What’s the point of having a political theory of American insanity when American insanity so seamlessly theorizes itself?

From Jezebel (h/t Anthony Galluzzo):

A proposed new law in Arizona would give employers the power to request that women being prescribed birth control pills provide proof that they’re using it for non-sexual reasons. And because Arizona’s an at-will employment state, that means that bosses critical of their female employees’ sex lives could fire them as a result. If we could harness the power of the crappy ideas coming out of the state of Arizona, we could probably power a rocket ship to the moon, where there are no Mexicans or fertile wombs and everyone can be free to be as mean a cranky asshole as they want at all times! Arizona Heaven!

Yesterday, a Senate Judiciary Committee endorsed Republican Debbie Lesko’s HB2625 by a vote of 6-2, which would allow an employer to request proof that a woman using insurance to buy birth control was being prescribed the birth control for reasons other than not wanting to get pregnant. It’s all about freedom, she said, echoing everyone who thinks there’s nothing ironic about claiming that a country that’s “free” allows people’s bosses to dictate what medical care is available to them through insurance. First amendment. The constitution. Rights of religious people to practice the treasured tenets of their faiths, the tenets that dictate that religious people get to tell everyone who is not of faith how they’re supposed to live, and the freedom to have that faith enforced by law. FreedomĀ®.

I was going to say that if you wanted to understand this peculiarly American insanity from a political theory perspective, you could start with this post I did on “Birth Control McCarthyism” or this piece I wrote on “Reclaiming the Politics of Freedom.”

But then I thought: what’s the point of having a political theory of American insanity when American insanity so seamlessly theorizes itself?

7 Comments

  1. nicoleboutiette October 24, 2014 at 12:14 am | #

    Reblogged this on Head Bitches in Charge.

  2. wanderlikethis October 24, 2014 at 12:16 am | #

    This makes me sick. I wish I could say that I’m shocked, or that I can’t believe we are still fighting this fight after decades and decades. But I am not. I’m not shocked at all; I am outraged and horrified and deeply saddened.

  3. Roquentin October 24, 2014 at 6:46 am | #

    There is a cancerous stupidity running through this country, and one day I fear that it will metastasize and take us all down with it.

    • Snarki, child of Loki October 24, 2014 at 7:43 am | #

      Not cancerous, more like an infectious virus that turns higher neurological functions to mush.

      Fox News is a vector.

      • Roquentin October 24, 2014 at 8:08 am | #

        Not to get too caught up in the technicalities of metaphor, but Deleuze and Guattari’s Anti-Oedipus is one of the texts I refer to the most. Much of that has to do with explaining why, yes, the people really did want fascism. It wasn’t simply something imposed from without. There’s a libidinal investment in politics.

        In short, while propaganda is most assuredly a factor, it goes deeper than that. There are desires lurking deep in the Republican Id that this kind of thing appeals to. There is an jouissance many of them have in controlling the sexuality of women, as well as women who get enjoyment out of being controlled and dominated. The thinly veiled S&M metaphor was intentional.

      • BillR October 24, 2014 at 8:20 am | #

        Deleuze’s notion of the ‘Left’ will get a hearty chuckle from any of the cranky assholes of Arizona:

        Also, before Max Blumenthal was “shunned” Amish style by the media for covering Israel, he took a good hard look at the Republican Id:

        http://www.amazon.com/Republican-Gomorrah-Inside-Movement-Shattered/dp/1568583982/

  4. Edward October 25, 2014 at 12:47 pm | #

    We started with a modern political system and we seem to be degenerating back to the Middle Ages. We gave up Habeous Corpus years ago. Do Americans still value democratic notions?

    There are other examples of this type. After the coup in Chile women were required to wear skirts.

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