Bill Maher to Texans: ‘You are the White Somalia’
Bill Maher did not pull any punches in his justifiable ridicule of Texans in this week’s New Rule. It was his turn as Jon Stewart had his turn earlier this week. He was discussing the Jade Helm 15 military exercise conspiracy theory that has metastasize within the Texas Right Wing.
“Have you heard of Jade Helm 15?” Bill Maher asked. “It is actually a code name for a routine training exercise the US military is planning to conduct in the Southwest which the Tea Baggers in Texas are convinced is actually an Obama plot to invade Texas, take their guns, and impose a new world order. Yes, because we hate Lubbock for its freedom”
Bill Maher then went out to state some rather uncomfortable realities about today’s Republican Party. “In today’s Republican Party you can’t call out nutty people for being nutty,” Bill Maher said. “Because they are not a small group. In the Republican Party crazy is a constituency.”
Maher points out that the Governor of Texas has actually called out the Texas Guard to monitor the activities of the United States military. What Maher does not realize is that Greg Abbott cannot allow anyone to get to the right of him. He has a Lieutenant governor, Dan Patrick, that is eyeing his job. The Republican Party in Texas is in a turmoil where logic is in short supply.
Bill Maher had a rather funny last point he wanted to make. As a Texan it was a piercing but needed jab for my ill-informed Texas brothers and sisters.
“You rural white people who are always saying things like ‘Don’t mess with Texas’,” Bill Maher said. “Let me tell you something. You are among the most left alone least messed with people on the planet. You can carry an assault rifle into a Chile’s. What more do you want. The right to do it shirtless? You are practically your own independent country now. You have outlawed abortion. You have gutted government regulation. You are armed to the teeth. You are the white Somalia. Stop worrying about getting sucked into the new world order. You are barely in the current world order. And the only reason we conduct military exercises in your area is there is no chance of accidentally damaging anything anybody cares about.”
Sometimes a little tough love is needed. Then again, ridicule may give panderers a spine.