If you saw South Park creators' Team America: World Police this fall, you probably guessed that this post's title was inspired by the rockin' theme song to which the members of Team America keep the free world's enemies at bay.
I split some of my time this holiday between two of this country's political poles, Nebraska and California. In both places, although more numerous in Nebraska, the sayings of the season were plastered next to inflatable Santas and glowing statues of Rudolph and his cohort. Often written in lights "Peace on Earth. Goodwill among men." made me laugh like the jolly old elf himself (bowl full of jelly included). Originally coopted from the pagans, Christmas has turned into a time for the many armchair Christians of the world to reflect on their religion, and feel proud for being part of something morally 'right'.
Aside from the holy war raging in the name of their favorite theocrat, such pride in the correctness of their religion is especially funny to me in light of a recent study from Cornell University showing that 44 percent of individuals in the US say that we should limit the civil liberties of Muslim Americans. Apparently the goodwill among men only applies to "men" who happen to not be Muslim. Or maybe the application is more strict than that: Is peace on earth only for those who are Christian? If that's the case, why not restrict the civil liberties of atheists, Jews, Hindus, etc. And why stop there? Theocracy? Fuck yeah!