The "Reds" Are Coming- A Finx Rant

Remember back in the good old commie hatin' days of the latter twentieth century when the real tough guys in the US would light up a stogie and talk about "gettin' those damn Red bastards"? How we all had someone clear to hate and fear? It seemed those were the days of clarity. A time when you knew exactly who might come and try to steal your babies away to be converted into Godless socialist monsters. Eventually, it lead to commissions being formed to weed out the subversives in our midst that were looking to change the American way of life into something heinous, or worse... equal.

So, thank God for those soulless commies bastard giving us something good to fight and demean. I mean, we won, right? No one's worried about the Reds showing up on their doorstep one day and telling them what to think and do, or what God they can or can't worship, right? Right?

I guess I would have to say I see it differently. You see, to me the threats have become far more subversive than some duck and cover cartoon of fear mongering, and the real problems of those societies are still alive and well today. Besides, communisim was never the real issue, control was.

No clear ideology can be blamed for the world's ills anymore. So, one might hope that without superpowers duking it out, the world would be focused on finding some way to get along on this tiny planet with out killing each other. But, not everyone is content with that idea. They're the ones are who always had the black and white of "us versus them" (commie vs. freedom lover) to fall back on when the shit hit the fan. The complexities of today's global environment are still lost on them. So, when someone acted out and took a swipe at "us", and there was no clear "them" to go after, what did they do?

They made a new "them".

The "thems" of the 21st century are now becoming clearer: The Non-Reds. Ever since the 2004 elections, one group as had an interesting color to rally around. They are the conservative Christians, the "red staters", and they allegedlly have the majority of power in the US right now (if you ignore exit polling data and at least 48% of the country). So, it's easy for them to deicide who the new "thems" are.

The funny thing is, most times there's no rhyme or reason to who they pick. Most times it's whatever they have on their agenda for the week. Maybe you're gay, or Muslim, or maybe even just an anti-war Christian, it doesn't matter, you're now counted among the ranks of evil-doers such as Saddam and... um, you know, that guy with the beard and the kidney problem we can't seem to track down? Anyway, my point is that if you're not towing the party line, you're now one of "them", and will be treated as the villain that you are.

Just reflect on all of the stories that you've read about people's civil liberties being trampled because their "actions" (read: "beliefs") were deemed threatening. Or, how about detaining and torturing people for no other reason than suspicion of intent to perpetrate a crime that hasn't yet happened with no charges filed in any federal court?

What I'm driving at here is, don't these tactics sound familiar to you? Well, they should, because those very same "Reds" of old are now role models for the new American government and it policies, which I'd aptly title: the "Red" States of America!

What's even stranger to me is how in bed we are with China, one of our most influential trading partners. If we Americans and our leaders are such freedom lovers and pious Christians, why would we condone such a country, known to repeatedly violate its people's human rights and freedoms (like freedom of religion)? My only guess is that it's because they are worshiping the God of capitalism. How can you fear and loathe those "Reds", if you're one of them?

So, I propose we take a page from the good book of progressives everywhere (who brilliantly labeled Christian extremists like Pat Robertson as "Mullahs" to shine a light on their lack of grasping irony) and refer to those on the radical right as the "Reds". No one likes to have their ugly skeletons drug from their closets for all to see. It seems appropriate that we label "them" as they have labeled so many others who chose simply to disagree with whatever Dogma suited them at the time.

Jesus, that was quite a post! I think I almost wrote a novel. Let's keep the irony up kids, the "Reds" won't know what hit 'em. If you're not exhausted please read vuduvgn's post below, it's a good one!