Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Republicans: Telling bald-faced lies because they can

One thing power often does to consolidate itself – when it is not ruling by reason or consent – is humiliate. One way the powerful humiliate the powerless is by telling them bald-faced lies, simply because they can.
So teenage pregnancy is OK, when Republicans say so. Putting forward candidates with thin credentials for higher office is OK, if the candidate is Republican. It’s sexist to attack female candidates, if the candidates are Republican. Illegal war, torture, and unleashing a surveillance state are OK, if Republicans say so. 
It’s not that our leaders are lying and have been caught, or that they don’t remember what they said a few months ago.  Instead, it’s as if our leaders are gloating: “We know that you know we’re contradicting ourselves, we know that you know that, yesterday, we said the opposite of what we say today, we know that you know we said it’s not OK for you to do what we’re now doing – but you can’t do a thing about it!”
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