Date Posted:14:37:28 10/07/04 Thu Author: UBFree Subject: Re: Public opinion and the media In reply to:
Chris
's message, "Re: Public opinion and the media" on 12:27:22 10/07/04 Thu
I will make a couple of points.
1. I agree that there are right and left wing 'extreme' groups that should be and are condemned. The KKK has very little following and is almost non-existant. This is a credit to the American people. You mentioned McVeigh, he was tried and excuted for his crimes. Certainly there was no sympthathy for him. Yes, the right wing is strong in America, but it is controlled by strong Judeo-Christian beleifs.
What Americans object to is the characterization of Bush as a "right wing extremist",he is not.
2. Since the civil war it has been Democrat Presidents that have gotten us INTO war and Republican presidents that have gotten us OUT of war.
WWI Democrat Woodrow Wilson leads us into war
WWII Democrat Franklin Roosevelt leads us into WWII
Korean War-Democrat Truman gets us in, Eisenhower(Republican) gets us out
Vietnam- Democrats John F. Kennedy, Lydon Johnson gets us in, Nixon(Republican) gets us out.
Cold War-Reagan(Republican) stands up to Soviets, wins(gets us out)Cold war
War on Terrorism-Democrat Clinton gets us in-through failed policy and inaction gets us in. Bush-fights will get us out through victory.
>I think every German with a conscience and every
>intelectual German somehow abhors the right wing due
>to our national history. In America that is much bit
>different.
>
>But even Americans should know that the simple
>equation "right=good" and "left=bad," and "the more
>right the better" cannot be true. Please keep in mind
>the things which are visible at the extreme right of
>the political spectrum, even in America, just think of
>Ku Klux Klan, "White Aryan Resistance" and other white
>nationalist, separatist or even "supremacist" groups
>and ideologies which are sometimes even linked with
>Christian fundamentalism. Remember the Oklahoma
>bombing by McVeigh - I think it was the worst bombing
>in the US before 9/11. Planned and executed by an
>ultra-right American, not a Muslim. I think Americans
>still have to learn the ugly face of nationalism and
>right-wing extremism. We Germans learned our lesson.
>(Well, there are also those Germans who forgot about
>history and votes for neo-facist parties again - see
>the recent discussion on the UBF forum).
>
>Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that Bush is
>fascist or ultra-right. I am just saying that you will
>meet the devil at both extremes of the political
>spectrum, and the right side is not automatically
>"Christian."
