad The Hidden Dangers of the Christian Right. In fact I find some of his comments to be as hateful and disturbing as those he rails against. However, something Mr. White said stuck me.
Chapter Seven is entitled Fascism: The Politics of Fundamentalism. Here Mr. White lays out his case for calling the Christian Right, fascists. Citing work by Laurence W. Britt he states;

"In 2002, Britt decided to examine the basic principles of fascism as demonstrated by various twentieth-century fascist regimes, including Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Franco's Spain, Salazar's Portugal, Papadopoulo's Greece, Pinochet's Chile, and Suharto's Indonesia.  (pp. 218-19)

Based on this examination, Britt came up with the "14 Identifying Characteristics of Fascism."

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to looks the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic, or religious minorities; liberals, communists, socialists, terrorists, etc.

4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

5. Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.

6. Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes the media are directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media are indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in wartime, is very common.

7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.

9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

10. Labor Power is Suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascists regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forgo civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascists nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation, to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

pp. 219-222

I don't know that I'm willing to go so far as to call the religious right a fascist movement but I have to admit, I've heard a member (often multiple members) of the religious right - both at the national level and here in Kansas - make most every argument/statement in the "14 Characteristics" and support the actions that are identified.

Let's be clear right now, religion in and of itself is not bad. Religious leaders have always been involved in every progressive movement in this county. The issue is that fringe element known as the religious right. Is it a fascist movement? I'm not sure, but I can tell you I'm now more afraid of them than I was just an hour ago.

Interview with Inga Taylor

The National Black Justice Coalition has a great interview with Inga Taylor about running for the State Legislature last year.

Why did you want to run for State Representative?

I believe that politics is were I am suppose to be. I always ask the Lord for guidance and let me tell you when I was directed to politics, I went kicking and screaming (laughs). But, the fact is that in order to affect change, we must be at the table when the descions [sic] that affect us are being made.

It is Black History Month—who is your role model? Do you have a hero?

Do I have one role model or hero? I do not. There are so many role models and heroes that have not had their stories told or printed.

When I look at my elders, I see all of them as my role models and my heroes. Nothing I can ever do in my lifetime will compare to what they endured to give me the opportunity to do what I do.