Our Next Civil War

We have slid into another Civil War, without noticing the diminution of our rights, and the unwavering hatred that a very vocal minority has for the general well-being of our Nation. Once again, a few very loud firebrands call for moral indignation at the oppression of their perceived rights – their rights to dictate their minority views on the many. Hanging behind the shredded and defunct curtain of State’s Rights they once again call for their followers to rise to arms – whether it be through force or vindictiveness – to force their tightly controlled and editorially incorrect views of the Constitution.

As a citizen of the United States (whose forbears fought in many of our Wars) I am frightened for the future this portends. To call upon State’s Rights is to bring up every specious argument nullified by the failure of the Confederacy to support its own cause. As history has shown, many of the leaders of that earlier Civil War professed profound belief that their cause was just and could be won, “if only” the people would show the determination that the leaders showed in misappropriating the rights given them in the Constitution. How can one hide behind, or use, a Constitution, if one so violently disagrees with it? How can one then use it as a shield – even a weapon – when fighting against it? And in hindsight, how could such supposedly educated people be willing to go to war, with all its commensurate expenses in money and lives, solely to keep a race in slavery to maintain their own wealth? Will history eventually show that this Civil War was started and is being fought for similarly evil and self-centered purposes?

One of the weapons the Far Right is using is the voice – they raise it to a higher pitch with as many wild accusations as they can. This is the old magician’s trick – keep the audience’s eye focused on the hand or face while the other hand is doing the hiding, the dirty work, the trickery. The shouting is a ruse to keep people from focusing on their trickery – on their dirty work of driving wedges between people through mistrust and hatred. Their trickery is designed to get them in power and keep them in power regardless of the consequences to their fellow citizens and our country. Exactly the same thing that the Fascists did in Germany and Italy.

U.S. Socialism 101

So, we’re turning into a Socialist country. In the GOP vernacular I take it to mean that those who have the most, have the most responsibility to help those who have the least. No…wait…sorry, I mis-wrote there. In GOP vernacular it must mean “You’re stealing my hard-earned money to support my fellow citizens who have not had the same opportunities, nor connections for advancement, that I have had.”

No…wait…that’s still wrong, because we know for a fact that those Feminazi’s have finally accomplished what they were fighting for - fair treatment and wages for women (we won't talk about any other minorities, it just confuses some people....).

In GOP vernacular it seems to really mean “You’re taking my money to help some lazy Democrat/illegal immigrant slob.”

Kick me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the Christian church teach that you are supposed to share and help those amongst you who are in need? Don’t we have a LOT of people (and I suspect a lot of them are Christians) who are in need?

Alrighty then, it seems we’re becoming Socialists because we’re raising taxes on those who have a lot in order to help those who have little – or nothing. And some of those who have a lot are bitching about it because they have money and don’t want to “give” it to those who are in need.

Since I already told you that you could kick me if I was wrong – now you can slap me if I’m wrong. Doesn’t the Christian church teach members that they should help those in need? In fact, didn’t Jesus Christ Himself say something along the lines of “As you treat the very least among you, so have you treated me.”? So how does the Christian Right settle this seeming imbalance – where their religion encourages (some would say demands) that they take care of those in need, yet they themselves would prefer to NOT do so…calling it unfair taxation? In fact, aren't the people whom Obama is calling upon us to help not the “very least” amongst us?

I guess not. It truly appears as if the United States of America is headed down the road to true, dreaded, Socialism.

Which would really scare me, I suppose (at least I was taught in Eisenhower-era grade school it should scare me) is that we might be drifting to Socialism. I know I should believe what I’m taught rather than thinking for myself, if we weren’t already a Socialist country.

How can that be, you ask? Simple. Public education, public libraries, police departments, fire departments – oh, I could go on for a while. These are all things that are paid for with our taxes – which means that we are funding agencies through our taxes that provide services for everyone, regardless of their class or race or, well, you get my drift.

So, if you don’t want the U.S. to become a Socialist nation I’m afraid you are too late, my friend. Ever since we began providing free public schooling for all children (and in fact, it’s a law that they attend these free schools), ever since we have provided police and fire protection, ever since we have had public libraries – we’ve been a Socialist nation.

Better take another shot of coffee, and wake up to reality.