Why Bush Won the election

http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Dec04/Muslim.Poll.bpf.html
Basically, 44% of Americans believe the civil rights of Americans who practise Islam should be curtailed.  This is, of course a pure fear response, one that makes sense, and is deeply saddening.  I find myself angry at the terrorists who have done so much damage to the religion they claimed to love, and angry at the Americans who fed into this fear to advance their own agendas.  The vast right-wing radio talk-show armada, as orchestrated as the Boston Pops (I distinctly remember the day that Dick Cheney called Rush Limbaugh to annoint him as the official voice of the Republican Party.  I was listening that day, folks.  Nobody can tell me it's "just entertainment) has made countless irresponsible and ignorant attacks on Islam, stoking bigotry and fear, and the listeners just ate it up.  It's not their fault.  An absolutely predictable aspect of human consciousness is that the majority of people will simply fall into line when under stress.  They will look for a two-dimensional view of the world, and hold onto it for dear life.  Without a sufficient grasp of complex issues, they look for reassuring paternal-types to tell them what to do.  And this trait seems pretty universal.  We're seeing it right now in America, and it's dangerous as hell.  We are in the valley of the shadow, politically, and it behooves every one of us to be as aware, humane, and loving as we can be--but also strong and committed to taking no b.s. from anyone.  The problems of the world CANNOT be solved by dualistic thinking.  This mode of operation will keep us safe in the short term, and guarantee that our children will have less freedom than we enjoyed.  Everyone capable of consciousness must wake up.  Fast.  It's later than you think.