So, in the interest of further understanding the deep rifts in this country, I've been reading the blogs at Free Republic, which is a sort of chat board for the right wing, similar in some ways to Daily Kos. It's an eye-opener, in a way, and if one can stomach the barely-disguised racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and chest-pounding war-drum pounding, it's worth a look. The world depicted at Free Republic is a world in which global warming is a socialist plot, environmentalists are to blame for high gas prices, homosexuals are to blame for natural disasters, and the problems of the Middle East easily solved with nuclear weapons.

The articles themselves are generally on the Heritage/Brookings/American Enterprise Institute tip, with a heavy ladling of Fox-style newsertainment propaganda, and not terribly remarkable in this day and age. It's in the comments that the rift becomes most apparent. "Left Behind"-style fantasies abound, "libs" are "fags", Michelle Obama is referred to as "the other fresh meat", and our energy problems are to be solved simply, by more drilling, which the evil Democrats (known as 'Rats") are keeping us from, much like the evil 'Rats lost us the Vietnam War by "forcing our soldiers to fight with one hand tied behind their back", a hoary old cliche now being resurrected to explain our failure in Iraq.

Here's a relatively typical comment from an active poster.

"To: o_zarkman44 I’m telling you, the next Civil War will be over energy. The libs will continue to say no and eventually, they will say no one to many times and the war will be on. It’s just a matter of time and who do we really think will win, the metro-sexual from NY or the much ridiculed JD from South Carolina. My bet will be on JD. People will eventually fight to protect and provide for their families. The Second Amendment gives us that right. It seems surreal to even be discussing this, but I’ve put up with their liberal pablum long enough. Let the drilling in ANWR begin and offshore as well."

The "Freepers", as they call themselves, pride themselves on being tough-minded rationalists, but they live in a world of magical thinking, where oil supplies are limitless, where Jesus is coming to save them all, (and to destroy the rest of us), where scientists are "pinko moonbats", and where, ultimately, the solution to virtually every problem is war and more war. War on Iran, War on Immigration, War on Treehuggers... Civil War with us "metrosexuals from NY", all conducted under the approving eyes of a muscular, heavily-armed Jesus Christ.

It's sad to go through this stuff, but I recommend it, if only in the interests of greater understanding.