The Enemy Within*

This is him. The enemy of all human progress - known today as a "Teabagger", but they go by many names. One of them is Redneck (not exclusive, however). Seems harmless enough, right?

With their funny traditions:

And their longstanding commitments to the rule of law:

 And, as always, a devotion to health and well being:

 What's not to love?


Oh yeah: The "Redneck"  - defined as any American who would reject progress and science in the name of some mythical "olden times" when Blacks and Jews knew their places - and Jesus be damned if a woman should have a vote.

They're the ultimate regressives, and they have been a near constant force in American history. Dennis G. over at Balloon Juice has made many, many excellent posts on this subject (Here's the latest), and I highly recommend you read his thoughts on the subject.

To wit: Most of the problems in pre-civil war America resulted from the stress of slavery existing within a democratic system. Viewed from this perspective, you can see most major historical points prior to 1860 as one side demanding absolute toleration of their viewpoints (slavery), with the other side compromising, time and time again. See: The Missouri Compromise as a prime example.

The Civil War is obvious enough, but then after, you have an armed insurrection in the South lasting generations (The KKK), and the enactment of the Jim Crowe system. The Feds left them alone (to all our detriment) from simple exhaustion (a tactic!) until the Civil Rights movements of the 1960's. At the conclusion of which, these Regressives, these Deniers, switched en masse from the Democratic Party, to the Republican Party, and took it over.

So, the irony is the very party that freed the slaves and caused the South to secede in the first place is now wholly captured by the very same forces of intolerance, violence, and aggressive ignorance. And we are still compromising with them, still accommodating their endless grievances, whines, complaints, etc.


I'm ready for "Civil War 2 - The Finishing" at this point. I hope enough Americans can wake up to this truth before we are once again at their mercy (the Bush Admin was a highpoint in this Neo-confederate movement). I doubt it, though, for an unholy alliance of Oligarchs backs these forces, and they will do everything in their power to convince enough people that this ignorance, this evil, is what it actually means to be an American.


They're wrong. But somewhere, sometime, someone's going to have to stand up and defend these points of view. It's fundamental issue the "tolerant' have to address: How to deal with the viciously intolerant? Because in an open, pluralistic, tolerant society, the viciously intolerant are a poison, and can kill the entire body.




*I realize there are nice, smart, compassionate Rednecks out there. Like these guys: 

But sadly, they are the small exception to the rule.