I’ll be honest. THis whole “nat’l day of prayer” thing…I never knew it was happening until all the recent furor over its slow impending death. So I looked it up.
Turns out various colonial presidents have observed a day of prayer as the climate & situation required, reaching out to their (voting) public for certain noteworthy events like the forming of the nation & the end of a war. Lincoln did an interesting twist, calling if a day for “national prayer & humiliation.” James Madison & Thomas Jefferson were both con on the federally endorsed prayer plan. Jefferson was particularly outspoken, pointing out that…“Fasting and prayer are religious exercises; the enjoining them an act of discipline. Every religious society has a right to determine for itself the time for these exercises, and the objects proper for them, according to their own particular tenets; and right can never be safer than in their hands, where the Constitution has deposited it.” I have heard evangelicals lament, oh! the tragedy & horror it is - that this great country is being torn away from the path set by the founding followers, right there under god’s wing. Gee, they never seem to mention this Jefferson quote. Perhaps this has something to do with why the Texas school book bunch is trying to remove Jefferson from history.
After that it was low key, until the cold war. Then in all the heightened emotion of the time, it finally became a bill in 1952, (Harry Truman), when the idea of the nation uniting in prayer was more an IN YOUR FACE, YOU DAMNED COMMIES! moment than a genuine show of real humility. Actually, that kind of makes it the opposite of humility, doesn’t it? Showing off like that. Anyway, each pres got to pick his own day. In 1982, a National Prayer Committee formed to pick a recurring day. In 1988, after 6 brutal & grueling years of reflection & prayer, they finally decided that the NDP would be on the first Thursday of May. After that, everything puttered along as could be predicted by even the most uninformed political observer. Clinton & Obama did nothing special, Reagan & both Bush’s had special events. (Tho Dubya did have to teleport back from the 7th circle of hell where he was doing some makeup coursework for his degree in screwing over the world.)
And now a judge has ruled that the statute establishing the National Day of Prayer was unconstitutional as it is “an inherently religious exercise that serves no secular function”. To which I say…finally! While the Bush bloodline has been living the sheltered lives of lords waited upon by quivering vassals, the world out here has changed. More people are practicing critical thinking. Christian theology, never strong, is bleeding from a number of wounds, self-inflicted by the Darwin equivalent of the dumbest fish in the pond.
Of all the ways the world is falling apart, at least I can be proud of this judge, this thinking human who used simple logic & applied the law, the founding fathers’ penned constitution those evangies love so much – to put this one example of religion back where it should be contained – in the private lives of its followers.
Posted by familyal on Nov 17, 2009 in 1950s, politics
I’ve got a couple of great vids today. First is a little film made sometime in the 1950s by the Inglewood Unified School District of Inglewood, CA. It’s 10 great miinutes of cleancut high school boys being hunted & killed by those deadly foes, older gay guys. As the film cautions us…
“One never knows when the homosexual is about. He may appear normal. And it may be too late when you discover he is mentally ill.”
I am particularly taken with the breezy music, reminiscent of a Doris Day film in which she’s picking flowers in her yard on a sunny day, or arranging her hats. The Inglewood District also put out a film for girls, & I was extremely eager to see how they’d handle the threat of horny women who tend who are overly fond of pants & severe blouses, but again, the villians were men. More on that in another post. I’m probably already past the attention span of today’s readers.
And for your more current viewing pleasure I have Steven Colbert verbally skinning yet another annoying politician, this one voting against a bill that would let gay people deal with the bodies of their partners after one of them dies.
We REALLY need to have civil unions be something other than religious unions. It is archaic that these things remain the same on the books & in people’s minds.
Posted by familyal on Nov 13, 2009 in WWII, politics
My morning reading on Veteran’s Day included more than a few comments on facebook about the bravery of our troops & how they are preserving our freedoms, & oh, thank you, thank you, you wonderful men in uniform. Warm, fuzzy declarations of agape love stirred haphazardly together with hero worship do feel delightful. Such syrupy sentiments sound wonderful & their formulaic style makes them easy & fast to dash off. But I would suggest they display a distinct lack of critical thinking.
I’m sorry to tell you this Virginia but your government will lie to you. Don’t give out your trust with the indiscriminate enthusiasm of a 10-month-old Labrador retriever. War is utterly stupid. Humans make such a big thing of their fat brains; they are the only species with writing, the only ones with consciousness. And what do we do with it? Make weapons. Wow. I am convinced that if some alien race came to visit earth, they’d look around & say, “Good grief Zontor! Look at these strange hairless creatures. They are the worst virus we’ve ever seen! They kill each other, then go home & try to breed more! And they’ve nearly destroyed the planet. This is the most horrific genetic abnormality we’ve seen since Vagbar 12. Good thing we got here in time to eradicate them so the peaceful, non-humanoid beings can continue on. Perhaps, one day, conscious life will evolve here.”
After the bombs were dropped in Japan in WWII, films were made & pictures were taken. And then our caring govt did what it so often does with information – it hid it away for decades. It’s fine for comic books to have brave soldiers displaying a restrained, manly satisfaction after ackack-ing another nest of nips, but letting adult Americans see families, kids, old people, dying of radiation, showing them the utter destruction – can’t have that! People might actually start to protest war.You can see some of these films atGreg Mitchell’s blog.
You should know what you are so thankful for. You should see what war does. And you should put some hard, hard thinking into why you think this is worthwhile, & also you should ask the question, what freedoms is it that our wars are protecting? Is cheap crap from China really worth it? How about being limited to 3 oz of fluid when you go thru the airport? Do you enjoy it when your kid’s school grovels for money every week in the newsletter, while the Iraq war costs billions a month? Did you know that our govt won’t buy the best armor for soldiers over there? They made a deal with a company that makes low quality armor. And if a family saves up & buys the best armor & send it to their brother/son, & the guy gets injured, the army won’t pay benefits because he’s not wearing the govt issued armor. Even tho that’s what people get killed in. Does this make sense? “Freedom” isn’t the right word. We pay for it. In compromised schools, in deals with automakers & oil companies. CEOs of drug companies live in mansions that we pay for.
Be a critical consumer. In all things. Do you need it. Is it worth it. And what is the truth.
My "new" Cuisinart. Less than 1/2 price on craigslist.
(Did you know Seattle has a goal of zero waste? I just found that out.)
I don’t recall thrifting being cool when I was in college. Shopping in malls – actually, roosting in malls, was the thing to do. Then there started to be a change down in the scattered communities of Y folk, people in their mid-twenties who were avoiding soulless yuppie jobs. They combined a necessary frugality with a nostalgia for things before their time, & the thrifting movement began to catch on. Anyone seen the now defunct zine Thrift Score? In which the author, Al Hoff, discussed shopping strategies, great thrift finds, & how to make a look out of random junk? Hey, she got her stuff published in a book & was sent on tour.
I’m sure many of you never thrift, or do so only unintentionally, such as when you pass a fertile looking yard sale on your way to the grocery store. But I bet you DO recycle. Because it’s PC. Because, in many places, it’s the law. And finally, because it makes you feel good. I mean, really good. These days, we are absolutely haunted by all the ways we’ve screwed up the world. High food chain animals are dying, air pollution warnings are given in big cities on hot days so delicate people can lock themselves up indoors, there’s that huge Sargasso Sea of floating plastic crap in the Pacific….on & on & ON, for pity’s sake. But every time you toss a can into your recycling bin, you know you’re doing something. You drag the stuff to the curb, then turn away, lighthearted & untroubled, your face glowing with the righteousness of one who is living the morally right life. You feel so…good. So potent. So noble. Listen – get over yourself.
I spent a while online & I can tell you, you should not be getting your warm fuzzies from the fact that you recycle. A lot of cities are using programs & technology that is so young, they end up spending more on recycling than they would just land-filling the stuff. This is a problem because, despite certain Beatles songs & the damp yearnings of various poets, the world does not run on love, it runs on MONEY. Money, money, money. And if/when various locales decide they need to trim budgets, & there’s a lot of that going on these days, pretty but expensive programs like recycling may get “paused”. Think it would never happen because who would make such an un-PC decision? In 2008, the problem was so bad in NYC that Mayor Bloomberg proposed canceling certain recycling programs for 18 months until the city learned to do it with at least some semblance of cost effectiveness. (BTW, here’s a fun site – Waste Age, for professionals in the waste industry.)
Gloat. Gloat. You heard I paid $65 instead of $170, right?
So what CAN we feel good about? Recycling doesn’t save money, but it does keep us from using as much in the way of virgin resources to make new items, & it does keep trash out of landfills. Recycling does cost a lot, tho. And the process of recycling uses a lot of energy, which has to come from somewhere. Think about it. Your recycling is picked up by a truck larger than most living rooms. It uses a LOT of gas. People are paid to drive it. Recycling glass may keep companies from needing new raw materials to make more glass, but it took a lot of raw materials & energy to manufacture the machines that actually recycle the glass.
You all know the mantra – Reduce, reuse, recycle. The words appear in the order you’re supposed to do them. Use less stuff when at all possible. If you do need something reuse something. That way, the work & energy involved in making it goes further. And recycle is LAST. If you have no other choice, if you were obligated to buy something & you can’t find any reuse, then recycle.
I’m encouraging you all to reuse whenever possible. To motivate you, I’m posting pix of the fine Cuisinart I got on craigslist.com for $65. The current model of this is $170 on the Cuis site. I have found a large plenty of appliances on craigslist. People get them as wedding gifts from hopeful relations, or they go thru phases of pretty enthusiasms which fade like Polaroids in hot sun. Shopping on craigslist & at yard sales is an excellent way to reuse perfectly good items that would otherwise be just thrown out, & would cost you a lot more if you were to buy them new.
My suggestion to you – take a look at your wish list & start cruising for good used versions. MUCH better than recycling, & the severely lower price might let you have some longed for goodies a lot sooner than you’d expected.
You know what I don’t get? I absolutely do not understand this attitude, this set of ideas, that certain hardline christians have about the environment. I mean, things are bad. Most of the big fish are gone; the ice caps are melting; water is looking like it’ll soon be more costly than any of us care to think about; you’re safer out of the hospital than in what with all the antibiotic resistant bacteria out there; bees, those little buzzy things that make all our fruits & vegetables possible, are dying & we don’t know why or how to stop it; on & on. Every time you turn around, more news comes out which basically boils down to the fact that we are deeply & emphatically screwed. Yet these christians of a certain flavor will barely even admit to the possibility of global warming. They have broods instead of families. They float blithely along doing exactly as is convenient & doesn’t require any effort or thought or change. And they defend it all as proof of their faith. And you know what I’m thinking? These people are dangerous. Not only do they not help the situation, they are actively making it worse. Look at the Duggars, for pity’s sake. 18 children. Wrong beyond reason or words. Such people are part of the “quiverfull” movement, which means they let god do their family planning. (Except for when he wants them to die of childhood diseases. Then they resort to vaccines & antibiotics to willfully thwart his plans.) Quick foray into math! 2 Duggar parents = 18 kids. If each kid has 18 kids, then the original Duggars will have 324 grandchildren. If each grandkid has 18, then there would we 5,832 great-grandkids. At least their existence is a useful teaching tool for my son. Here is immorality, I tell him. Here is bad judgment, here is blindness, this is what hubris looks like.
During the election, when I was subjected far too often to the strident bleating of Sarah “I’ll quote the bible if it’ll make you vote for me” Palin, remembered here for her utterly discouraging lust for wolf blood, oil fields, & her greed-based animosity to polar bears, I realized I needed to do a little research on the thinking of such people. As I often say, information is power. Last week I went online & searched for the term, “environmentally responsible christian.” Wow, did that ever turn out to be an oxymoron! I would like to think that, somewhere, there are christians who get it that once the earth is unfit for humans, humans will die, unless some several actions are taken in time, & I hope to write about those so far elusive christians next time, if I can find any.
Here’s the format of an oft-heard exchange: person A- “I don’t get what these super religious people are thinking. How can they not understand that the planet only has limited resources?!”person B- “they don’t care because they think the world is going to end soon so it just doesn’t matter.”Besides being simplistic, this doesn’t answer my responsibility argument, which goes like this: you give your child something expensive & tell them, “this is yours, but you still have to take care of it.” If they come back to you & gleefully describe how they destroyed it on purpose, then demand an eternity of unimagined goodies & treats, do you reward them? Hell, NO! You give your regionally accepted version of:
a dope slap
a marathon lecture ending with “& if you want another one, you can damned well get a job & buy it with your own money! I’m not getting you another after you showed such disrespect & poor judgment.”
As I discovered, the evangelical thinking is more wordy than just that one point, but hardly more developed. Why it is some christians are so intent on hastening the destruction of nature? I just can’t wrap my head around how they can be so…well…blind to the essence of the world as a place where uncounted animals, plants, insects, & chemicals interact in a way that keeps us & them all nourished & alive.
Today, for example, it was a lovely day here in Seattle. The trees are blooming, the back yard glimmers with bits of life – tiny flying bugs with their wings catching the sun, birds with their little throats quivering with sound as they work hard to point out that you should stay away from their women. Even the smallest creatures confound me with their beauty. Yesterday Reid found a flying ant. She was over 1/2 inch long, lovely dully shining body, translucent wings reflecting hints of rainbow color. Squatting in the yard next to my son, gazing at this tiny wonder, my life is made more complete. As often happens, I find myself thinking sadly of how little of nature will remain by the time my son is my age. How can any aware person deny his or her own unalterable connection with the rest of the natural world? After all, every bit of tissue that exists in our bodies has been eaten & pooped out by worms. Try that out on kids you know, it’s entertaining to watch their faces as they think about this.
May I rant a moment? During my reading, I slogged thru rather a lot of drivel about how science is wrong about global warming, & that we should just have faith that god has a plan for the planet. And I’m thinking…hmm…this is a very convenient faith. How deliciously easy it is to wrap yourself in the righteous cloak of your faith when it means you can still go to Wal-Mart & load up on Chinese made plastic crap & bring it home in your SUV. Why not leap off a building right now? You’ve got faith, don’t you? Don’t you trust god? They discount science, yet avail themselves of vaccines, microwaves, & internal combustion engines. They list themselves as stewards of earth, then use it up because they’ve been assured a new one. My dream is to go into the houses of such people & take away every iota of scientifically produced matter. Leave them with ½ a bushel of shriveled apples, a book on “learn to be a blacksmith,” & maybe a couple of arrowheads. Don’t like science? Let me introduce you to Mr. Flint & Mr. Stick. Have a nice winter, now.
Evangelical christian responsibility to the environment arguments I found online
They disapprove of thinking of earth as an entity. When we say things like we take care of the earth, she takes care of us, they say that raises up the earth as an idol, & thou shalt raise no idols before god.
Any human plan for the earth is prideful & an affront to god. He has a plan for the earth so humans don’t have to change a thing.
Any global warming that might be happening is just part of a natural cycle, so christians should drive any kind of vehicle they want, because it just don’t make a difference.
Christians are told by the bible to fight poverty, & following the Kyoto treaty will make people lose jobs, therefore it, & any other change that might lose jobs, increases poverty, & should not be done. (See point 2). No mention here of all the jobs that will be created in the pursuit of green technologies.
Humans are more important than any other creature on earth. Nuff said.
God created the earth FOR humans. We get to use it all we want, any way we want.
God said, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Unless the earth cannot physically sustain any more human life, it is not overpopulated, since God created the earth to sustain mankind and delights in human life.
Any science proving we’re hurting nature is wrong. “In the past they have warned that DDT, acid rain, and the ozone hole threaten life as we know it. Sound science has refuted all those claims.” Really? Guess I missed that.
(after list of “facts” in article)…”While these facts do not conclusively prove that global warming is not occurring – it is impossible to prove a negative – they certainly suggest that it is not. Consequently, Christians should not worry that their transportation choices might harm other people. Christians can choose to drive how they wish without fearing that their actions contribute to Global Warming and thus, in the words of the Evangelical Environmental Network, “deny Christ’s Lordship.” This does not mean that Christians do not need to consider God’s desires in what they choose to drive. God clearly tells his servants not to glorify or take pride in material wealth, but to serve him first and store up treasures in heaven, and some luxury vehicles clearly express materialistic desires. It simply means that Christians have no reason to also consider the effects their car might have on the climate when purchasing a new vehicle. What Would Jesus Drive? Whatever he chose, the exaggerated hype surrounding the global warming theory would not concern him.”
SUBSCRIBERS:If you can’t see videos in your email subscription, just click here (the ‘here’ link will work in your email) to visit the site. I’m still working out how to get embedded vids to work in the email program.
And as we’re nearing the inauguration, here’s Huff Post’s fantastic list of some mind bending Bushisms from over the last eternity of what was really only 8 years. Man, didn’t it feel like it would never end? Lordy…
“Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?” _ January 2000, during a campaign event in South Carolina.
“I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully.” _ September 2000, explaining his energy policies at an event in Michigan.
“They misunderestimated the compassion of our country. I think they misunderestimated the will and determination of the commander in chief, too.” _ Sept. 26, 2001, in Langley, Va. Bush was referring to the terrorists who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks.
“There’s no doubt in my mind, not one doubt in my mind, that we will fail.” _ Oct. 4, 2001, in Washington. Bush was remarking on a back-to-work plan after the terrorist attacks.
“It would be a mistake for the United States Senate to allow any kind of human cloning to come out of that chamber.” _ April 10, 2002, at the White House, as Bush urged Senate passage of a broad ban on cloning.
“I want to thank the dozens of welfare-to-work stories, the actual examples of people who made the firm and solemn commitment to work hard to embetter themselves.” _ April 18, 2002, at the White House.
“There’s an old saying in Tennessee _ I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee _ that says, fool me once, shame on _ shame on you. Fool me _ you can’t get fooled again.” _ Sept. 17, 2002, in Nashville, Tenn.
“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.” _ Aug. 5, 2004, at the signing ceremony for a defense spending bill.
“Too many good docs are getting out of business. Too many OB/GYNs aren’t able to practice their love with women all across this country.” _ Sept. 6, 2004, at a rally in Poplar Bluff, Mo.
“Our most abundant energy source is coal. We have enough coal to last for 250 years, yet coal also prevents an environmental challenge.” _ April 20, 2005, in Washington.
“We look forward to hearing your vision, so we can more better do our job.” _ Sept. 20, 2005, in Gulfport, Miss.
“I can’t wait to join you in the joy of welcoming neighbors back into neighborhoods, and small businesses up and running, and cutting those ribbons that somebody is creating new jobs.” _ Sept. 5, 2005, when Bush met with residents of Poplarville, Miss., in the wake of Hurricane Katrina
“It was not always a given that the United States and America would have a close relationship. After all, 60 years we were at war 60 years ago we were at war.” _ June 29, 2006, at the White House, where Bush met with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
“Make no mistake about it, I understand how tough it is, sir. I talk to families who die.” _ Dec. 7, 2006, in a joint appearance with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
“These are big achievements for this country, and the people of Bulgaria ought to be proud of the achievements that they have achieved.” _ June 11, 2007, in Sofia, Bulgaria.
“Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your introduction. Thank you for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit.” _ September 2007, in Sydney, Australia, where Bush was attending an APEC summit.
“Thank you, Your Holiness. Awesome speech.” April 16, 2008, at a ceremony welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to the White House.
“The fact that they purchased the machine meant somebody had to make the machine. And when somebody makes a machine, it means there’s jobs at the machine-making place.” _ May 27, 2008, in Mesa, Ariz.
“And they have no disregard for human life.” _ July 15, 2008, at the White House. Bush was referring to enemy fighters in Afghanistan.
“I remember meeting a mother of a child who was abducted by the North Koreans right here in the Oval Office.” _ June 26, 2008, during a Rose Garden news briefing.
“Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have helped transform 13 small colonies into a great and growing nation of more than 300 people.” _ July 4, 2008 in Virginia.
“The people in Louisiana must know that all across our country there’s a lot of prayer _ prayer for those whose lives have been turned upside down. And I’m one of them. It’s good to come down here.” _ Sept. 3, 2008, at an emergency operations center in Baton Rouge, La., after Hurricane Gustav hit the Gulf Coast.
“This thaw _ took a while to thaw, it’s going to take a while to unthaw.” Oct. 20, 2008, in Alexandria, La., as he discussed the economy and frozen credit markets.
We got a postcard with the headline, “Think you can’t enjoy tobacco anywhere, anytime?” I was curious about this little teaser, & wondered what the product could possibly be. Something you snort? Nicotine suppositories? So I did a quick search, which unfortunately didn’t reveal the mystery product, but one of the pages I found was this one (click). My favorite takeaways are the guy who’s avatar is named “Christ’s Rottweiler,” & the senior theologian Pastor Ezekiel who, when someone points out that smoking causes cancer, responds with, “prove it, loudmouth! Jesus kills people, not tobacco.” (He includes a link where people can email him for private advice.) I dug around & found that the home page for Landover Baptist Church is here.The fictitious Landover Baptist Church is a parody of Bible-literalist Fundamentalist, Independent Baptist Churches.
Funny short vid – CLICK HERE. When I first started blogging about the election, I had an exchange with an east coast friend about how the election is about so much more than Sarah Palin. I know, I said, but there’s so much really juicy lunatic stuff about her, how can I not? Now, with just over a week to go, so much of what has happened really is about Sarah Palin. Not in living memory has a VP pick made anywhere near this much of a difference in any election. VPs are usually wallpaper. They embody middle of the road. They are not shy, but their quiet reticence would never be called bold. They are not overly handsome, nor are they unattractive. They are experienced politicians, but not overly inspirational. They are there to provide a reliable & trainable surrogate for the usually much more exuberant & outgoing Pres candidate. And so what happened?
Well…The McCain camp was already having tough times even before the convention. Obama was really getting some great momentum. The republicans needed something flashy & totally sexy. And what could be sexier than a woman, dressed in the high-priced version of hooker boots, who is willing to stand behind the aging McCain & gaze at him with adoration glowing from her every avaricious pore? And indeed she did rivet the attention of the nation. Unfortunately for the campaign, the results were not what they had sought.
If reports are to be believed, she was picked to pull in independents & the Hillary voters who so desperately wanted a woman in the white house. I never got this. To me, Palin gave off huge ditz vibes from day one. If that was their plan, it backfired. McCain strategist’s fantasy scenario of women looking at Palin: “She has 2 X chromosomes? Really? So do I! We could be sisters!” Women, those fabled emotional creatures, in fact seem to prefer experience & common sense, only 2 of a long list of vital skills Palin is troublingly bereft of. What actually happened is that after the shine wore off, Palin mostly caught the eyes of the severely right wing christian faction, a group composed of people who profess to follow a loving god, & if you don’t agree with them, they’ll pray for their loving god to make you burn in eternal torment in the fires of hell. The semi-conservatives were turned off by this, the intellectual conservatives were made wary by the McCain’s lack of judgment in picking Palin. Combine that with the perfect storm of Palin’s clear lack of knowledge, the now fabled $150,000 shopfest, McCain’s aide lobbying for Saddam Hussein, general schizophrenic behavior in the campaign, etc. & etc., contrasted with the cool & thoughtful demeanor of Obama – the repub party is looking pretty punch drunk at this point - & here we are, mere days from what looks to be a strong Obama victory.
Palin supporters say she was mishandled by the McCain staff, wasn’t allowed to play to her strengths. I agree on this. The McCain camp definitely muzzled her during the remodeling process. But I don’t think the “real” Palin would have been any better. Based on reports of her time in Alaska, her main trait is having the predatory cunning of a hungry animal, powered by the energy of unlimited hubris, all cloaked in inelegantly wielded sexual power. (Refer to frequent winking in VP debate.) A recent article of her early years in Alaska show a pattern – be mentored by some helpful soul, learn just enough, then turn around & gut them, taking their position & power.
The real issue is this: how is it that someone so unlearned ever got nominated to a major position in a major party? Our country is faced with the worst list of problems ever: here locally our economy is slipping badly, we are mired in distant wars that are draining us, & even the environment is failing us, far faster than we can evolve & adapt. Isn’t this the time for those in power to do their absolute best? Why, now, are we being sweet talked into swallowing such a pill as Palin represents? Now it the time for politicians, & here I mean McCain & the GOP, to be noble, to lead, to sacrifice. Instead they grub for power & revel in their abilities to reduce large groups of humans, supposedly the smartest creatures on earth, to a spitting & frothing mob. In such a labyrinthine & networked political system, how can we as individuals fight against this & encourage leaders to lead us to high places? I don’t know, but we better figure it out.
I just came back from out in the world & had a good conversation with a friend…we are thinking it’s good that the racism & sexism now being seen – & encouraged by McCain – during this campaign will make people realize these things still exist. The 1970s saw great energy put toward making things fair for various minorities. Racial protest was big then but you don’t see that kind of thing now, so I think most people have become complacent & figure all that’s been resolved. So perhaps it’s a good thing to understand that this river didn’t dry up at all, it just went about 2 inches underground. A great many people partake of groupthink. And the only way to change their beliefs is to change those of the group. Those people who require the safety of a group will always feel safe, yet as the group shifts, they shift with it. That’s why a wise & unselfish leader is so important. Followers will always follow, you just tweak their beliefs slowly & without realizing it, they’ve changed. Hopefully we’ll see this dynamic in action in the next 4 years.
Man, this election is like Xmas when I was a kid – it’s in my every thought but it seems like it’ll never get here. This week saw more disgust with the McCain campaign doing “robocalls,” & even the conservative pundits are writing about how Palin is a drag on the ticket. On the Obama/Biden side, wads of cash the size of small asteroids are being donated on a daily basis by voters whose emotions are growing in the twin directions of desperation & hope. it sounds contrary but belive me it’s possible.
Here’s a list of links, worthwhile reading in these bizarre times.
I was so struck by this picture. 100,000 came out to see Obama in St. Louis. See him there? He’s that little dot on the bottom right. What a vastness of people. This made my throat close up. Beautiful.
We are living in blessed time when even the conservatives are blasting the right. In the Wall Street Journal, conservative Peggy Noonan writes (inaccurately, I & about a zillion other people think) that McCain won the last debate. But then she goes on to gnaw her way thru the Palin choice right down the the bone marrow. Click hereto read.
Click here for a low budget but very powerful video of a young rape victim discussing her options under a McCain/Palin regime. I strongly urge you to pass this one on.
Tired of hearing Palin link Obama to a guy who was a “terrorist” when Obama was 8 years old? Fine. Click hereto read an article discussing how Palin’s husband has for the last several years been an active member of the Alaska successionist movement, led most famously by Joe Volger, who said, “The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government” He died under mysterious circumstances. The man convicted of his murder said it was over a fight over a plastic explosives sale (hmmm…don’t terrorists use plastic explosives?) & other theories have the US govt killing him, to prevent him from appearing before the UN to discuss Alaskan independence. Either way, he doesn’t sound very “pro-American,” does he? Note to Palin – you’re livin’ in a glass house, babe.
And for those of you who missed it, click here for the all true story of how McCain’s transition team chief was in fact a lobbyist for Saddam Hussein.
Vastly amusing vid – click here. (you’ll love it! In a sick kind of way.) In case it’s confusing, here in Seattle & I should suppose other cities, there are places where the Mexicans hang out, & if you need work, you go by & ask for someone who has the skills you need, take them away in your truck.
Lastly, here’s the link – click here- to an episode in which the republican rep from Minnesota made a very, very unwise choice, & let herself say that yes, there are anti-American members in congress & she thinks they should be ferreted out. Note – since this hit the airwaves last night, her opponent has rased over half a mil. I can’t stop smiling.
Yes, I now believe Sarah Palin IS pure evil, & of course she’s been the worst thing to happen to the women’s movement since June Cleaver managed to keep her house clean in heels, but we need to move on to bigger issues.
I saw a bumper sticker that said, “When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag & carrying the cross.” No kidding. (Fascism: A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, a contempt for democracy, a strong demagogic approach and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.)
We’ve all grappled with the reality of the holocaust & looking back, one wonders how so many “normal” people could have become so cruel, so stupid, so blind. I have figured something out- logic leaves you satisfied, & anger leaves you hungry for more. While Obama leans (logically) on logic, McCain & Palin, with little of worth to say, rely on the agitated emotion of their audience. They WANT them hungry; they want them like a pack of lean dogs, nervous, alert, ready to give up all manners & training for that juicy piece of meat over here….here boy, up here! Jump for it! Want to know how easy it is to rouse a group to violence? Just follow the recent coverage of the McCain/Palin rallies, in which people yell, “Kill him” about Obama, & in one case, exiting audience members yelled racial insults at a black cameraman.
Anyway…information is power, so here are some highly worthy links for you to explore:
A blogger in Ohio went to a McCain/Palin rally with his video cam & quizzed the folks there. Click hereto see people say that Obama could be a terrorist because he’s “got the bloodlines.” And to think these people are allowed to drive. Christ almighty…
Click here for a excellent video discussing McCain’s out of control temper. Take a minute & compare in your mind the calm demeanor of Obama with the antsiness & sneering of McCain. McCain has real problem with self control.
“McCain, who has lectured us about duty, honor, country first, has left many independent-minded voters who might want to vote for him at an impossible, dangerous impasse: an unprepared vice presidential candidate running on a ticket with the oldest presidential nominee in history — a 72-year-old with four cancer surgeries and medical records he has ordered sealed.” Click here for full article.
Click here for an excellent article discussing Palin’s deep & lengthy association with the Alaskan Independence Party, which strongly wants Alaska to succeed from the Union. (Their leader died when he was buying plastic explosives. You know…like terrorists use.)
Click here to see poor, frustrated Keith Olbermann vent about that minister who prayed over Palin that she wouldn’t be the victim of witchcraft, & hear how he started his career. (Hint: vigilantism.)
Wonder why the super Christians don’t give crippled damn about the environment? “Of the 60 million white evangelicals in this country, 60 percent of them believe the Bible is literally true. More than a third believe the end of the world will occur within their lifetimes.” Read more here.
All depressed now? Ah, you just need a good laugh. Click here for a very clever fictional IM (instant messaging) conversation between McCain, Palin, & his campaign manager post VP debate.
Wow, it’s been ages. And while it’s certainly true I have a vast collection of old ads & deeply disturbing recipes, I’m getting back online to spew frothily over politics. That’s not my normal gig, but if one is EVER going so speak up, NOW is the time. Yes, that’s right! The VP debate is coming! And you know what that means…Palin!! Inspiration to all young girls everywhere that even their Barbie dolls can grow up to be president.
I’m writing all this because…I just can’t believe the mess we’re in, & I can’t believe that someone as wrongheaded as McCain & someone else as gidget-brained as Palin even would have a chance, but I know there people out there cheering them on.
Go out there & roust all the fence sitters you know. Same with those who have become too bitter to care. Even if you aren’t a total Obama fan, this is very much a time of choosing the lesser of two evils.
Read a great Katha Pollitt article click here. Constant updates & pithy writing at the Huffington Post click here. Palin blathering her way uselessly thru an interview, unable to name any supreme court case except the ever famous Roe v Wade – click here.
And if you need any ammo, here you go. (I know the election is about so much more, but with the debate looming, I think it’s appropriate to ponder a bit on the wonder that is Sarah Palin.)
She believes dinosaurs & people existed at the same time, only 6000 years ago. (Click here for story.) That right there ought to give you a tension headache. (One aging heartbeat away from those nuclear codes!)
According to the McCain campaign, she “knows more about energy than probably anyone else in the United States of America.” (Click here for story.) Wow, so that means even more than Nobel laureates, all those fat brains at Harvard, Cornell, MIT, everyone! How is it possible such genius has gone unnoticed for so long? Hmmmm………
Told Katy Couric in the interview, when asked what publications she reads for her news, “all of ‘em.” Again, I am astounded that someone with an intellect capable of reading every news publication existing & still raising kids & being governor hasn’t just been nominated supreme ruler. So she’d be reading….what…millions of words a day? At least.
All that jazz about being so world-wise because you can see Russia from Alaska? Some news group – click here to read the story – sent a reporter to the only part of Alaska from which you can actually see Russia. It’s deadsville, even the dogs are from the last century. No governor has ever visited there. So they can see Russia, yes, & so what. Most of them don’t even know who Palin is. I can see stars from my back porch but that doesn’t make me an astronomer. I can’t belive some highly paid advisor even suggested that tack.
Yammers on about all the cracks in the glass ceiling, niftily co-opting Hillary’s line. The biggest step forward for woman since getting the vote, which was in 1920, almost a century ago, was the right to do what they damn well please with their own bodies, thank you very much. Palin would gladly reverse this. I cannot believe that she is against abortion even in cases of rape, even if rapee is young girl horrifically tormented by dad. That alone makes her a monster, & if this election is a one issue gig for you, let it be on this – EVEN RAPE VICTIMS WOULD BE REQUIRED BY LAW TO CONTINUE PREGNANCY. In other words, women’s rights end when they become simply a vessel, & with that we begin to sound positively biblical.
Cannot string together a coherent sentence to save her life. Yes I know full well that I personally find excessive enjoyment from the delights of semantics. That said, being able to use the right word thingy seems like a basic requirement for someone going out there with the duty of conversing nimbly with many & varied intelligent & influential people.
There is SO MUCH material…but I have to stop somewhere. And since I am a private blogger & not employed by a major media outlet, I can bring up the fact of that down’s syndrome child. What the hell was she thinking? Anybody? I’m lost here. It is every parent’s dream to have a happy, healthy child. What is it you hear a woman say when she’s pregnant? “Oh, I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl, as long as it’s healthy.” And to that end, people partake of various technological wonders. One of which is early testing for various birth defects, which you can then avoid. Why, why, why would someone choose to have a baby that is at least somewhat retarded, probably severely retarded, with companion physical defects that can further lessen the quality of life? Why would you choose to have a baby that can never think with you, or play a sport, or excel at reading or math or enjoy the play of words & the pleasures of inventing things, can never develop hobbies requiring a lively mind? Yes, I know….they say it’s god’s will. My continuing problem with this response is that the religious right cherry picks thru the bible. Having a deformed baby? God’s will. Dying of pneumonia? They then choose to exert their own feeble human will to live, & reach for the antibiotics, a product of human discovery. Woman has in vitro fertilization & gets pregnant with 5 babies. Dr advises selectively killing a couple so those remaining can be healthier. (We’re not dogs, we’re not designed to have litters.) NO, they say, it’s god’s will I have that many children. Really? Reading it like that, I would have said that god’s will was that you not have any children, & I’d say he was sending the message loud & clear, given that you tried for years & finally had to resort to hugely expensive, cutting edge medical interventions to conceive.
Am I picking on Palin? I don’t think so. Can I rattle off a list of supreme court cases right this second? No, but if I knew I might be asked about them, you can be damn sure I’d have a whole pile of cases memorized by tomorrow. Palin wants to present herself as a regular American, but she cannot be that. She is a rarity, a candidate for vice president. If she were some mom down the street who came off poorly in an impromptu interview, I’d feel bad for her, sure. But she is not, no matter how well they package her, one of us. She is a professional politician & she has been has been coached for weeks by some of the best minds money can buy. And still she sounds simply awful. If she’s still this bad now, how much better can we hope she will get?
Palin may have been a passable mayor of her hometown. I’m not saying she’s absolute evil. I’m saying what so many others are saying, that she’s in waaay over her head. I still can’t figure why McCain camp picked her. The V factor is not effective for the Hillary voters. Another of their requirements is a well functioning brain. Gosh…I don’t know….maybe these are the end times. Pardon me, I think I’ll just go & dry those extra apples I harvested…
