Marco Rubio.
I don't get it.
I just saw an online article in the New York Times saying Hillary is afraid of Marco Rubio. Wouldn't let me read the article. Had to subscribe first. I guess I wasted all my free views sneering at David Brooks and Tom Friedman (as well as admiring Paul Krugman). Which of course begs the question: Why should I spend money on a newspaper that takes Marco Rubio seriously? Or take my hometown paper, the Tampa Bay Times, gleefully pushing coverage of "Jebio" ignoring the fact that Rubio has absolutely no qualifications to be President. I guess I'm supposed to cheer out of some blind loyalty for my fellow Floridian.
Or maybe I missed something. Is there really something great and hidden in Marco Rubio's past? I thought I'd start on his Wikipedia Page, which I'm sure his minions are monitoring. We start out with the fact that Rubio lied about his parents being refugees from Castro, as they came here from Cuba in 1956, three years before the revolution. He graduated from the University of Florida and University of Miami School of Law, where he interned for Congresswoman Ileana Ros- Lehtinen. He was elected City Commissioner in the Town of West Miami. He got himself elected to the Florida House in a 1999 special election.
Now here's where it helps to be a Floridian to read between the lines and cut through all the bullshit. Wikipedia says that he was selected to be House Majority by House Speaker Johnnie Byrd. Sounds impressive, unless you understand that Johnnie Byrd was a typical right wing extremist. who spent most of his time trying to jam through a hospital for Alzheimer's disease named after his father. He succeeded.
Again it helps to be a Floridian to understand how the Florida House operates. It has 120 members. these members can only serve 4 terms for a total of 8 years. As a result, it is a gaggle of ambitious politicians with very little experience in running a complex state like Florida. Lobbyists, who are not term limited, run the joint. If a new House member is not to get lost in the shuffle, he must do 2 things: 1. Kiss the asses of the lobbyists who are the real power brokers and 2.Find the right ass to kiss within the House power structure. Marco Rubio did both. Thanks to the above mentioned Johnnie Byrd, Our Marco was plucked out of obscurity and sent on a rocket ride to Republican Saviorhood. Peachy.
Once Majority Leader, Rubio automatically became Speaker next term. Why? Because that's how they do things here in Florida. The future Speaker is known years in advance. Helps the lobbyists keep control. The Florida Legislature is known to be bought and paid for by the special interests. Lobbyists are notorious for writing bills. Legislators are notorious for not READING bills, especially during the chaotic last days of a session, when lobbyists sneak in budgetary items that nobody finds out about until the budget is signed by the governor, where they explode like little bombs. After all, legislators are not their to serve the public, or God-forbid, THINK. They are there to do what they are told, and to just cash the lobbyists checks. So this is the House that Marco Rubio presided over. Florida Legislature? Florida Whorehouse is more like it.
So, did our Marco Clean Up The Mess in Tallahassee? Not quite. In fact Rubio added a sizable turd to an already stinking punch bowl. While Speaker, Rubio had access to an American Express card provided by the Florida Republican Party, He used this to pay for thousands of dollars of purely personal expenses, including groceries, vacation expenses, and payments to a personal property manager among other things, which the party duly paid off. After these charges came to light, Rubio reimbursed the party of about $16,000. Estimates of improper usage range as high as $100,000. Rubio apologists blame all this on "clerical errors" and claim that the fact he made restitution gets him off the hook. Here's the problem we should have with this. Using campaign contributions for personal use is a CRIME. If Rubio used funds from his own campaign coffers to pay for groceries at Publix, for example, he would have been subject to CRIMINAL charges. How is this any different? Rubio used the card to pay for totally personal expenses, knowing full well that the Republican Party would pay for them with contributions that the party raised. That's exactly what happened. Thanks to a nifty bit of laundering the money through the Party credit card, Rubio avoids criminal prosecution. And don't give me the line that Rubio's restitution after the fact gets him off the hook. Any prosecutor worth his salt can tell you that restitution is part of the PUNISHMENT for the crime. It does NOT get you off the hook. Rubio is quite fond of pointing out the moral failings of other people for political gain. He does not deserve to get off the hook for his quasi criminal behavior. As any observer of the political scene can tell you, its the legal corruption that is killing us.
So, did our hero just shamefully ride off into the political sunset? Hell No! This is Florida. You run for the Senate! Here's where Marco gets a double dose of good luck. First, Charlie Crist commits political suicide my switching from the Governor to Senate race. Second, Marco picks 2010 to run. The Great Tea Party Wave Year. Give Marco credit, the dude sure can ride a wave. So in the primary, Marco becomes the Tea Party Darling and scares Crist into running as an Independent. Then he crushes Bill McCollum in the primary, well, because the Tea Partiers were mad, mad, MAD. Mindlessly mad. Totally Mad. Mad at McCollum despite 30 years of a perfectly conservative record. So lets dump him! Marco's our guy! Or at least the flavor of the day at exactly the right time. Off to the general election where the opposition is split because of Crist's hissy fit. Final Score: Marco 50 percent , Crist 30%, Meek 20%. A one time perfect storm, and Marco Rubio is in the Senate.
Then another piece of good luck. Obama beats Romney in 2012. Changing demographics get part of the blame. The Hispanic vote is soaring and they all are voting Democratic! What are we to do? The party desperately searches for a Hispanic face, and look who's there? Marco Rubio goes from being the Accidental Senator to the Republican Savior! Marco immediately starts running for Prez and earns the worst attendance record in the Senate. So what? Saviors don't have to be there for stupid quorum calls.
On and on it goes, like some bad episode of Being There. Because he is The Republican Savior, the Very Important People who decide these things put him into the "First Tier". Then Jeb! crashes into an iceberg on Iraq. Scott Walker increasingly looks like a hothouse flower that can't exist outside Wisconsin. The GOP Clown Car starts looking like a mobile insane asylum. Who's left? Just ask The Paper Of Record. Hillary is scared!!
Pardon me if I don't get excited. If there is one thread running through Marco Rubio's career and thought pattern, it is childishness. Take his recent foreign policy speech. If Teddy Roosevelt told us to speak softly and carry a big stick, Marco Rubio wants to scream like a baby and swing the stick wildly. Use force anywhere and any time you feel like it ! We are still the world's badasses and we will attack and invade any time we want! USA! USA! USA!. War wimps like Rubio have no problem sending other people's kids into battle and then look the other way when they come home broken or in a box. Act like you are the biggest bully in the junior high locker room. Then act surprised when your victims are sick of getting picked on and actually fire back. Then you can blame it on "bad intelligence" or something. Anything but you own childish incompetence. Again and again we follow these two bit charlatans into war, Again and again we waste trillions of dollars. Again and again the butchers bill is heartbreaking. Again and again, the world is left a more dangerous place. If Marco Rubio is elected president, you can probably guarantee three things. One , many young lives will be ruined and none of them will be named Marco Rubio. Two, when it comes time to man up for the mistakes, Baby Marco will be blaming someone else. Three, the skids for America's decline will continue to be greased.
Marco Rubio exhibits the same childishness when it comes to matters of religion. He states that legalizing gay marriage persecutes Christians. This is nothing more than pandering to people who feel that faith in Jesus should relieve you of your suffering. That faith in Jesus is nothing more then to get what you want on earth. Never mind that the gays that have been the victims of Rubio-style ignorance are the ones doing the suffering. Never mind that what Rubio is really moaning about is the loss of power to treat the whole world like the halls of some demented high school. Jesus did not come to earth to relieve mankind, and especially Republican primary voters, of their suffering. No, His presence on Earth is to give Christians the strength to transcend suffering so you can love your neighbor and bring Christ's kingdom to Earth. Yep, Marco knows his audience. Mature Christianity goes right over their heads. No, Marco panders to a childish Christianity that says you do not have to suffer at all. The Rapture is coming and you can avoid tribulation! All that suffering will be left to Obama and the gays and all the other icky people Left Behind. In Rubio-land Christianity is not about a Suffering Servant who died on the Cross for the sins of mankind. It is merely a club that you join to avoid adult responsibilities to your fellow man.
At least Marco Rubio learned first hand the benefits of immigration. At least he could show some adult leadership here, right? Uh, wrong. Turns out them Tea Partiers don't like all them brown people heading to "Murica. A perfect opportunity for Marco Rubio to stand up on principle on something near and dear to his heart, right? Instead , Little Marco caves in to the schoolyard bullies in his party. I guess the trip to the Ultimate Playpen in Washington requires Little Marco to desperately try to hide who he is. What a man.
So the cat is out of the bag. The GOP Clown Car is just a Kiddie Car and Marco Rubio is just one of the kids. Will Americans call him out on this, even if the Lamestream Media won't? The answer will depend on if we in America have degenerated into nothing but a giant playpen, or if we still have the gumption to act like adults.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Some quick thoughts on War and Peace and Our Soldiers.
My wife and I were at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Pinellas County FL to attend a special Memorial Day mass to honor all those who sacrificed so we can live free. Interned there is my Father, Harry C. Stark (Navy, WWII) who was wounded in that war. We also honored Gerard Diener, my father in law (Navy, Korea) who is buried at Florida National Cemetery in Webster FL. My mother Dolores and my brother Rick are also interned at Calvary. I would like to express some thoughts on matters of war and peace and freedom.
- I truly believe that there are times when you must fight and die for your country. However, they do NOT occur as often as the politicians tell us they do. It is OUR responsibility as citizens, being informed of the issues involved and being in touch with our Higher Power, to decide the difficult questions of war and peace. We should decide when to fight and the politicians should follow OUR wishes. Too often this proper order has been reversed. Is it because our all-volunteer military has dumped these terrible responsibilities on a precious few? Do our politicians make it too easy to dump all the sacrifice on them? We must do better. The young men and women we put in harm's way deserve it.
- I believe it is improper to call them our soldiers "troops". Troops are an abstraction. Solders are human beings who bleed and die when they are wounded. I support my soldiers. I don't support abstractions. Was the switch to the usage of "Troops" an attempt to dehumanize and sanitize the consequences of war? I think so.
- The purpose of sending soldiers in harms way is to secure the future freedom of the citizens of the United States of America. It is NOT to make profits for corporations. It is NOT to bring high ratings to childish and spastic news organizations, with their special logos and martial music. It is NOT to give thrills to bored elites who think war is a giant game of Risk. It is the responsibility of citizens to make sure our soldiers are sent in harms way for the right reasons.
- It is the Responsibility of Christians, as followers of the Prince of Peace, to make sure all wars are just. We must make sure that war is the absolute LAST resort. I bring this up because the majority of American Christians have been slacking on their sacred duties in this regard.
- Blindly following warmongering politicians does not automatically make you a patriot. Sometimes it just makes you a fool. To oppose a war does not necessarily make you a wimp. Sometimes its just being wise.
- and finally , a final shout out to our brave men and women....THANK YOU for your sacrifice.
- I truly believe that there are times when you must fight and die for your country. However, they do NOT occur as often as the politicians tell us they do. It is OUR responsibility as citizens, being informed of the issues involved and being in touch with our Higher Power, to decide the difficult questions of war and peace. We should decide when to fight and the politicians should follow OUR wishes. Too often this proper order has been reversed. Is it because our all-volunteer military has dumped these terrible responsibilities on a precious few? Do our politicians make it too easy to dump all the sacrifice on them? We must do better. The young men and women we put in harm's way deserve it.
- I believe it is improper to call them our soldiers "troops". Troops are an abstraction. Solders are human beings who bleed and die when they are wounded. I support my soldiers. I don't support abstractions. Was the switch to the usage of "Troops" an attempt to dehumanize and sanitize the consequences of war? I think so.
- The purpose of sending soldiers in harms way is to secure the future freedom of the citizens of the United States of America. It is NOT to make profits for corporations. It is NOT to bring high ratings to childish and spastic news organizations, with their special logos and martial music. It is NOT to give thrills to bored elites who think war is a giant game of Risk. It is the responsibility of citizens to make sure our soldiers are sent in harms way for the right reasons.
- It is the Responsibility of Christians, as followers of the Prince of Peace, to make sure all wars are just. We must make sure that war is the absolute LAST resort. I bring this up because the majority of American Christians have been slacking on their sacred duties in this regard.
- Blindly following warmongering politicians does not automatically make you a patriot. Sometimes it just makes you a fool. To oppose a war does not necessarily make you a wimp. Sometimes its just being wise.
- and finally , a final shout out to our brave men and women....THANK YOU for your sacrifice.
Friday, May 22, 2015
The Real Meaning of Christian Foregiveness
Well, it turns out that Josh Dugger of the famous Dugger Clan of "19 Kids and Counting" is guilty of molesting at least 5 of his sisters. I, along with many other people, have expressed their disgust with a person who would spend so much of his life's energy attacking gays being guilty of monstrous sex crimes himself. Dugger is justly scorned for his terrible hypocrisy. Yet, I have been accused by some fellow Christians of being a hypocrite myself by not expressing Christian forgiveness myself. Who is right? The answer can be found in the true meaning of Christian forgiveness and the darkest meaning of suffering.
Does God forgive Josh Dugger? Does God still love Josh Dugger? Yes and Yes. If Josh Dugger wants God's forgiveness, he just has to repent for his sins and ask for it and it will be granted. This is true for you, it is true for me, it will be true for the worst sinner that ever lived. Because Jesus Christ Died for everybody's sins. Heaven is a choice. We either accept God's forgiveness or we don't. That alone gets us into Heaven. It is easy to see how a lot of secular people would have a problem with this. Seems way too easy. Seems to be a license to hurt people. You mean it is possible that God forgave Hitler? Stalin? Mob bosses? The fact that I am a Christian means I have to say yes. And a lot of good people are disgusted by that answer.
But, do not misunderstand. Just because God forgives our sins does NOT mean we do not have to pay a price for our sins on Earth. A loving God allows us to suffer the consequences of our sins here and now. God does NOT allow us to escape these consequences. Would not a loving parent discipline their children after they misbehaved? Is it not the job of a loving parent to teach their children right and wrong? Of course it is. This is why that the people who say the critics of Dugger lack Christian Forgiveness are so wrong. Dugger must face the just and proper repercussions for his actions just as the Catholic pedophile priests did. Just like we all do for our sins. God is not a "Get out of Jail Free" card. God is a just and loving father who wants the best for us. Who wants us to grow into souls worthy to join him in Heaven for all eternity. The Suffering Servant who died on the Cross for the sins of the whole world does not allow us to weasel out of suffering. It is part of the price we pay for our fallen world and the contributions we all make to its suffering.
Besides, who should be the ultimate beneficiaries of Christian forgiveness in this case? Josh's VICTIMS. That's right. They need to forgive their brother, not for him but for THEMSELVES. They need the grace to give up THEIR pain and THEIR anger so they do not lose THEIR souls. It is my prayer that they allow Jesus into this horrible situation, for THEIR benefit to free themselves. Hatred and bitterness is a prison much worse that the one Josh Dugger needs to be headed to. Christian forgiveness grants them THEIR freedom.
So Josh, I pray to see you in Heaven. After you get out of jail.
Does God forgive Josh Dugger? Does God still love Josh Dugger? Yes and Yes. If Josh Dugger wants God's forgiveness, he just has to repent for his sins and ask for it and it will be granted. This is true for you, it is true for me, it will be true for the worst sinner that ever lived. Because Jesus Christ Died for everybody's sins. Heaven is a choice. We either accept God's forgiveness or we don't. That alone gets us into Heaven. It is easy to see how a lot of secular people would have a problem with this. Seems way too easy. Seems to be a license to hurt people. You mean it is possible that God forgave Hitler? Stalin? Mob bosses? The fact that I am a Christian means I have to say yes. And a lot of good people are disgusted by that answer.
But, do not misunderstand. Just because God forgives our sins does NOT mean we do not have to pay a price for our sins on Earth. A loving God allows us to suffer the consequences of our sins here and now. God does NOT allow us to escape these consequences. Would not a loving parent discipline their children after they misbehaved? Is it not the job of a loving parent to teach their children right and wrong? Of course it is. This is why that the people who say the critics of Dugger lack Christian Forgiveness are so wrong. Dugger must face the just and proper repercussions for his actions just as the Catholic pedophile priests did. Just like we all do for our sins. God is not a "Get out of Jail Free" card. God is a just and loving father who wants the best for us. Who wants us to grow into souls worthy to join him in Heaven for all eternity. The Suffering Servant who died on the Cross for the sins of the whole world does not allow us to weasel out of suffering. It is part of the price we pay for our fallen world and the contributions we all make to its suffering.
Besides, who should be the ultimate beneficiaries of Christian forgiveness in this case? Josh's VICTIMS. That's right. They need to forgive their brother, not for him but for THEMSELVES. They need the grace to give up THEIR pain and THEIR anger so they do not lose THEIR souls. It is my prayer that they allow Jesus into this horrible situation, for THEIR benefit to free themselves. Hatred and bitterness is a prison much worse that the one Josh Dugger needs to be headed to. Christian forgiveness grants them THEIR freedom.
So Josh, I pray to see you in Heaven. After you get out of jail.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Washington Elites Smeared the Best Man For the Job
UPDATE: I'm sure now that all you useless liberal, elitist, superdelegate Democrat assholes are all looking forward to the inauguration of President Hillary Clinton., I am here to remind you that I wrote this just after Bernie Announced!! HAHA!
Now that Bernie Sanders has announced his candidacy for President, you can already hear Official Washington giggling in the background. Too Liberal! A socialist! No chance! Too funny looking! Yep, the Very Important And Serious People have already written Bernie off. Nothing for the Inevitable Hillary to worry about, that's for sure. After all, the last real progressive to run was Dennis Kucinich, and the Very Serious People had no trouble marginalizing him. Never mind that Kucinich was an authentic political hero, saving the people of Cleveland from Enron style gouging when he was mayor. He was funny looking too. Always shunted off waaaay off to the side during the debates. After being allowed to speak a couple times, the VIP's would smile and then let the Serious Candidates speak. You know, the ones standing in the middle, far away from Dennis. The candidates that Understood How Things Work. The ones that understood what was good for the elites was good for all.
So, the elites have already started this process on Bernie Sanders. But it's not going to work. First of all, Bernie is tough and fearless advocate for progressive policies. He has been fighting brave and lonely battles in the arena for many years. He will not be pushed around. He will not be shunted off to the side. The Democratic debates will not be a cattle call with 10+ candidates on the stage. Heck, it might be Bernie and Hillary one on one! He will not let Hillary intimidate him. Hillary will have to defend her cozy relationship to Wall Street and special interests and there will nowhere to hide. Hillary might try to paint him as an extremist, a socialist! But that will not work. Bernie has earned the respect and admiration of many progressives. Here's the rub, his economic policies are not extreme in the least. Nothing that Harry S. Truman could not have gotten behind. Almost all are popular when polled on their own merits, away from the label of socialism! Bernie will be heard and Hillary will have to respond. And no, money will not protect her. Bernie will be outspent, perhaps greatly. But he will raise enough from small donors to get his message out, especially when his message is so forceful. What's Hillary going to do, run attack ads? " Bernie is too Liberal?". I don't think so. Hillary will need Sanders supporters to come to the polls in November if she is too win. She must tred carefully here.
No, Bernie Sanders will probably not be the Democratic nominee. But he is just dangerous enough to derail an overconfident and elitist Hillary. Despite her lip service to progressive causes when she announced her candidacy, Hillary shows few signs of learning anything from the debacle of 2008. She still is excessively cautious. She still shows too much loyalty to too many hacks. Bill and her still seem careless about potential scandals. Finally she seems to be relying too much on her "inevitability". The strategy seems to be: coast to the nomination, and then rely on "emerging Democratic demographics" and the GOP destroying themselves by nominating an extremist.. Hey, it might work. But I wouldn't count on it. Despite all the Tea party moaning about Jeb Bush, I expect the establishment wing of the GOP to prevail as they always do. Then the Tea Party legions will bitch, moan, and then fall into line, like they did for Mitt Romney. And what if Jeb (or Rubio) is the nominee? A swing of 58 electoral votes from the loss of Florida becomes a real possibility. Also, does Hillary and her team have the skills that Team Obama did to win major battleground states? Very much in the air. Finally, what happens in Iowa or New Hampshire when this flabby Hillary runs into the focused and determined Bernie Sanders? Is 40% plus for Bernie in either state really out of the question? Is victory in these states really out of the questions Then what happens? This is why the proper comparison to Bernie Sanders is not Dennis Kucinich. It is Eugene McCarthy. Democrats....beware.
Now that Bernie Sanders has announced his candidacy for President, you can already hear Official Washington giggling in the background. Too Liberal! A socialist! No chance! Too funny looking! Yep, the Very Important And Serious People have already written Bernie off. Nothing for the Inevitable Hillary to worry about, that's for sure. After all, the last real progressive to run was Dennis Kucinich, and the Very Serious People had no trouble marginalizing him. Never mind that Kucinich was an authentic political hero, saving the people of Cleveland from Enron style gouging when he was mayor. He was funny looking too. Always shunted off waaaay off to the side during the debates. After being allowed to speak a couple times, the VIP's would smile and then let the Serious Candidates speak. You know, the ones standing in the middle, far away from Dennis. The candidates that Understood How Things Work. The ones that understood what was good for the elites was good for all.
So, the elites have already started this process on Bernie Sanders. But it's not going to work. First of all, Bernie is tough and fearless advocate for progressive policies. He has been fighting brave and lonely battles in the arena for many years. He will not be pushed around. He will not be shunted off to the side. The Democratic debates will not be a cattle call with 10+ candidates on the stage. Heck, it might be Bernie and Hillary one on one! He will not let Hillary intimidate him. Hillary will have to defend her cozy relationship to Wall Street and special interests and there will nowhere to hide. Hillary might try to paint him as an extremist, a socialist! But that will not work. Bernie has earned the respect and admiration of many progressives. Here's the rub, his economic policies are not extreme in the least. Nothing that Harry S. Truman could not have gotten behind. Almost all are popular when polled on their own merits, away from the label of socialism! Bernie will be heard and Hillary will have to respond. And no, money will not protect her. Bernie will be outspent, perhaps greatly. But he will raise enough from small donors to get his message out, especially when his message is so forceful. What's Hillary going to do, run attack ads? " Bernie is too Liberal?". I don't think so. Hillary will need Sanders supporters to come to the polls in November if she is too win. She must tred carefully here.
No, Bernie Sanders will probably not be the Democratic nominee. But he is just dangerous enough to derail an overconfident and elitist Hillary. Despite her lip service to progressive causes when she announced her candidacy, Hillary shows few signs of learning anything from the debacle of 2008. She still is excessively cautious. She still shows too much loyalty to too many hacks. Bill and her still seem careless about potential scandals. Finally she seems to be relying too much on her "inevitability". The strategy seems to be: coast to the nomination, and then rely on "emerging Democratic demographics" and the GOP destroying themselves by nominating an extremist.. Hey, it might work. But I wouldn't count on it. Despite all the Tea party moaning about Jeb Bush, I expect the establishment wing of the GOP to prevail as they always do. Then the Tea Party legions will bitch, moan, and then fall into line, like they did for Mitt Romney. And what if Jeb (or Rubio) is the nominee? A swing of 58 electoral votes from the loss of Florida becomes a real possibility. Also, does Hillary and her team have the skills that Team Obama did to win major battleground states? Very much in the air. Finally, what happens in Iowa or New Hampshire when this flabby Hillary runs into the focused and determined Bernie Sanders? Is 40% plus for Bernie in either state really out of the question? Is victory in these states really out of the questions Then what happens? This is why the proper comparison to Bernie Sanders is not Dennis Kucinich. It is Eugene McCarthy. Democrats....beware.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
What Secular Liberals don't understand about Fox News
I always have to laugh when secular liberals laugh at Fox News when said Fox News is whipping their asses. I watch in half amazement and half disgust as they fire their "enlightenment" weapons of logic, science, and that especially annoying liberal specialty of oh-so-snarky Letterman-Jon Stewart style- dripping- in- irony sarcasm at the Murdoch Machine. Yep, secular liberals giggle among themselves, sip their lattes, and then wonder why the Corporate Capitalist Machine is eating everything in sight with nothing stopping them. Why do these people watch this crap and vote against their interest? Secular liberals are totally flummoxed by the appeal of Fox News. Why? Its because secular liberals ignore the reality of the existence of Original Sin. Their problem is that Rupert Murdoch never forgot.
Why do conservatives love Fox News? Because for them Fox is FUN. Hatred of the people who you think destroyed your life is FUN. Racism is FUN. Watching Bill O'Reilly and the gang rail against the people you hate is FUN. Taking potshots and the Great Kenyan Usurper with the phony birth certificate is FUN. Even fear is fun, if you can turn it into amusement park fear. Its fun to be afraid of ACORN, the New Black Panthers, and whomever is the Scary Fox Monster of the Current News Cycle is today. Like a roller coaster, deep down they know they really don't have much to be afraid of, but every carny barker knows that if you can control the marks' fear, you can sell it right back to them. And if you get a hottie like Megyn Kelly to serve up the fun, so much the better.
This is the work of Original Sin. When it comes down to it, conservatism is FUN. Don't believe that racism is fun? I grew up with racists. They loved being afraid. When you got to the subject of how horrible "niggers" were, you could not shut them up. The stories just went on and on and on... Its fun to look down on the people you hate. Look at the faces of the people who attended Klan rallies in the South. Don't tell me they weren't having fun spitting on civil rights protesters. Mike Royko in his book Boss tells the story of what happened when Martin Luther King tried to integrate the white backlash wards on Chicago's Southwest Side. In between throwing bricks and bags of shit at the protesters, they had time to sing this little version of the Oscar Meyer ditty:
I wish I was an Alabama trooper
That is what I truly want to be
For if I was an Alabama trooper
I could kill the niggers legally.
Oh, they were having fun all right. In fact any Foxoid who reads the above is now laughing his conservative ass off. Things have not changed, Ask the NYPD. Go to Ferguson. Go to Baltimore.
Conservatism has even made religion fun. Most fundamentalist churches now feature the "Rapture". Its not enough that Jesus is going to come again and deliver all the believers to Heaven. Oh no, now there has to be a Rapture (a 19th century invention ,by the way). Not only to Christians get to go to Heaven, they get Leave Behind all those Bad People they love to hate. Sit high in Heaven and watch Obama, Hillary, and all those gays suffer horrible tribulations. What Fun! Don't believe me? The Left Behind series has sold tens of millions of copies. They are loaded with guns and tanks and bombers and a whole bunch of other stuff that gives wingnuts wet dreams. Think this is a joke? Hundreds of lawmakers across America do not think so. Why protect the planet when the Rapture is just around the corner. Won't it be great? Won't it be fun ??
Rupert Murdoch understands all this. The democracies of Australia, Great Britain, and the United States have been broken on this understanding. He understands that the majority of the consumers of media want to have fun. Why give the public understanding of the issues that effect them most. That could be dangerous for Rupert's buddies. No give them fluff, celebrities, true crime and Page Three girls. Give them fun, or at least make them think its fun. ( Don't get the wrong idea, I got nothing against fun. I just don't believe it should come from the misery of others). Fox News is the crowning glory of Murdoch's evil genius. After all, his. worship of the rich policies have made tens of millions miserable. So create a network that expertly convinces the people to blame liberals, minorities, ect.. And make them have fun watching! Satan could not have done it better.
Folks, Fox News is a spiritual problem. It will not be defeated by brilliant repartee, policy wonks and their position papers, of even brilliant Obamaish electoral strategies . It certainly will not be defeated by Hillary. To defeat the evil of Fox we need spiritual weapons. We need the strength and wisdom of God to defeat evil. Unfortunately, by being secular, liberals have turned away from the only weapon that that will defeat the right wing machine. They will see this blog as an exercise in fantasy. They will continue to ignore the power of God. They will continue to indulge in all the tired old strategies. And they will continue to get their butts whipped. They will win some elections and be disappointed as the Machine strangles their hopes once again.
But out of the ashes of disaster comes hope. First God whispers, Then He Shouts. Then he SCREAMS. Can you hear the screaming now Secular Liberal? The screams of billions of suffering souls? So much suffering that only a Cross can redeem. Take another look at Jesus, my liberal friend. The Jesus of Marin Luther King, not the stolen and basterdised Jesus of Sarah Palin and Fox News. The only force that can defeat evil. Please. Because, just like you I am sick of losing. For once lets feel the glory of Victory!
Why do conservatives love Fox News? Because for them Fox is FUN. Hatred of the people who you think destroyed your life is FUN. Racism is FUN. Watching Bill O'Reilly and the gang rail against the people you hate is FUN. Taking potshots and the Great Kenyan Usurper with the phony birth certificate is FUN. Even fear is fun, if you can turn it into amusement park fear. Its fun to be afraid of ACORN, the New Black Panthers, and whomever is the Scary Fox Monster of the Current News Cycle is today. Like a roller coaster, deep down they know they really don't have much to be afraid of, but every carny barker knows that if you can control the marks' fear, you can sell it right back to them. And if you get a hottie like Megyn Kelly to serve up the fun, so much the better.
This is the work of Original Sin. When it comes down to it, conservatism is FUN. Don't believe that racism is fun? I grew up with racists. They loved being afraid. When you got to the subject of how horrible "niggers" were, you could not shut them up. The stories just went on and on and on... Its fun to look down on the people you hate. Look at the faces of the people who attended Klan rallies in the South. Don't tell me they weren't having fun spitting on civil rights protesters. Mike Royko in his book Boss tells the story of what happened when Martin Luther King tried to integrate the white backlash wards on Chicago's Southwest Side. In between throwing bricks and bags of shit at the protesters, they had time to sing this little version of the Oscar Meyer ditty:
I wish I was an Alabama trooper
That is what I truly want to be
For if I was an Alabama trooper
I could kill the niggers legally.
Oh, they were having fun all right. In fact any Foxoid who reads the above is now laughing his conservative ass off. Things have not changed, Ask the NYPD. Go to Ferguson. Go to Baltimore.
Conservatism has even made religion fun. Most fundamentalist churches now feature the "Rapture". Its not enough that Jesus is going to come again and deliver all the believers to Heaven. Oh no, now there has to be a Rapture (a 19th century invention ,by the way). Not only to Christians get to go to Heaven, they get Leave Behind all those Bad People they love to hate. Sit high in Heaven and watch Obama, Hillary, and all those gays suffer horrible tribulations. What Fun! Don't believe me? The Left Behind series has sold tens of millions of copies. They are loaded with guns and tanks and bombers and a whole bunch of other stuff that gives wingnuts wet dreams. Think this is a joke? Hundreds of lawmakers across America do not think so. Why protect the planet when the Rapture is just around the corner. Won't it be great? Won't it be fun ??
Rupert Murdoch understands all this. The democracies of Australia, Great Britain, and the United States have been broken on this understanding. He understands that the majority of the consumers of media want to have fun. Why give the public understanding of the issues that effect them most. That could be dangerous for Rupert's buddies. No give them fluff, celebrities, true crime and Page Three girls. Give them fun, or at least make them think its fun. ( Don't get the wrong idea, I got nothing against fun. I just don't believe it should come from the misery of others). Fox News is the crowning glory of Murdoch's evil genius. After all, his. worship of the rich policies have made tens of millions miserable. So create a network that expertly convinces the people to blame liberals, minorities, ect.. And make them have fun watching! Satan could not have done it better.
Folks, Fox News is a spiritual problem. It will not be defeated by brilliant repartee, policy wonks and their position papers, of even brilliant Obamaish electoral strategies . It certainly will not be defeated by Hillary. To defeat the evil of Fox we need spiritual weapons. We need the strength and wisdom of God to defeat evil. Unfortunately, by being secular, liberals have turned away from the only weapon that that will defeat the right wing machine. They will see this blog as an exercise in fantasy. They will continue to ignore the power of God. They will continue to indulge in all the tired old strategies. And they will continue to get their butts whipped. They will win some elections and be disappointed as the Machine strangles their hopes once again.
But out of the ashes of disaster comes hope. First God whispers, Then He Shouts. Then he SCREAMS. Can you hear the screaming now Secular Liberal? The screams of billions of suffering souls? So much suffering that only a Cross can redeem. Take another look at Jesus, my liberal friend. The Jesus of Marin Luther King, not the stolen and basterdised Jesus of Sarah Palin and Fox News. The only force that can defeat evil. Please. Because, just like you I am sick of losing. For once lets feel the glory of Victory!
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Jesus Christ: A 2000 Year Problem for the Rich
You really cannot blame the rich and powerful for hating Jesus Christ. He seems soooo indifferent to the accomplishments of these great people. He says stuff like "the last will be first and first will be last". No wonder people like Nietzsche hated him. What do you mean the last will be first?? Don't you know I WORKED HARD to be first? I DESERVE IT! I am first because I am smarter than you! I worked harder than you! I'm just better than you! My bank account proves it. And now you want be not just to be second, but LAST? And some loser to be FIRST? Crucify this idiot! Or at least get him the hell out of here.
It is amazing that a country like the United States which worships wealth and "rugged individualism" would also call itself a Christian nation. Its almost like we should see a Koch brother wash the feet of a homeless man. So how do be try to take it both ways? How is the USA both greedy and "Christian"
You see, Jesus is not the weak looking hippie type that is depicted on so much bad religious art. He was a radical. He was an earthquake. He was God. And God just doesn't care what Herod or Pilate or the scribes and the chief priests think. He died for us to forgive our sins and then was resurrected so we ALL can have eternal life. All of us. The lowliest soul now can have eternal life by sharing the resurrection of Jesus Christ. By doing this he gives an awesome dignity to those who follow Him. He said it was as hard for a rich man to enter Heaven as a camel to pass through an eye of a needle. Keep in mind that he did not say it was impossible. There are plenty of wealthy people who have followed Jesus and are presumably with Him in Paradise. But the Lord knew his audience. He knew that the vast majority of the rich and powerful would turn away from him. He knew that they would want to be worshipped themselves rather that submit to any other God. So when Christians started to grow in significant numbers in the Roman Empire, the powerful had to do something. Killing Jesus didn't work. Neither did throwing Christians to the lions. But then they came up with their brilliant solution. Steal Jesus. Water Him down. Make Him a tool of the powerful. This strategy has been stunningly successful.
Crusade in the name of Jesus! Start wars in the name of Jesus! Start a pogrom and kill Jews in the name of Jesus! My way of worshipping is the right way, and if you do not do it MY way, then off with your head! The risen, resurrected Christ was mostly ignored, left to the province of saints, his message of hope for the poor and eternal life usurped my kings and princes of the Church. By the time Christianity made it to these shores, it pretty much forgot what Jesus was all about. The Puritans burned witches, "heretics" and killed Indians in the name of Jesus. The Spaniards were going to convert the Indians to Christ. They converted them to smallpox instead.
So is it any wonder today that Christianity in America offers almost no resistance to the corrupt, corporate machine that is devouring America now? Water down Jesus and turn the Awesome Power of God into baby food for the masses. Look at the timid priests and ministers who dare not upset their dull, fat, suburban flocks. Reduce Jesus to the Holy Sex Nanny: it doesn't matter how you treat your neighbor as long as you refrain from all that dirty stuff, and oh yes, The Is Nothing More Important Than Abortion. Then there is the Prosperity Gospel. God wants you to be RICH!! Not rich yet? It must be YOUR fault. Or, lets not even try to make our world a better place. Wait for the Rapture instead! The earthquake that is the Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the one force that gives every soul the power, strength, and endurance to change this world and to live eternally into the next, gets swept under the rug, and is replaced with ....what? Nothing that the princes of the world have to worry about, that's for sure.
Or do they? The world might think that God is dead but he is not. The earthshaking power of Jesus Christ is available for all those who believe, no matter how lowly their earthly station. Its the world whose soul is dead, not Christ's. I see so much despair in liberal land, thinking that the Koch Brothers and their ilk have defeated us forever. Its time for us to start over. Forget what you think you already know about Christ and give Him a chance. He is not just the (false) god of Sarah Palin and the wingnuts, but an earthquake that can shake up your life and that of the world.
No I am not a fool. Got any better ideas? Or are we just going to stand around and let the plutocrats destroy our communities, our country, and our planet? I am not living in la la land. All I know is what we are doing is not working. Take a second look at Jesus Christ. Refresh your soul with His hope and His power. Lets use that power to finally take our world away from those who would destroy it.
It is amazing that a country like the United States which worships wealth and "rugged individualism" would also call itself a Christian nation. Its almost like we should see a Koch brother wash the feet of a homeless man. So how do be try to take it both ways? How is the USA both greedy and "Christian"
You see, Jesus is not the weak looking hippie type that is depicted on so much bad religious art. He was a radical. He was an earthquake. He was God. And God just doesn't care what Herod or Pilate or the scribes and the chief priests think. He died for us to forgive our sins and then was resurrected so we ALL can have eternal life. All of us. The lowliest soul now can have eternal life by sharing the resurrection of Jesus Christ. By doing this he gives an awesome dignity to those who follow Him. He said it was as hard for a rich man to enter Heaven as a camel to pass through an eye of a needle. Keep in mind that he did not say it was impossible. There are plenty of wealthy people who have followed Jesus and are presumably with Him in Paradise. But the Lord knew his audience. He knew that the vast majority of the rich and powerful would turn away from him. He knew that they would want to be worshipped themselves rather that submit to any other God. So when Christians started to grow in significant numbers in the Roman Empire, the powerful had to do something. Killing Jesus didn't work. Neither did throwing Christians to the lions. But then they came up with their brilliant solution. Steal Jesus. Water Him down. Make Him a tool of the powerful. This strategy has been stunningly successful.
Crusade in the name of Jesus! Start wars in the name of Jesus! Start a pogrom and kill Jews in the name of Jesus! My way of worshipping is the right way, and if you do not do it MY way, then off with your head! The risen, resurrected Christ was mostly ignored, left to the province of saints, his message of hope for the poor and eternal life usurped my kings and princes of the Church. By the time Christianity made it to these shores, it pretty much forgot what Jesus was all about. The Puritans burned witches, "heretics" and killed Indians in the name of Jesus. The Spaniards were going to convert the Indians to Christ. They converted them to smallpox instead.
So is it any wonder today that Christianity in America offers almost no resistance to the corrupt, corporate machine that is devouring America now? Water down Jesus and turn the Awesome Power of God into baby food for the masses. Look at the timid priests and ministers who dare not upset their dull, fat, suburban flocks. Reduce Jesus to the Holy Sex Nanny: it doesn't matter how you treat your neighbor as long as you refrain from all that dirty stuff, and oh yes, The Is Nothing More Important Than Abortion. Then there is the Prosperity Gospel. God wants you to be RICH!! Not rich yet? It must be YOUR fault. Or, lets not even try to make our world a better place. Wait for the Rapture instead! The earthquake that is the Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the one force that gives every soul the power, strength, and endurance to change this world and to live eternally into the next, gets swept under the rug, and is replaced with ....what? Nothing that the princes of the world have to worry about, that's for sure.
Or do they? The world might think that God is dead but he is not. The earthshaking power of Jesus Christ is available for all those who believe, no matter how lowly their earthly station. Its the world whose soul is dead, not Christ's. I see so much despair in liberal land, thinking that the Koch Brothers and their ilk have defeated us forever. Its time for us to start over. Forget what you think you already know about Christ and give Him a chance. He is not just the (false) god of Sarah Palin and the wingnuts, but an earthquake that can shake up your life and that of the world.
No I am not a fool. Got any better ideas? Or are we just going to stand around and let the plutocrats destroy our communities, our country, and our planet? I am not living in la la land. All I know is what we are doing is not working. Take a second look at Jesus Christ. Refresh your soul with His hope and His power. Lets use that power to finally take our world away from those who would destroy it.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Movies Like "American Sniper", Police Brutality, and the Decline of America.
It is obvious that America is a nation in decline. It is in decline because it is in the stranglehold of elites that are amoral, greedy, selfish, and incompetent. Business elites that run once great companies into the ground in search of short term profit. Political elites that would sell their souls to the Devil for a campaign contribution. Media elites which glorify themselves in their own shallowness and stupidity. "Rugged individualists" in business and the military who trip over each other to suck off the people's taxes and government debt. Never mind the lives they ruin or the blood they cause to be shed. Yep, they have turned a once great nation into a kleptocracy, a giant whorehouse for the rich and powerful. God? God is an elitist's bank account. God is in the toys they will die with. God is what they do with their genitals. In fact, the elites believe they are God themselves. The other 99% of America? Screw them. They exist only to steal from and/or to enslave.
But, in their reptilian minds, a certain uneasiness creeps in the back of their brains. How long can we get away with this? How long can we keep shipping their livelihoods to China and India so we can line our own pockets? When are the little people finally going to rise up against us? Will we be able to collect our next bonus? Keep the hedge fund growing? Keep stealing outrageous salaries from "stockholders", most who only own the stock for less then a second? How long will they bleed and die for our wars of profit? Indeed, how are we gonna stay on top when the bubble blown from our latest idiotfest explodes?
Well they got two very old ideas, used by parasitical elites since the dawn of civilization. The frick and frack of societal fraud. They are propaganda and thuggery.
Propaganda like "American Sniper" . As America slides deeper into the abyss, the more desperate, shrill, and vapid the voices are that try to convince the little people that everything is going to be "alllriiiiiight" Don't worry your little heads about it. America is still great, still number one! USA! USA! USA! Don't worry about what the thinking and logical side of your brain is telling you. Thrill to the sight of Chris Kyle blowing away the freaking ragheads! Let Megyn Kelly and the other bimbos on Fox tell you that a return to greatness is just around the corner when we finally get rid of that awful Kenyan usurper in the White House and put a proper white man there. This type of propaganda is already overweening and its going to get worse as conditions in America get worse. There is already a super, high tech jet, military flyover over every NFL game. It is much cheaper for the elites to sprew out this garbage then to, say, stop stealing the bounty of this once great country. Having killed off the God that might save them, it is so easy to sell the masses on the idea that their highest ideal is cheap patriotism.
Propaganda will be enough for the vast majority of the masses. For the minority of dissenters, what is needed is violence. Thug Power. Movements like Occupy Wall Street scare the hell out of the elites because it inflames the guilty conscience that still burns in their dying souls. So, call out the police, dress them up like Robocop, and have them kick the crap out of the dissenters. The murderous brutality against Michael Brown, Eric Garner and so many others too numerous to mention is not to "stop crime" or "fight terrorism" but to crush the inevitable dissent and unrest when the little people finally get sick of being screwed. Start with the blacks and white activists who never bought into the elites bullshit in the first place. Mix the violence with propaganda to make the majority think that violence is directed to those people. Get the majority to cheer on their own destruction! By the time they come for "ordinary white folks" it will be too late. Or so the elites hope.
But I remain eternally hopeful myself. Hopeful that the masses will tire of the vapid exhaustion that is American life in 2015. Hopeful that the elites will destroy themselves with their greed and ignorance. Above all, hopeful that the God, whose power can help us rise above anything, can prevail. The way things are going, it looks like our only hope.
But, in their reptilian minds, a certain uneasiness creeps in the back of their brains. How long can we get away with this? How long can we keep shipping their livelihoods to China and India so we can line our own pockets? When are the little people finally going to rise up against us? Will we be able to collect our next bonus? Keep the hedge fund growing? Keep stealing outrageous salaries from "stockholders", most who only own the stock for less then a second? How long will they bleed and die for our wars of profit? Indeed, how are we gonna stay on top when the bubble blown from our latest idiotfest explodes?
Well they got two very old ideas, used by parasitical elites since the dawn of civilization. The frick and frack of societal fraud. They are propaganda and thuggery.
Propaganda like "American Sniper" . As America slides deeper into the abyss, the more desperate, shrill, and vapid the voices are that try to convince the little people that everything is going to be "alllriiiiiight" Don't worry your little heads about it. America is still great, still number one! USA! USA! USA! Don't worry about what the thinking and logical side of your brain is telling you. Thrill to the sight of Chris Kyle blowing away the freaking ragheads! Let Megyn Kelly and the other bimbos on Fox tell you that a return to greatness is just around the corner when we finally get rid of that awful Kenyan usurper in the White House and put a proper white man there. This type of propaganda is already overweening and its going to get worse as conditions in America get worse. There is already a super, high tech jet, military flyover over every NFL game. It is much cheaper for the elites to sprew out this garbage then to, say, stop stealing the bounty of this once great country. Having killed off the God that might save them, it is so easy to sell the masses on the idea that their highest ideal is cheap patriotism.
Propaganda will be enough for the vast majority of the masses. For the minority of dissenters, what is needed is violence. Thug Power. Movements like Occupy Wall Street scare the hell out of the elites because it inflames the guilty conscience that still burns in their dying souls. So, call out the police, dress them up like Robocop, and have them kick the crap out of the dissenters. The murderous brutality against Michael Brown, Eric Garner and so many others too numerous to mention is not to "stop crime" or "fight terrorism" but to crush the inevitable dissent and unrest when the little people finally get sick of being screwed. Start with the blacks and white activists who never bought into the elites bullshit in the first place. Mix the violence with propaganda to make the majority think that violence is directed to those people. Get the majority to cheer on their own destruction! By the time they come for "ordinary white folks" it will be too late. Or so the elites hope.
But I remain eternally hopeful myself. Hopeful that the masses will tire of the vapid exhaustion that is American life in 2015. Hopeful that the elites will destroy themselves with their greed and ignorance. Above all, hopeful that the God, whose power can help us rise above anything, can prevail. The way things are going, it looks like our only hope.
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