In a single column, right-wing columnist and author Dinesh D’Souza manages to smugly attack atheists and libertarians; apparently we’re all juvenile alcoholics who hypocritically sing carols (dovetailing into the utterly false “there are no atheists” meme). After the primaries are over, I’m supposed to be able to make common political cause with this guy and his sycophants?
To answer D’Souza’s question: how do atheists celebrate Christmas? We certainly can’t ignore it, so instead we bow to the overwhelming socio-economic pressure and go along with it. Sure, to us it’s just another day in December, but it’s an extra day off work, provided courtesy of the country’s dominant religion. Thanks, Christians! Now, we don’t decorate our houses or put up trees, but we do exchange gifts with their Christian friends and family members, send out appropriate (but non-theistic) cards, we go to parties where yes, maybe some of us sometimes have a little bit too much to drink. All of which D’Souza would have known, if he hadn’t been so taken with making fun of his frenemy Christopher Hitchens and calling libertarians names.
That’s going to help out politically. The Republicans need more guys like D’Souza running around. Because folks like him, and his fellow pornographer Ann Coulter, are really going to help “hold the coalition together.” Just like they did in 2006.
UPDATE: I briefly considered changing my online name to “Gay Libertarian Atheist Druggie” after reading the column. But I’m only about one and a half of those things; I don’t consider myself 100% libertarian.
