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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRepublicans Wage America’s Second Civil War Over an Imaginary Loss of Freedom
http://www.politicususa.com/republicans-wage-americas-civil-war-imaginary-loss-freedoms.html
Republicans Wage Americas Second Civil War Over an Imaginary Loss of Freedom
By: Rmuse
July 14th, 2012
It is nearly impossible to imagine any American who does not appreciate the concept of freedom, and without a doubt, Americans are as free as any society within the constraints of an ordered society governed by laws. One simple way to enrage Americans, and incite them to violence, is to threaten their freedom, and an escalating trend among Republicans is instigating outrage in the population with overt assertions that President Obama threatens Americans freedom. Since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed by both houses of Congress, signed by the President, and declared constitutional by the nations highest court, an increasing number of Republicans and conservative pundits are parroting the notion that health insurance reform is an intrusion on freedom, and now Republicans are attempting to deny funding for the health law by targeting the Internal Revenue Service claiming it is the new Gestapo that is headed in the direction of killing a lot of people.
First, Republicans know the ACA is not an assault on freedom because they proposed a similar set of reforms in the 1990s with the Heritage Foundation devising the individual mandate that Willard Romney signed into Massachusetts law while he was governor. The GOP is having relative success using provocative language to play on the unfounded fears of a Socialist takeover of healthcare among Americans mortified a Black man is sitting in the Oval Office. The incendiary language is not subtle, or lost on a segment of the population that began reacting negatively to President Obama before his administration was under way. The ACA is the main impetus of Republicans fear-mongering campaign that is as potent today as when healthcare reform first came to the nations attention.
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On Fox News, Lou Dobbs praised two bloggers who said, if health care reform were found to be constitutional, it would trigger a violent insurrection against government tyranny that you may call a mandate or you may call it a tax, but it still is tyranny and invites the same response. Dobbs ended the interview encouraging them to stay dangerous. One might be inclined to think conservatives are only inciting opposition to a political agenda, but what they know is that their inflammatory rhetoric will provoke violence which is starting to look like their end-game, and they have had plenty of success since President Obama took office.
The great travesty is that the Republican leadership has never condemned the violent rhetoric from conservatives, and indeed, are part and parcel of the not-so-subtle warnings that the Black man in the Oval Office is a tyrant intent on taking Americans freedoms. Instead of publicly rebuking the traitors inciting violent insurrection against government tyranny, Republicans are encouraging fear-mongers tactics because without their lies and misinformation, they would be summarily voted out of office in the next election. Realistically, men like Romney, Boehner, McConnell, and Cantor cannot garner support based on their policies, so they do what comes natural; fear-monger, lie, claim Obama is forcing Americans into Socialism, robbing Americans of the religious liberty, and imposing healthcare takeover with support from the new Gestapo that will be killing a lot of people if they choose not to purchase health insurance.
Conservatives have had three-and-a-half years to work ignorant, and well-armed, Americans into frenzy over the lie they are losing their freedom because of health insurance reform promoted by their worst nightmare; an African American man who is a fascist, Nazi, and Socialist tyrant. It is beyond belief, but America is in jeopardy of armed insurrection and as heavily-armed conservative Christians, Mormons, and racist hate groups learn Democrats and Progressives have stolen their freedoms, they will hardly need a signal that it is time to start shooting. These are perilous times, and unless Republicans change their ways, they will bear total responsibility for Americas Second Civil War that looks more likely every day.
Andy823
(11,495 posts)Is that so many in this country are willing to buy into the lies without even taking the time to check the facts out. They listen to fox news, Rush, Beck and the other insane right wing talking gas bags, and don't have the brains to think for themselves. While I do not believe every republican is like this, sadly some are.
The tea baggers are the majority of this group, and it's ironic that many of them are getting help from the same government they hate so much, yet it's OK when they do it, but not when others do it. What they don't realize is if republicans to take charge, they will lose the benefits they now get. How anyone can not see through the right wing BS is is beyond me.
NNN0LHI
(67,190 posts)Every Republican I know would let their own children starve to death or die from lack of health care if they thought doing that would get the black fella out of the White House.
I realize this doesn't sound possible or even plausible but it is.
We are dealing with some very sick people here.
Don
Cairycat
(1,706 posts)Corporations are taking away Americans' freedom. They certainly are dictating our health care. I'm sure others can come up with a lot more.
my2sense
(2,645 posts)amazed at how much violent rhetoric is on the air. It's pathetic that our elected officials have sunken to such low down tactics.
Doctor_J
(36,392 posts)by an aggressive purge of what was, 15 years ago, a rather manageable group of agitators. The cancer is so far along now that it is going to be very, very messy to deal with. The Pollyanna group wants to sit with their heads held high, quoting MLK while Fox Nation does all of the killing. They'll somehow reach nirvana by "not stooping to their level". Some think that since gay marriage is now legal, the continued rise of Hate Radio must not be that bad. Our gunsters seem loathe to do anything with their weapons except wrap their arms around them so Obama can't "confiscate them".
Lots and lots of denial on our side, which of course is why we got to this state in the first place.
Dustlawyer
(10,495 posts)They cheer on the cops while watching in bars. It is only their freedoms they are concerned about. The Tea Baggers were not arrested or beaten so they still have "their" freedom intact.
Initech
(100,081 posts)That never existed in the first place. Freepers and GOPers are completely ignorant when it comes to American history, and their perspectives are about things that never took place (Sarah Palin's idiotic retelling of Paul Revere's ride is a perfect example), and all that seems to be in their vocabulary is a bunch of slogans, jargon, and nonsense.
Tennessee Gal
(6,160 posts)"He who warned uh, the British that they weren't gonna be takin' away our arms, uh by ringing those bells, and um, makin' sure as he's riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that we were going to be sure and we were going to be free, and we were going to be armed."
Initech
(100,081 posts)But stupid greedy Viacom took down the Colbert website.
pa28
(6,145 posts)The decades of divisive rhetoric is coming full circle and now they want to bring shotguns (and black rifles for the real tough guys) to overturn what began as a Republican idea.
I'm not even sure how you reason with them at this point.
Oh well. I'm sure they'll have lot's of luck against all the homeland security hardware they loved so well just a few years ago.
Odin2005
(53,521 posts)...who had God's favor.
This is why arguing with them is impossible, it would be akin to trying to convince an Ancient Roman that Aeneas and Romulus were not real people, or trying to argue with a Hindu Nationalist who thinks that the Indo-European languages originated in India, or a Native American who feels offended by geneticists who tell him that his ancestors came from Asia.
babylonsister
(171,070 posts)AnnieBW
(10,429 posts)As in Jean Valjean from "Les Miserables". On an SUV with Romney/Rubio bumperstickers. Yeah, dude. You're so fucking broke that you need to steal bread for your family, especially if you drive an SUV. And an obsessed cop is chasing you. Riiiight. Oppressed much?