The Republicans Are Like Frat Boys in Animal House

[babylonsister]

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/04/12-2

The Republicans Are Like Frat Boys in Animal House
Reckless, anarchic and strident, the American right is living in a parallel world where fear and rage drive out the facts

by Gary Younge


In the classic teen movie Animal House there comes a moment when the ne'er-do-well students of the Delta fraternity finally realise their pranks have gone too far. Faced with expulsion from university, the most violent, antisocial drunkard of the group, Bluto Blutarsky (John Belushi), gives one last rousing, rambling speech to his crestfallen comrades. "Nothing is over until we decide it is," he yells. "Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell, no!"

The other students look on confused. Bluto leads a charge but nobody follows. However, they soon fall in line after the fraternity's leader, the far more respectable, presentable, all-round-cad, Otter (Tim Matheson), backs Bluto's call to arms against the university authorities. "Bluto's right," he says. "Psychotic, but absolutely right. We gotta take these bastards … I think we have to go all out. I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part."

The Republican party, in particular, and American conservatism in general, have taken to operating in a similar manner to the Delta fraternity – increasingly reckless, anarchic and strident. Faced with defeat they respond with desperation. Only where the Deltas were motivated by ribaldry, conservatives are driven by rage.

snip//

Having pitted fear against hope and lost, the Republican leadership has come up with no better alternative than to keep doubling down on fear. None of this puts food on Blutos' tables, but it does keep them angry. For those who peddle in rumour and angst, this is a lucrative market indeed. In a world where facts don't matter, their fears can never truly be assuaged.

Quite how reality will intrude into this parallel universe is as of yet unclear. But it will. Now that healthcare legislation has been passed, people will see that the state does not kill their grandmothers and most Republican voters will see their healthcare costs fall. This week there will be an anti-tax rally – most of the protesters on it will actually see their taxes lowered by the Obama administration.

And how would the Republican party explain to most of its supporters that while their living standards stagnated or declined under George Bush they are set to improve under Obama? As Otter explained to one of the fraternity after trashing his brother's car: "You fucked up ... you trusted us!"

[baldguy]

1. Except that the Deltas weren't evil.

[babylonsister]

3. You're right; ribaldry vs. rage. nt

[awoke_in_2003]

10. And the Delta's

had the Deathmobile :)

[zbdent]

2. actually, they are more like teenagers (I don't want to be in by 9:30pm!!! Why can't I

stay out all night??? Stupid rules!) throwing a tantrum which would shame a toddler ...

[CLANG]

4. Remember when they used to say

"The adults are in charge now..."

RIGHT! :rofl: :spray:

[zbdent]

6. deleted by zb

[abq e streeter]

5. It's really their arch-rivals, the Omegas...snooty, white-bread, exclusionary,who are the repubs

of those deemed less perfect....Remember how they kept directing the overweight Flounder and the uncool Pinto to the side of the room away from everyone else except the nerdy Jew, the people of color and the disabled. The Deltas took in the misfits, if sometimes begrudgingly ("we need the dues").
And also, in the "epilogues" , Marmalard became an imprisoned Nixon staffer, and Niedermeyer (sp.?) became an asshole CO in Viet Nam who was finally killed by his own troops.

[Donnachaidh]

7. what a stupid analogy -- the Deltas were NOT vicious dirtbags like the pukes

If anything, they are the *other* frat -- the one with the ROTC sadist.

[babylonsister]

8. You must have missed this from the OP...

the Deltas were motivated by ribaldry, conservatives are driven by rage

[Lautremont]

9. It's still a dumb analogy.

There is no moment in Animal House where the Deltas "realize they've gone too far." What they realize is they haven't gone far enough.

[Donnachaidh]

11. it's STILL a stupid analogy. Period. n/t