Thursday, July 20, 2006
Er... ok, Mr Gingritch, thanks for that...um...anywayyyy
Guardian Unlimited has gone to town today, publishing the most ludicrous/terrifying piece of shite by the world renowned extreme barking right 'wingnut' (as I believe them Americans say), Newt Gingritch. This charming fellow popped up on Newsnight, too, the other night. I'm not quite sure what's going on there. Perhaps they just felt sorry for him. I think it's more than that, however - Gingritch is given access to the British media because it's plain that his views are not really all that uncommon amongst the US Right - you know, the ones running the show at the moment.
Many Republicans really do appear to believe that World War 3 has started (and it's clear that they can hardly contain their joy) and really do believe that the Lebanese and the Palestinians (and then the Syrians and Iranians) should and will be pounded into oblivion. There in the background, of course, are terrifically mad Christian Ultra Right ideas about 'the last battle' and the Second Coming.
Please take a while to read through the comments underneath Gingritch's piece. Most of them are hostile of course, but there are a significant number of supportive US comments which are clearly - there is no other word for it - fascist. Despicable racism, comments implying support for extermination of 'Arabs', dark comments about 'limp-wristed' European 'degenerates', macho swaggering, glorification of military violence, conspiracy theorising about 'Eurabia' and 'muslim expansionism', lust for a war of 'civilisations', for final solutions. OK, some of this is probably bullshit - but it's scary nonetheless. I don't think that these views and attitudes are all that exceptional after 5 years of the 'War on Terror'.
The American left and American progressives really need to get their act together.
Many Republicans really do appear to believe that World War 3 has started (and it's clear that they can hardly contain their joy) and really do believe that the Lebanese and the Palestinians (and then the Syrians and Iranians) should and will be pounded into oblivion. There in the background, of course, are terrifically mad Christian Ultra Right ideas about 'the last battle' and the Second Coming.
Please take a while to read through the comments underneath Gingritch's piece. Most of them are hostile of course, but there are a significant number of supportive US comments which are clearly - there is no other word for it - fascist. Despicable racism, comments implying support for extermination of 'Arabs', dark comments about 'limp-wristed' European 'degenerates', macho swaggering, glorification of military violence, conspiracy theorising about 'Eurabia' and 'muslim expansionism', lust for a war of 'civilisations', for final solutions. OK, some of this is probably bullshit - but it's scary nonetheless. I don't think that these views and attitudes are all that exceptional after 5 years of the 'War on Terror'.
The American left and American progressives really need to get their act together.
