Reckless escalation of adversity
Banana Republicans, and the Bush regime, thrive and depend upon, and also actively promote, a reckless escalation of adversity and belligerence.
Reckless in that their escalation of adversity is both unnecessary and insufficiently considered.
Escalation in that they can never have enough, or too much, adversity.
Compare how the metropolitan Police are dressed and armed in Miami, to their historic attire in roles "to serve and protect" the citizens.
Notice how their activity of "protection" is so non-passive. [1]
Redefining the national political dialog as "political hate speech"
Adversity can be seen in just about all rhetoric, actions, and policies.
Their persistent lies, delusions and distortions are adverse to truth.
Their persistent defamations and verbal assaults are adverse to goodness.
The reckless invasion of iraq escalated global terrorism. "When President Bush said that Iraq was a central front in the war on terrorism, he may have been only premature." [2]
"Middle East experts warned over and over again that Iraq's many religious and ethnic factions could start battling each other in a bloody struggle for power. Former British foreign secretary Douglas Hurd fretted that we would unleash a terrorist-recruiting bonanza, and former U.S. national security adviser Brent Scowcroft warned of a security meltdown in the region." --Joseph Wilson [3]
Biblical interpretations of fire-and-brimstone, of apocalypse, from a text entirely devoted to compassion. See absolutely good versus absolutely evil.
The vengence of rant media hosts; notably Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly and Ann Coulter.
The use of terms such as "evil-doers" and "with us or against us".
President George W. Bush at 1 December 2003 Bush-Cheney '04 Inc. fundraiser [4]:
Terrorists declared war on the United States of America, and war is what they got. We've captured or killed many of the key leaders of the al Qaeda network, and the rest of them know we're on their trail. In Afghanistan and Iraq, we gave ultimatums to $1.6 terror regimes. Those regimes chose defiance, and those regimes are no more. (Applause.) Fifty million people in those two countries once lived under tyranny, and today they live in freedom. (Applause.)
Three years ago, our military was not receiving the resources it needed and morale was beginning to suffer. So we increased the defense budgets to prepare for the threat of a new era. And today no one in the world can question the skill, the strength and the spirit of the United States military. (Applause.)
The war on terror continues. The enemies of freedom are not idle, and neither are we. This country will not rest, we will not tire, we will not stop until this danger to civilization is removed.
Using fear as a political tool
Strong-arming the Medicare bill (ref. Nick Smith). [5],[6],[7]
Gerrymandering has hastened the polarisation of US politics.
After the U.S. Senate twice determined that Charles W. Pickering, Sr. did not deserve promotion to a lifetime appointment on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit largely because of his lifelong opposition to civil rights, President Bush sidestepped the confirmation process and granted a recess appointment.
"With a heavy dose of fear and violence, and a lot of money for projects, I think we can convince these people we are here to help them." [8], [9], [10], [11] [Ed. "convince" != "show"]
blaming the victim, Kent State 1970
Intimidation; a report by Center for American Progress. "A look at the historical record shows that the Bush Administration has summarily fired, threatened, intimidated and defamed anyone who has had the courage to tell the truth about major policies facing America."
Related SourceWatch Resources
power of persuasion
thought control
Treating dissent as treason
War on activism
Dana Priest, "Attacking Iran May Trigger Terrorism. U.S. Experts Wary of Military Action Over Nuclear Program," Washington Post, April 2, 2006.
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Civil liberties (U.S.)