Top Comments - They have a deep and abiding faith.

They have a deep and abiding faith.

They have always claimed it. They trumpet their faith to the skies, as if the God they believe in could only hear them with such trumpeting. As if that God were truly ‘above,’ not around, not within, not everywhere. Worse, not knowing who’s been bad or good without the audible ‘spin’ they alone are entitled to provide.

I have serious problems with that ‘faith,’ which only seems to have value if it contradicts and isn’t supported in any way by rational thought, because it makes it so much easier to suspend thought and reason in so many other arenas, particularly in the political arena.

That isn’t the faith I am talking about tonight, however.

More, below.

I was out of town yesterday afternoon when ‘that person’ came to town, to give the commencement speech at Furman University, literally a mile from my house. I wrote in a comment last night about the flood of very angry emotion I experienced at seeing one of the ‘advance’ helicopters flying over earlier in the week. That caught me by surprise, because I am not naturally an angry person, and I try very very hard to separate the human being from the acts that human being may have committed. The simple truth is that I am angry with that person and those who have supported, provided cover for and enabled him.

In this morning’s Greenville News, the headline reads: Bush, at Furman, urges ‘culture of responsibility.’ Think about that for a moment! It sounds like he is considering the idea of presenting himself at The Hague when the torment is finally over to face charges on war crimes.

But that isn’t what he is proposing. He isn’t proposing facing any responsibility whatsoever for the lies he has told, for the damage he has done. He doesn’t expect to take any responsibility for the 4,000+ US troops killed or the tens of thousands maimed, or the hundreds who have committed suicide after their return. He doesn’t expect to take any responsibility for the foreign nationals killed, injured, dislocated or harmed in some other way. He doesn’t expect or intend to take any responsibility for the damage done to New Orleans and the US Gulf Coast because of his failures of leadership following Katrina. He doesn’t expect or intend to take any responsibility for the damage done to our Constitution during his administration, or, particularly in light of discrimination against gays, in the state constitutions around the country. He doesn’t expect or intend to take any responsibility for the damage he has done to our country's reputation and our relationships around the world. He doesn’t expect or intend to take any responsibility for the succor he has provided our enemies, for the help he has given them in their recruitment and fund raising.  I cannot write a diary long enough to describe all of the responsibilities he doesn’t expect or intend to live up to.

But one of the reasons he CAME to South Carolina was because he hoped and expected to find a culture of sheep, a culture of the sleepy, with whom he could comfortably share his propaganda and bullshit. He came because he knew he could control what most of his carefully selected audience would think about his misleading drivel. It has always been that way.

I know many of you are probably tired of reading McClellan diaries, but I thought of that in connection with this ‘culture of responsibility,’ of the clear sense of safety Bush and his ilk (McCain is ilk, too) feel with their crimes against our society. I was astonished to note in their responses to McClellan that they never even bothered to comment on his charges. Never tried to refute them, to counter them, to respond to them in any way. Of course they know that for those of us who never drank the koolaid, no response (other than accepting responsibility, which they are not about to do) would matter. Their responses to McClellan didn’t care how we viewed the ‘revelations.’ They immediately began their ‘swift-boat’ style attacks on McClellan’s character.

“It isn’t the Scott we knew.” Of COURSE not! The Scott YOU knew happily endorsed lies! Worshipped even the most minute political advantage as his highest god! Of course you wouldn’t recognize one who told the truth, however belatedly.

The attacks on his character were nothing different than what we have seen so many times before, with all the other disgruntled Bush flunkies. They showed no more imagination, no more creativity, no more inspiration than with any of the others. They were attacks meant for a simple purpose - to give Bush/Republican/conservatives a place to hang their hats - so that they wouldn’t be tempted to do what we’ve done from birth: Think clearly about the situation at hand, and who caused it, and what should be done about it.

They have a deep and abiding faith that those of you (editorial ‘you’ directed at their voters, NOT at Kossacks who know better) who support them are going to swallow and accept on faith whatever they tell you. They have a deep and abiding faith in your STUPIDITY. They have a deep and abiding faith in your sheeplike natures. They have a deep and abiding faith that they can take you anywhere they want to without you exercising your will in any independent way, with any integrity of thought or spirit or hint of true responsibility. They give you a banana and expect the monkey to keep on pulling that lever. (That wouldn’t change one iota in a McCain administration.)

This isn’t merely directed to conservatives and conservative enablers. It is also directed to US legislators in Washington, ostensibly of the ‘democratic’ persuasion, who approve time and time again Bush requests for war funding because they accept without question or contradiction his ‘framing’ of it as 'supporting the troops.'

There is a saying in our society.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

But, what saying is there for those fooled five times? Ten? A baker’s dozen? A hundred? What saying is appropriate for those who rush headlong into being fooled, over and over again? What shame awaits them? And when in the world are they going to finally experience it?

Why do they keep doing the same simple little tricks, over and over again? Why do they stick with the same old boring game plan? Simple, because they have no respect for your intelligence. Because it ALWAYS works for them. It will work until you STOP it. I am writing to show you a view behind the magician’s sleight of hand. But the sleight of hand will always work with those invested in being slight of mind. Get pissed at me if you want, but it’s conservatives who have the greatest disrespect for you. They have no reason to change their game plan as long as it works, and it will continue to work until you realize what little regard they really have for your intelligence. Simple as that.

He did not come to foster a culture of responsibility. He came to perpetuate a culture of simple-mindedness. And, with so many, he succeeded.

Why did he speak of a culture of responsibility when he wants a culture of simple-mindedness? Of sheep? Because he has a deep and abiding faith that he’ll get what he wants. Because he thinks you are not intelligent enough to distinguish between his flowery words and his dastardly deeds. When the words say one thing and the actions say something else, believe the actions. They are supposed to be louder than words, you know. Make them so.

Would you like one final example of the contempt they really have for you? Here it is.

Do you know how conservatives always express their contempt for progressives for voting against their self interest? For voting to help others less fortunate than themselves? Well conservative policies really only benefit a very tiny percentage of our country's citizens, the top 10% or so of income earners. We have a welfare state, and it is designed to benefit THEM, 'invisible hand' of Adam Smith notwithstanding. The great majority of those who voted for Bush are worse off than they were seven years ago, some MUCH worse off. To vote for conservatives you have to vote AGAINST your self interest. And not even for those LESS fortunate than you, rather, for those FAR more fortunate than you'll ever be. Ask yourselves how they could possibly respect you for voting against your self interest, to line THEIR pockets when your circumstances perpetually worsen? Answer, they don't. In their heart of hearts they laugh at you for your stupidity and foolhardiness. They laugh that they can win elections without promising you anything. Why should they? They know you, contemptible idiot, will vote for them no matter what. McCain knows it too. It is behind most of the smiles you see in the news. In a very real sense the monkey doesn't even GET a banana, and it pulls the lever the same way anyway.

Do you know what people are who ask for your votes though they hold you in contempt? Hypocrites. Grand Old Hypocrites. And as long as you vote for them, they have no reason in the world to change. And no wish whatsoever to change your worsening world. Hopelessness you can believe in.

To paraphrase the jerk, is our citizens learning? You tell me.

Apologies for the ranting in TC, folks. I despise that person, and those who provide him with that culture of mindlessness where he feels so at home. The injury from his visit hasn’t even begun to ‘scab over’ for me.

Now that the festive mood has been set, on to tonight’s comments! :)

Please thank sardonyx for assembling the submitted comment and for providing some of his own! :)

From Hedwig:

I disagree by Wufacta is the best review of candidate supporters I saw today, despite all the other Rules Committee diaries and comments.

From sardonyx:

A number of people thought that no refuge in english's comment was a great one, but none of them submitted it, so here it is.

In Meteor Blades's retrospective diary Blast from the Past: Steve Gilliard, June 1, 2003, in addition to an excellent front-page post written by Steve five years ago today, you'll get a number of great comments and tributes, too, including autoegocrat's He was a force, blindyone's elegant summary, and Bailey's Damn near everyday.

My 'umble' selections.

DEQ54 is a dKos newcomer who has a sense of commenting right out of the box. Try this comment for size. :)

Would you like to read a comment from someone who has thought a great deal about race and gender? no refuge in english obliges!

RichardWoodcockII gives a different take on the Obama ascendancy.

Top Mojo - excluding search-identifiable tip jars and first diary comments (top 22 tonight of each plus ties):

1 Size matters. by Rian Fike - 246
2 I can't even tell you.... by yamanote - 153
3 If you have to add snark... by JeffLieber - 144
4 Thanks for writing this diary, eclectic by Involuntary Exile - 115
5 The majority of the members of the RBC by CarmenT - 115
6 I wouldn't worry by mffarrow - 114
7 I agree, I know a few Clinton supporters here, by kenjisan - 107
8 As a feminist,I second every word that you have by soms - 94
9 I have to say... by The Lighthouse Keeper - 89
10 Thank you, by Vera Lofaro - 86
11 I've been screaming about this. by Denni - 83
12 Yes and the way they heckled Huffman by marketgeek - 82
13 quote of the day by Avila - 77
14 I continue to be impressed with the by polticoscott - 75
15 Every crowd has its zealots by Dallasdoc - 74
16 How is it possible by Lava20 - 74
17 Obama is just smart, period. by jdl51 - 72
18 The dead enders by slippytoad - 72
19 For Shits and Giggles by Larry Madill - 72
20 When you have the votes, there's no need by RFK Lives - 69
21 Alexis Herman should have had the protestors by Do Tell - 65
22 Exactly by Lauren S - 64
23 And don't forget, this is the John McCain by anastasia p - 63
24 There aren't that many of them. by Angry Mouse - 61
25 what to do now by DrSteveB - 60
26 No. by pat208 - 59
27 I would suggest that most Democrats have by Superskepticalman - 59
28 Probably the most hopeful part of the day... by Mean Green - 59
29 I've been listening to MSNBC all day. They don't by davidincleveland - 59
30 Look up "the shit" in the dictionary by LoLoLaLa - 57
31 I wouldn't have to bother by RenaRF - 57

Top Mojo - everything included:

1 Tips for being responsible by Phoenix Woman - 920
2 I sometimes worry by Granny Doc - 579
3 Tips! by eclecticbrotha - 493
4 Tips for facts over spin by CarmenT - 491
5 Tip jar by dogemperor - 417
6 Yes, those quiet Clinton supporters remind me of by anastasia p - 354
7 Stop me by RenaRF - 322
8 tip jar. by altruista - 322
9 I've had to throw out half my wardrobe... by JeffLieber - 302
10 Size matters. by Rian Fike - 246
11 This is why . . . by nyceve - 244
12 tips for Denver! by Craig Hickman - 212
13 Tips? by BoBo2020 - 175
14 Tips? by True Independent - 173
15 Tip Jar for the wonder twins by Sam Loomis - 165
16 Tip Jar - 1 June by Jerome a Paris - 156
17 I can't even tell you.... by yamanote - 153
18 If you have to add snark... by JeffLieber - 144
19 Tips and Reccomends.  Thanks. by icebergslim - 125
20 Tips and ... Supers for Obama! by ZappoDave - 123
21 Thanks for writing this diary, eclectic by Involuntary Exile - 115
22 The majority of the members of the RBC by CarmenT - 115
23 I wouldn't worry by mffarrow - 114
24 Wow, that was a lot of work by casperr - 112
25 I agree, I know a few Clinton supporters here, by kenjisan - 107
26 It was difficult to watch the heckling going on by SallyCat - 105
27 As a feminist,I second every word that you have by soms - 94
28 I have to say... by The Lighthouse Keeper - 89
29 I would like a more effective America by anastasia p - 88
30 Tip jar. by Eternal Hope - 88

Please submit your own comments below, and thank you for visiting Top Comments tonight! :)