August 7, 2007

Hatred on the High Seas

This from AlterNet:
Neocons on a Cruise: What Conservatives Say When They Think We Aren't Listening -- By Johann Hari, Independent UK.


A sweet elderly lady from Los Angeles is sitting on the rocks nearby, telling me dreamily about her son. "Is he your only child?" I ask. "Yes," she says. "Do you have a child back in England?" she asks. No, I say. Her face darkens. "You'd better start," she says. "The Muslims are breeding. Soon, they'll have the whole of Europe."

. . . I lie on the beach with Hillary-Ann, a chatty, scatty 35-year-old Californian designer. As she explains the perils of Republican dating, my mind drifts, . . . When I hear her say, " Of course, we need to execute some of these people," I wake up. Who do we need to execute? She runs her fingers through the sand lazily. "A few of these prominent liberals who are trying to demoralise the country," she says.

Click here for the complete text.
^^^
I came away from the article [and the comments on it] feeling very, very sad.

The neo-cons in the article wanted to kill all Muslims, brown people, liberals, poor people, conservatives who weren't 'conservative enough', in other words—anyone who wasn't exactly like them.

In the comments section, I didn't even have to read very far down before finding someone who wanted to strangle the ultra-conservatives. That's the word that was used, 'strangle'. I'm not certain, but I don't think it was meant metaphorically.

It seems that everyone hates everyone else these days. The mentality across the board seems to echo Bush's assertion—'If you're not with us you're with the terrorists.'

I sincerely doubt that's true of 99.9998% of the population—even when we don't all agree with each other.
But—no one seems to be listening to anyone who doesn't completely agree with his/her own opinion, these days. Everyone simply seems to be waiting for the other person to stop talking [or not even that long] so they can make their own point.

I don't have an answer as to what we do now that we all live in armed camps suspiciously eyeing each other across a no-man's land.
All I have is the observation. And, I'm scared.

8 comments:

Robert Rouse said...

Announcing the first annual Blog World Report Awards. Please drop by today and make your nominations in six categories. Thanks!

Mary Ellen said...

Great post, two CROWS!

It's hard to fathom that kind of hatred until you look at some of the right wing blogs. Mike's America for one and I just looked at another a little while ago.

I'm not saying there isn't hate on some of the liberal blogs. If you read some of the comments on the bigger blogs, such as AmericaBlog and Crooks and Liars, they can be pretty nasty. Especially when it comes to Christians/Catholics. It seems we are all lumped into the same pile of extremists like Falwell or worse, the priests who were abusers.

I think that's why I have a special place in my heart for those of the Muslim faith, who aren't jihadists, or terrorists, but have to bear the brunt of the hatred in this country and others.

I started my blog for that reason...I got tired of being called a troll or a Republican any time I tried to stick up for my faith. I have just as much contempt for those who say they are Christians and yet spew hatred and bigotry. But I'm not one of them. I figured if I had my own blog, I can control remarks like that.

There is a lot of hate in this country, and I'm not sure if it was always there, lying in wait, or if it's just accepted more in society now.

two crows said...

hi, Robert--
sounds cool. will get over there as soon as I have a minute.
xxx
hi, m e --
I know what you mean. it seems a lot of folks paint with very broad brushes, these days.

I don't know if I'm just more aware of it because of the internet -- I'm getting exposed to it more -- or if it's easier to do while hiding behind a keyboard.
some of the name-calling and insults I've seen on-line!

but this goes even deeper than that. when people of different beliefs talk or write about inflicting death on others ['execute', 'strangle', 'bomb'] simply because they disagree with them, I really begin to lose faith in people generally.

it's funny [as in strange] because I didn't begin my 1st blog in order to talk politics -- tho that was a natural evolution given today's climate -- but to discuss the importance of tolerance and acceptance of different people with differing views, skin colors, faiths, sexual preferences, life styles, cultures, economic levels, education levels, etc. etc.

my hope is to return to that if/when the world drops back to its normal level of insanity. but that time is, obviously, not yet.

two crows said...

btw, m e--
I'd like to invite you to my 'recess'.
I'm in the process of reviving that first blog. I plan to make it a place to romp, play, kick back and just have fun -- a retreat from the angst of the blog world I spend most of my time with.

it's at
http://aacardea.blogspot.com
[wish I knew how to make links in the comments pages -- you'll have to copy and paste it, I'm afraid.].
I'm still cleaning out the attic right now-- scouring out the political stuff so we'll have room to set up the swing set and slide.
so, whaddya say? take a look?

Mary Ellen said...

two crows

I'll go check it out...I get the swing!!!!

sumo said...

Thanks for the Alternet link...I relished every word...believe it or not. I guess it was like gossip for me...I had no idea that there could possibly be people with horrid thoughts for Muslims like this. And...I find it astonishing that they have such violence in their hearts, and...think that the administration is so wonderful...not to mention the rightness of bombing Iran. I'm stymied on this one.

So...are you giving up on this blog TC? Not sure I got it right...

two crows said...

hey, sumo--
NO! I'm not giving up this blog.
the other one was one I did give up on because of the bot-spammers. but, they've left it alone since last november.

so, I'll be doing both. this one for politics and angst. that one for play and to get away from the wreck of the country. we all need a break.

at the moment, this one [well, actually, both] are getting less attention than usual because I'm up to my armpits in wall paper paste. **sigh**

TomCat said...

I remember this. I posted it last month when it first appeared on AlterNet, and it was ceriainly a shocker. That one needs frequent reminders.