Does the right wing hate America?
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Does the right wing hate America? It has become a legitimate and important question to consider.
Ambrose Bierce, in The Devil’s Dictionary, defined “patriot” as “the dupe of statesmen and the tool of conquerors.” Reasonable people should always view appeals to patriotism with skepticism, and even suspicion. When a political constituency emerges, however, that consistently demonstrates hatred for the essential spirit and character of a country, responsible citizens must collaborate to eradicate the influence of its members, and to minimize its political power.
It seems like ancient history, even though in practical terms it was merely a moment ago, that the right wing appointed themselves as defenders of the flag and keepers of the American creed. Following the 9/11 attacks, supporters of the Bush administration, and even some of its smarmiest officials, created an environment of shame, threat and hostility for anyone critical of the “war on terrorism,” the PATRIOT Act, and the invasion of Iraq. Bill Maher lost his program on ABC after questioning the societal consensus that terrorists are “cowards,” and Ari Fleischer – then press secretary for President Bush – said that the post-9/11 era was one in which people had to “watch what they say.”
When the Dixie Chicks ridiculed Bush’s foreign policy during a concert performance in London, right wing pundits organized a boycott, and many country radio stations cooperated. Filmmakers, writers, college professors, and even mainstream Democratic senators found themselves facing accusations of “anti-Americanism” for expressing dissent against the Iraq War. Phil Donahue, despite having the highest rated program on MSNBC, received an unceremonious dismissal from television, because his anti-war position presented “a difficult public face” for the network, especially given that its competitor, Fox News, was taking every opportunity to “wave the flag,” in the words of an internal memo leaked to the New York Times.
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