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July 19, 2007
I thought that I was pretty battled hardened with the views of conservatives. But these views on a Republican ship of fools pulled me up short. Johann Hari is reporting on the annual cruise of the National Review'. Try this:
I lie on the beach with Hillary-Ann, a chatty, scatty 35-year-old Californian designer. As she explains the perils of Republican dating, my mind drifts, watching the gentle tide. When I hear her say, " Of course, we need to execute some of these people," I wake up. Who do we need to execute? She runs her fingers through the sand lazily. "A few of these prominent liberals who are trying to demoralise the country," she says. "Just take a couple of these anti-war people off to the gas chamber for treason to show, if you try to bring down America at a time of war, that's what you'll get." She squints at the sun and smiles. " Then things'll change."
Gas chambers for American citizens. Wow. This is American decency?
There's more:
A bell rings somewhere, and we are all beckoned to dinner. We have been assigned random seats, which will change each night. We will, the publicity pack promises, each dine with at least one National Review speaker during our trip. o my left, I find a middle-aged Floridian with a neat beard. To my right are two elderly New Yorkers who look and sound like late-era Dorothy Parkers, minus the alcohol poisoning. They live on Park Avenue, they explain in precise Northern tones. "You must live near the UN building," the Floridian says to one of the New York ladies after the entree is served. Yes, she responds, shaking her head wearily. "They should suicide-bomb that place," he says. They all chuckle gently. How did that happen? How do you go from sweet to suicide-bomb in six seconds?
Suicide bomb the UN? The Muslims are taking over Europe and then the worl. The US should bomb Iran. The US has not been t sufficiently "ruthless" in its wars in the e Muslim world.
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Such views are not unusual. It is only a certain group of people who believe in such things as Liberty, Freedom, and Justice. A huge number benignly support the gov't whatever the gov't does - good, bad or indifferent. Then you have those middle class morons who believe that every infingement of what they believe to be right deserves the death penalty.
We really have a cross section of opinion when it comes down to human rights. Stalin & the KGB have many supporters in Australia. I have heard so many people, young and old, who would fit well in a totalitarian society. Until it effects them - of course.