The Economist website yesterday had a fascinating article about the republican presidential race. Now, no one would call The Economist a left-leaning publication. Though they call themselves independent, they are more like a global version of the Wall Street Journal to my thinking. This publication is calling the republicans…well…they're calling them dumb a***s, for lack of a better term. They're using the word Fatwa, FATWA people, to describe REPUBLICANS' actions because they see the party is utterly inflexible. Here are the Fatwa's they are describing the republicans having proclaimed:
"…that abortion should be illegal in all cases; that gay marriage must be banned even in states that want it; that the 12m illegal immigrants, even those who have lived in America for decades, must all be sent home; that the 46m people who lack health insurance have only themselves to blame; that global warming is a conspiracy; that any form of gun control is unconstitutional; that any form of tax increase must be vetoed, even if the increase is only the cancelling of an expensive and market-distorting perk; that Israel can do no wrong and the “so-called Palestinians”, to use Mr Gingrich’s term, can do no right; that the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Education and others whose names you do not have to remember should be abolished. "
The whole article is essentially saying what many people have been thinking: Y'all is crazy! The crap you're doing doesn't make sense! Here's a bit more (after the, uh, jump):
"…On the economy, where this newspaper has often found the most common ground with the Republicans, the impact has been especially unfortunate. America’s commercial classes are fed up with a president they associate with big government, red tape and class warfare. A Republican could stake out a way to cut the deficit, reform taxes and refashion government. But instead of businesslike pragmatism, there is zealotry. The candidates have made a fetish out of never raising taxes (even when it involves getting rid of loopholes), while mostly ignoring tough decisions about cutting spending on defense or pensions. Such compassionless conservatism (slashing taxes for the rich and expenditure on the poor) comes with little thought as to which bits of government spending are useful. Investing in infrastructure, redesigning public education and maintaining unemployment benefits in the worst downturn since the Depression are hardly acts of communism."
To translate for those who may not get the picture: they're telling the reader that we like Republican platform; we like the way y'all do business, but you all have gone off your rocker! What de hell are y'all doin'?! We'd support you! You should win! There is no reason you shouldn't win, if you would run someone that: wasn't crazy with her eyes all bugged out (and she did it WAYYYYY before the Newsweek cover story. Just watch old Larry King) saying that people "get retarded" after vaccinations, or had shoe in mouth disease and should be given a set of steak knives or the board game version of running for president as a consolation prize, or I shut down the gov't in 1994, but I'm not a washington insider, or just abolish all forms of gov't that actually helps people because you're on your own, it's the American way…And the person who could win should grow a backbone because, the economist's words - he is "several vertebrate short of a backbone". DAAAMMMMMNNNN! This is why Obama actually has a really good chance of winning, because though Romney will most likely get the nomination, he's had to run so far to the right, he's likely to be held hostage by these stances in the general election. The right has gone WAAAAYYYYY right, like right off the rocker right. At least somebody (over on that side) has said it. As I've always maintained: there are different valid philosophies about the proper role of the US government. I may not always agree with people who are on the other side of issues I care deeply about, but I'm always cool with there being other ways to think…what I'm not cool with is when one side has gone nuts.
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