"Our love of lockstep is our greatest curse, the source of all that bedevils us. It is the source of homophobia, xenophobia, racism, sexism, terrorism, bigotry of every variety and hue, because it tells us there is one right way to do things, to look, to behave, to feel, when the only right way is to feel your heart hammering inside you and to listen to what its timpani is saying."
— Anna Quindlen
I don't usually read Andrew Sullivan, but this hits the bulls-eye.
In contrast, today's unconservative "conservatism" is a movement held together by cultural resentment and xenophobic panic. Until it wrests free of this trap, it deserves its Palinesque fate: an ideology wrapped in anachronism, and laced with venom.
A large part of the "xenophonic panic" is, of course, fear of the Black Socialist Boogeyman in the White House, together with the "cultural resentment" of women, people of color and gays--all those groups finally claiming their inalienable human rights. Conservatives think one step forward for anyone else is two steps back for them, which is patent nonsense. It's a toxic, fear-mongering stew that seems immune to facts and even to reason.
I suppose the only good thing about it is that they're getting old and dying out, but I don't know if that'll be enough to save the country.
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