13 November 2009

Against jihadism -- consistently

Charles Johnson, one of the founders of the rightist blogosphere, has recently become increasingly disillusioned with the rising tide of crackpot ideas and paranoia within conservatism. In this short interview, he explains what drove him away:

But the main reason I can’t march along with the right wing blo-gosphere any more, not to put too fine a point on it, is that most of them have succumbed to Obama Derangement Syndrome. One “nontroversy” after another, followed by the outrage of the day, followed by conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory, all delivered in breathless, angry prose that’s just wearying and depressing to read.

He doesn't shy away from identifying the real crux of the problem:

I’ve never been on board with the anti-science, anti-Enlighten-ment radical religious right. Once I began making my opinions known on issues like creationism and abortion, I realized that there just wasn’t very much in common with many of the bloggers on the right.....I think the Republican Party has a serious deficiency of real ideas, and the few popular ideas they do have are about pandering to the religious right and regulating private morality: abortion, gay marriage, etc.....In fact, in my opinion this is one of the main problems with the conservative movement today – the dominance of the religious right, which seeks to impose its own narrow belief system on the entire country.

Johnson was originally motivated to take up blogging by the September 11 attacks and the very real jihadist threat to Western civilization, but evidently came to realize that there also exists another religious-extremist threat to the values of the civilization -- one from within.

It's worth reading the whole interview. Never forget that there are rational conservatives out there, even if they are currently being shouted down and "purged" by the theocratic totalitarians and reality-deniers who have taken over the right.

7 Comments:

Blogger (O)CT(O)PUS said...

Similar thoughts expressed under this post:

Sometimes I feel as if we are at war on two fronts: The terrorists who attack us from abroad and the lunatic fringe that assails us at home. We have turned into a nation at war with ourselves when our most cherished beliefs and values, including civil liberties and the rule of law, are no longer considered sacred and sacrosanct, but must be defended on all fronts.

13 November, 2009 07:42  
Blogger Holte Ender said...

I have long felt the threat from the irrational, religious right. If it is suggested to them they are "un-American" or "not being true to their faith" by not following or believing certain crackpot ideas, they quake in their boots. It takes a kind of bravery to stand up and denounce the ignorance that is becoming part the air we breath. Go Charles Johnson.

13 November, 2009 09:39  
Blogger Ranch Chimp said...

Personally I would like to see alot more regualtion and restriction's on religious speech and practice's...we have every goddamn thing else penalized and regulated,yet with religion,it's just a convenient excuse to do whatever the Hell you please and not have any consequences.I am 110% for folk's to believe what they want,and to say what you want....but to be able to get off damn near scott free after dismembering your toddler,or drowning them,slitting their throat's,etc...and getting an insanity defense plea to basically walk is a problem.Now they are even saying this Fort Hodd shooter is religious and oppressed...as if he is not responsible either...it's stupidity.Now we are afraid to use the "T-word"(terrorism) even in our government,are we nuts?

Thanx........

13 November, 2009 10:49  
Blogger Joe "Truth 101" Kelly said...

This is a fair point Infidel. I will make an effort to aim my vitriol at the neocons and those that blindly follow them rather than branding all republicans or those who describe themselves as "conservative" deluded fools among other things.

13 November, 2009 13:20  
Blogger Sue said...

Words to ponder Infidel. Truth makes a good point, but where are the sane republicans/conservatives?? Their own party is purging the sane and bringing in the neocons, it's scary.

13 November, 2009 16:31  
Blogger Infidel753 said...

Oh, they're out there. When I talk about rational conservatives, I don't mean people who could be mistaken for liberals. But there are people who have a conservative view of economics, the state, etc. but don't subscribe to all the nutty Earth-is-6,000-years-old / God-hates-fags / global-warming-is-a-hoax / Obama-is-Kenyan stuff. They're just increasingly unwelcome in the Republican party these days.

13 November, 2009 16:45  
Blogger Ranch Chimp said...

Actually Mr.Infidel, as I mentioned before that I voted republican most of my life until recently. I NEVER supported any of the stuff you mentioned...just as you say in your last comment response..as far as the 6000 year old earth,religious lunacy even,etc. I only voted it because as a Texan, it has worked well for me here as far as low tax,no state income tax,pro-gun,pro-defense,small government,pro-business,etc. And I been like that for decade's, I mean, I lived in various places in the USA that I love,but the condition's were not as good as here or the cost I reckon,as far as what "I" got for my buck,and liberties,non-regulatory,etc., alway's carried gun's since I was a kid for that matter, hell,my hobby was hunting!...still am for that matter,for that mindset.And alway's been pro-choice, and pro- SS marriage, I actually thought until around less than a decade ago that gay's were allowed to marry seeing alway's the wedding's at Dallas' gay churches for year's,never knew they were just "mocked" marriages, until the issue became popular.Sure I attack corporate interest's...but only because they dont shoot straight these day's in many cases.

I didnt mention it before,but when I first glanced at this title of the post...I though "Instant Jihadism" ..you know...like packaged and microwavable. :)

Thanx ...........

13 November, 2009 19:59  

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