True Believers in America

Hatred is an ugly thing. The damned in Bosch's hell eat their own bodies.

Eric Hoffer explains how the illness of self-loathing turns to hate in his classic True Believer, a must read. He explains how the misfits and disgruntled of Europe were early supporters of Hitler and Mussolini, who, once they had power, methodically destroyed the dangerous misfits.

Below find the results of a recent poll, by Opinion Dynamics, question 19. Look at the percentage of respondents who personally want the "surge" to fail.

1/3 of the Democrats want the troops to fail. 19% of Independents. So much for the pretense of caring about "our boys." They want them to die and the Iraqi civilians to fall prey to jackals. Hey, maybe a few will be beheaded.

The question was not, "Do you think the surge will work?" or "Do you support the surge?" which were covered in other questions. The mere mention of "Bush" and "Succeeding" was enough to turn self-loathing, as Hoffer has it, into self-destructing rage. The true believer will kill or die to demonstrate their full submission to their belief.

"Submission," that is a familiar word these days.