A Word

Thanks to all of you who commented to my previous post about having “words” with a friend. I appreciate the input and you all made very valid points.

I got a response from my old friend with the different political viewpoints. I was glad to see he read (I think) my whole message. I hope he wouldn’t mind if I share a bit of our exchange with you.

He wrote:

“...and your first paragraph was all that I needed to read. I appreciate the fact that your opinions are well researched, and I am certain that every day you read things that support your beliefs. All I ask is that you respect mine.”

I answered:

Cool.
It’s a good thing to “conserve” a friendship with a “liberal” amount of understanding.
-Dave

I think I see from this experience what it all boils down to. It’s that word, “beliefs”.

He said, “...I am certain that every day you read things that support your beliefs.”

I’m sure I do, but I would tell him, if the subject could be discussed, I also read a lot that does not support my beliefs. I’m glad he understood my opinions are based on research. That would give them at least some grounding in verifiable reality. Then he mentioned respecting each other’s beliefs.

Hey, wait a second. There’s that word again.

Ok, let’s see what that word means.

According to my American Heritage Dictionary:

Belief –1. The mental act, condition or habit of placing trust or confidence in a person or thing. Faith. 2. Mental acceptance or conviction in the truth or actuality of something.
3. Something believed or accepted as true; especially a particular tenet or a body of tenets, accepted by a group.

I don’t think I have any beliefs when it comes to politics and politicians. That would mean I have trust, confidence, or faith in the “truth” in politics. And that whole element of faith would be terribly misplaced. I may have faith in friendship, faith in love, faith in my wife and faith in God. But I do not have faith in economics, politics, parties, government, politicians, and media. For them I have opinions, and plenty of them.

Here is what I believe. I believe people hold onto beliefs in a party or politician in a way similar to someone who has accepted a particular religion, or leader, or even a religious cult leader. It could be like someone’s desperate belief in their abusive spouse.

At one point in their life they decided to believe in someone or something, and they cannot reflect back on the decision. Like authoritarian followers whose decision to embrace the leader is irrevocable. It would be like doubting their purpose in life.

You could have a family member who joins a cult or marries a liar and cheater, and you may try to plead with them about the mistake they are making. They would only turn from you and follow their own misguided beliefs.

Someone may start out voting republican because their parents did. And that’s it; end of all consideration. They will support the party while being oblivious to the radical course it has taken. They just don’t pay it any thought or attention.

It is somehow wired into certain human brains. Their own beliefs are never questioned. It is up to our judgment whether we accept the person into our lives or not. If they accept us, we owe it to be there for them. Some lucky souls out there eventually see the light.

Words

Did you ever have words with a friend or family member of another political orientation? Then you know it can be straining, draining and stressful.

You tell them Bush is a liar, and they tell you Clinton lied. (Never mind the frequency and consequences.)

You say Big Business needs rules to follow, and they tell you regulation is bad.

You point out that the media is corporate power, and they tell you it is liberal.

You might say Obama is a Constitutional scholar, and they tell you McCain is a maverick war hero.

You may say Chris Matthews said of McCain, "We're his base." They will tell you the media supports Obama.

You want to discuss issues and events, and they want to tell you Hollywood is evil and leftists are hateful.

You tell him Rush Limbaugh said this about a woman battling cancer, "But back to Elizabeth and the Breck Girl. I'm sorry, my friends, I just -- I can't. It just seems to me that Edwards might be attracted to a woman whose mouth did something other than talk."

And Rush said, "This is about chaos, this is why it is called Operation Chaos[...]the dream end, if people say what is your exit strategy. The dream end is this keeps up to the convention. And that we have a replay of Chicago 1968, with burning cars, protests, fires, literal riots and all of that. That's the objective here."

You tell him Michael Weiner Savage said, "Oh, you're one of the sodomites. You should only get AIDS and die, you pig. How's that? Why don't you see if you can sue me, you pig. You got nothing better than to put me down, you piece of garbage. You have got nothing to do today, go eat a sausage and choke on it. Get trichinosis."

And Savage said, "I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is. What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, 'Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, idiot.'"

And you may tell him Glenn Beck said, "I'm thinking about killing Michael Moore and I'm wondering if I could kill him myself, or if I would need to hire somebody to do it. No, I think I could. I think he could be looking me in the eye, you know, and I could just be choking the life out of him. Is this wrong?"

And you may tell him Neal Boortz said, "It's Ramadan and Muslims in your workplace might be offended if they see you eating at your desk. Why? I guess it's because Muslims don't eat during the day during Ramadan. They fast during the day and eat at night. Sorta like cockroaches."

And recently in Alaska, a local conservative radio personality, Eddie Burke, lambasted anti-Palin demonstration organizers , "Call and tell those Socialist Maggots what you think of them. I'm not telling you to burn down their houses or tar and feather them, but someone should teach them how to love their country and support Sarah." He gave out the phone numbers of the organizers to listeners who made threatening calls.

...And they will say those are isolated comments taken out of context.

And around and around it goes.

That happened to me today, and I had to sit back and think about how to deal with it. We have been friends for decades and have been through a lot of merriment and madness together. I value the friendship and hope he will take a moment to read these words I sent to him.

***
Friend,

I didn’t mean to jump all over you about politics. I Hope you’re not too upset about it. Hearing someone say they “like Sarah” can trigger a reaction.

It’s just that Sarah the likable, but vengeful, Church Lady scares me. It’s not only her church’s Armageddonist indoctrination. Everything I’ve learned about her indicates she is George Bush in a skirt.

McCain scares me too. He is a militaristic authoritarian. (He said there would be a place for Dick Cheney in his administration.) I’ve called McCain, along with Hillary Clinton, a war monger. And they are, by definition.

I also understand why Obama can scare someone. And it’s not because he’s black, although racism will unfortunately be a factor in the election.

I happen to spend an inordinate amount of time watching and reading political stuff. I even read the positions of republicans. George Will’s recent assessment of McCain is an interesting example. Then there’s Pat Buchanan’s warning about McCain’s neocon foreign policy advisor Randy Scheunemann.

There are many of us who rightly view actions by both Bush/Cheney and Pelosi/Reid as threats to our Constitutional democratic republic. I seriously consider Obama’s FISA vote as a betrayal of our Fourth Amendment.

Here is the truth, and I believe you understand this, too. People who call themselves liberal and people who call themselves conservative, have far more in common than the divisive media and politicians would have us think.

I hate the poisonous connotations that have been injected into those words. Both words, liberal and conservative, have become defined by their respective opposition to the point of contradictory meaninglessness. For example, neo-liberalism is neo-conservatism. Same thing, but who’d know it?

Corporate media and corporate bought government both thrive with an ill-informed public. I distrust them both and make it my business to learn the truth. We need independent voices in media. All we hear is partisan crap.

This is all I wanted to say. We can happily avoid the subject of politics. We have much to share and life is too short.

Thanks.

Dave
***

I hope he will read this and respect where I am coming from. If not, I may have lost a friend to the Reich Wing koolade cult.

Lies And Hysteria

Here’s another one for you. A friend sent me this very frightening forwarded message. It seems the radical Reich Wingers are screaming dire warnings about impending attacks on the US by Venezuela. That's right, Venezuela. Betcha didn't know they are in the new axis of evil.

That’s if I’m correct in presuming those Iranian built missiles aimed at “guess who” being America.

Never mind the number of American “nucular” missiles now aimed at Iran. The right feeds us lies and hysteria to remove rational thinking and real issues as factors in the upcoming election.

Since we have an abiding love for taking on stupidity, fear, hatred and ignorance here, I will let you read the “news flash” and then my comment in response.

***
Verified with snopes.com

ORLANDO LAST WEEK, AT A CITGO STATION REGULAR WAS PRICED AT $3.62 PER GALLON. THERE WERE NO CUSTOMERS. HOWEVER, ACROSS THE STREET WHERE I FUELED IT WAS SELLING FOR $3.65 PER GALLON AND ALL PUMPS THERE HAD CARS WAITING TO FUEL.

Have you noticed how the Citgo signs have disappeared in the past 7-8 months? Very clever move by Chavez. But guess what CITGO IS CHANGING ITS NAME TO? This is serious Americans...make sure you read.

NEWS FLASH:

Chavez is NOW getting a Russian Weapons Factory built by Putin. The RUSSIANS are building an AK-47 Kalashnikov Assault Rifle factory in Venezuela to give armament support to Communist Rebel groups throughout the Americas

Chavez NOW has IRANIANS operating his oil refineries in Venezuela for him. It is likely only a matter of time, if not already, before Chavez has Iranian built LONG RANGE missiles, with a variety of warhead types aimed at.... Guess Who? CITGO is NOW in the process of changing its name to PETRO EXPRESS due to the loss of gasoline sales in the USA due to the recent publicity of ownership by Chavez of Venezuela .

Every dollar you spend with CITGO or PETRO EXPRESS gasoline will be used against you, your basic human rights, and your freedoms. He will start wars here in the Americas that will l probably be the death of millions.

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT because Chavez is starting to feel the loss of revenue from his holdings. HE OWNS CITGO. This is a very important move which everyone should be aware of.

ANNOUNCED JUST RECENTLY, CITGO, BEING AWARE THAT SALES ARE DOWN DUE TO U.S. CUSTOMERS NOT WANTING TO BUY FROM 'CITGO-CHAVEZ,' HAS STARTED TO CHANGE THE NAME OF SOME OF THEIR STORES TO: 'PETRO EXPRESS.'
DO NOT BUY FROM 'PETRO EXPRESS'!

PETRO EXPRESS' IS ALSO 100% OWNED BY 'CHAVEZ.'

KEEP THIS MEMO GOING SO THAT EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT IS HAPPENING.
BOYCOTT CITGO AND 'PETRO EXPRESS'.

MAKE SURE THIS IS PASSED ON TO EVERYONE IN YOUR E-MAIL LIST IN THE UNITED STATES AND OUTSIDE OF AMERICA !

***
So I sez...

Thanks for sending this. It deserves our attention, but not for the reasons intended by the originator of the message.

This is right wing hate and fear mongering. The American radical right wingers spread lies because they want to distract us from what they are doing.

They are destroying both our economy at home and innocent human life in countries that never attacked us.

The Bush administration hates Chavez and calls him a dictator because he nationalized their oil resources. Hugo does not “own Citgo”.

Because Bush’s Big Oil cronies are not profiting from their country, Venezuela and Chavez are denounced as communists. Chavez is a socialist, but he is attacked as a commie because Americans are completely ignorant about the differences between communism and socialism. Sweden, Finland, and Denmark are socialist, but since they have no oil, we don’t call them communists. They DO have universal health care and college education, though. Hmm.

Bush backed a coup against the legally and democratically elected president Chavez. Hugo is no angel, but he has every right to regard the Bush administration as a hostile regime.

Bush, not Chavez, rules an empire and starts wars. No country is stupid enough to attack the US, but Americans are fooled into thinking so by radical right wing republicans, war profiteers, and neocon warmongers like Cheney and McCain.

Even after the Iraq debacle, our government is still corrupted by these warmongers. They prosper by frightening Americans into letting them pursue their bellicose ideology.

Venezuela will not attack America. They justifiably feel like we are about to attack them. That is why they do business with Russia and Iran.

Someone even wrote “verified with snopes”, but check for yourself.

Please pass along this information and link to the snopes.com page for a reality check.

Fundamentally Flawed

Boy, am I stupid! It went right over my head.

However, I take some comfort in knowing that I’m not alone in my density.

Johnny the Deregulator offered words of comfort for our nation’s distress over a wobbly Wall Street this past week.

The "fundamentals of the economy are strong", he assured us with his straight talk. And if you didn't know, like I didn’t know, that really means the American workers are strong.

Thank goodness he went back to explain his statement for those of us that are a little dim on the complexities of our economic challenges.

He is so right. We American workers are STRONG. And any democrat that disagrees with him is WEAK.

This should be enough to prove that the wisdom of Johnny McFinance is beyond our simple comprehension.

If America can trust anybody to fix this mess, it will be Johnny McKeating. He, and fellow maverick Sarah the Vindictive Church Lady, are just what we need to "shake up Washington". AND they promise to eliminate the greed and corruption on Wall Street as well.

Even more comforting is the fact that Sarah has the credentials to handle this crisis. After all, she can see the Bank of Wasilla from down the street where she lives.

I can sense the dissipating despair and anxiety, lifting like a fog from our collective uncertainty.

I hear he’ll start a “9-11 commission” to get to the bottom of all this and tell us where to go next. He probably meant a “de-regulation commission”, but I’m afraid to guess. He’ll tell us what it really is after he decides we’re ready to know.

It’s a good thing he has all those lobbyists working for him. I bet they’ll have more than a few good ideas about what to do for those poor Big Money orphans.

And since Johnny McHero was a POW, he's more than qualified to provide the clever foxes to watch that Wall Street henhouse.

Our money is safe.

So, sleep soundly America. You’ll get used to those lumpy mattresses.

A Non-Issue

Before this disappears down America’s short term memory hole, let’s have a look at something most of us didn’t notice last Tuesday. As we were settling back into our ordinary routine, fresh from the Labor Day weekend, Rick Davis, John McCain’s campaign manager, revealed a little secret.

"This election is not about issues," said Davis. "This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates."

We can be certain their idea of a “composite view” will not be grounded in reality.

Yes, the public will be shown meticulously staged images of McCain and Palin. The media will be saturated with the commercially sculpted illusions of the Republicans’ competence, history, and above all, character. American voters will be lured into selecting their future leadership from their caricature more than from their character.

Meanwhile:

The war in Iraq is an issue.

The looting of our treasury is an issue.

The destruction of the Constitution and rule of law is an issue.

Energy independence is an issue.

Our jobs and healthcare are issues.

And the Republican's message is WHAT?

This election is NOT about issues?

Only in Amerika.

Post Convention Notes

So McCain said “I liked to bend a few rules
and pick a few fights FOR THE FUN OF IT”!!!!
If this election is about character, my friends,
then we see Johnny McMaverick was a bully.

This bully likes to talk tough.
This bully wants to command his own army
and he wants to rule a militarized empire.
He wants to fulfill his ambition.

This bully is known for outbursts of temper.
This authoritarian bully has picked a successor.
She thinks our wars are God’s Task.
She would be putty in the Neocon’s hands.
And they are all waiting for their next chance.

But don’t be worried, my friends.
Johnny will be fine.
For a while.
But for now…
He’s ready to get America going.

And what does he repeatedly call on us to do?
In addition to fight, that is.
He wants us to serve.
Serve something that is greater than ourselves.
We can trust Johnny can come up with
somewhere or another for us to serve.
Even if he has to DRAFT a whole new jobs program.

So get in line and stand up straight.
Sound off, you maggots!

(If you put these lines to a military drill cadence,
you’ll get more of the feeling.)

John McCain has news for you.
He’ll tell you just what to do

Fight and Fight and Fight and Fight.
All day long and through the night.

I don’t know but I been told
John McCain is getting old.

What if Johnny’s heart is failin?
Then we got Church Lady Palin

Gott Mit Uns!

Soon this Republican convention will be over. Was it just me, or did anyone else notice? Didn’t this look like the whitest crowd we’ve seen this side of the “Triumph of the Will” Nuremburg rally?

Soon Mordor in Minnesota will have finished its evil rites and its legions of authoritarians will march into the countryside to spread their message of fear and hatred.

Their convention ends, but not before leaving us with a shocking vision of their idea of law and order.

Local police and sheriffs, working with the FBI, (So you know this was instigated by Republicans in Washington DC) conducted preemptive searches, seizures and arrests.

Glenn Greenwald described the taste of American Fascism received by those who were planning on peaceful protest.

"Teams of 25-30 officers in riot gear, with semi-automatic weapons drawn, entering homes of those suspected of planning protests, handcuffing and forcing them to lay on the floor, while law enforcement officers searched the homes, seizing computers, journals, and political pamphlets."

Here is what was reported by Marjorie Cohn at CounterPunch.

The raids targeted members of "Food Not Bombs," an anti-war, anti-authoritarian protest group that provides free vegetarian meals every week in hundreds of cities all over the world. They served meals to rescue workers at the World Trade Center after 9/11 and to nearly 20 communities in the Gulf region following Hurricane Katrina.

Also targeted were members of I-Witness Video, a media watchdog group that monitors the police to protect civil liberties. The group worked with the National Lawyers Guild to gain the dismissal of charges or acquittals of about 400 of the 1,800 who were arrested during the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York. Preemptive policing was used at that time as well. Police infiltrated protest groups in advance of the convention.

Nestor said that no violence or illegality has taken place to justify the arrests. “Seizing boxes of political literature shows the motive of these raids was political,” he said.

Anyone even THINKING of photographing the demonstrations were targeted as enemies of the fascist state. Thought Crime is no longer a dark vision of 1984. It is now a tool of Amerikan totalitarianism.

All those right wing fanatics gathered in one place seemed to have released dark and evil emanations into the atmosphere. The Thought Police flew off into a kind of pheromone induced frenzy of beatings and arrests. They passionately indulged in their love of police state brutality. The Republicans’ SS inspired uniformed thugs relished their opportunity to put the boot to the public’s throat.

They are vanguard in the streets of Johnny McTorture’s gestating New Reich Order.

What kind of monstrous despotic thinking has brought us to this horrible state?

Maybe we can find clue in what the authoritarian Right has said.

"God gave this President and this President's Party one more chance. God heard the fervent prayers of millions of values voters to keep His hand on America one more time." -- Paul Weyrich, Heritage Foundation founder and Washington Times columnist

"Thank God that George Bush is our president." -- Rudy Giuliani

"George Bush is a leader for our times. When we sing 'God Bless America,' it is a prayer, and I believe this person is part of God's answer." -- U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman

"'I feel like God wants me to run for President. I can't explain it, but I sense my country is going to need me. Something is going to happen... I know it won't be easy on me or my family, but God wants me to do it." - George W. Bush

And this is from our new Reich Mistress Queen Sarah. “Pray for our military. Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right for this country - that our leaders, our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God."

As the swastika adorned belt buckles of the Wehrmacht said, “Gott mit Uns”.

Yes. God with us.

The unholy crusade of Sarah McChurchlady is now unleashed on what little remains of our freedom and democracy.

This leaves me asking this simple question.

Why does God hate America?

Happy Labor Day

At least the working class has one day out of the year for recognition. The other 364 days may as well be called "Management Days" here in Corporate America.

After years of "Compassionate Conservatism", jobs have disappeared by the millions, unions have been demolished, health care benefits have been slashed, and pensions are fast becoming relics of the past century .

American workers now have to labor extra hours for less pay to collect their severely weakened US dollar.

American voters will soon have a choice.

They can elect Obama, who has promised a tax cut for the vast majority of Americans.

Or they can vote for Johnny McGreedy, who wants to make his personal $400,000 annual tax cut permanent.

Maybe they can figure this one out for themselves.

But, wait! Look Out! What about Osama Been Forgotten?

Omigod, I Ran wants nucular energy! After their history of interfering in our affairs and attacking America, we gotta stop them!

Oh, no! Russia actually invaded a sovereign nation! NOBODY does that in the 21st Century! How COULD they? Those godless commie beasts!

Help! Help! We need a former POW and a vengeful Church Lady to save us!

No matter what it costs, please, please help us. We're frightened. We want Johnny McMorewar to do Whatever It Takes!

Thank God we have a good corporate media to tell us this aristocratic, elitist, favored son of the military industrial complex is actually a straight talking maverick war hero.

Now our decision is much easier to make this November. Yes, I'm feeling safer already.