Republicans Born Again
Bible Belt evangelicals unhappy with McCain take simplistic comfort in Palin as VP candidate
PARIS - Trying to explain American politics to my French friends and Paris media is not easy. They are still struggling to understand how Barack Obama popped out of nowhere to run for the world's most powerful office.
Now the French are even more stunned and confused by Sen. John McCain's surprise vice-presidential choice of Gov. Sarah Palin of Wasilla, Alaska, a hamlet just a snowball's throw from the North Pole.
Frenchmen, being French, think she has nice legs. But no one here can understand why Republicans picked a lady whose primary experience was being mayor of a one-husky town and making moose stew.
"Mon dieu," one Parisian told me. "Those crazy Republicans must have the wish of death." No, no I explained. The party is being born again.
Palin's emergence simply confirms the final dumbing down and ruralization of the Republican Party, and its metamorphosis into a right wing politico-religious movement.
The pistol-packing Sarah Palin is the party's new housewife saint, a cross between Annie Oakley and Joan of Arc.
Two factors led McCain to his dramatic decision. First, 53% of American voters are women. The choice of Palin clearly was an attempt to grab disgruntled Democratic female voters who are still fuming that their heroine, Hillary Clinton, was a woman scorned.
CLUMSY PLOY
But McCain's clumsy ploy may insult more Democratic female voters than it will attract. Palin, save for being a woman, is against almost everything Hillary Clinton supports.
Far more important, McCain chose Palin as his running mate because she is an in-your-face, born-again, evangelical Christian. Some 44-50% of Republican voters now call themselves evangelical Christians.
Concentrated in America's deep heartland and southern Bible Belt, these ultra conservative, fundamentalist white Protestants provided the Bush administration's core support in a nation where 63% believe every word in the Bible is true. Evangelical TV ayatollahs have become major political figures on America's right.
Many evangelicals believe in the absolute literal nature of the Scriptures, biblical prophecy, the Messiah's imminent return, and mankind's destruction. They oppose evolution and ecology. Evangelism has become the Republican Party's official religion, and Mrs. Palin its new high priestess.
The evangelist's view of foreign policy is simple. Either wicked France, Russia or the UN is the anti-Christ (take your pick). Muslims are evil and a menace. Israel is the paramount foreign policy issue. Support for Israel must be absolute and unlimited. All Palestinians must be expelled from the biblical Holy Land, the world's Jews gathered therein, and converted. Then the Messiah will return, Armageddon will come and Earth will be consumed by fire and brimstone.
Only born-again Christians will survive and be teleported up to heaven. The rest of us will roast.
TOO LIBERAL
Evangelicals were very unhappy with the choice of McCain, an East Coast Republican they viewed as theologically untrustworthy, and far too liberal when it came to social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage.
Without a heavy turnout by evangelical voters, McCain would not have a chance of winning. That's why his original favourite for VP, the smarmy Joe Lieberman from Connecticut, was dumped in favour of kill-a-polar-bear for Jesus Mrs. Palin.
The brainy Republican political analyst Kevin Phillips, who forged Ronald Reagan's first electoral victory, makes a very important point in his must-read book, American Theocracy.
We've all heard of hockey or soccer moms, but Phillips identified an even more important voting group backing the Bush administration: "National security moms."
These middle class mothers in the outer suburbs and rural areas were petrified by the Bush administration's campaign over terrorism and scared into believing their little Johnny's in remotest Alabama and Kansas were about to become targets of al-Qaida.
So they voted in droves for Bush and Cheney, who promised to wage war on "evil."
McCain vows to continue this crusade that appeals to fear and ignorance, now led into battle by the new wilderness saint, Sarah Palin, M-16 in one hand, Bible in the other.
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66 Comments so far
Show AllI'm not slamming the Bible or religion...just blind faith in archaic dogma. Not every word printed in the Bible was meant to be taken literally. Otherwise we'd still be sacrificing goats on Sunday and believing woman was created from a rib because Adam was lonely. Palin actually BELIEVES that man has only been on the Earth for only a few thousand years and dinosaurs belong in coloring books?!?
I don't worship rocks, trees, OR soccer moms. I happen to believe there was once a gentle & kind man who was, ahem, a "community organizer" & who happened to teach the merits of loving thy neighbor as thyself, who preached about turning the other cheek and said that those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Oh, and lets not forget that he also preached about not bearing false witness. Thats the kind of man I choose to admire & follow. Of course, he ended up being crucified by a corrupt government didn't he? A better argument for a separation between church & state you'll never find! So spare me from the religious right and their belief in their own religious superiority. True Liberals aren't the ones who are full of hatred. Thats the territory of the religious right. The same people who think its ok if a homosexual cuts their hair as long as they don't dare ask to get married. The same people who'll bomb abortion clinics & gun down doctors but support the death penalty. Sorry, but MY God doesn't believe in "holy wars" or jihads. What is the difference between a jihad and a "task from God"? LIPSTICK !!!!!
Hey, Just Checking In
How do all of you Democrats plan to deal with the fact that our Daddy, Karl has control of the votes through derivatives of the Diebold organization? You folks cried and whined a lot, but none of you ever actually did anything to prevent it from happening again in 08. Oh yeah. We picked McCain to represent us in the same way that we will pick him in November. Isn't high tech a wonderful thing?
Juliann,
Bless you! I love your idea, actually discovery, that we are all actually being cheated out of the first nine months of our lives. We should approach the social security offices in mass and demand a hearing. If need be, a Constitutional Amendment may be in the works too. Hey, it makes every bit as much sense as a lot of things that go on these days. And unlike the others, your idea may actually benefit us!
Swell... just what we need is another religious nut job with her hand on the red button.
If McCain gets elected and dies, I may never sleep through 3 a.m. again, worrying about the phone ringing in the White House!
ralph -- "I bet he's got a really big penis too!"
LOL !! Normally its the other way round !! The bigger the mouth the smaller the penis ....
It's common to hear the name Hitler when referring to the ultimate in evil incarnate. Truman's mass murder was more than a personality quirk. When a guilt ridden Oppenheimer expressed regret over the bombings Truman called him a crybaby.
I think Johnson went nearly insane over the Viet Nam blood bath. It didn't stop him from doing it.
Stalin probably killed more people than anybody in history.
I'm not trying to say Hitler was a swell guy, only that a high percentage of human beings would have done the same if they had had the chance.
By the way, Hitler turned the Jewish Jesus into a blond haired, blue eyed Aryan, just like many modern Christians.
Since the war against the New Deal was launched in earnest, Democratic candidates have felt obliged to prove themselves sufficiently bellicose & indifferent enough to non-U.S. suffering to be in charge of the vast arsenal.
No candidate for the presidency can combat the logic of empire, only the tactics of empire. While representing a vast improvement over the new fascism, Obama would only restore the old imperialism, which requires good domestic programs to keep people happy with the continual bombing & occupation of other countries.
"Stalin probably killed more people than anybody in history. I'm not trying to say Hitler was a swell guy, only that a high percentage of human beings would have done the same if they had had the chance."
The Nazis killed in accord with a political eugenics program which entailed the permanent subjugation of races regarded as polluted or subhuman. Stalin concealed his personal ambition beneath the general communist appeal to the social equality to follow, and eliminated all those who saw that he was pursuing repression as a personal end in its own right.
"Fundamentalism is a symptom of the disease it pretends to cure." - Slavoj Zizek
Obscurantism always increases as a society moves towards revolution.
Bring America Back !!!! Sir Eric Margolis of the Canadian Royal Mounted journalists and reporters ! For McBush and McPalin being reborn into Heaven means hanging out for 8 years at 1900 Pennsylvania Ave, Wash, DC !!
*When explaining to your French friends, be sure to tell them that, if they do not join the next Polar Bear expedition into IRAN, then the USA, once again
reserves its rights to rename 'French Fries" as just plain fried spuds !!
***The French may think we are crazy Yankees, playing politics with our
black Americans and our Female distaff,. so just explain we are not smart
enough to marry into beautiful fashion models, like Pres Sarzosi
Ah, Mon Ami...chez chez la femme !!! La sauce ce tout !
You might find the following interesting ...
BBC Radio 4, September 8, Today, 1h 48m 40s, "Thought for the Day"
RALPH442: Right on, brother! God has a 1000 names... and TRUE religions would teach that, reflect the understanding of TOLERANCE so that all of God's children, by all those names, could get along! Rather than devise the biggest weapon systems to kill the most of God's creatures. The inversion of respect for LIFE is what the anti-Christ is. Not a person, but rather a devolution of PRINCIPLE. How dare they! How dare these bloated twisted souls take the pulpits and use their charisma, and/or fear and terror, to amass a flock of fooled sheep to their brutal cause and call it religion! You are so right about Boykin, and don't forget the Evangelizing of our entire Air Force! Or Coors Beer sponsoring some kind of Christian night at a big sports stadium... INDOCTRINATION is going on that deftly juxtapose militarism for 'god's' will... what an outrage! It IS sacriligious!
The irony of americans voting habits is Shakespearian. We are emptying our national treasure and draining the blood of our youth to fight terrorism. Who are these "terrorist?" By in large they are radical fundamentalists. How can we possibly attempt to stop/kill/illiminate the foreign fundamentalists when we knowing and willing elect the same (bush, palin, etc.) radical fundamentalists here in our own country.
I am a believer in soul, spirit, god, spirituality and yes some religions but also believe the misguided religious fundamentalists who claim to know and talk with god, to do his bidding (including killing), and conveniently pervert the prophets teaching to their own dark shadows of greed-power-&wealth, have caused more wars and suffering in the world then can be documented in any mere history book.
The only difference between the various religious zealot fundamentalists is their dress, so called "holy book" and and their inability to realize that god has a thousand names, a million nick names and billions of zillions of smiling faces.
They all are basically all saying: "my god's tougher then your god! And he's going to kick your god's ass." I've been saying this for a decade or so, and then out of military "insane command" comes general boykin who says almost the same damn thing. He refined it a bit (for the media) saying: "we will win this (Iraq) war because our god is BIGGER then their god." You really can't make this shit up. I guess his infinite is bigger then someone else's infinite. Kind of gives you a headache. I bet he's got a really big penis too!
Senator Obama answers community organizing criticism
http://www.wilypython.net/Community%20Organizing%20.asp
Sarah Palin would make a fine VP. She doesn't need a Secret Service detail, since she packs her own heat. Instead of a Cadillac limo, she can ride in a 4 wheel drive F350 with her gun rack in the rear window, a Confederate flag on the aerial, and a "God is my co-pilot" bumper sticker. She can host faith healing, tongue-speaking tent revivals, WWF matches and book burnings on the front lawn of the White House, distribute baby strollers and "just say no to sex" pamphlets in every high school, and revive The Flintstones as an accurate portrayal of early human history, dinosaurs and all. It could be an exciting four years.
Alex
Thinking about the difference between "liberals" and "progressives", I've found that the latter includes both liberals and left wing conservatives.
After dwelling on the subject, I think I've finally found what some conservatives are good for. We need left wing conservatives to counter greedy, frightened, reactionary money and/or power hungry little conservative dictators from the right. Liberals are just too liberal and tolerant to act against the criminally insane Repugs.
Just don't let any conservatives of either wing get into power or we'll be stuck with a Hitler or Bush, or with a Stalin or Pol Pot.
Republican attack:
"Obama is the most liberal Senator".
And that is why I'm voting for him.
Obama is NOT the most liberal Senator! But if he were, it would say alot about how conservative the Democratic party has become! Obama is liberal on domestic issues and conservative on foreign policy issues.
Sure doesn't look like a "clumsy ploy". In terms of political chess, I'd say brilliant ploy... women are flocking to Palin.
In any case, if Obama's poll numbers keep travelin south, you needn't worry about voting strategically fearing the worst, but rather pick a 3'rd party candidate with a good conscience.
And St. Paul, who certainly knew how to keep women in their place, gave fundamentalists this gem, one single solitary scripture validating all previous Biblical authorship as automatic writing for God himself.
2 Timothy 3:16 "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness"
To which in Psalms 137:8 & 9 we find:
8 "O Babylon, you will be destroyed.
Happy is the one who pays you back
for what you have done to us."
9 "Happy is the one who takes your babies
and smashes them aginst the rocks!"
The picture of a loving and caring god indeed!
Surely these verses justify born again George W. Bush to the atrocities performed on the children of Iraq.
George Walker Bush. The fundamentalist's right hand of God. Just ask any of them.
And how many of them know Bush said this, "The constitution is just a goddammed piece of paper."? And do they agree? Obviously they do. Just not necessarily in those exact words.
Peace
By the way, I brought up a point that resonates with Palin's chart and the extreme influence of the Christian fundamentlist sect; and both points intersect. What if CIA infiltrated this movement and put its pawns into positions, using access to media to create a following, utilizing a quite impressive publishing empire (including its own music stations: Christian rock, and so forth) to do to minds the equivalent of preparing the soil for a specific harvest.
We say this woman had an odd vetting process. How do we know that she wasn't some kind of special agent all this time? Alaska IS a power zone geo-politically for 2 reasons: escalating hostility towards Russia (and perhaps China), and the fact that global warming opens the frozen tundras to oil prospecting. Ms. Palin has influence in that area, knows the movers and shakers from her short stint as governor. And she's an obvious true believer loyaltist, that trumps competence with the Bush junta neocon ilk every time.
I don't for a moment think that Sarah was a 'last minute pick' except perhaps by McCain -- she has been groomed for years and is really the person whom Ted Stevens has turned into his legacy, regardless of any for-the-public reports of bickering between the two, Stevens is a VERY powerful person and has been mentoring Sarah since at least 2003 . . .
You can be sure that her 'meteoric' rise was plotted well in advance, she in fact may not have wanted to accept the VP nomination but when her handlers snap their fingers, the pit bull obeys . . . sad and scary . . . by the way, she's been the absolute pits as governor, runs the state like some sort of high school clique . . .
GIA: I like your vintage (year); as two of the finest people I have ever known are both Virgo/l951. A lot of Virgo women are neat and orderly and can multi-mask, or manage a lot efficiently. THAT was why I took the woman for a Virgo; and also, as I mentioned in a previous post, whenever an individual has not found their own center (spiritual balance), they will act out the worst traits of their sign. In a Virgo, that can mean rigidity and a lack of tolerance for anything but a very specific concept of a right way of doing things, behaving, etc.
LAST DREGS: I would not criticize a surgeon unless there was grounds for malpractice. The truth is, the only criticism I take seriously in my field is that delivered from a peer who has the same knowledge I possess, and perhaps interprets the data differently. All opinions are NOT equal with regards to subject matter that requires profound understanding. I would not be offering the tidbits here if there WAS another place for them. But the same religious intolerance that sought to wipe out the WISDOM OF INTUITIVE WOMEN (and men who understood, too), is still VERY much a part of America. It's a Carl Rove all across; and by that I mean, the silencing of an area of scrutiny that looks to relationships that most people pass by, don't understand or are taught to be suspicious of in no way warrants your put-down.
And the subject is not science, but cosmic mathematics... the orbits of the planets influence our lives. The most obvious example is that we age in accord with the earth's revolutions around the sun, and most women menstruate in resonance with the 29 day lunar cycle. More subtle cycles are also understood, as for instance, the 3 times a year that Mercury turns retrograde are so likely to cause communication and/or electronic upsets, that many conventional media sources mention when these events are underway.
AS I often say, you don't have to believe in gravity either...
"They oppose evolution and ecology"
Reasonable ways to oppose evolution: Wear a lead-lined suit; drink only distilled water; breathe only once per minute; have little or no unprotected sexual intercourse other than with close family members; keep a stable but low body temperature; consume only calorie-deficient foodstuffs.
As for opposing ecology, it seems God already gave Evangelists instinctive spiritual guidance for this.
siouxrose, i have read your posts for a while and believe that you finally feel comfortable enough now to let your astrological kookiness out of the bag. to your credit you have some interesting things to say, then fall off the deep end into nonsense. i find any credible assertions you make to be negated by the equivelant of some literal interpreting bible believer. sorry if this sounds like a personal attack, however, your spiritual guidance is, to me, not in the realm of reality.
Being a fundimentalist christian - unless she is far removed from most fundimentalists, Sarah Palin, by what would have been her most likely assessment of John McCain (based on the opinion of him from fundimentalists I've known) would be that she's now in bed (as in cahoots with - a running mate) with the devil.
yah. I think we should stay very alert for this to manifest as a big, if not kept very hush hush issue for the Republicans. If I could be a fly on the wall.....
I have yet to come across a Margolis column that somehow doesnt mention Reagan ! Eric ... your old friend and mentor is dead and gone buddy. The Cold War is over. Good article by the way. Its amazing how much one can change huh ? Who knew that one day you would be spouting 'liberal' mantras ?!!
Leea LOL !!! Margolis is an old Cold War scribe who could never stop singing Reagans praises. He was one of the 'boys'. Smoking cigras and stroking Reagans genitals. Sexism is deeply ingrained in his ilk.
You don't get it. Reaganism is still alive and kicking. It's the culture war, man.
http://tcfrank.com/
FrederickJohnson September 7th, 2008 5:36 pm,
spot on, dead center - exactly -- there's a culture war going on in america.
thank you for the link, there's a one hour interview b/w bob mcchesney and tom frank over at mediamatters.... good interview.
http://will.illinois.edu/mediamatters/
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Thomas Frank, author of The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule
also i know like i sound like i'm beating a dead horse on this site, but please go to the video store and rent the movie JESUS CAMP.
...peace...
Out here in South Carolina, it's STILL Jesusland despite the massive economic devastation along with more broken families due to deaths in Iraq or domestic shootings or just rise in divorce due to severe financial constraints tearing families apart. And yet, this past year alone, the fundies have been foot soldiers working on getting whoever the GOP nominee is to the White House and even keeping Congress and Senate as reliably Republican as possible. It's very very scary. At times, even the Mom and Pop stores are mistaken as being "Frenchie" while the Walmarts are "worshipped". Talk about politicial dysfunctionality in red state America. Thankfully, some of us are trying to keep the red lightened as much as possible and it's starting to work. Sure, I don't expect SC to turn from red to blue or green but unlike the 1960s, it's not as racist as it used to be. Maybe Obama, despite his pandering to the rightwing, may get a pass overall nationwide just like the Democrats in 2006 because this country has gotten devastingly worse year after year but it's going to take a hell of a lot of progressive populism to turn South Carolina a different color from red.
giggle
Security........Religion..........Homeland...........Patriotism...............................Hitler was very big on all these. Nazism stood on this base..............lizard
The COSMIC picture of Ms. Palin:
IF she was born after 8 PM she'd have an Aquarian moon, but I presume it's in Capricorn. People born just before new moon (her case) experience what is known as the balsamic moon (or dark of the moon), and largely suppress their own emotions. If the Moon is in Capricorn, sign of Saturn (The planet I most relate to conservative thought processes, Daddy knows best, and the authoritarian mind set) that would explain why she is the way she is.
Her Mercury is in Aquarius and Mercury is the messenger... I don't LIKE that Jupiter favors this part of her chart in January 2009. Of course, she could end up with a great OTHER job offer? Her own TV talk show, losers club? Her Mars is also in Aquarius. One would expect Mars (principle of what we fight for) in the usually altruistic sign of Aquarius to point to a person more oriented towards humanitarian ideals, the SENSE of brotherhood/sisterhood. But her Mars is locked into what astrologers term a conjunction--the celestial equivalent of Siamese twins--with Saturn, that harsh authoritarian planet. (My father had Mars-Saturn and was militaristic and IN the military, as were most males his age as WW II was underway. I was married to someone with this signature and dated 2 other men who also had Mars-Saturn, and it's like perpetual boot camp.) Mars is the fire that springs our impulses into action; and Saturn resonates with guilt and fear. It tends to act as a caution light, or brakes. People with this combination have their own impulses under brutal raps, and often try to control others.
I took her for a Virgo before I got her data, and the reason she gives off a Virgo vibe is that her Uranus (it rules Aquarius, and thus is the signature planet in her profile, a/k/a birth blueprint) is in Virgo. Now that is true of millions since Uranus remains in a sign for 7 years. Her Uranus (represents high technology, future-oriented approaches) is close to Pluto (this can relate to spy work). If Valerie Plame could be a spy, why not this one?
In any case, the Aquarius radiates charisma and she has 4-5 planets in that sign! It comes off as "the people's friend," but in her case, due to a probable Moon in hierarchical Capricorn and the ruling planet Uranus in the rigid sign of Virgo, the narrowness of her perspective is explained.
I looked up Ann Coulter and at some point may publish a study on similar traits among authoritarians... Coulter has many planets in the religious-publishing sign of Sagittarius but all are negatively configured with Pluto, the planet of holding a grudge, or practicing vengeance. Ironic when you consider her patron saint Jesus taught the power of forgiveness and loving--as opposed to exploiting for commercial profit, one's hatred of--enemies.
(Feeling slightly rattled at the above) Siouxrose I am virgo 9/8/1951 ... you write that you "took" Palin to be a Virgo. I'm suddenly scared for myself and anyone around me. Don't intent to use CD postings for personal reasons but a few words of reassurance are most welcome.
bligh4
If a belief in God is an automatic indication that a person is stupid and not responsible enough to be entrusted with the vote, then the entire Muslim world- where close to 100% of the population believe in Allah- should give up the idea of having anything but dictators. They are all simply to stupid to be trusted.
By the way, the idea that religion is "kooky" would certainly seem to ironic when Astrology is being presented as a hard science.
Thanks for the birth data on this "lovely." Aquarius CAN be the most enlightened eclectic Zodiac sign, and there's no question, they have charisma. (I will analyze her chart but here is off the cuff stuff).
When a person is not balanced they will show the worst characteristics of their sign. Let me give a few examples. I met a woman in Puerto Rico (Aquarius) who really believed she would never die. She misunderstood spiritual teachings... but was adamant about this. I have 2 friends who are Aquarians and big time into scientology. From what they've shared, it seems what draws them in is the way the "auditing" process works to effectively disable the conscience, so there's nothing in the way of their desire and how they go after it. I knew another Aquarian I taught school with who left her son home with his father so go have sex with her therapist and was utterly convinced she loved both of them.
In every one of these examples the ego bends the spiritual rules to suit its own agenda. That sounds like Ms. Palin.
By the way, Ronald Reagan was an Aquarian, but the better known ones are Jefferson and Lincoln who more truly emulate the HIGHER potentials of this potentially ground breaking, truth seeking sign. Examples of HIGHER Aquarians include Galileo and Darwin, both were highly controversial to the church... and still are!
I need to check the inner dynamics, i.e. her moon sign, etc. By the way our nation (July 4, l776) has its MOON (which rules the masses and their FEELINGS) in Aquarius... so that could explain why she's polling high. We also have to realize ours is a package-oriented, image-facilitating culture; and because she's a former beauty queen (to her credit, after 5 kids she kept her figure), that counts for a lot... in the eyes of a media-trained (Pavlov style) public.
With all due respect, Siouxrose, and I admit it took another poster to raise the issue: I do not understand much more than 10% of your postings today. I was raised by a theosophist, am somewhat knowledgeable about the religions of the world. Your responses today are akin to my asking (actor Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting) to help me double a cookie recipe and his response is the formulas he wrote on the board at MIT.
"Frenchmen, being French, think she has nice legs."?????????????
Eric Margolis didn't even talk about French women, and the above quote is the best he can come up with to show the intelligence of the French friends of his he is using to represent the nation of France?
French Misogynists? Yup, with this article bearing witness, the most liberated women seem to have become in France is to walk around half naked. This way the men can not only admire them for their legs, but also their breasts.
Maybe soon CD can put on an article about French opinion that actually has some documentation worth it's salt?
Anyone else smell stinky man diaper after reading this article?
Bring America Back !!!! No, I don't smell anything except French Fries, say, have you tried them in peanut oil, then with salt and vinegar !! That there walkin' around naked stuff, was that at the Bunny ranch or the Chicken farm ???
Nylons are worn and shown off by French women the most. A friend of mine who visited France told me that she couldn't believe that more than half the women are dressed up in shorts or short skirts and pantyhose. That pretty much dwarfs American women though I couldn't care less about it.
In any case, the article is about the French trying to decipher the POLITICAL DYSFUNCTIONALITY in America. If you actually read your history books, you would have stumbled across the major FRENCH REVOLUTION where the middle class and the poor stood up to the elite when they've had enough. Well? The poor, middle, and working class have had more than enough of being ripped off but are they standing up to the elites? Quite the opposite. By keeping the public distracted on social issues such as guns, abortion, sex, etc ... and with an ineffective opposition much of which caters to the elite, the elites can be rest assured election after election that the poor and middle class will be rising against themselves. Here, sweetie, take a look at this site and let me know what you think of it all:
http://tcfrank.com/
There's a lot to learn, sweetie.
I'll take a good peek when I have time, I have copied your link for leisure viewing.
thanks for your vote of confidence.
Save these comments. Say Amen----say hallelujah----------
And for those of you who have an Open and Intelligent Mind-----
GOD HAS NEVER SOLVED A SINGLE PROBLEM HERE ON EARTH----------
The Religious Right, Conservative Republicans, the enablers, the wealthy corporations that could care less what the message is as long as they get their money back with "juice" are all doomed to failure.
The major concern for the others should be whether those of us who "do not believe" will survive those "who do"?
Take the scene for example
Taxing the Religious institutions would be a start, but for one reason. It would cause them to prove the validity of their argument. They would be required to "prove God". "Put up or shut up".
God would have to appear at the "conventions", and "personally speak for the candidate OF HIS CHOICE" to the rest of us. A tell the "voters" why NOT to vote for the "other candidate".
DO NO SEND ANOTHER MESSIAH---the last one got killed, remember?
DO NOT SEND A 'SIGN'-----most of us cannot read the language, or understand so much---like why it is "OK" to save the thousands of babies "killed in abortions"----but bomb the hell out of those "unbelievers" "over there"----. Or really make the planet a mess, while we wait for the "Messiah, (you know, the one that got killed) to return ". Or kill off so many other life forms ---you know God, the ones you made in just six days----taking a rest on the seventh and all.
God would need to make an appearance ---just once----we could turn on the TV----and see the "close ups" I bet God's face is lined with deep signs of age and wisdom----his followers here on earth though seem pretty stupid when you look at all the stupid things they do-----.
Then the rest of us MIGHT understand and agree to go along.
Otherwise, it should be up to the "rest of us". To make every attempt possible to debunk the mythology of ALL RELIGIONS----pass laws to keep them OUT OF POLITICS AND THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS----they do not belong there, they belong at home, or the church AND NO WHERE ELSE-----.
We should ridicule every adult that speaks to us of a RELIGION, as we would an adult that speaks to us of Santa Clause, or the Easter Bunny---or Mickey Mouse-- (actually Mikey is a movie star so we should leave him out of it---along with the other movie stars).
The sooner RELIGION is removed from the public forum, as it has been done in most of Europe and elsewhere, the sooner we can move on to more important matters----like world peace, feeding the hungry, taking care of the sick and injured, saving the environment, you know?
STUFF GOD IS NOT TAKING CARE OF............
Say Amen----say hallelujah-----
I'm envious that Margolis is in France. If he's smart, he'll stay there, away from the dangerous calamity the US has become.
And appropriate that he should mention Reagan, the first president to give evangelical, fundamentalist Christians political power, thus remaking his party to suit them and damaging the country for a long time to come. Reagan was also the first president to cite his belief in Armageddon as part of the reason for his extreme military buildup.
I have been surprised, even outraged before because of the public attraction to Reagan and Nixon. I have been angry over the American public being in love with Ollie North and Jesse Helms.
This is the first time I have been afraid. The likes of Romney, Rove, Cheney, McCain, Palin, etc. as presented by Fox news being the darlings of voters who seem to still be living in the Jim Crow South makes my blood run cold.
Reagan demonstrated how capturing the public imagination could make issues, facts, even the truth irrelevant. If we let them get away with pitting a war hero and a female Davey Crockett against Sambo and an old Washington insider, they could pull it off again.
We need some imagery of our own. How about real change and long, loyal service against broken down childish senility and a power mad, vindictive banshee from he arctic tundra?
REPEATED AD NAUSEAUM in as many different ways, contexts, and associations as possible.
One of the first things to do if Obama gets in is to remove tax exemption for organized religion if they are found to use their "not for profit" status for political subversion.
In fact, any organization that uses it's member contributions for other than non profit purposes should have their tax exemption revoked.
"Many evangelicals believe in the absolute literal nature of the Scriptures"
Except for the no lyin', killin' and stealin' parts, of course, or the part about ALL of mankind being of God.
Let's hope Palin turns out to have some fun facts in her past - lesbian cocaine pot orgies at Moose University (the real origin of her nick Barracuda?) A couple of high school abortions maybe? It's gotta be something juicy, because, clearly, the religio-nuts have no problem with her hypocrisy, lying, and stealing of taxpayer funds...
The Democratic National Convention was also a "born again" event. Both parties have adopted pandering to crowd who worship and pray to the Great Poo Bah in the sky. As for Volarire saying ""If God did not exist, it would be necessary for man to invent him." He doesn't, and, man has.
Volarire obviously thought he did.
Yep. He was wrong.
jozef......voltaire?....wrong?...say it isn't so!
Good posts: GIA, NATE W & FREDERICK JOHNSON.
I hope this article raises the radar on those who make it seem that the sizable numbers of the Christian Reich are not just "useful idiots." The implication they are not a FORCE to be reckoned with, and it's a force that would indeed find reason to burn women who are uppity, or not going along with rigid patriarchal religion, as witches AGAIN.
I tried to google for Ms. Sarah's birth date. Does anyone have it? I'd love to get a take on what makes this crazy tick? She's one of those people UTTERLY convinced she's right, and IN the right; and those types are the MOST dangerous, particularly when they are equally convinced (and sports plays powerfully into this mindset) that they are on the RIGHT side of God, as in, the "right" team! There is no room for shades of gray. She did the Bush two-step, "You're either with me, or against me," in her own limited state politics, and the Republicans, lo and behold, found another true believer, one just like them... and she came with the opposing genitals, perfect for the false symmetry the party is using as effective (or the polls suggest) P.R.
I still believe IF the public really was given the truth about what she stands for, believes in and how she behaves when given a little authority... the poll numbers would slide. Of course Obama has really done a ridiculous two step, more like a dyslexic cha cha cha (only going backwards), and lost whatever legitimacy he might have had with INTELLIGENT voters. It is terrifying to see our nation become this calamity, this bad comedy that's all too tragic. I always believed the path to enlightenment came from living a balanced lifestyle, and being a writer and teacher... but since media has been so thoroughly co-opted, the majority of its "expert" voices touting a CONTAMINATED view of reality, one that makes war into the "intelligent" decision, and views contrary options as unpatriotic... well, if good debate is food for thought, we know we're eating shit in areas other than "Fast food."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_palin
"Sarah Louise Heath Palin (pronounced /ˈpeɪlɪn/; born February 11, 1964) is the governor of Alaska and the Republican vice-presidential nominee in the 2008 United States presidential election."
...peace...
Siouxrose - easy to find: February 11, 1964
Let us know what you learn. And thank you-
Juliann
There is nothing inherent in the religious right, or even amongst conservatives that could not have been dealt with a full on truth telling by the Democrats. They abandoned the working class constituency, and any semblance of populist economics.
Instead of pointing out how the war is destroying the US economy, Obama talks about stealing Iraqi "surplus" on the extreme right wing FOX's O'Reilly - and actually suggests (even if in jest) about them both going to Iraq to steal some of that "surplus" and bring it to the US.
Yes, the Republicans have been born again - but instead of criticizing them, they should be lauded for responding their base constituency. Obama refuses to respond to democratic base, and instead, panders to the extremist right wingers.
http://www.counterpunch.org/blum09062008.html
***Obama has lost much of the sizable liberal/progressive vote because of his move to the center-right (or his exposure as a center-rightist), and he now may have lost even his selling point of being more strongly against the war than McCain -- if in fact he actually is -- by appointing Joe Biden as his running mate. Biden has long been a hawk on Iraq (as well as the rest of US foreign policy), calling for an invasion as far back as 1998.[1] In April, 2007, when pressed in an interview about his vote for the war in 2003, Biden said: "It was a mistake. I regret my vote. ... because I learned more, like everybody else learned, about what, in fact, we were told."[2] This has been a common excuse of war supporters in recent years when the tide of public opinion turned against them. But why did millions and millions of Americans march against the war in the fall of 2002 and early 2003, before it began?****
http://almusawwir.org/resistance/
Considering among the first of USA's white settlers were religious extremists, the Pilgrims, it is no surprise that America has the highest rate of religiousity in the First World. A sub-par educational system aids this trend, as faith is easier to embrace without the mental clutter of scientific fact that can cause one to do the most dangerous act amongst the "faithful," question. Ever since the Repugs made their corrupt bargain with the Evangelicals (dating back to Grandpa Caligula, Ronald Reagan), similar to the alliance the Wahhabis made with the House of Saud in 1744, both parties have joined at the hip and have led the USA down a path that has enriched Corporate America. The Karl Rove imposed placement of Sarah Palin is merely the latest act in this sordid passion play.
"If God did not exist, it would be necessary for man to invent him." Voltaire
The most common Sunday prayer among the Evos today must be for McCain to die in office.
9% of former Clinton supporters have moved over to the McCain voters camp. This is HUGE! (and quite honestly is 4-5% more than I thought it would be). It was NEVER about getting huge numbers of Clinton supporters; it only takes closing the gender gap by a few percentage points to matter in this election cycle. Palin was chosen for this reason, and also of course to get those 4 million voters who voted for Bush last time who were evangelicals to be enthusiastic for the ticket.
If Obama had been a populist on economic, environmental, and foreign policy fronts to start out with, Palin would have been completely irrelevant just like Ferrarro in 1984 turned out to be when Raygun was running a socially konservative populist platform. The Democratic Party sold its base a long time ago and Obama is only finishing it up. Until the Democratic Party is completely demolished and repaired, all these silly theories about former Hillary supporters moving to the Mccain/Palin ticket all of a sudden are just pure BULLSHIT. They were die-hard social kons from the get go due to lack of populist progressivism to re-awaken their other senses.
Frederick,
In reference to your first sentence, I'd like to know if you have any polling data on that. Intuitively, I agree, but I haven't seen any data that itemizes how many votes or supporters have defected or been lost due to Obama's conservative, non-populist, non-progressive, militarist, corporate policies.
Earthian
Take all of the polls and when you realize that this is a close race when Obama ought to be getting ready for a landslide victory instead, you'll realize what I mean. He's not a progressive/liberal populist. Even Bill Clinton was able to kind of invent one although Perot did his share of taking away votes from both parties as well. Go to www.electoral-vote.com and you'll see what I'm getting at. The race is not supposed to be so close at a time this nation is fucking bleeding to death both on the economic and foreign policy fronts.
McCain did not pick Palin; the religious right known as Focus on (Whose) Family selected her and told McCain she was "his" choice. That's why he and Palin were in Colorado Springs this past weekend.
A person who believes in aerial blowing away of wolves and bears is not pro-life. She is pro using anything she needs to to force her issues and questionable beliefs on other people. I cannot even imagine being a young girl impregnated by her father, or raped by some other monster, and because of Sarah Palin's beliefs, unable to have a choice as to what to do.
Which brings up another matter. IF we have *personhood* from the moment of conception, does that make me 9 months older than I am? How does this affect social security and other retirement issues? I am a classic Virgo and yet now I have another sun sign. And if a woman miscarries in say her 5th week, will she be obligated by law to notify the authorities and hold a burial for the bloody sheet? I want answers and I'm sure that either Palin or some misguided MALE will be happy to tell me what to do with the contents of my uterus.
Oh and one more thing: Rather than be born again how about just GROWING UP?
Juliann
VEry well said!
I'm a male, born just before xmas. I'd like to say that I am in favour of the changing of birthdates, course that could be just because I only get one present and not really have anything to do with the issue...
I suppose the funeral industry would love the idea of having funerals for miscarriages, mind you they're looking forward to a large increase in business from the aging boomers and their parents.
I guess Joe Lie man would have been too liberal for Hitlers Nazi party too! This shows you how dangerous these people are.
Read Thomas Frank's "What's the Matter With Kansas?" and his new book "Wrecking Crew". Along side, read George Lakoff's "Don't Think of an Elephant" and "Whose Freedom?". America has been undergoing a "French Revolution" in reverse for decades. Some say it started in the late 1950s, others such as Frank in 1968, and still others like myself say more like 1980 when it became obvious enough the culture war was beginning to compete with the economic class war. Still, others could argue 1994 or even 2000. Regardless of when it started, we need to return to economic populism and DEFEAT the phony cultural "populism" war that is killing this nation faster than Rome falling. If that means voting 3rd party, so be it.
Bible belt? ...They are 45 miles south of Denver!... Which is why it is SO easy for some of them to use our lovely male escorts... to ... you know... thump something other than their bibles....
Palin is Pro-Life. ...but is a member of the NRA. ... Why would ANYONE who is pro-life, need a gun? .... Things that make you go hmmmmmmm? OH!!! I get it, once they are born, it is open season on them!! ...because Iraq was 'God's' plan... but ALL human fetuses are 'God's' plan too.... Or just irresponsible human beings?....
People of France and other communities that support critical thuoght-- We hear you. We are disgusted too.
I came across an excellent web site that carefully follows and examines the religious rights' various delusions:
www.theocracywatch.org/
They're looking at Sarah Palin's religio-ideological-Christian Dominionist policy pronoucements as we speak. Check it out.