Forgive me for going Godwin-esque from the get-go, but in reading this article, I couldn't help but think of Europe in the 1920's, with the word "Muslim" replacing "Juden":

Switzerland approved Sunday a ban on new minarets from being built, with the referendum initiated by far-right politicians picking up strong support.

To the dismay of the Muslim minority here, some 57.5 percent of voters who cast ballots and 22 out of 26 cantons voted to ban the towers or turrets attached on mosques from where Muslims are called to prayer.

Far-right politicians across Europe celebrated the results, while the Swiss government sought to assure the Muslim minority that a ban on minarets was "not a rejection of the Muslim community, religion or culture."[..]

They said that the minarets -- of which Switzerland has just four -- were not architectural features with religious characteristics, but symbolised a "political-religious claim to power, which challenges fundamental rights."

Having won a double majority on turnout of 53 percent, the initiative will now be inscribed in the country's constitution.

"The Federal Council (government) respects this decision. Consequently the construction of new minarets in Switzerland is no longer permitted," said the government, which had firmly opposed the ban, in a statement.[..]

Switzerland has had an uneasy relationship with its Muslim population, which makes up some five percent of its population of 7.5 million people. Islam is the second largest religion here after Christianity.[..]

"The most painful for us is not the minaret ban, but the symbol sent by this vote. Muslims do not feel accepted as a religious community," said Farhad Afshar, who heads the Coordination of Islamic Organisations in Switzerland.

The Conference of Swiss Bishops also criticised the result, saying that it "heightens the problems of cohabitation between religions and cultures."

It's a little disconcerting to me that memories in Europe could be so short as to forget another generation--not that long ago--when this kind of of fear-based bigotry became institutionalized. And sadly, with the success of this Swiss ban, conservatives in the Netherlands are considering a similar ban.

David Neiwert has written about this institutionalized fear of the other, and if I may be so lazy as to co-opt his (and Orcinus blogging partner Sara Robinson's) breakdown of the construct to make some group the feared "Other". Read and see how familiar this sounds:

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(h/t Media Matters)

I'm fairly confident that Rush Limbaugh has leapt into the abyss and is just thisshy of an aneurysm or apoplexy. I can't believe he will keep escalating like this without men in white jackets coming for him.

On his show Thursday afternoon, Rush took a call from a woman wondering why all of her carefully created myths about the joy of living in a Republican-controlled country were being threatened by these crazy Democrats. Rush's response was disturbing, to say the least:

LIMBAUGH: At this point, at this point, Gretchen, I don't care about the "why." They are not going to leave, they are trying to control it. At this point the only thing is they-must-be-stopped.

CALLER: I agree.

LIMBAUGH: Within, within the confine of our Constitution and the political arena of ideas. They must be stopped. I don't care why they see this county the way the see it. I don't care why a murderer does it. I don't care why a rapist does it. I don't care why this Muslim guy offed his wife's head. The "Now Gang" is out there saying "Ah now that’s not domestic violence, that’s just uh, that’s just uh, what'd they call it, “culturally honor killing” and this woman was gonna divorce him…it’s against the law, and, and, and, that's that's…that's his diversity. You know it, uh, I don't care… I don't care why anymore. I mean, if I figure it out, I will be glad to tell you, because its interesting to know, but it doesn't matter in terms of defeating them.

Good God. Aside from the really tenuous grip on reality, someone is going to be hurt by this kind of angry rhetoric. It won't be Rush, but some innocent person whose only crime will be hoping for progress.

Maybe bringing back the Fairness Doctrine is not likely, but something should be done about this kind of inciting rhetoric.

Full transcripts below the fold:

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