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- G e n d e r G a p p e r s T M
CULT AMERICANA
 A
question most thinking Democrats ponder is, "Why do the polls show
such consistently high approval ratings for Bush."
One would certainly think in light of the terrible economy,
the huge deficit and the coddling of corporate crooks that we'd see this
reflected in the polls.
Generally speaking there are always those who would politically support a president simply because he is Republican/conservative. Another group would not support a Republican. There is a third group of voters that used to be in constant flux but is not now. The fact that polls don't appear to change indicates that a hard core of the third group has put aside all of its patriotic values learned in school and celebrated on the Fourth of July. Those values that energized the existence of an America the Beautiful that is fair, tolerant and non-aggressive have been subverted. It is this group of 20 - 25% that keep Bush's favorability rating in the 70%. It is this group that frantically and violently tries to stifle free speech, that demands that everyone must hold unquestioning allegiance to Bush as they do. Their common thread is religion and media-induced fear. Their driving purpose is the belief that America is slipping into hell and they believe the Bushites will bring it back to what God intended. The events of 9/11 solidified their beliefs as expressed by Jerry Falwell, who declared that 9/11 was heavenly payback for gays, feminism, lesbians and abortion. The secret, right wing conspiracy propaganda has always been directed towards this group. Its message was sharpened and intensified following 9/11 and continues unabated and unchallenged by the media. Now a large cadre of voters believe Bush was sent by God to restore America to its preordained Christian way of life. A way of life not far off from what we think of happening in most Islamic cultures. Men chosen by God as the superior gender with women subservient to them. Are the people that make up this third group, that now enforce their views on all of us through the media, atypical? Are they nutters without humanity and uncaring? The same questions are asked about people who join cults. We have heard much about cults over the years. As different as they may appear, they usually all have a common thread religion and an driving force. There are other similarities in cults. The instigators of a cult put forth a charismatic figurehead or leader. Normal, idealistic people are taken in by the religious fervor and their own fears to believe that only the leader can save them. They undergo personality changes.
Cult members will not listen to opposing ideas. They tune in only to the voices and opinions controlled by the leaders. Listening to only one voice with constant repetition, they become convinced that their only salvation is to blindly follow that figurehead.
Cult members have been described as goldfish living in a bowl that is painted black on the inside. Their world is what their leaders tell them it is. A group is called a cult because of its behavior not its doctrines.
Bush claims he was chosen by God. He was chosen, but it was by The Supremes, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld and the rest of the War Party and elite members of the right-wing conspiracy to destroy human rights.
We may tend to think that cults are composed of weirdos from outer space because that's the way the media features them. Recognizing a cult and its membership for what it is may be a clue to curbing its effects on the country. Most of the media is embedded with the present administration. It is already serving up propaganda designed to discredit the Democratic presidential candidates while it continues to canonize Bush. Our "Mission Possible" must be outreach to every possible swing voter for serious de-programming. 2003-019
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