The death of outrage

The past few months have seen a level of vitroil, smears and outright lies from senior politicians in the US which has come as a total surprise. But even more astonishing has been the lack of outrage at this descent into a culture of hate and calumny. There was always a level of courtsey in discourse at even the most difficult of times in the US but the past few months have shaken that belief in civility.

Imagine two governors of US states stating that slavery did not matter "diddly" or that the Civil war was fought for states rights. This from the party of Lincoln and in the year 2010. Or take a senator who says he never said he was a maverick while standing next to his published biography whose title is my life as a maverick. Or the leader of the opposition, Mitch McConnell, blandly lieing about the import of a financial regulation bill. Or the tea partiers still demanding Obamas birth certificate and hanging him in effigy. Or people spitting on black congressmen or calling some faggots in the House.

That there will always be fringe elements that will go beyond the bounds of decency occurs in every country. But the fact that it arouses so little outrage or revulsion is the real surprise. The main stream media cover it as if it was a soap opera and they were mere onlookers recording the event for posterity. They are afraid to label these efforts for what they are - disguised racism and bigotry. If many of these media were to cover the Nazi pogroms, I presume they would still manage to hide their real feelings and be objective and dispassionate.

But there are a few brave souls who do speak out : Paul Krugman is not afraid to call McConnell an ignorant liar; Friedman is willing to challenge Bibi Netanyu; Frank Rich is not afraid to call the tea partiers by their real name - racists and bigots; David Brooks is willing to make an objective evaluation of Obama's first year in power. Yes, these are the few left with any integrity in their public professions. For the rest, it seems like profiles in cowardice seeking shelter behind a non existent press objectivity.

The ones who are really missing in action is this ugly period of american life are the elders in the Republican party. After all do GW Bush, ex senators Warner and Danforth really approve of their party allying itself with the worse elements of the racist south? Do they not feel any obligation to speak out against challenges to the legitimacy of the President or the hanging of nooses or labelling slavery "diddly"? Should they not speak out?

The fact is that just as Pakistanis had to realize the dangers Taliban posed to their country before they finally moved to action to isolate and eliminate them, so it will have to be with the republicans. Only they can move to remove this tea party led cancer now gnawing at their party. But until they are willing to realize and accept the danger this racism poses to their party and their country, it is futile to expect any lowering of temperature or any future rise in civility in public discourse. Surely the republicans must realize that it is the soul of their party that is at stake.