To Be Hated So...

The level of vitriol in this country is starting to get to me.  I'm not a big fan of Sarah Palin, but I do feel bad for her.  The level of hate directed at her is way out of proportion to anything she's ever said or done.  The irrational stupidity of it just blows my mind.  I've talked to supposedly intelligent people who actually believe she said the words that came out of Tina Fey's mouth during an SNL skit.  Take a few minutes and watch clips of Sarah Palin: The Undefeated.  There are several floating around on this here interweb.

This morning there is an article in my inbox discussing Rick Perry's plan to force a theocracy in the United States.  Why do they believe that?  Because as a private citizen he asked people to pray for our nation.  He even participated and out of his own pocket helped fund a prayer event in Texas.  Not one reliable quote is attributed to him claiming that he wants the government to enforce Christianity or for there to be an establishment of religion from DC.  The hatred directed at him, simply for being willing to speak out about his faith is staggering.  Even to discuss faith, so long as you are a conservative, is seen as an assault on sensibilities of this refined nation of ours. 

And then we have the hatred directed at businesses who seek to make a profit.  Just the idea of making money off of other people is treated as dirty.  When homeowners can't pay for a house they never should have even attempted to buy, it's the lender's fault.  When people spend beyond their means and can't pay their credit cards it's the marketers and the banks and the retailers fault.  Personal responsibility is washed out by an irrational hatred for the marketeer.  When someone succeeds they have an unfair advantage of upbringing or education, no credit is given to the hard work and good decisions.

Hatred for the Tea Party, who dares to stand up and say that enough is enough.  Any who stand to challenge the status quo, the established way of doing things, are lambasted by our national press.  When Paul Ryan stood up and said, there has to be a better way of doing this, the President invited him to a speech so he could trash his proposal. 

And now, hatred boils over around the world.  In London, youngsters are having a grand time.  They're assaulting stores and banks and invading the homes of private citizens in fits of rage.  They have no successes and few prospects.  They are suddenly faced with a future that is not guaranteed, that requires the sweat of their brow, and they rage and the "unfairness" of it all.  In Greece, a government that has provided everything, has managed most aspects of the economy, can no longer afford the cronyism and socialism that its citizens have become accustomed to.  Forced to cut back, its citizens are taking to the streets with firebombs and stones almost daily.

For now, our hatred, our vitriol, hasn't boiled out into the massive protests seen around the globe, but I think it's coming.