Orson Scott Card, Republicrat

I find myself in the unusual position of having been asked to write an article on a specific topic. I don't ordinarily do this sort of thing, and here's why.

Today someone sent me a missive penned by Orson Scott Card, a highly regarded science fiction author and a somewhat less highly regarded political columnist, to the extent that Democrats were responsible for the current economic crisis. Card's position is that the Democrats could have stopped it years ago, that Republicans tried to stop it but were prevented by Democrats.

Yeah, right. So the fact that the Republicans have controlled Congress for most of that time, that since the Democrats had the majority nearly every effort to achieve real change has been blocked in the Senate by Republican filibuster, that the Republicans held the White House and all the cabinet posts for the last eight years, that they've controlled the post(s) of anyone who actually could have done anything for the last eight years, these mean nothing? Give me a break.

(My own opinion: A lot of people seem to have seen something like this coming, and tried to sound warnings, but no one in power was listening. Damned few people not in power were listing, either. And when the crunch came, the wolf bit down harder than anyone expected. No one is blameless here, not even the lowly like us. The difference here is that the power to do something was either in the hands of the Republicans or effectively blocked by the Republicans. But I digress.)

I'm not going to spend a great deal of time refuting Card's nonsense; there's a hell of a lot of it (do a Google search on "orson scott card" and prepare to get buried), and frankly I don't have that much time. I will say that Card isn't nearly as much of a Democrat as he claims; he's a supporter of George W. Bush and the war in Iraq, has called for the criminalization of homosexual behavior, and has called for the bombing of Iran, Syria, and Lybia. Among other not-very-Democratic things.

I'm certainly not blasting Card for his opinions, but he doesn't come across as much of a Democrat.

Instead of me ranting against Card and his bile, do some research yourself. Go to these pages and read some of it, and some commentary on it.

Original article: It's quoted here, and several hundred other places on the Web. It also claims that the press has been burying the Democrats' culpability.

On Card's homophobia: Just try a Google search on orson scott card homophobe.
Also read this article at Salon.com and this article at About.com.

(I should also mention that Card is a practicing Mormon, and homophobia runs unchecked through the halls of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It's something they believe in, and what they believe is their own damn business except where it infringes on someone elses' own damn business.)

On Card the anti-democrat: Read Card's own article at the Wall Street Journal.
Also read his column on "diversity" as reprinted on The Ornery American.

(Please note that I am not blasting Card for these opinions (not here anyway), I am merely citing them as evidence that Card has no business calling himself a Democrat, conservative or otherwise. And I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with that; Card is simply a dishonest bastard.)

Card at Wikipedia

I should also mention, in the interest of fairness, that I never much cared for Card's novels and I thought Ender's Game sucked.

In the end, it dosen't much matter what opinion Card holds or espouses, or what political party he chooses to associate himself with. I was asked to give my opinion, so here it is: Card's opinion matters about as much as a fart in a hurricane.

The same can be said of my opinion. (Well, Starglider, you asked for it.)

The Blues Viking

The opinions here expressed are mine and if you don’t like them you can get your own damn blog.