Jimmy's weblog

George Bush has openly spoken of his desire to appoint more Supreme Court justices in the mould of Antonin Scalia. Ultra-conservative, deeply religious and, most importantly, in favour of overturning Roe v Wade, the landmark judgement which protects abortion as a constitutional right in the United States.

But there’s another, less well-known and more liberal side to Justice Scalia. A side that the born-again President probably wouldn’t appreciate quite so much.

Speaking recently to an audience at Harvard University, Scalia declared: “I even take the position that sexual orgies eliminate sexual tensions and ought to be encouraged.” The comment came in response to questioning of his views on sexual morality.

It makes you wonder what Scalia and Cheney might have been up to on their famous duck hunting trip. (It also makes you wonder about the title of that USA Today link - “Scalia and Cheney’s outing: No ordinary duck hunt”)

Shaula Evans believes Bush might actually be able to relate to Scalia’s conflicting moral beliefs.

I say the Guardian got it all wrong, and this is indeed what Bush meant when holding Scalia up as a role model SCOTUS judge. After all, these remarks seem consistent compared to Bush’s own I-want-a-pony style of policy-making.

Expensive wars are good, taxes are bad.

Tax cuts are good, fiscal restraint is bad.

Aggressive invasions of other countries are good, advance planning and adequate troops and exit strategies are bad.

Neo-con fantasies are good, reality is bad.

Somehow, in that context, the notion that fundamentalism and orgies can skip merrily hand-in-hand into the sunset, while sex ed, contraception, abortion, gay marriage, and AIDS education are all bad…well, it’s straight out of the pro-fantasy, anti-consequence policy arm of the Peter Pan Presidency, isn’t it?

She goes on to explain this may be a consequence of Bush’ inadequate schooling.

Do these common traits of dystopian fiction strike anyone as vaguely familiar?

• a nation-state ruled by an upper class with few democratic ideals
• state propaganda programs and educational systems that coerce most citizens into worshipping the state and its government, in an attempt to convince them into thinking that life under the regime is good and just
• strict conformity among citizens and the general assumption that dissent and individuality are bad
• a fictional state figurehead that people worship fanatically through a vast personality cult, such as 1984’s Big Brother or We‘’s The Benefactor
• a fear of the world outside the state
• a penal system that lacks due process laws and often employs psychological or physical torture
• constant surveillance by state police agencies
• the banishment of the natural world from daily life (substitute “aggressive assaults on the environment” for “banishment of the natural world” and this one fits tidily)
• a back story of a natural disaster, war, revolution, uprising, spike in overpopulation or some other climactic event which resulted in dramatic changes to society

Er George? Were you AWOL coked up not paying attention in Grade 9 English? You’re missing the point here. These books are about how you’re *not* supposed to do it. *sigh*

Amusing and entertaining. Well worth reading the entire post.