A Nation of Rhinos.

[CoffeeAnnan]

The famous play by Eugene Ionesco, THE RHINOCEROS, describes the transformation of a civilized society into a mindless herd of thundering Rhinos,and the difficulty experienced by a sensitive individual in preserving his humanity in the face of this herd.As Bush continues his madness at home and abroad he has unleashed this herd of religious zealots, hatemongers,totalitarians,economic neanderthals and simple thugs.We are now experiencing this herd's onrush into our society from the schools, to our media to our churches and into our state houses and Congress and the Supreme Court.
What else do you call the Falwells, Robertsons, Bernard Keriks,
Antonin Scalias,Saxby Chamblisses,and assorted thugs in high places except Rhinoceroses. And I forgot Cheney and Rumsfeld.All the enablers in the media, mindless as they are, belong in that same herd.

[Iris]

1. Interesting observation.

I'll definately be checking this play out.

[nostamj]

2. had thought of that play in years...

People who try to hang onto their individuality always come to a bad end! <He suddenly snaps out of it.> Oh well, too bad! I'll take on the whole lot of them! I'll put up a fight against the lot of them, the whole lost of them! I'm the last man left, and I'm staying that way until the end! I'm not capitulating!

I also think of Winnie in Beckett's HAPPY DAYS... prattering on about everyday trivialities while utterly unconcerned that she is sinking into a mound of sand.....

[Ardee]

3. I'd heard about this herd mentality

but do believe that it is mostly a few at the top, and would be easily combated with a two party system....Any clue as to where we might find one of those?

[CoffeeAnnan]

4. I really think we need a multi party system.That way no one party

can monopolize power with just a 1% margin as Bush is doing right now.When no one secures an absolute majority, each party will be forced to form a coalition and make compromises and be accountable. Without that fundamental change in our thinking we are going to be at the mercy of Bush-like thugs in the future.

[Ardee]

8. absolutely, CoffeeAnnon (neat name)

Especially with the democrats ,who will be meeting in Feb to replace Terry MacAuliffe, all talking about reaching out to Bush supporters and red state denizens....I wonder how that will play in Tulsa (9 of 10 voted Bush in the Oklahoma panhandle)? I hope I am not alone in wondering how one defeats the GOP by becoming the GOP?

I am reading far to many comments from DNC members who are softpedalling having to make changes, refusing to note that they are losing their liberal base to Greens and apathy, and recommending band aid solutions instead of seeking to re-energizing the electorate with an old fashioned Democratic message. If the Dem's could excite enough of the great numbers of nonvoters out there the right wing threat would dissipate forthwith.

[nostamj]

5. no, there were HERDS out there

mostly manipulated by 'religious' fascists in thrall to corporate fascists (and many, like Foulwell, are both corporate AND religious fascists!) to vote against their own best interests because of ultimately meaningless fringe issues like gay marriage....

[greenman3610]

6. read Thomas Merton's essay

"The Rain and the Rhinoceros"
http://www.herondance.org/essays-quotes/merton.html

[nostamj]

7. thanks for that!

. . . There will always be a place, says Ionesco, "for those isolated consciences who have stood up for the universal conscience" as against the mass mind. But their place is solitude. They have no other. Hence it is the solitary person (whether in the city or in the desert) who does mankind the inestimable favor of reminding it of its true capacity for maturity, liberty and peace.

[Ardee]

10. Thanks for that, I've saved it

A beautiful essay and one that mirrors my own thoughts about rain and progress as well. I've always been a solitary sort and one who, in his younger and more foolish days, took long walks in summer rains.

[Ardee]

9. I detest polls and pollers

but those I read noted that these issues were really secondary to the war and the fears of folks to change leadership amidst such a struggle.

I have lived among Americans for a very long time (damn I'm getting old) and ,while there are those like Falwell, Bush, Rumsfeld and the like, most are very decent people, working hard and caring for their families and their communities. I understand that we ,here at DU, think a lot more about injustices and most out there do not care to dwell upon them, but this doesn't make them stupid or evil, just normal....{what that says about us I'm uncertain,frankly ;)}

Because I respect my fellow citizens I must infer that , should they be delivered of the right message, they would make the right decisions. Call me a dreamer if you will.

The fault, Horatio, lies not in our stars but in us.

[KlatooBNikto]

11. I agree Ardee. Being American means to me treating our fellow citizens

with respect and giving their concerns due weight.But it also means having honest dialogs that will allow all of us to recognize the faults of our rulers before they do immense damage to our country using our fears and ignorance.

We are in a period in our history where the election, through subterfuge, of an ignorant, rich man has come close to breaking our Republic and its ideals.Unlike the protagonist of RHINOCEROS, we have quite a few sentient people who can resist the herd's stampede. That is my hope.

[Ardee]

12. Honest dialog

should have come from the opposition party during the election campaign, but it really truly did not. What we saw, for the main was a softpedalling of the important issues in order to appease the corporate cash cows.

Things are bad, to be certain, but I believe the Republic to be strong enough to survive Bush. Now the Democratic Party is another, and sadder tale.