Idiot of the Month: Joseph Farah

Not content with his rank hypocrisy in condemning Rev. Moon while simultaneously accepting awards from him and making money off his business associations with him, Joseph Farah has now added utter idiocy to the list of reasons to regard him as little more than a carnival barker on the political midway. Just look at this idiotic screed from Farah, owner of the WorldNutDaily. The subject is whether the Pentagon should continue to allow military bases to sponsor Boy Scout troops.

The Supreme Court, in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, ruled that the Boy Scouts are a private association and as such have the right to determine the standards of their own membership, essentially giving them the right to discriminate. I believe that case was rightly decided. But it does bring up some other issues, chief among them the fact that there are numerous federal and state laws which prohibit the government from giving any aid to groups that practice discrimination on the basis of religion or sexual preference. And the fact that the Boy Scouts are allowed to discriminate does not mean that any public agency is required to support the organization, either by giving direct aid or indirectly, by allowing them to use government facilities.

Several states and localities have ruled that the Boy Scouts may not use their public facilities as long as they practice such discrimination, and that is of course entirely legitimate on the part of those governmental bodies. The ACLU had filed a suit in Illinois arguing that since many military bases sponsor Boy Scout troops, they are giving governmental aid to an explicitly religious organization that discriminates against non-theists and that is unconstitutional. Last week, the Pentagon agreed that such sponsorship was not allowed and sent a message to all of their bases that it will no longer be allowed, but that the Scouts will still be allowed to use areas of military bases that are usually available for civilian organizations to use. It also does not prevent military personnel from leading Boy Scout troops in their off-duty time. Sounds reasonable, right? Well Farah not only thinks it's unreasonable, he thinks it's treasonous!

Referring to the ACLU as "America's version of the Taliban", Farah says that the Pentagon decision to settle this lawsuit in the manner stated above is "certain to give aid and comfort to our enemies around the globe." Jesus, what stupidity. Think about this. The man who wants the government to endorse and financially support an explicitly religious organization that believes atheists and homosexuals are evil and unfit to lead - precisely what the Theocrats we are fighting against also believe - is accusing those who don't think the government should be sponsoring religious discrimination of being like the Taliban. Mr. Orwell, call your office. War is peace. Black is white. Oh, but this tirade is just getting started:

In fact, it's time for Americans to recognize the ACLU for what it is - a determined enemy within, a fifth column adversary, an anti-American army of litigators, a band of narrow-minded secular fundamentalist extremists who must be fought as if our very lives depended upon victory.

The ACLU has ceased to be a source of amusement for me. The ACLU has ceased to be an organization of loyal opposition. The ACLU has ceased to play a constructive role of "devil's advocate" in America. The ACLU is the enemy. It must be destroyed.

Uh, yeah. You see, if you dare to suggest that the government should not be supporting and endorsing the notion that people who don't believe what Farah believes, or who choose to sleep with people he disapproves of, are evil and unfit to live, then you should be destroyed. That's what passes for logic in the mind of a delusional fundamentalist who is just beside himself when others try and keep him from using the government to endorse his bronze age bigotry. And this is not only important to him. In his highly addled and poorly functioning brainstem, it IS the war on terrorism:

Like the war on terror, there is no middle ground in this war, President Bush. You're either with the ACLU or you're against it. You're either with the Boy Scouts or you're against them.

Congratulations, Mr. Farah. For your bizarre claim that those who don't want the government to endorse your theologically-motivated bigotry are somehow helping out those who likewise want government endorsement for their theologically-motivated bigotry, you are the landslide winner of November's Idiot of the Month Award.