Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Trial by Combat




Can we really understand the mind of a movement conservative, or is it irreducibly nouminal to those of us who believe in things like truth? It is clear that the Bushies, insofar as they think about truth at all, locate it in the antiquated hopdgepodge of legend, myth, propaganda, rationalization and nonsense that comprises the Bible, and various other texts strip-mineable for talking points. Truth doesn't occur subjectively in their world. They don't tell the truth; if cornered they turn up their hands and ask, "What is truth?"




In much the same way, or perhaps in an extension of this, they don't believe in fairness, objectivity or impartiality. They realized a key victory when the "Fairness Doctrine" was done in, when the TV and radio outlets no longer had to alot equal broadcast time to opposing views. After all, who could fairly adjudicate such a balance? It's much better, they argue, to let the wisdom of the Darwinian marketplace dictate content -- except when critics of the corporatist agenda are popular; then it is best to cancel their shows, blacklist their records, boycott their sponors, et cetera.




Another pernicious aspect, possibly the most pernicious aspect of this world view is the fact that they don't believe judges or prosecutors should or even can be impartial, therefore they have no duty to try. What should happen, in the Bushie view, is that the people (informed by Fox News, and guided by God) should choose a decider, who then gets to appoint judges, cabinet secretaries, prosecutors, et alia, who will promote his own agenda, regardless of whether that agenda was espoused to the voters who chose the decider, or conforms with the laws. After all, the laws are designed, in theory, to operate fairly. And fairness, like truth, is not a vaue in their Winner Take All universe.




We are ruled by sociopaths.




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