ONE OF THE THINGS THAT amaze me about the right is its consistent need to become the thing it claims to hate.
I grew up in the sixties—in a conservative household.
When JFK was running for president there were two things conservatives were taught to be afraid of—Communism and Catholics.
It may seem strange today, but JFK had to reassure Americans, during his campaign for the presidency, that when it came to matters of government he would not be taking orders from the Vatican.
The most frightening thing about the Communists was their desire to force everyone into the same mold, to have a government decreed set of beliefs and values which were mandated for everyone—and that idea is still driving all the fears of "socialism" being fueled by the right today.
In those days the right believed in freedom.
They didn't think a foreign power—especially a religious one—should have any say in our government, and they didn't think that the government should be forcing one set of beliefs down everyone's throat.
So it's odd, or at least intriguing, to notice that the real political movement in both of those directions comes from the right itself.
Who wanted to suspend Habeas Corpus? Who wanted the government to be able to check out what books you were reading at the library, and without you knowing?
These are exactly the sort of thing that we knew those old-time socialists—the Communists—would do if they took over.
And it isn't solely a matter of political parties.
Bart Stupak comes to mind.
He's a sort of right-wing Democrat, at least insofar as his recent antics go, and a particularly clear example of how the mindset of the religious right works.
He is willing to jeopardize the health of thousands of Americans, including countless children and babies, for years to come in order to force his religious views on the country as a whole.
There are two kinds of anti-abortionists in this country at the moment:
- Evangelical conservatives, who have taken a stance against abortion for political reasons, in spite of the fact that the Bible—their religious authority—says nothing directly about the issue, and seems to be on the other side in what it does say.
- Roman Catholics, whose stance is for purely religious reasons—because their religious authority, the Pope and the authoritarian structures of the Vatican, commands it.
Stupak is the second type, which at least holds a consistent position.
But that position is exactly what conservatives feared about JFK.
Stupak's current attempts to force an anti-abortion clause into health care reform, in spite of the fact that most Americans are pro-choice, and in spite of the fact that many Christians are pro-choice, is based on his allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church, which he puts above his allegiance to his fellow Americans' freedom of choice.
He's taking orders from the Vatican.
The other piece is that he's quite willing to force his dogmatic views on his fellow citizens.
And that is exactly what conservatives feared about Communism.
He thinks that his beliefs ought to be imposed on everyone in the country—even the majority who don't agree with him.
This is the underlying problem of the religious right—in whichever party it raises its head.
In spite of all the talk of democracy, it remains fundamentally authoritarian.
In spite of its talk of freedom, it would impose its religious views on everyone.
And, in Stupak's case, the sickness and death of countless men, women, and children is not too great a price to pay.
At least, that's what I think today.
