Legitimate discourse

Gitz grumbles about the left calling the shots regarding the discussion of ideas in America. He is correct. Since the right has vacated the field of legitimate discourse for mob action, compulsive and habitual lying, and a fixation on identity conflicts to exploit, there is no alternative to what he would call left-leaning ideas.

Any deviation from mid-20th century American culture is deemed leftist by the reactionary right. Everyone on the right knows the middle of the last century was a golden age, complete and perfect in every way. Practically heaven on Earth. Communism, Jim Crow, conformity, CIA plots, and yes, creationism, all part of paradise.

It seems there are no right-wing ideas to engage, only the fearful repetition of the mantra “change is bad.” Don’t bother these radical right-wingers with facts, criticism or ideas about progress. They are afraid of criticism since many of their ideas are indefensible. They elect oppressive bullies who fear new ideas and would suppress speech by yelling loudly to national media about how they are “being censored” while in front of a TV camera and microphone.

You can pretend to believe that the Republican Party is the voice of fiscal conservatism when trillion-dollar debts are incurred in a strong economy. You can pretend to believe that freedom means, “You do what I tell you and no back-talk.” You can pretend to believe you are advancing conservative thinking by creating and engaging straw men to joust with. Pretending is easy.

MARK WEAVER

Fayetteville