Increasingly, the world sees Republicans as the greatest threat to America.

[forest444]

It has always been a curiosity that most Americans understand less about America’s government, its society, and its flaws than most citizens of foreign nations. It is not that foreigners have better access to news coming out of America, they just pay attention to what is happening to a country they at one time thought of as exceptional despite some of its history. It's no secret that the world’s opinion of America worsened drastically after the nation started invading and occupying Muslim countries; but the world’s opinion began shifting with the election of Barack Obama.

President Obama has elevated America’s status and reputation around the world as he attempted to clean up eight years of Bush Administration abominations. But after the past two midterm elections, and the extremist field of candidates for the GOP presidential nomination, people around the world are increasingly convinced that the greatest threat to America is the Republican Party itself. It is important to note that although many around the world specifically cite GOP politicians by name, they also understand that those Republicans threatening America are as much the religious and racist base, as are the politicians. This little fact eludes many Americans who focus on a personality and not who puts them in the spotlight and position of power and influence (the voters).

An opinion piece in a New Zealand newspaper a few months ago gave particular attention to the extremism being displayed by the GOP presidential candidates and actually cited the support they have from voters. The authors wrote that Republicans “are now essentially a party of religious fundamentalism.”

A citizen of Uganda and regular commuter to the United States recently noted that,

“The U.S. Constitution says the government’s responsibility is to provide welfare, security and safety to its population allowing every person the opportunity to live in a dignified manner; Republicans believe otherwise and have created a system that has become a rich man’s plaything.”

A resident of an EU nation remarked that,

“I am completely flabbergasted by what has become of America. In the Republican Party stupidity is admired and encouraged, intelligence and education are viewed as ‘elitist’, money is their God and fear is their motivator. If more people outside the U.S. continue to speak very loudly about this situation, it might help them turn things around. The hate and fear that Fox promotes helped the Republican Party create and fuel the atmosphere threatening America.”

An Australian opinion writer added that

“Donald Trump personifies everything the rest of the world despises about America; racism, crass materialism, relentless self-aggrandizement, vulgarity on an epic scale. He is the Ugly American.”

Actually, the Republican base is the Ugly American and GOP presidential candidates and politicians are simply saying exactly what the base demands. They are, without question, the greatest threat to America.

At: http://www.politicususa.com/2015/11/09/increasingly-world-sees-republicans-greatest-threat-america.html

[SamKnause]

1. That is how I view them.

They are a threat to this country and every country around the globe.

They are insane and evil.

They continue to push failed and destructive policies.

They won't stop until the U.S. is a Corporate Christian Theocracy.

They worship money.

They love war.

They are no longer a political party.

They are a threat to the peace and welfare of the planet.

[raouldukelives]

2. +1 They are aided and abetted by every shareholder in Wall St.

Who prefer to shield corporations from responsibility and work to get Republicans and conservatives elected than to work towards democracy and social justice for all people.

[yurbud]

14. unfortunately, on trade, foreign policy, and even war, th some Dems help them too

[DFW]

3. As an American living abroad, I can only concur

My European colleagues see the Republicans as more of a cult than a political party.

[tzar paul]

19. of course!

today's republicans don't want "limited" government; they want no government! they want anarchy, with the only "law" being that of the gun!

[Enthusiast]

4. I would like to say something but I won't.

[Katashi_itto]

5. French Revolution II is needed.

[Martin Eden]

6. Greatest threat to the WORLD --

-- considering the world's greatest arsenal could be placed in the hands of a lunatic.

This 2003 commentary about Bush comes to mind:

When a single individual combines ignorance, immorality, dry-drunk syndrome, a publicly proclaimed commitment to perpetual military domination of the entire world by his country, a publicly expressed belief that God personally instructs him to make war on specific countries and a wildly irrational born-again brand of Christianity that views the Battle of Armageddon and the consequent end of life on earth as desirable developments and, at the same time, has command authority over an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction more than sufficient to achieve the end of life on earth, it is difficult to argue that this individual is not the most dangerous person who has ever lived.

When (if ever) will the American people wake up to the real threat facing America and the world?
Read the entire commentary

[paleotn]

7. Because they are.

On the bright side, we've got pretty much all our stupid locked up in one party.

[TBF]

8. Salon did a great write-up tracing this to Reagan -

"The evangelical presidency: Reagan’s dangerous love affair with the Christian right"

Almost from the start, then, most Christian Right leaders made a strategic decision to participate in the Reagan Revolution. Critics, such as liberal journalist Sidney Blumenthal, noted that the Reagan administration stood to benefit if evangelical conservatives remained just unsatisfied enough to be “in a state of perpetual mobilization.” While this line of analysis contained some truth, it downplayed the obvious legislative barriers facing the Christian Right’s agenda—namely, a Democratic-majority House of Representatives and a GOP-controlled Senate with many moderate Republicans. It also ignored the reality that conservative evangelicals had no place else to go in the two-party system. The national Democratic Party responded to the Christian Right by attempting to run against it. As historian Daniel K. Williams has argued, the Christian Right quickly became the most reliable component of the new GOP coalition (more reliable than, say, socially conservative Catholic bishops and less vocally critical than the secular wing of the New Right). Tellingly, then, Reagan delivered his famous address branding the Soviet Union an “evil empire” at the 1983 annual meeting of the NAE. He did so in no small part because the organization affirmed his resistance to the burgeoning nuclear-freeze movement, which had garnered support from many other religious leaders, including Catholic bishops. The evangelical right was not only part of Reagan’s coalition; it was also one of its pillars.

http://www.salon.com/2014/05/18/the_evangelical_presidency_reagans_dangerous_love_affair_with_the_christian_right/

If we look back historically (and many of us on DU remember those days) we know Carter wasn't perfect by any stretch, but he did represent the last time that it really felt like a democracy in this country. Nixon was booted out for wrong-doing. People still had their manufacturing jobs. Once we get to 1980, however, things start changing. Welfare "reform", outsourcing of manufacturing (the blue collar workers taken in by Reagan paid dearly for that vote), heavy union busting, rise of the Moral Majority. It has been a different country since Reagan in my view.

[mountain grammy]

12. Well said, and good article.

[MBS]

15. oh, this is absolutely correct.

(and SO cynical, given the fact that Ronnie wasn't a churchgoer. .)

[Cal33]

17. Reagan was the perfect stoolpigeon for Corporate Power. He couldn't think

of much on his own, but he knew how to deliver a speech!

I read the following years ago: When Reagan became president of the Screen Actors Guild,
he had to make speeches every now and then. He'd never know what to say, and so he'd
ask some of his fellow actors to help him out. And they did. One of them later said that
he had written a speech for Reagan, and was he surprised when Reagan read it word for
word, without having made any changes in it whatsoever. And he added, "But Boy!
Could he deliver!!!" It sounded so impressive - even to the original writer of the
speech, himself!

[MBS]

18. oh, wow.

I hadn't heard this before, but, boy does it fit. My dad (who was onto Reagan from Day 1) would have LOVED this story.

[jtuck004]

9. People often mistake what their greatest threats are. n/t

[Scuba]

10. Yet some, even here on DU, advocate for the Democratic Party to be more like the Republicans.

[MynameisBlarney]

11. It ain't just 'Murka

They are pretty much a threat to the entire planet.
Global climate change is gonna make all the petty squabbles of humans moot very soon.
And the GOTP played a major role in letting it go unchecked.

[mountain grammy]

13. Excellent outside view of America..Every American should read it.

to combat the "words of wisdom" from the right wing websites and our own "mainstream media" who claim, with no proof, that Obama has weakened America around the world. This is the mindset of a large number of Americans, by some estimates, 30%, and they keep winning elections. The real danger is when Republicans take power, the first thing on their agenda is rigging the next election to retain and take more power. That cycle has put us where we are today.

[Cal33]

16. Yes, Republicans are THE CAUSE OF most of the problems in America today, as well as much

of it in the rest of the world. The article in Salon mentioned above is correct about Reagan's
having started the present trend.

We are being ruled by psychopaths. Just google "http://Psychopaths Rule The World."
There are over 300,000 articles, some are by professionals. What else can we expect?