America

I read every now and then from the right how Obama (you can also plug in the name of any liberal) is “destroying America” with his foreign and domestic policies. In reality, of course, it is not America, but a very specific, narrow and selfish conception of America held by the right, that is being destroyed:

An America where the poor die from lack of proper health care;

An America where de facto segregation is the norm;

An America where the wealthiest 10% control the political process and use it to cement and enhance their wealth and power;

An America where gays are persecuted, and to voice a dissenting opinion is to be “unpatriotic”;

An America where an intolerant and bigoted reading of the bible dictates government policy;

An America where the media is asleep at the wheel, abdicating the First Amendment rights it so jealously guards;

An America that gives the rest of the world the middle finger, holding its military and financial might over the heads of those nations who would object;

An America where a hawkish right wing uses the specter of 9/11 to frighten normally reasonable people into acquiescing in and even celebrating torture.

If that America is destroyed, I think that's not so bad.