Refreshingly honest, delusional or just stomach-turning?

[Swatopluk]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2gZgspU1gA

If one looks at politicians in the US today (not saying that other countries are fundamentally better), honesty about their goals seems to be pretty rare, esp. but not exclusively on the Right. They usually are very vocal about what they are against but often literally run away when someone from the now rare species of real reporters tries to get a clear answer out of them what they actually want or what the consequences of their stetd position would be. Try to get get a clear statement that they want tax cuts exclusively for the rich and actually don't give a damn about the deficit (unless it can be used to hurt the non-rich) and they either look like the rabbit before the snake or do evasive maneuvers that would make a weasel/mongoose proud. The few that don't tend to be of the kind we consider to be not fully sane. What, I think, most of them have in common is disdain for democracy except as an empty shell that they can use for their own advancement.

In a way it is refreshing to find someone who is not visibly foaming at the mouth but calmly explains why he hates democracy and what he wants to replace it with. I do not know who that guy is (not a congresscritter for sure) or whether this is actually a clever parody.

What do you think about this? Does he make at least some sense? Is he loathsome, delusional or something totally different?

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

It ranks between straight face parody, useful idiocy (the moron(s) in question really believe the stuff they say) and right wing strategy (lets try to convince the fundie sector of the electorate that only a 'moral' and 'properly educated' elite should be in power).

This stuff recalls the nostalgia of the time when people knew their place and 'god' (read: the feudal lords) called the shots.
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I won't transcribe all the untaddy thoughts I'm having right now.

[pieces o nine]

That video reminds me (again) why a few friends and I metaphorically "tied our rosaries together" and "went over the wall" years ago.

[Aggie]

  in general.


However, some of the points about democracy are somewhat valid, and IMHO American politics are a great example of this.  It's more about spectacle and hot-button issues than about proving one is actually capable of running the country in a way that most benefits the people. 

I don't propose we scrap democracy, but I'd say the greatest value of the democratic system in a developed country is to prevent the people from ever revolting.  Protests and grassroots politics can bring attention to an issue, but don't generally devolve into regime-toppling violence, if the people have bought into a stable democratic system and feel like they have a say at the polls.  The government therefore has to resort less frequently to violent suppression and can more or less do what it damned well pleases, as long as it's not visible to the majority of voters, or that majority is kept misinformed.  Most people really won't go looking too hard for red-flags if they are not waved directly in their faces.

I have a certain theoretical attraction to the idea of a benevolent dictator, but benevolent people rarely find themselves in those kinds of positions of power.   _{Probably fair to point out that when they do, it's generally in a religious organization.}

[Swatopluk]

I also think that he begins with controversial but (partially) valid statements.
One could quote Friedrich Schiller in this context: Majority? What is majority? Majority is nonsense. Understanding has always only been among few. One ought to weigh voices, not count them.
But he loses me even before he can come up with a 'solution' by defining those he thinks are the uninformed/unworthy. Additionally he goes far beyond the usual Religious Right/Roman Catholic fixation on morals, homosexuality and abortion but also (totally against current catholic doctrine!!!) rants against the very idea of social justice/security. One can accuse Rome of a lot but (currently or in the last 100+ years) not of libertarian extremism.
It's neither fish nor fowl. Traditional US RWers want a quasi-feudal oligarchic state while retaining the republican shell, not a formal monarchy, Ultra-catholics want the Ständestaat, usually monarchical, but not cannibalistic capitalism.
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As far as benevolent dictators go there is the saying (don't know who said it first): Brilliant dictators tend to have incompetent and/or evil successors.

[Swatopluk]

This: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/fischer-letting-house-burn-down-was-christian-thing-do seems not to justify a thread of its own but this thread seems closest among the recent ones.

Is there a Christian obsession with fire as a good thing to happen to other people.
Btw, this guy is fawned over by the GOP/TP and this is one of the 'least controversial' statements I heard of him (in the way that some people make Hitler look semitophile in comparision)

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Changing the meaning of Xtianity is a common practice apparently.

This incident proves that religion can be an incredible tool more than a guiding principle. I'll spare you my more untaddy thoughts on the subject.

[Aggie]

Isn't that really what it's for?  "Religion" the system as opposed to theology and spirituality, that is...   bloody franchises...   if you have the gall to speak on behalf of God, that's a powerful piece of authority over anyone who buys into your BS.  It really does make one wish just a little bit in that untaddy part of your being that He's   A) up there   b) a vengeful God  and  c) paying attention to these types.

I had a strong urge the other day to start up a satanlovesfredphelps.com website, and maybe get a bunch of people dressed up like the devil to go hug Westboro Baptist protesters wherever they appear.


Related:
http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/07/22/super-heroes-vs-the-westboro-baptist-church/

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

I tried to watch the video (post #1).  I really did.  I could not make myself go all the way through to the end.

5 years of fighting people exactly like this intolerant hate-cultist on Topix has jaded my ability to sit through such tripe.

Sorry.   I saw nothing redeeming about that guy, or his video--maybe he had something in the last 1/3, I dunno...

He's exactly why religion is fading, on a world-wide scale, I think.