One Response to “The ageless wisdom of Studs Terkel”

1. Larkrise Says:
   October 29th, 2007 at 1:16 am

   Studs Terkel is a national jewel. His book “Working” is a classic. His article underscores how very regressive the Republican Party has become. They ceaselessly try to take the country back to the most negative aspects of eras gone by. They support elitism, with all of its ugly class, social and economic implications. Their tax laws literally invite class warfare. They support unregulated industry, with all of the subsequent harm, both physical, psychological and economic, to the worker and the consumer. They support shoving fundamentalist religious beliefs down everyone else’s throats, and try to make those beliefs into law. This country was founded on the idea that religion and government should be separate. But, the Republicans would have us return to the intolerant atmosphere that caused the early immigration to America. They support an Executive Branch that would become a virtual dictatorship, given their lack of committment to oversight, and no demands for accountability. Spying on citizens has become standard operating procedure in their view. Hauling someone off to some secret hell hole, without any access to a lawyer, nor any explanation to the family, smacks of Nazi Germany ; but they find no fault with it. Torturing prisoners is given the green light, like the Spanish Inquisition. Attacking and stealing the resources of another country is called “Pre-emptive War”. Attila the Hun would be proud of them. They would rape the environment, rape Social Security, and like the Victorians, ignore the poor, the disabled, and children. I no longer can distinguish the Conservatives from the Republican Party. They are one and the same. Conservatism has morphed into a greedy, thrashing monster, destroying all that it attacks. The monster would take us back to the Dark Ages, with no second thoughts about it. Look at the frontrunners for the Republican nomination. They are dancing a ring around themselves trying to prove who is the most conservative. It is disgusting. I continue to hope that the Republicans are trounced so badly in the 2008 election, that they have to re-organize and moderate. They have done so much damage to millions here and throughout the world. Like all far-right idealogues, they lack compassion, integrity and morality.The amount of corruption is incredible. It is a toxic party that appeals to the least in humanity, those base impulses that are ultimately destructive. If we can be rid of the majority of them, we may yet be able to recover. If not, I am not optimistic about our future. And, they will make a mighty attempt to steal yet another election.

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