ishmael n. daro

As a Canadian, watching the health care “debate” taking place in the United States right now is heart-breaking and rib-tickling.

It’s heart-breaking because so many people have been screwed by the system and whatever bill finally comes through Congress (if any) will likely not achieve universal coverage. It’s rib-tickling because watching crazy people accusing a centrist president of socialism is so absurd.

One of the main drivers of right wing anger has been Glenn Beck who, among other things, accused Barack Obama of having a “deep seated hatred for white people.” Paradoxically, Beck has also started the 9-12 Project, which is his call for Americans to return to how they felt the day following the World Trade Center attacks in 2001:

The 9-12 Project is designed to bring us all back to the place we were on September 12, 2001. The day after America was attacked we were not obsessed with Red States, Blue States or political parties. We were united as Americans, standing together to protect the values and principles of the greatest nation ever created.

Of course, the 9-12 Project does have an entirely anti-Democratic stance that lines up pretty perfectly with the Republican agenda. But wait! This isn’t about partisanship — it’s about the values and principles of the greatest nation ever created!

The claim to greatness not withstanding, the actual principles and values that Beck has listed are also of the conservative sort. Even better, he had to really wrack his brain to come up with 9 of one and 12 of the other to shoehorn into his numerical theme.