The Glenn Greenwald Phenomenon & the Last Gasps of "Conservativism"

I've probably said it before, somewhere'z else, that I'm a big fan for the quality of writing and analysis of American blogger/columnist Glenn Greenwald. But what I find remarkable about him is his unfathomable ability to make his targets in the mainstream media respond (usually poorly!) to his criticisms and to actually expand the terms of the debate.

As this article: "The Inky and Me" by Znet's Edward Herman shows, the mainstream media (in this case the Philadelphia Inquirer ["Inky"]) routinely disregarded left-wing critiques, disparaged their left-of-centre readership, and actively solicited right-wing shit-heads to contribute letters to the editor when the ratio of sane (left) to insane (right) letters was getting too unbalanced to be ignored.

This is standard practice, well beyond just an aberration practiced in the Inquirer. If you read the link about Joe Klein's error-filled criticisms of the Democrat's position on the FISA Bill, TIME even refused to publish letters of correction from Democratic senators on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

[Information that might come as a bit of a surprise to the morons attacking the media from the right.]

Perhaps its Greenwald's national presence via the magic of the internet that gives him a broad readership that can deluge arrogant institutions like TIME and etc., pointing out their obvious and undeniable errors.

Whatever it is, it's working. Its latest manifestation has been Greenwald's pointing out the nauseating double-standard between John McCain's seeking and boasting about the endorsement of Christian-fascist-lunatic/moron Pastor John Hagee, and Barack Obama's being grilled for the unsolicited endorsement from Louis Farrakhan .

Racist moron Tim Russert made Obama jump through numerous hoops before allowing him to sign-off on the unwanted support from Farrakahn. Russert (who considers himself talented for being able to find clips of obvious lies from people like Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney that contradict the lies they were spewing on his tv show at a later date) obviously thought something like: "Duh, Obama is black. Farrakhan is black. So is Harry Belafonte for that matter! They're obviously working together to take over our country and fuck our women."

Whereas Obama rejected Farrakhan, McCain has gone out of his way to boast of the idiot Haggee's support. Hagee is an anti-Catholic, anti-gay, anti-Arab racist. McCain likes him mainly for his "support for Israel." This support, as Greenwald points out, works out thusly:

As has been noted many times, most recently today by Matt Yglesias, Hagee's so-called "commitment to Israel" actually means that he wants Israel united so that the Rapture can happen and all Jews, including Israelis, will be slaughtered and sent to hell.

The nice thing about this, besides evidence of the further implosion of the witless McCain's candidacy, is that the Christian fascists are finally being held to account. Mainstream media outlets are reflecting the changing mood in the US; that noxious bigotry, inspired by religious delusions, are an even greater danger to what's left of their society than even the elites had believed possible.

And, to bring an end to a long post, the Conservative Party of Canada, is, as I've always said, the remnant of the "conservative" tide that crested long ago in the USA. Harper is living off the dregs of a now-bankrupt movement. As such, his cynical pandering to Canadian Christian-fascists like this Dr. Charles McVety person, who violates Canadian tax laws by using his tax-exempt religious institution's resources to help fellow snail-brain Stockwell Day get elected, and who has been instrumental in getting the government to attack the tax credits of Canadian artistic productions that violate his closet-case, repressed moral standards.

If we're not careful, lunatics like McVety will do considerable damage before they dwindle back to obscurity and powerlessness, but take heart brothers and sisters, ... this movement of stupidity and delusion is dying.