This is a pro-American post. If you don’t agree after reading it, re-read it.
A few weeks back, Naomi Wolf wrote a beautifully concise description of the way Fascism can creep into a supposedly free society without the majority of people noticing. She defines 10 easy steps to take if you want to turn a democracy into a dictatorship and then clearly identifies how the US government have already taken them. I’d urge everyone to read this if they haven’t already, especially Americans.
But there’s been another worrying phenomenon in recent years that doesn’t get a mention in the above article and I’m over the increasing belief that it is directly related: Creationism and the debasement of Science. Another feature of dictatorships is that they inevitably assume control of a “higher power”. Even the Communists, by banning organised religion, managed to elevate their own leaders into the spiritual gap left by the exorcism. Once the state has control over an infallible belief system they can argue that they are merely doing the bidding of God/Allah/Der Fuhrer/The Faeries.
“God told me to strike at al Qaida and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike at Saddam, which I did, and now I am determined to solve the problem in the Middle East.”
George Wanlker Bush
When one hears the drivel the Creationists come out with, and then observes the respect with which they are treated by the US (and UK) governments, one can’t help wondering if these people really are that stupid. Take this ludicrous example of a Creationist using a jar of peanut butter to prove life is solely God-given (or watch this one, that includes a much-needed laughtrack)
Now, this is so ridiculous that no-one with a normal level of reasoning and access to books other than the bible could possibly believe it. But in parts of America, particularly parts of the big, red, hole in the middle, see this as pure truth. It can be no-coincidence that the only other group of people who publicly support this cobblers are those currently in power.
Nearly all of the original core values of America have now been eroded to nothing. Pretty soon just being an American could make you very Un-American.
