I found this George Carlin quote on a piece I wrote back in 2012. At the time the topic was one particular anti-abortionist. What a shame that it still rings true — only these days it seems to apply to more people than ever before. This time, instead of just anti-abortionists, it applies to members of the Republican Party. All of them. The anti-abortionists, the conspiracy theorists, the insurrectionists, the fascists and neo-nazis, the politicians, and most of all, the Trumpists and the ex-president himself. Those who don’t fall into one of those categories fall into an even worse category — those who, apparently, have abandoned any semblance of critical thinking, self-respect, and love of country to continue to associate with and thereby support the aforementioned groups.
The Republican Party is rotting from within and circling the drain. And the only reason for it that I can think of is that, as Carlin said, the average Republican is stupid (or willfully ignorant, which is infinitely worse) and “half of them are stupider than that.”
And no, I’m not a Democrat. I’m an Unaffiliated voter (UNA) and we are now more numerous in Colorado than either Republicans or Democrats.
We lost Carlin in 2008. What a shame. He’d have had a field day with today’s hyperpartisan America.
Here’s the above quote in context:
Do I risk displaying a lack of intellectual virtue in suggesting that the GOP is no longer an organized political party, but has devolved into splinter cells of fecal stupid “revanchist” pretenders vying to be the High Priest of Bastardized Back To the Future Presentism.
Tribal Chiefs of hyper-individualism somehow suggesting all could be fixed if we only put a stop to the notion of unenumerated Constitution Rights. Read mask, and vaccine mandates here, versus a women’s right to choose, so it cuts left and right, but whiplash helps to giddy up one’s constituents and feed the piggy bank.
But the rabid right can’t get fat on the logical argument that any government who says one must is the same government who feels it has the power to say one can’t… so all the revanchist can do is “cant” and say back in the day this and that was better, and everyone knew their place, and nostalgia is more powerful than nukes, as Putin knows, as Fox News knows, and so it goes and I’ve gone on to long, but thanks for the opportunity. I sure as hell miss politics. Thanks again Susan.
Oh my, do go on. I love this analysis of the Republicans (note I didn’t say “party”)!
Too kind, kind Susan. Thank you. And ironically I consider myself a governing conservative, a political centrist, and banked with just a wee taint of left leaning political economic understandings. That later, the egalitarian in me. Thanks again.
Part of the problem in the US is that if one were being completely honest, no one political party would fit a person’s every need. I used to say I was an economic conservative and a social liberal. Over the years I’ve become less economically conservative and less socially liberal. Sort of. In any case, no one party checks all the boxes for me.
I’m still chewing on and delighting in your point that any government that says you must is the same government that can say you can’t. Delicious.
Each party is an exact duplicate mirror of the other
Headed to oligarchy world wide
– one where laughter and satire both unrecognized and outlawed.
Admittedly the Dems are sliding way too far left while the Publicans are falling off the cliff on the right. I dream of a new party someday made up of we, the unrepresented, still occupying the moderate middle ground.
Carlin had an amazing ability to voice what many people think. Yes, half the people are below average intelligence, but of course it’s much more complex than that. Does free will (if it exists) determine culture, or does culture simply grow randomly? My brain hurts!
Now my brain hurts, probably because I still haven’t finished my coffee. Free will exists; some people are just too lazy to exercise it. Culture is the result. IMHO. And you’ve reminded me of something I wrote back in 2012 — “Study correlates low IQ with racism, conservatism.”
What great comments above, especially the first one!
The comment about the parties mirroring one another is also pithy, though I disagree with that equivalence.
The GOP have completely abandoned any pretense of politics with the trumpian push to one party rule. Their nostalgic hand-wringing resonates with millions, but they can’t win the popular vote. Maybe they’ll be able to steal 2024, but their subversion of patriotism cannot last. Like all tyrants, they will find their way into the dustbin of history.
Maybe you’re right and some new parties will be born after this shitstorm passes. Left vs. Right is serving nobody, but only damaging the great hope of USA.
r.Douglas does have a way with words, doesn’t he? I hope he sees your comment.
I hope I live long enough to see the end of the shitstorm. My grandkids are 19 and 16 and as far as they know, this is the norm. Worse, their parents are registered Republicans. (My son is perfect except for that!) The only worse legacy is global warming that may very well do us all in at some point, despite strenuous denial from some quarters.
I don’t know if I’m lucky to have grown up mostly in the ’50s, with Happy Days, Father Knows Best, etc. Or if that was a curse because I know how much better things used to be. (Or maybe I was just too naive to know things weren’t that great then either.)
Carlin would have a field day in today’s political world.
Indeed he would. More material than one man could digest.