Know them by their fruits

Many religions (including my own) claim domain for their deity over all the Earth – not just over their believers.  The irony is that—since none of the foundational mythologies of any of these belief systems can be proven—the only legitimate basis on which we can demand respect for our beliefs is the respect we demonstrate to the others.    

The only legitimate basis for any judgment of another's belief system is by the actions of its followers ('Ye shall know them by their fruits' - Matthew 7:16).  And to evaluate others on this basis is to accept this same criterion in the evaluation of your own faith. 

The New Sword of Damocles

In Greek legend there is the story of Damocles, who learned the lesson of the hazards of high office - demonstrated by a sword dangling above him as he sat upon the throne, suspended by a single hair from a horse's tail.  The moral, 'Uneasy rests the head that wears the crown' is a cautionary lesson about aspiring to great power. 

Ironically, in our society, the safest place to be is at the top.  There are so many safeguard; stock options, retention clauses, golden handshakes, etc., that a fall from grace generally involves a soft landing.  With us, it is the hoi poloi who face the greatest threat.  Though their station is not lofty, it is poised above an abyss.  The loss of a job or a serious illness, can mean social isolation, financial ruin, homelessness, and even untimely death. 

Rush Limbaugh

Rush Limbaugh - the irritable bowel of the American body politic. 

Peace Dividend

For many of the most powerful, influential players in our economy and body politic, a lowering of global tensions is not a thing devoutly to be desired, but a terrifying contingency.  There is no 'peace dividend' for the giants of the military industrial complex - there is only ruin; with loss of markets, and increased competition for whatever outlets remain for their weapons. 
So far as possible, they will not allow this to occur. 

The Costs of Empire

If the human and financial burden of empire were borne in proportion to the benefits, the extravagant costs would become clear; the very concept of empire would be considered quaint, and be relegated to the dustbin of history.

Climate Change Arguments

The good news is that there's no need to keep arguing about Global Climate Change.

Unfortunately, this is because there will be no reduction in world-wide emissions. There's no need to argue about what will not be changed.

Diamonds in a Dung Heap - Revisited

Jefferson famously characterized the quest for truth as the search for ‘diamonds in a dung heap’.  

Today—in the quest to validate misanthropic perspectives—some spend their lives sifting through diamonds looking for dung nuggets.

Market Concentration and Efficiency

The self-correcting property of the competitive marketplace, which drives efficiency (via the so-called ‘invisible hand’), depends—among other factors—upon large numbers of both buyers and sellers, acting independently; none with enough power to individually affect the equilibrium price.

This is not advanced theory, and it's not in dispute; it’s Econ 101.

These conditions clearly don’t exist in many of our major industries; Insurance, Pharmaceuticals, Banking and Finance, Energy, Communications, among many others. It’s naïve, at best, to accept free market efficiency arguments to justify not regulating these highly-concentrated sectors, where no true free market exists. 

Not surprisingly, those who reap huge rewards from these market distortions disagree. A mere slipstream of their surplus profits—diverted to a lobbying and disinformation campaign—is often enough to prevent or overwhelm any drive toward meaningful reform.

Religion versus Atheism

I watched a debate on C-SPAN a while back between the crusading atheist Christopher Hitchens and anti-evolution crusader David Berlinski on the question ‘Does Atheism Poison Everything’.   I can’t imagine a more compelling case for agnosticism than listening to these two duke it out on the fringes. 

The People Have Spoken

The election is over.  The results are in.  Disappointed liberals and progressives should accept them, and comport themselves with all the dignity and grace which conservative and Tea Partiers demonstrated two years ago; after voters elected Obama, and swept in Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress. 

Insanity and Institutionalization

It’s insane!  Anybody who truly believes that we can maintain decent wage rates and environmental protection—while laying open our market to unregulated imports from countries where none exist—and still keep unemployment manageable, should be in an institution.   

… uh … preferably not Congress. 

Jobless Recovery

On the subject of the ‘jobless recovery’, the elephant in the room is the inexorable transfer of our productive capacity to th Third World.  Any politician who says he or his party will turn that around is simply wrong.  Until we recognize this, and our leaders have an honest, informed conversation about it, we cannot plan a response, and reform societal institutions to function in the new reality we will face. 

We're Number 36!

Boehner told an audience last week that we have ‘the best health care system in the world’. He was a little short on specifics (e.g. what measures validate that statement, or where he got his pom-poms, pleated skirt, and matching panties). It wasn’t a serious statement – just boosterism.

A well-informed fan in the stands might hold up one of those foam hands – with around 36 fingers pointing up.

The New Opiate of the Masses

In our society, SportsCenter is the opiate of the masses. 

Investment vs. Squander

If a man puts $50k down on a new home and his wife spends another $50k on cocaine, both ‘spend’ the same amount of money.  If they find that they need to reduce spending by $20k to keep from going broke, a commission may suggest an across the board 20% reduction.  That would avoid the potentially difficult conversation about priorities. 

Probably better to have the conversation. 

Insurgency

The goal of an insurgency is not to demonstrate that it is a superior alternative than the sitting government. The object is to make the existing government unstable, causing the people to lose the confidence. They use fear, pressure, and propaganda. Finally, through attrition, exhaustion, or frustration, the government yields power. Once in power, the insurgent’s true agenda is revealed – as it is executed. 

And that concludes our lesson on what the Congressional Republican leadership and the Taliban have in common.

Jefferson

How could anybody want to de-emphasize Jefferson’s role in US history? 

He was a courageous patriot, and was among the brightest stars in the Enlightenment sky.  He is the author of the Declaration of Independence, and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.  He shaped the Bill of Rights.  He is the architect of the ‘Wall of Separation’ between church and sta …

OH!  I get it.  Never mind. 

Religion Quiz

Here's a one-question quiz:

1. I choose the religion and church to which I belong because:
   a)   It's the only true faith; all others are either naïve mythologies, dangerous heresies, or both.
   b)   It's the church my parents attended.  I'm comfortable with the beliefs, ceremonies, and culture.   

Seriously, can't we all just be comfortable with our beliefs, and consider the possibility that our being right doesn't necessitate that anybody else be wrong?  What's so hard about that? 

Self-Pity

Each of us—as well as most religions, races, ethnic groups, and nations—have been wronged at some point in their existence; sometimes horribly.

It is wasteful and dangerous though to dwell on these past injustices, and center one's identity on them. Through the lens of idividual or collective self-pity, even the most heinous acts can be justified as righteous revenge, retribution, or defense against crimes long passed.

Terrorism and Society

The most destructive result of terrorism is often not the property damage, or even the precious, irreplaceable lives lost; but rather the unleashing of latent destructive forces within society in response to the crime.  Xenophobia, intolerance, militarism, and the destruction of liberal institutions often follow such acts, and do more societal damage than bombs ever could. 

Look around today’s society—the undercurrent of hatred against immigrants, Moslems, gays and lesbians, or anybody who speaks out against this prejudice—and it’s easy to see that the worst long-term damage was not done by Osama bin Laden, but is self-inflicted.

Bush Tax-Cut Expiration

No new tax increases are proposed. The expiration of the ‘Bush Tax Cuts’ was part of the law passed by the Republican Congress and signed by George W. Bush. Any extension of the existing ‘discount’ rates is a separate tax CUT. Obama proposed just such a tax cut for all but the richest tax-payers. In this economy, we can’t afford a new tax cut for those whose incomes tower above the rest.

Republicans and Blue Dog Democrats in Congress are holding Obama’s middle class tax cut hostage for a new tax cut for the wealthy. This is their MO – if the Democrats want something for working people; they have to negotiate a privilege for the ultra-wealthy. This has been demonstrated repeatedly.

The US and Islam

On 9/11/2001 a small band of zealots murdered thousands of innocent people. They had been brainwashed into believing that the US was hostile to Islam, and attacked symbols of American power as part of a coordinated response.

Today many Americans are willing to discard our constitutional freedoms of speech, religion, and private property just to prove these murderers right, and help recruit the next generation of terrorists. 

These Americans have also been brainwashed by hateful, manipulative people.  It's clear that many of our fellow citizens have lost the ability to discern when they are being manipulated.  They spend hours every day sucking up the bile served by people like Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson, and their evil kind, and—with the hateful poison coursing through their systems—parrot back the opinions they have been taught.  All capacity for independent thought has been surrendered to these cult leaders.

We were not attacked by Islam, any more than the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was attacked by Christianity.  An Islamic Cultural Center four blocks distant from the scene of the crime is no less appropriate than a Christian church or a YMCA would be a half-mile from the site of the Federal building in Oklahoma City. 

There is a craziness along the fringe of all religions; this type of intolerance is both a manifestation of it, as well as the fertile soil in which it thrives.

Citizenship Test

The INS has increased the difficulty of the citizenship exam.  Instead of ‘what do the stripes on the flag mean?’ it’s ‘What are the Federalist Papers, and who wrote them?’ 

I’m starting to warm to the idea – on one condition.  Like the driver’s test, this should apply to everybody, including those born here. Either this knowledge is fundamental for citizenship, or it’s not.  If we apply it to everybody equally, we can't be accused of just putting obstacles in front of immigrants. 

That's not what we're doing is it?

Tax Cuts vs. Unemployment Extensions

In an uncertain economy, extra money in the pockets of people with secure incomes will tend to go into savings – as a hedge against a further downturn.

Money given to the unemployed, or the working poor will go to groceries, rent, and other necessities, more rapidly benefitting the economy via the ‘multiplier effect’, passing through the hands of the butcher, the baker, the landlord, …

This is not only common sense, but is borne out empirically.  If you want to stimulate the economy, give money to those who need it most.  It'll make its way to the rich, but will benefit others in the process. 

Islamic Cultural Center

The question of an Islamic Cultural Center near Ground Zero tests us as a society.
Will we chose the pluralistic path of our nations founders and contribute to healing; or will our fears and prejudice further the cause of Mohammed Atta and the other 9/11 criminals – broadcasting to the World that the US is hostile toward Islam.

The Meaning of Life - Capitalist Style

We exist to consume goods and services in increasing quantities, and produce them at ever-decreasing cost – enabling profits for investors, and stratospheric compensation for executives.

Whenever the government inserts itself into an industry (e.g. healthcare, finance, etc.) to provide a service directly, or regulates it to assure equity among workers or consumers, it blunts the profit motive, decreasing the expression of free will among corporate executives – and depriving the rest of us of our raison d’être.

Reform and Realpolitik

As with healthcare, Congressional leaders have passed the most fundamental reform of the Financial Sector possible – without risking the flow of campaign contributions from the affected industry.

Next, they will team up with Larry Flynt and those guys from Nigeria to clean up and regulate the internet.

Health Care Reform Around the World

When Taiwan sought to reform their healthcare system a few years ago, they commissioned a study of six major countries which were achieving superior public health results, at relatively low cost. Experts from each of these countries conducted independent rigorous studies of their systems, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of their systems, as well as potential opportunities and threats. Then these experts came together in a major symposium, where the various systems were discussed, debated, weighed against one another and evaluated. From the results of this symposium, the leaders of Taiwan designed a modern integrated system, which was a hybrid of the best ideas from around the World, with elements chosen to fit the particular needs of the Taiwanese culture, economy and existing infrastructure. Theirs is now respected as among the most modern, efficient healthcare delivery and financing systems anywhere. 

The United States took a somewhat different approach to reform. Those companies and industry consortia which profit most from the status quo accumulated a war chest to resist and/or shape any possible changes in order to protect their power position and profit margins. They coordinated with right-wing radio commentators and Fox News, launching a disinformation campaign of fear, distortion, slander, and character assassination, which drowned out any meaningful substantive discussion. Their most dim-witted followers—once adequately roused to anger and fear—were unleashed upon elected representatives at town hall meetings around the country. Many of them dressed up in Indian garb, like colonial ‘tea party’ participants; many brought weapons; none brought any meaningful insight. In the end, the law that passed was a very expensive face-saving program for the Democrats, which would have the appearance of reform, without risking profits to the corporate players. 

I’m not saying that either the Taiwanese or the US approach is necessarily better than the other in terms of developing and implementing effective public policy … just contrasting the different approaches.

Free Trade and Standards

To believe that we can maintain our standard of living, environmental protections, and decent labor standards—while laying open our borders to unrestricted imports from nations where no such standards exist—is delusional.

The inevitable result of unregulated free trade is the emergence of an international plutocracy, the destruction of middle classes where they exist, crashing of income levels in the developed world, and widespread environmental degradation. 

These are not accidental byproducts of the emerging free-trade regime – they are its raison d'être. 

Hawaii 'Birther' Law

Hawaii just enacted a law that allows state workers to ignore those troglodytes who keep bugging them to produce Obama’s birth certificate - again. One out of five Americans doesn’t see this as a settled issue. One out of five! 

I know what you’re thinking … ‘What are they hiding?’ {;-)

Arizona

Welcome to Arizona – home of the unregulated, half-inebriated, heavily armed, self-deputizing, all-volunteer barfly border patrol; Local post HQ at Shorty’s Tap Room. 
‘Heads up!  Suspicious Hispanic spotted at the day-labor stop at 4th and Main.  Suck ‘em up, Boys!  Let’s ride!’

Cult Indoctrination

One of the key first steps in cult indoctrination is the severing of ties to outside influences – family, friends, newspapers, television, etc. The novice is taught to distrust all non-members, and is force-fed an alternate reality, which is dissonant with the outside World. 
Ultimately, members become dependent on the cult leader, and come to believe that the only truth is that spoken by Rush himself.

Louisiana Oil Spil

There are a lot of legitimate responses to the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico; Anger, outrage, frustration, resolve … curiosity, guilt, shame. The one response only a fool can have though – is surprise.

Political Correctness

Much of what many people deride as ‘political correctness’ is really nothing more than good manners—the same type of courtesy we in the mainstream accept as a matter of course—applied toward a person or group they don’t think of as worthy of such consideration. 

Fear that one might be accused of political correctness is a tool to silence those who might otherwise speak out against targeted rudeness.  

Bizarro World - Health Care for the Unemployed and Sick

In Bizarro World, losing one's job means that one not only has less money coming in, but actually has to pay MORE for medical care. 

And in Bizarro World, if you're sick enough, you can't get medical coverage at all. 

Thank goodness we live in a place where things make more sense. 

Ironic Bumper Sticker

As I approached a Chevy Suburban in a WalMart parking lot, I saw a bumper sticker that said ‘Run!’ As I got closer, I saw another, more faded word; ‘Don’t Run’. Curious – I walked up to it, and could barely make out the phrase, ‘These Colors Don’t Run!’ in front of a bleached out, barely perceptible US flag.

At the bottom, in tiny, but clear, bold print were the words, ‘Printed in China’.
Seemed ironic.

Judicial Coup

Few Americans of any party question our laws against foreign involvement in our domestic politics. But last week’s Supreme Court decision opens the door for global corporations to openly and directly dominate political discourse here. These corporations have allegiance to no country. The only connection many ‘American’ companies have to us anymore is to extract our dollars in exchange for foreign-made goods, before forwarding the profits to foreign tax havens.
Corporations have already established an international trading system through the WTO that usurps national law, and have used their surrogates in the media to portray opponents of this hyper-national framework as unpatriotic. Clever misdirection, that. They can be expected to use their newly legitimized power to further the subordination of national laws to theirs.