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Changing our own ways is way way harder than critizing other people's ways. Way.
Just as the US seems to have a grand democratic plan for the rest of the world - to be forced upon people by means of war if necessary (the mother of oxymorons if ever there was one) - democracy seems to be taking a beating in its own back yard.
The Christian Right fails to see the obvious resemblance between them and other fundamentalists. There should be a club, FU (Fundamentalists United - what were you thinking, you dirtyminded you?). FU are the same everywhere, wanting to impose their article of faith onto the articles of law.
It may be difficult for people in the US to see just how seriously threatened their civil liberties are, but it is similarly difficult for us in Iceland to accept that things we consider normal are actually undermining the democracy process.
We are in a continual blind spot when it comes to democracy at home. It is much easier for us to spot the the stains on the US political shirt, to be outraged by human suffering in the Middle East, or shake our heads in disdain for racism on the rise in Europe.
We do not see that we re-elected the very politicians that affixed us to the Coalition of the Willing, making us as culpatory as the people who voted for Bush. We are entirely comfortable with the human suffering inside Icelandic homes. We are totally fine with a law that makes it almost impossible for foreigners to move to Iceland on their own accord, yet easy for Corporations to import low wage workers to do the dirty work, only to be spit out when the job is done.
We are, like, just as bad. Like totally.
Just as the US seems to have a grand democratic plan for the rest of the world - to be forced upon people by means of war if necessary (the mother of oxymorons if ever there was one) - democracy seems to be taking a beating in its own back yard.
The Christian Right fails to see the obvious resemblance between them and other fundamentalists. There should be a club, FU (Fundamentalists United - what were you thinking, you dirtyminded you?). FU are the same everywhere, wanting to impose their article of faith onto the articles of law.
It may be difficult for people in the US to see just how seriously threatened their civil liberties are, but it is similarly difficult for us in Iceland to accept that things we consider normal are actually undermining the democracy process.
We are in a continual blind spot when it comes to democracy at home. It is much easier for us to spot the the stains on the US political shirt, to be outraged by human suffering in the Middle East, or shake our heads in disdain for racism on the rise in Europe.
We do not see that we re-elected the very politicians that affixed us to the Coalition of the Willing, making us as culpatory as the people who voted for Bush. We are entirely comfortable with the human suffering inside Icelandic homes. We are totally fine with a law that makes it almost impossible for foreigners to move to Iceland on their own accord, yet easy for Corporations to import low wage workers to do the dirty work, only to be spit out when the job is done.
We are, like, just as bad. Like totally.
posted by disinterpreter at 10:47 AM
4 Comments:
On that note, in today's paper there was a notice that a man got 30 days on prison for entering his neighbor's home and ripping up his toilet bowl(!). Fairly heavy sentencing in a country where rape and child molestation charges often are dropped because the police drag their feet to the point that the statute of limitations goes into effect.
And here, Elin, you have hit the American nail on the proverbial head with the FU. Welcome to America, where freedom of religion if practiced, "just as long as you worship Jesus and believe EXACTLY as we do." A nation of hypocrites. It is well known that the FU directly elected Bush, it's been reported. I suppose that makes me a heathen now, even though I'm Christian, because I'm against Bush.
Having escaped from the poisonous embrace of a charismatic, fundamentalist sect myself, I am more than aware with the process of cognitive warping that religion sets in motion. I was "redeemed" by feminism and Émile Durkheim. Oddly enough (another strange coincidence Elin!), I was discussing the depressing resurgence of fundamentalism in the West (a lot of conservative politicians in Europe have been howling over Rocco Buttiglione being forced to stand down - oops, I meant voluntarily tender his resignation from the Commission - condemning recent events as persecution on the grounds of religious conviction) with a colleague only this afternoon. He drew my attention to the National Secular Society and I am taking the liberty of cutting and pasting its aims from the website (the text is identical to that contained in the print version of the brochure, which he produced from his briefcase):
"The National Secular Society’s General Principles are as follows:
Secularism affirms that this life is the only one of which we have any knowledge and human effort should be directed wholly towards its improvement.
Affirming that morality is social in origin and application, Secularism aims at promoting the happiness and well-being of mankind. Secularism demands the complete separation of Church and State and the abolition of all privileges granted to religious organisations.
Secularism affirms that progress is possible only on the basis of equal freedom of speech and publication; that the free criticism of institutions and ideas is essential to a civilised state.
It asserts that supernaturalism is based upon ignorance and assails it as the historic enemy of progress.
It seeks to spread education, to promote the fraternity of all peoples as a means of advancing universal peace to further common cultural interests and to develop the freedom and dignity of mankind.
To remove an impediment to these objectives, we demand the complete separation of Church and State and the abolition of all privileges granted to religious organisations.
These are the common goals of secularists everywhere".
It is surprising how few religious leaders seem to pick up on the fact that the only thing that really guarantees our right to worship is the separation of church and state.
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