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<img src="cid:part1.03090809.08090706@mindspring.com"
alt="The New York Times">
<h5><b>March 29, 2005</b></h5>
<font color="#666666" size="2"><b>OP-ED
COLUMNIST</b></font> <br>
<h2><b>What's Going On?</b></h2>
<font size="2"><b>By
<a
href="http://www.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/paulkrugman/index.html?inline=nyt-per">PAUL
KRUGMAN</a> <br>
<br>
</b></font>
<img src="cid:part2.08020506.04020207@mindspring.com" alt="D"
height="33" width="30">emocratic societies have a hard time dealing
with extremists in their
midst. The desire to show respect for other people's beliefs all too
easily turns into denial: nobody wants to talk about the threat posed
by
those whose beliefs include contempt for democracy itself.<br>
<br>
We can see this failing clearly in other countries. In the Netherlands,
for example, a culture of tolerance led the nation to ignore the
growing
influence of Islamic extremists until they turned murderous. <br>
<br>
But it's also true of the United States, where dangerous extremists
belong to the majority religion and the majority ethnic group, and
wield
great political influence.<br>
<br>
Before he saw the polls, Tom DeLay declared that "one thing that God
has brought to us is Terri Schiavo, to help elevate the visibility of
what is going on in America." Now he and his party, shocked by the
public's negative reaction to their meddling, want to move on. But we
shouldn't let them. The Schiavo case is, indeed, a chance to highlight
what's going on in America. <br>
<br>
One thing that's going on is a climate of fear for those who try to
enforce laws that religious extremists oppose. Randall Terry, a
spokesman
for Terri Schiavo's parents, hasn't killed anyone, but one of his
former
close associates in the anti-abortion movement is serving time for
murdering a doctor. George Greer, the judge in the Schiavo case, needs
armed bodyguards. <br>
<br>
Another thing that's going on is the rise of politicians willing to
violate the spirit of the law, if not yet the letter, to cater to the
religious right. <br>
<br>
Everyone knows about the attempt to circumvent the courts through
"Terri's law." But there has been little national exposure for
a Miami Herald report that Jeb Bush sent state law enforcement agents
to
seize Terri Schiavo from the hospice - a plan called off when local
police said they would enforce the judge's order that she remain there.
<br>
<br>
And the future seems all too likely to bring more intimidation in the
name of God and more political intervention that undermines the rule of
law.<br>
<br>
The religious right is already having a big impact on education: 31
percent of teachers surveyed by the National Science Teachers
Association
feel pressured to present creationism-related material in the
classroom.
<br>
<br>
But medical care is the cutting edge of extremism.<br>
<br>
Yesterday The Washington Post reported on the growing number of
pharmacists who, on religious grounds, refuse to fill prescriptions for
birth control or morning-after pills. These pharmacists talk of
personal
belief; but the effect is to undermine laws that make these drugs
available. And let me make a prediction: soon, wherever the religious
right is strong, many pharmacists will be pressured into denying women
legal drugs.<br>
<br>
And it won't stop there. There is a nationwide trend toward
"conscience" or "refusal" legislation. Laws in
Illinois and Mississippi already allow doctors and other health
providers
to deny virtually any procedure to any patient. Again, think of how
such
laws expose doctors to pressure and intimidation.<br>
<br>
But the big step by extremists will be an attempt to eliminate the
filibuster, so that the courts can be packed with judges less committed
to upholding the law than Mr. Greer.<br>
<br>
We can't count on restraint from people like Mr. DeLay, who believes
that
he's on a mission to bring a "biblical worldview" to American
politics, and that God brought him a brain-damaged patient to help him
with that mission.<br>
<br>
What we need - and we aren't seeing - is a firm stand by moderates
against religious extremism. Some people ask, with justification, Where
are the Democrats? But an even better question is, Where are the
doctors
fiercely defending their professional integrity? I think the American
Medical Association disapproves of politicians who second-guess medical
diagnoses based on video images - but the association's statement on
the
Schiavo case is so timid that it's hard to be sure.<br>
<br>
The closest parallel I can think of to current American politics is
Israel. There was a time, not that long ago, when moderate Israelis
downplayed the rise of religious extremists. But no more: extremists
have
already killed one prime minister, and everyone realizes that Ariel
Sharon is at risk.<br>
<br>
America isn't yet a place where liberal politicians, and even
conservatives who aren't sufficiently hard-line, fear assassination.
But
unless moderates take a stand against the growing power of domestic
extremists, it can happen here. <br>
<br>
<i>E-mail:
<a href="mailto:krugman@nytimes.com%22">krugman@nytimes.com</a><br>
<br>
</i>
<a
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/29/opinion/29krugman.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1112112128-MdzbQxkWmcdcO5UMpTrYYQ"
eudora="autourl">http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/29/opinion/29krugman.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1112112128-MdzbQxkWmcdcO5UMpTrYYQ</a>
<br>
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