Today we have a post from Peace Tree contributing author, Dr. W. Christopher Epler.
The Politics of Sexually Repressed Men
Never in the history of our country has American politics been so dominated by sexually repressed men.
Probably it has to do with that weird fascist thing where anal retentives are so obsessed with goose stepping to glory that they never find time for bounteous human sexuality.
And this isn't just being flip. There's something deadly about a government without humor or sex -- and there’s about as many laughs in the Bush White House as the back ward of a mental hospital.
Remember how the pugs went berserk about Bill Clinton's extra curricular activities? They spent literally hundreds of millions of dollars trying to impeach him for his private sex life (which should have stayed private!). Granted, the impact on his family was reprehensible, but we suddenly found ourselves in a Republican/Pharisee version of the Holy (?) Inquisition.
From almost day one of the George W. Bush years, the Dionysian take on human existence has been banished into another galaxy. Unfortunately, it hasn't been replaced with the alternative Apollonian view of the world, which at least would be nurturing of science and civilization.
Republicans, to say it straight out, simply seem to be terrified of sex. Bush's buddy Christian fundamentalists inevitably conjure up visions of Salem Witch Trials. And predictably, the recent abusive man/boy antics of Republican congressmen demonstrate that sexual repression is always neurotically acted out.
Which brings to mind another matter. A righteous hatred (or fear) of sexuality has historically been associated with a contempt for women. Patriarchal religions are always filled with warnings about the "Goddess" and "nature religions". The very word "pagan" means country dweller. Does this have anything to do with why Republicans are always raping Mother Nature?
And take this wacko Armageddon business (the Baptist Big Bang). Will someone please tell me why these people are so eager to get "blown up"? Surely it has something to do with their hatred of anything physical. Well, sexual abandon is about as "physical" as it gets, so it must be evil incarnate. Right?
Sigh!
In a way this all full circles around to Freud's notions of Eros and Thanatos (death), and there's certainly no doubt that the pugs have put all their money on Thanatos.
In fact, they can't even wait for Armageddon, so they keep starting preemptive wars as fast as they can. Hey, wars/death/Thanatos -- doesn't that beat an active sex life all over the place?
Sure, some of this is fun talk, but most of it is life and death serious, because a neurotic political/religious world view that hates and fears sex is a one way ticket to national castration.
But why even bother to talk about this when all we have to do is take a long hard look at our President and Vice President? And throw in Karl Rove while you’re at it.
See any sexual life forms?
Case closed.
W. Christopher Epler
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Peace y'all
