Right-wing bigots go into overdrive

You'd think they'd be worn out with all that frothing at the mouth and hysterical shrieking, but then blind hatred, bigotry and endless stupidity know no bounds.

Pastor Terry Jones has managed to generate headlines worldwide and equal measures of opprobrium for announcing his intention to burn the Muslim holy book today.

At time of writing he's playing a particularly pathetic game of chicken, saying that the inflammatory event was cancelled and then it wasn't and now it's "on hold."

Jones's church has a regular congregation of about 50 and apparently is often used to store furniture in.

No-one had heard of him a few weeks ago and all of a sudden his ugly mug is plastered across newspapers and beamed into living rooms around the world.

There's no such thing as bad publicity as they say and for every hundred people condemning his idiotic crypto-fascist tirades there will be some half-wit lapping it up and, this being the general way of things, probably reaching for the cheque book.

This, although deeply offensive to millions of Muslims, is nothing but a cynical publicity stunt dreamed up by a self-proclaimed prophet cum snake oil salesman.

One interesting note to the farcical saga however is the condemnation of the US government over the issue, attacking the deep disrespect such an action would show as well as - and I think this is probably foremost in their minds - create a massive potential backlash.

It's funny but I don't recall anywhere near the same level of condemnation when guards in Abu Ghraib and elsewhere were urinating on the Koran and flushing it down toilets. In fact it could be argued that such tactics were actively encouraged as a form of "interrogation technique."

But on to other matters. The right-wing Taxpayers Alliance has shown its true colours by palling up with the right-wing knuckle-draggers of the Palin Tea Party set.

Now to many of us who have observed the machinations of the TPA this came as no surprise.

This is a rabidly reactionary group that condemns taxation of the rich but has a senior member who doesn't pay tax in Britain.

Now it is teaming up with an organisation that believes Obama is a non-US Muslim and worships the cretinous Sarah Palin. Sounds like a marriage made in heaven.

And speaking of arch-reactionaries, this week will see the arrival on these shores of Pope Benedict XVI, the erstwhile cardinal Ratzinger, on the first ever state visit by the titular head of the world's largest cult.

The media hoo-hah surrounding this event is such that one could be forgiven for thinking this was the second coming, not a whistle-stop visit to shore up the troops, guilt-trip the faithful into compliance and further line the church's coffers.

To share in the joy of this divine visitation by the child abuse denier in chief, you are invited to buy a range of leisure wear including T-shirts and baseball caps with a variety of logos and devout designs.

You see! That's where Jesus went wrong, he didn't cash in on the merchandising.

They could have had a stall at the foot of Golgotha selling replica crown of thorns and do-it-yourself crucifixion kits - nails sold separately. The marketing possibilities were endless. They won't make that mistake again.

In a remarkably modern move for the Catholic church you can even purchase a papal DVD entitled The Journey. What is it about that title that conjures up images of total denial and criminal behaviour?