Dick Armey’s New War

January 13, 2007

Guest Post by Morbo

I remember once hearing Dick Armey address an adoring audience of Christian conservatives. He told them how much he loves Jesus and hates legal abortion. His delivery was very unimpressive — he tended to mumble — but the crowd loved him. As he prepared to leave Congress in 2002, the Christian Coalition named Armey a “Lifetime Champion of Family Values.”

That was Dick Armey then. Here is Dick Armey now:

“[Tom DeLay’s backers] were people like James Dobson, who were in business for themselves. They never understood that this isn’t about them. It’s about the service we perform for this nation, how we honor the great traditions of this nation, how we engage in public policy that’s consistent with the foundation principles of this nation. For example, I would argue that James Dobson is an example of somebody who never understood what they meant by separation of church and state.”

That’s what Armey told “Texas Monthly” recently (the article isn’t available online). He also said, referring to the Terri Schiavo fiasco three years ago, “To any true lover of liberty, to anybody who believes in the separation of church and state, the Schiavo case should be a place where you sit there saying, ‘Alarm! Alarm!'”

What is up with this guy? He leaves office and all of the sudden decides he wants to be Thomas Jefferson?

The Schiavo case seems to have been a turning point for Armey. The former GOP House majority leader has always been enamored of the libertarian-conservative view. These folks worship unfettered capitalism and the free market but also believe you should pretty much have the right to run your own life. The Religious Right can accept the first principle, but the second horrifies them.

Since leaving office, Armey has been mixing it up regularly with Dobson’s Focus on the Family. Asked by one writer last year to speculate on why the Religious Right is so powerful within the GOP, Armey said:

“To a large extent, because Dobson and his gang of thugs are real nasty bullies. I pray devoutly every day, but being a Christian is no excuse for being stupid. There’s a high demagoguery coefficient to issues like prayer in schools. Demagoguery doesn’t work unless it’s dumb… These issues are easy for the intellectually lazy and can appeal to a large demographic.”

Ouch. Make no mistake, Armey remains pretty far to the right. Despite his fondness for libertarian views, he still opposes legal abortion and same-sex marriage. But it’s still fun to see Dobson being slapped around like this — especially when it comes from a “Lifetime Champion of Family Values.”

January 13, 2007 at 9:40 am

“For example, I would argue that James Dobson is an example of somebody who never understood what they meant by separation of church and state.”

“These issues are easy for the intellectually lazy and can appeal to a large demographic.”

Amen…

The Schiavo case was a turning point for the non-radical members of the Religious Right. It didn’t turn all of them off because it conflicted with political beliefs, for many it was just yucky to make a circus out of a family issue.

BushCo (TM) seriously miscalculated their reaction to that one. And not long after Bush came flying in on AF1 to sign some half-arsed bill just to Save Terri! Hurricane Katrina struck and…Bush ate cake. I have nothing to back this up of course, but I believe that was the point at which a lot of Bush supporters began to wonder if this guy knew what the fuck he was doing. Questions about his handling of that disaster had a ripple effect and as it became more apparent the war in wasn’t a cake walk people thought of Schiavo and Katrina and thought.

As for Dick Armey (what a name) or any other rightie who gets even part of a clue. Great. I don’t care what causes them to board the clue bus or at least check the schedule, the more divisions there are within the Christianists movement, the better. Let them squabble among themselves, the rest of us will watch, or just get on with our lives.

Dan,

First off (and with no offense intended), James Dobson understands EXACTLY what is meant by the separation of church and state. It means that Dobson isn’t allowed the enforced power to bully-pulpit his beliefs into a legislated mandamus upon the People. It means he doesn’t have the power to make the People march to his drum. It protects the People from the power of these Christian Mullahs; these American Ayatollahs; these “Dobson-esque Insurgents, Extremists, and Theo-Terrorists.”

Bluntly put, sir, the “Doctor” (a term that at one time applied to those who sought to heal and to educate, yet now is worn by a collection of fundamental fascists who seek to injure, wound, and “stupidify” the population) understands that the Separation denies him power; power over the People that, without their blind, nationalistic-like allegiance to his banner, leaves him in the ignominious position of the homeless man who wears a “will work for food” sign—on an uninhabited island.

On your second point—and I believe that the concept I offer in its stead applies to both “the intellectually lazy” and Mr. Armey in equal measure—we have witnessed a period in this nation whereby theultraconservative factions have combined their disparate forces—none of which could stand alone and hope to counter the raw ideals of intellectual diversity—to the point of developing the ability to control not only the message, but also the access to all data related to that message. The children of this nation are subjected to textbooks that do not contain dissent to “the desired mindset” put forth by the myriad Dobsons of America—because those Dobsons have now acquired ownership of the textbook companies. They have acquired ownership of newspapers, periodicals, radio and television broadcast stations, and even full-scale network conglomerates. They thus obtain the ability to alter, bend, twist, and metaphorically reconfigure the very core of intellectual exposure itself—and thus, intellect itself.

If you should have the opportunity to read the book entitled “Education for Death: The Making of a Nazi,” you will see the eeerie symbiance between “the cross” of Hitler’s madness, and the cross of Dobson’s madness: Both are used for killing.

My position on this issue is that, once released from the confines in which the ever-present message of “Dobsonized” intellectual discourse was the predominant data source, Mr. Armey has obtained a much-increased opportunity to access intellectual intake from other sources. Sources that, by the way, have yet to fall beneath the jackboot of rabid intolerance, theological hatreds, and the blind “convert-or-evict” mantra currently practiced by the theocratic extremists within the United States. For the apartheid practiced upon the People by the Dobsons of this land is but a small step removed from the atrocities practiced upon the peoples of other lands by their Dobson-like leaders: The Mullahs; the Ayatollahs; the Insurgents, Extremists, and Theo-Terrorists….

Steve (#3), The picture you present in your third paragraph is frightening and, of course, to large extent true. But there’s more to it than sheer ownership of all media by the wacknut religio-fascists. We recently had a case here in Washington (Federal Way) where a public School Board voted to outlaw any presentation of Al Gore’s “An Inconveninent Truth” because it was an inconvenient truth for one ignorant parent.

The desire of government officials at all levels, and of the PC crowd, to be liked by everybody, including morons, is stifling free thought and education in this country. Competing with media ownership and the TeeVee/GameBoy mentality (with the attention span of hamsters) is bad enough, but when “our side” cedes the contest before even entering the arena, well, what’s the point?

Armey’s “old war” on reason, when he was in the Senate, probably affected many thousands more people than his “new war” based on selfish libertarianism ever will. This is America, where TeeVee “news” people must preface their interviews with Nobel Prize winners by saying “Now, don’t give us any of that scientific mumbo-jumbo….” This is America, where you have to apologize for (or at least soft pedal) any knowledge of mathematics or history or geography, where rap passes for music and a cross in a beaker of urine passes for art.

I used to wonder how the scholars at the Alexandrian Library could be calculating the size, mass and distance of the Sun while their enslaved countrymen worshipped Horus, Amun and Sekhmet. I don’t wonder anymore.

Dobson is a very small man in intellect and mental scope. The problem with him is that he loves money as much as he loves Jesus and that is how the powers that be string him along. Throw a few trinkets in his direction and he does their bidding.

Why I agree with Armey (which is rare) is that I FEEL that Dobson doesn’t understand the history behind the separation between church and state. I do agree that Dobson sees that the divide between church and state and limits the power he so craves and would like to eliminate it, but he doesn’t realize that religion sects like states come and go.

Imagine being a Catholic in Henry VIII’s newly Protestant England? Today’s mainstream is tomorrow’s heretic.

As for being intellectually lazy. They are. Harboring ANY doubt is the height of intellectually lazy. Controlling a few publishers doesn’t mean squat these days. These are folks (like their Islamic Fundy counterparts) who are the ones being left behind.

I agree they are a threat to what passes for civilization, but not the deep dark threat as you do because the Fundies are their own worst enemy (see Haggard).

I think what Dobson doesn’t understand is that the separation protects religions as much as it does the State

Ed, I’ve seen the federal Way story. It’s pretty much the same as many other such stories: When you have a crowded room with 999 silent “sane” people and 1 loud maniac, the only opinion ever heard is that of the maniac. If the maniac is lost somewhere in the crowd, the decision-makers do not see the maniac; they see, instead the 999 who by their silence invoke an aura of consensus. You get those folks to watch that film and the school board will change course right quick.

By the way, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the film, and I sat down with my 8-something son the other night when he wanted to see it. No problems; no nightmares; just questions about what happens to the polar bears and penguins (his favorite animals).

Dan, those textbooks “do” have consequences. I’ve seen far too many homes over the years where there are no books but the ones brought home from school.

Literally—no books whatsoever. The televisions are tuned to FOX, because like the one parent in Washington that Ed mentions, FOX makes the loudest noise. The insanity of “you don’t need other information; listen to us; we’re fair-and-balanced” has its effect. It’s like a siren-song, and people who don’t get other sides of the multi-planed issue see only the one side.

I pulled our son out of his public school in October, and I tend to his learning now. One of the reasons I pulled him was that the “program” of the district is based on compliance to authority. I didn’t have any problem with that, until it became obvious that their “authority hierarchy” was placing the political views of the school administration above the political views of the child’s parents. The Republican school line was right, and the Democratic line of Mom and Dad was wrong. That’s what it boiled down to—and I had no use for a principal, or a teacher, or a district superintendant telling my son that “his Mom and Dad were wrong.”

Give me your ideas about a 3rd Grade Social Studies text that cites “religious diversity” as being the different branches of Protestantism? Multiple pictures of “a functioning family” as being “Dad at work, Mom at home in the kitchen/laundry/grocery-store, and two kids playing a video game?” The predominant “family activity” photo being on the front steps of Church, or at worship—again at church, or what about a couple of playground shots—in the back yard of that same church?

Trust me, Dan—those “textbooks” have more power than you can posibl;y imagine.

Take it a step further—where do these kids get their lessons in Ethics? They don’t teach Civics much any more—just “loyalty to authority.”

They’ve stopped teaching kids that it’s okay to say “no.” And that’s not going to change until the lesson is put back into the textbooks….

I agree with much that others have shared about the lasting impact of large group experiences on impressionable audiences, reinforcing a single authority in an unquestioning environment.
I speak as a missionary kid and have a lifetime of experience in this department.
My guess is that somewhere along the way Armey and his good buddy DeLay had a “falling out” – my guess is that Armey saw DeLay was willing to corrupt his oft-stated religiosity in his pursuit and enjoyment of power. DeLay may have been more clever than most of us thought, but he was not subtle.
At the 9/11 memorial in the national cathedral they sat together almost tearfully hugging in grief. A personal betrayal can make one reevaluate the current state of one’s faith, and friends.
Regardless of his motives, Armey’s public comments are doing a good service, perhaps restoring some fresh air and balance.

Steve (#7)

I’m curious as to where you live. Just the state is fine.

I’m not upset or really trying to argue with you. Maybe it’s because I live in a rather cosmopolitan part of Canada that I don’t feel your angst. If you’re in a deep red state or rural area, then I do understand as I spent my formative years in rural Canada and I saw plenty of those who you describe (no books except the bible, TV on all the time, and stupifyingly willfully ignorant.) Hard not to feel that way with those folks around trying to undermine the civilization that they allegedly are trying to defend.

For example, I would argue that James Dobson is an example of somebody who never understood what they meant by separation of church and state.”

It’s an interesting assertion, the #3 comments notwithstanding, since I believe Dobson and his ilk reject the very concept of separation of church and state and willfully see no difference between the two. Moreover, I’d be curious to know exactly how many elected officials of both parties truly “understand” separation issues and whether or not they understand the difference between statutory and cultural institutions.

The best way to piss off a Dobsonbot is to quote Voltaire:

“If God did not exist, Man would invent him”

Or Sartre:

“The definition of Hell is……other people.”

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