The Battle Cry of Freedom

Trey Smith

There’s plenty of proof of an authoritarian streak and animus toward democratic ideals in today’s conservative movement. There was the movement’s use of its judicial power to halt a vote recount and instead install a president who had lost the popular vote. There is the ongoing GOP effort to make it more difficult for people to cast a vote in an election. There is the GOP’s record use of the Senate filibuster to kill legislation that the vast majority of the country supports. There is a GOP leader’s declaration that what the American people want from their government simply “doesn’t matter.”

Up until today, you might have been able to write all that anti-democratic pathology off as one infecting only the Republican Party’s politicians and institutional leadership, but not its rank-and-file voters. But then this morning Fairleigh Dickinson University released this gun control-related poll showing that authoritarianism runs throughout the the entire party.

Take a look at the cross-tabs on page 3 of the national survey. That’s right, you are reading it correctly: Almost half (44 percent) of all self-described Republican voters say they believe “an armed revolution might be necessary to protect our liberties.” Just as bad, more Republicans believe an armed revolution might be necessary than believe one isn’t necessary.
~ from Rise of the Conservative Revolutionaries by David Sirota ~

I don't know what to say. This result is both a bit scary and ludicrous. The worst part is that it is NOT about freedom. The lunatic Right wants to impose their will on others, not allow us to make free choices.

I suppose, however, I shouldn't be that surprised. On two social issues, arch conservatives are seeing the writing on the wall. More and more states have legalized gay marriage or civil unions. Washington and Colorado have legalized marijuana. Young people tend to favor both of these initiatives which means that, as the old guard dies off, these "sins and abominations" will become acceptable and commonplace.

So, since they see they are losing to the democratic process, they believe their only recourse is to overthrow the government to install their idea of a conservative Christian theocracy.