[Dialogue] More on fundamentalism

[WTW0BL@aol.com]

In a message dated 8/17/2004 10:57:36 PM Central Daylight Time, 
geowanda at earthlink.net writes:

> My own experience with talking with neo-cons and fundamentalist friends 
> and relatives is that if there is not trust and respect between us 
> there is not going to be a conversation, or much of a debate.  The 
> difficulty is not with the politics but at a much deeper level, and 
> work needs to be done there first.  Remembering the art form method, 
> the question is more important than the answer, I like to ask folks 
> something like: If we are safer now, why hasn't the color code been 
> lowered?  If we've turned the corner why have all the Food Pantries in 
> town reported a doubling of clients in the past 6 months? Etc.  It's 
> kind of fun to listen to the answers.
> 

George, I'm not sure what there is about your thinking process but whatever 
it is it often tickles my funny bone.  Listening to the comments of the 
neo-cons has led me to 2 conclusions: 1. They have no sense of humor -- irony, 
paradoxes and ambiguity are light-years beyond them. and 2. The talents of Dubyah 
and the administration spinmeisters to construe reality are not peculiar to 
those individuals, its intrinsic and genetic, part of the Republican DNA.

For example, during the recent debate about the Pledge of Allegiance Ken, my 
favorite neo-cons representative and very close friend, was complaining 
because the liberals (synonym for the army of Lucifer's angels) wanted to remove the 
words "under God" from it.  When I questioned him about non-Christians who 
believe in Allah or Satan or no god at all having to say the pledge his reply 
was "let them put in or take out whatever they want it doesn't matter."  So why 
should it be there?  Because it really matters.  With this philosophy doesn't 
"one nation" become an oxymoron?

On another occasion he brought in an article about the abuses of the "No 
child left behind" fund.  The article raised the issue that large amounts of money 
were being wasted transporting a handicapped child to a distant school where 
they specifically worked with such children.  When he was questioned about the 
meaning of "no child left behind" his answer was that it should be used on 
kids who need the help.  Apparently there are certain children that don't fit 
the general category of "kid."

On WMD's despite all the spins applied to the true meaning of that threat 
leading to preemptive war by the administration, he is fully convinced they are 
still there and will be found.  When asked how long he gave the American 
inspectors to locate them before he would admit they didn't exist, his reply was "5 
years unless they don't find anything and then I will reconsider whether they 
have looked hard enough."

Tax cuts for the rich in order to pay for the war make all the sense in the 
world to him even though his grandchildren will have to pay off the debt.

Maybe we need a new book in our stores: Railroad Graffiti and Funny Things 
Neo-cons Say.

Jim Baumbach