Mind-blowing

I think it will be quite informative to see how the Republican National Committee reacts to this little stunt. From mlive.com:

The chairman of the Michigan Republican Party said Wednesday that he will try to bar Ron Paul from future GOP presidential debates because of remarks the Texas congressman made that suggested the Sept. 11 attacks were the fault of U.S. foreign policy.

Michigan party chairman Saul Anuzis said he will circulate a petition among Republican National Committee members to ban Paul from more debates. At a GOP candidates' debate Tuesday night, Paul drew attacks from all sides, most forcefully from former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, when he linked the terror attacks to U.S. bombings.

Is it just me, or is anyone else truly terrified by what the Republican party has come to represent?

You know, I still fervently believe that impeachment - if not indictment - of the current Administration should be priority one, right now, without further delay, period, end paragraph. But even that vital step, I'm beginning to fear, will not put an end to the bullying and swagger and macho posturing and outright madness of the Bush Doctrine, as outlined by the PNAC. Nor will it provide any real escape from the ever-deepening hole our "leaders" keep digging for the ol' Red White and Blue.

If the RNC lines up behind Anuzis, it is a blatant admission that to the GOP there is no complexity in foreign policy. No nuance allowed - and no expertise required. No objective evaluation of the interweaving of historical fact in finding solutions to our global hot spots. Just one unwavering position:

We're the good guys. Always have been, by God. And we'll kick your foreign ass if you disagree.

If the performances of the Republican front-runners are any indication so far, the election of '08 is shaping up to be a vote for Peace or War. Lots and lots of war. It's just that simple. And, as a Baby Boomer who grew up hungering for the wonders of an advanced, progressive, better informed, more cooperative, less murderous 21st Century world, that's not the dream I bargained on.

And what scares me the most is that, given the revolting applause for torture and global aggression we've witnessed during both GOP debates, our demonstrably pliable citizenry is only one manufactured incident away from chanting "USA,USA..." and gleefully bombing the first Brown people in sight. Depending on the next potential "October surprise" (What - you don't think Karl's got one left up his sleeve?!), the vote could go either way.

So yes, by all means, let's get off the fence and remove this entire Administration from power once and for all before they do any more damage than they've already done. Until that step is accomplished, all efforts to halt the Bush juggernaut amount to nothing more than spitting into the wind.

And if we do not demand even that level of accountability from George, Dick, Alberto and their friends, with so much damning evidence piling up in plain sight all around us, then this is no longer "America" anyway.

But be very afraid of their potential successors as well - especially if we witness any support within the Republican rank-and-file to quash Ron Paul for daring to look at our actual Middle Eastern history. The choice we face becomes clearer every day. It is between a culture dedicated to war and one dedicated to ending war. That there are a sizable number of people out there who seem to be drooling for the former is something that simply blows my mind.

I know which side I'm on.