THIS IS MOSTLY FOR GAY PEOPLE WHO VOTE FOR REPUBLICANS--AND FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GO BEYOND "THE SYPHILIS PRESIDENT"

Right wing parties never change-- at least not in the basics. Since their raison d'etre is to conserve the status quo, particularly to keep the economic and social privileges in the hands of the elite and their progeny-- by definition a very small piece of the population-- these parties need to find an other way to win elections. I mean more and more tax cuts for multimillionaires is not the way to appeal to people concerned about making (modest) ends meet. Typically right wing parties-- regardless of era or country-- do several things to get around this little problem of running on a platform filled with positions harmful to the well-being of the voters. Stealing elections is always a good stand-by. As is buying or co-opting the mass media and then confusing citizens harried by the difficulties of their day-to-day lives. Xenophobia, nationalism, terrorism, war are all things that have always worked for right-wing parties. And all kinds of fear. Appeals to the fear of "the other" is standard right-wing fare and these days, when promoting anti-Semitism and racial fears have to be a little more subtle than in the past, homophobia works just fine, especially in less culturally advanced parts of the country.

So what got me onto this tear, you are wondering (since I've said it all before)? My pal Jim sent me a little news item from Reuters a few minutes ago. I have to relate it to Bush first. George Bush is the head of the right wing party in the U.S. The right wing coalition of parties in Italy is headed by Bush's friend Silvio Berlusconi (a crooked prime minister). The most far-right of all the parties in Berlusconi's coalition is a blatantly fascist party headed by Benito Mussolini's grand daughter, Alessandra Mussolini. And the Reuters article quotes her slapping down a transgender candidate saying she's proud to be a fascist and "Better to be a fascist than a faggot."

And no doubt for many people, in Italy, it is. America too. Especially the part of the country where the 34% of the people who still approve of George Bush live.

And while we're on the subject of fascism, today the blogosphere is abuzz with Kurt Vonnegut's speech at Ohio State University because he referred to George W. Bush as "the syphilis president." I was more impressed by something else he said, something I always get chatised for whenever I say it (though it never stops me): “The only difference between Bush and Hitler, is that Hitler was elected.” (I even acknowledge that there are a some other, quite serious, differences.) But... I guess Vonnegut has earned the right.