Let’s take a look, shall we, at the groups that have been demonised in recent years by conservatives.

Arabs? Check. (And Australia is not to be outdone.)

Liberals? Check.

Blacks? How could you not? Check. And check.

Gays? Check, and then some.

Women? Well, not certain women. But single moms, check. Moms on welfare, check. In fact, it seems that every mother but their own is fair game.

The Judiciary? Check.

The media? Check. (See also ‘Liberals’.)

Liberals? Check again.

Environmentalists? Check.

Latinos? Cheque. Cheque.

Every other country in the world? Check, and double-check.

What can we say for a group of people that habitually turns ordinary people into targets for their unquenchable hostility? I’m no psychologist, but I’d say that it just isn’t healthy to be walking around with that much free-floating rage, especially in a country where guns are readily available. But the right-wing machine needs fresh meat every once in a while to keep its strength up, and if you haven’t been It lately, you’re probably next.

A joke I remember as a kid went like this:

How do you deal with a really dumb bully?
Put him in a room and let him beat himself up.

I just hope that once they’ve been through the list a few times, they’ll turn on each other. Very likely it’ll start with a patriotism contest that gets out of control.