Reply #22: It's working very well for them

[Cats Against Frist]

I have a degree in Nonwestern Politics -- with substantial course work in American identity politics. So, I took ALL the courses that Republicans usually are referring to, when they rip on political science departments: Women in Politics; Race, Ethnicity & Inequality; Voting and Elections; Latin American Politics 1 & 2; Middle Eastern Politics; Asian Politics; Constitutional Law; Empirical Research Methods, etc.

What it comes down to, on this particular "blame America first" issue, is not a difference in SCHOLARSHIP, but sheer denial.

If you read about history from a number of sources, it is clear, like everything else, that you get "the spin," and from that -- you make your own conclusions.

We know, for instance, that the CIA helped overthrow Mossadegh in Iran, and installed the Shah. We also know the story about Allende, we also know that the U.S. supported Saddam Hussein, and any number of despots, throughout the 20th century. These are things that are not "made up," or spun. The spin comes from "why," -- "why did the U.S. do these things?"

The answer is the same, whether from the right or the left: The U.S. will do anything, or stop at nothing to protect its interest, no matter what affect this has on other nations.

It's just that the right won't own up to it in the public square. They can make vague comments, like Bush's quote in his convention speech, that was something like, "my opponents think that America brought the terrorist attacks on, itself," relying on the IGNORANT plebeians not to know the particulars of American foreign policy.

The Republican Party is "PC"-ing itself, hiding it's true motives, because it is an embarrasment to them. Finding excuses for their actions, without really coming right out and saying it: we are the superpower, we own this fucking world, and you won't fuck with us.

Now, several of their SUPPORTERS will say this (watch Washington Journal's call-in show), and from time to time, a right-wing talking head will blow the cover and say something on the air, like Newt Gingrich did, when pushed by Pat Buchanan on Meet the Press. When Newt had effectively run out of excuses, he said something like the following: "Well this area of the world controls of the world's oil, and we have to make sure that it's flowing, or that it's available to us."

Now your every-day-fascist-on-the-street will not hide this -- in fact, American superiority, xenophobia, racism and cultural supremacism are the true "kitchen table" issues of the GOP. It's not just money -- it's ideology, and the right wing is just sour that it has to hold court with a bunch of "uppity liberal intellectuals," who are the last bastion of people who will call them out on their bullshit.

But they won't take to the airwaves, and ever say what they really are. And the only people who usually find out "those particulars" that I mentioned above, are those who go to a college history or political science class and are given a much broader survey of what's happened in the world.

It's not some ranting, overly biased, nutjob of a left wing commie teacher that they want to stop: the want the "particulars," to be stopped -- the mention of Allende, Mossadegh, etc., etc., ALTOGETHER.

Why -- because in the end, when there's no one to question, their own shame will go away.

***edited for bad punctuation