The depressing second legacy of Barry Goldwater

Barry Goldwater is known best for his own brand of conservatism, rejecting the increasing influence of fundamentalist zealots in the Republican party and focusing more on the importance of his more libertarian values. Goldwater Republicans are that group of Republicans that, while I may disagree with them, I find them far more palatable a rival than the irrational, science-hating, bigoted zealots who have made the Republican party a fanatically anti-abortion, anti-gay, anti-evolution movement that rejects the ideal of keeping the government out of our lives and instead focuses on making their own moral beliefs into law.

Sadly, that’s not the topic of this post. I’d love it if the Goldwater Republicans re-asserted control in the Republican party so we could cut this small-minded bullshit and focus a bit more on the economic issues that are affecting this nation. I don’t see that happening any time soon. Instead, I’m going to focus on Barry Goldwater’s other legacy: his son.

Barry Goldwater Jr. wasn’t a Senator like his father, but he did serve over a decade in the House of Representatives, and that should count for something. Unfortunately, he’s a spokesman and director of one of the most disgusting frauds ever to capitalize on 9/11 outside of the Bush administration. I’m talking about the National Collector’s Mint. You might have seen their ads on various news networks, as their emptily patriotic products are perfect for FOX News viewers.

On the surface, the National Collector’s Mint is just another crappy “collectibles” mint that produces knock-offs of famous coins in the name of “tributes.” You too can have your own “1870-CC Double Eagle Proof” for only $20. Of course, it’s a “non-monetary proof” that’s worth less than the 31 grams of gold it’s microplated with. If that’s not enough, you can get your own “New York Yankees A-Rod/Derek Jeter combo quarter” that is, of course, not a quarter.

Their most shameless and disgraceful products are their “9/11 Commemoratives.” They sell a series of fake coins “commemorating” 9/11, ranging from a fake quarter with a picture of a mourning firefighter on one side and a flag-draped casket on the other, to a plated coin with a pop-up image of the WTC. The pop-up coin page says that $5 of every order goes to “official 9/11 charities,” but I don’t see any other mention of those charities anywhere on the National Collector’s Mint site. These coins range from $20 to $380, and they all ring of disgustingly exploitative cash-ins on 9/11.

The pop-up coin was ridiculous enough, but I’ve recently been seeing ads for the National Collector’s Mint’s latest abortion of dignity. It’s a fake, silver-plated $20 bill that ostensibly commemorates 9/11. On one side is the imprint of a $20 bill. On the other side is the picture of the WTC with the numbers “9″ and “11″ where the “20″ would normally be. The commercial explains, and I shit you not, that the 9 and the 11 add up to 20, hence the $20 bill. It’s legal tender, at least… in the Republic of Liberia. That just adds to the layers of disgusting opportunism these bastards are showing. I can’t find any listing for it on the National Collector’s Mint’s web page, but the commercial has been playing fairly regularly. I saw it three times tonight on Comedy Central.

So there you have it. On one side you have Barry Goldwater’s legacy of economic conservatives who reject religious fundamentalism in their politics. On the other side you have Barry Goldwater’s son, a spokesman and board member of a company full of disgusting opportunists that will, despite my disbelief of the concept, be going straight to hell when they die.

- Will