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A Budding Red-State Fascist

Recently by Laurence M. Vance: Theological Schizophrenia

Madeleine McAulay is, by her own admission, a one-of-a-kind, politics-obsessed teenager, a teenage political maverick, a common-sense conservative, and a supporter of Sarah Palin. But she is also a budding red-state fascist.

Madeleine blogs at Faith Hope & Politics. Her upcoming book, The Makings of a Political Maverick, is "a key into the intriguing mind of a teenage, Conservative." It is "a reflection of a young life that is so engulfed in politics."

I hate to pick on a sixteen-year-old girl. She is clearly far superior in intelligence than most of the kids her age that I had the misfortune of "teaching" when I taught high school. I would never have noticed her website had not a reader of my recent Veteran’s Day article directed me to her "tribute to American Soldiers, past and present, in honor of Veteran’s Day on 11/11/11" called "Thank You Soldiers, Past and Present," as well as an earlier post of hers called "Dear American Soldiers."

Poor Madeleine didn’t have a chance. In introducing her Veteran’s Day tribute she says: "Thank you to all of those who have served. I would like to especially thank, my Mom’s Parents, my Dad’s Dad, my Dad, and my Uncle Jerry for their service." No wonder she is a budding red-state fascist.

In the middle of her "Dear American Soldiers" post, Madeleine quotes this poem from the site Military-Money-Matters.com:

It Is the Soldier

It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

This is too much for even the editor of Military-Money-Matters.com, who comments at the beginning of his explanation of the poem’s authorship:

There are blogs and comments across the internet debating the content of the poem, some picking it apart by attempting to apply the words literally. Sadly, those who do so will never understand the true meaning of the poem – that without our military members willing to defend them, those freedoms we cherish would quickly disappear.

So, while technically soldiers do not "give" us those freedoms, they do guarantee them. Those types of people just will never "get it," at least not until it’s too late, and then they’ll wonder what happened, and why the military didn’t stop it.

But do U.S. soldiers even guarantee these things? Of course they don’t. No U.S. solider stationed in Germany, Japan, or South Korea is defending or guaranteeing our freedoms. No U.S. soldier fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan is protecting or guaranteeing our rights.

Since U.S. soldiers have begun fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, our freedoms have been eviscerated. First it was the Patriot Act and the TSA. And now the U.S. government claims the power and the right to intern indefinitely anyone – including American citizens – anywhere in the world, including on American soil and to kill anyone – including American citizens – anywhere in the world, including on American soil. Just ask José Padilla. Just ask Anwar al-Awlaki. Oh, never mind, he’s dead. He was killed, along with his sixteen-year-old son, by Predator drone strike.

Is there anyone in Iraq who wanted to take away our freedom of religion? Is there anyone in Afghanistan who wanted to take away our freedom of the press? Is there anyone in Pakistan who wanted to take away our freedom of speech? Is there anyone in Yemen who wanted to take away our freedom to protest? Is there anyone in Iran who wants to take away our right to a fair trial? Is there anyone anywhere who wants to take away our right to vote?

According to then CIA director and now Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, there may be fewer than 50 al Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan. Suppose they all hated our freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and freedom to protest. Suppose they also hated our rights to a fair trial and to vote. Is that worth 1,800 more dead U.S. soldiers? Why am I, who supposedly hates all things military, the one who is concerned about the senseless deaths of American troops?

It is the U.S. government that we need to be more concerned about taking away our freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom to protest, right to a fair trial, and right to vote than the government or the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Yemen, Syria, or North Korea. James Madison was right: "If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."

What really gets me upset at those adults who have influenced Madeleine are her remarks about Ron Paul that she made in commenting on the CNN Republican debate: "Ron Paul had a decent debate. He made great points regarding health care and economic prosperity, but when it came to Foreign Policy I couldn’t disagree more." This reminds me of a comment I saw at the end of an article recently. Someone had posted that their ideal candiate would have the foreign policy views of Newt Gringrich and the views of Ron Paul on everything else. Sorry Madeleine, but militarism, imperialism, and foreign wars are inimical to liberty on the domestic front and foster American fascism.

December 14, 2011

Laurence M. Vance [send him mail] writes from central Florida. He is the author of Christianity and War and Other Essays Against the Warfare State, The Revolution that Wasn't, and Rethinking the Good War. His latest book is The Quatercentenary of the King James Bible. Visit his website.

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