Do Republicans want a religious extremist as their nominee?

The U.S. has troops in places like Afghanistan and Iraq, and numerous other countries, and there's some definite sabre rattling happening right now in the direction of Iran from some quarters.  Often times western powers are battling with religious extremists, Islamic fundamentalist with an extreme interpretation of the Muslim holy book, the Koran.

You might expect to see quotes like this from leaders in countries like Iran or from the Taliban in Afghanistan:

"This is not a political war at all. This is not a cultural war. This is a spiritual war."

Oooops, that was from Republican presidential nominee Rick Santorum.  Okay, let me cite a quote from a U.S. right-winger then.  Something which speaks to what we've come to expect from the Theo-Con camp of the GOP.

"This is a war between two willpowers: the willpower of the people and the willpower of their enemies". 

Almost sounds like it was taken from a speech by G.W. Bush himself doesn't it?  Um, oops again.   That isn't Santorum or Bush, that quote is from Iran's supreme leader, the Ayatollah. 

Ah well, that's what happens when you try to sift through extremist rhetoric, its hard to tell the opposing sides apart because...well, with religious nuts, they're all convinced they have the All Mighty's blessing. 

Think Ron Paul is nuts? Good, the MSM is doing its job...check out John Stewart

Ron Paul could easily drop out of the GOP race and coporate media would be very happy.  They've built up candidates like Rick Santorum, while working very hard at avoiding the Texas doctor and service vertran.

Don't believe me?  Check out John Stewart.  Pretty telling when Comedy Central provides more insight than major news outlets:

Americans can win back world respect by electing Ron Paul

I spent a bit of time growing up in the United States.  I attended kindergarten and grades one to three and a bit of four in NJ and all of grade six near Portland Oregon.  It is probably for that reason that I have enormous respect for our southern neighbours.  With that being said I have seen the U.S. in decline for generations now. 

Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama...Republicans and democrats, it doesn't matter, the slide continues. 

I wasn't born into the information age, but I've come of age during it.  I've watched journalism turn into hackery as media convergence has led to corporate ownership of almost all our media outlets.  Its not a healthy situation, in democracies like Canada and the U.S. news and information represents power and gives those owning it tremendous control.

When the United States was founded the press was free, and the marketplace of  ideas was open for business.  Such is not the case now.  We have media giants making donations to political organizations.  Does this sound 'fair and balanced' to you?

To those perhaps rolling their eyes and thinking, 'oh great, another conspiracy', don't be naive.  You would have to be incredibly naive to think that rich, powerful and influential individuals and organizations wouldn't use their wealth, power and influence to affect the results of things like elections.

You get what and who you pay for.  And as things stand right now, Ron Paul doesn't look like he's on the payroll.  And why would he be?

He advocates a return to a little thing called the U.S. constitution.  That would mean that declaring war on another nation would require an act of Congress.   Instead of just one man saying, "let's go" there could be actual debate.  War though is big business, the arms industry is massive.  If you're a company that makes billions from what Eisenhower called the military industrial complex, are you going to give a guy like Ron Paul a bigger platform to cut your profits? 

He's also for auditing and ending the Federal Reserve system.  How do you think the owners of the Fed feel about that?  Anyone who thinks the Fed is a government institution and not a privately held entity needs to do some research.  Just don't expect to see any in depth reporting on Fox News.

The United States became a beacon to the world by enshrining individual rights and freedoms.  When you hear the word liberty its hard not to think of the U.S.  But that liberty has been eroded by the badly named Patriot Act, and is still under attack with initiatives like SOPA.  Canadians should know a bit about this with the Harper government's invasive, police state style Internet legislation.

The mainstream media presents Dr. Ron Paul as something of a kook, it serves their purpose.  But younger people who are no longer tethered to MSM news are catching on.  Check out the videos they're putting out and listen to the message.  Liberty, individual rights and freedoms, a return to the constitution.  America threw off its colonial masters some 200 plus years ago in dreams of attaining freedom and liberty, its a never ending battle.  And to get back what they once had they'll have to throw off their corporate masters as well. 

Global multi-nationals don't care about the great unwashed, just a bigger and bigger bottom line.  And when their excess and poor management threatens to sink them, our elected officials toss them billions, stolen from people who can least afford it.  Corporate America isn't American, Corporate Canada isn't Canadian, they're global and they'll go wherever and wherever they can get the best return.

It wasn't always this way, and it doesn't have to stay this way.

Watch the videos:

Tories to social conservatives...thanks for the votes, now bugger off!!!

Members of Canada's socially conservative religious right fraternity must be looking on the Harper government like the insurance salesman who attends church to drum up business.  I mean sure he's on the membership role and tosses his cheque in the plate every week.  But is he a true believer or just there to network?

From where I sit the issues of importance to social  conservatives are as follows:

• A return of the death penalty
• Abortion back in the criminal code
• Ending the legal status of same-sex marriage

I'll state my opinions and bias up front as I often do.  I'm opposed to the death penalty in all cases.  While I consider myself ardently Pro-Choice, I would not be averse to some limitations being placed on late term procedures provided access would never be  impeded in cases of maternal health.  And as for same-sex marriage, I really don't give a rip, keep it legal or ban it...it doesn't matter to me one way or another.

I'm not looking to argue any of these points, just giving you my opinion.  Ain't democracy grand?

I wonder though if some in the evangelical crowd are beginning to feel like they've been taken.  It must be like taking a whole life insurance package from that nice 'Christian' sitting in the pews every Sunday only to find out he's been trolling down Church St. in Toronto and availing himself of bath houses.

 Scannning So-Con blogs it seems our PM could be losing the flock.

 

Socon or Bust

He came to power on the (dismembered) backs of the unborn. Now he’s become paranoid about not debating the issue or even allowing others in his own Party to do so, even to the point that he will permit infanticide to protect abortion and his political career.

 

Big Blue Wave

Stephen Harper: Not the conservative he once was

 

The Conservatives have a five year mandate, plenty of time to toss a core constituency a bone or two.  Otherwise principalled MPs might decide to leave and set up their own party.  Its happened before.