Faith and Politics, like two foundations of a colossus,
are much more stable when there is space between them!
Friday, December 25, 2015
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Bomb Agrabah!
According to a December poll by Public Policy Polling, 30% of Republican primary voters—and 41% of Donald Trump supporters—are in favor of bombing Agrabah, the fictional country in Disney’s Aladdin.
These folks are looking for a forward-thinking leader, who will take the fight to the enemy, instead of waiting for a ‘smoking gun’ … a smoking gun that could come in the form of American skies blackened by a massive airborne invasion of parachute-pants-wearing boys, aboard magic carpets.
In case any of my fellow Democrats are feeling all smug about this, there was an unrelated poll in which 44% of Democrats favor accepting refugees from Agrabah.
These folks are looking for a forward-thinking leader, who will take the fight to the enemy, instead of waiting for a ‘smoking gun’ … a smoking gun that could come in the form of American skies blackened by a massive airborne invasion of parachute-pants-wearing boys, aboard magic carpets.
In case any of my fellow Democrats are feeling all smug about this, there was an unrelated poll in which 44% of Democrats favor accepting refugees from Agrabah.
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Trump and the Carnival Mirror
If we watch for them, many things occur in our lives and in popular culture that offer an chance for discovery and self-reflection. The popularity of Donald Trump, I believe is one of these.
He is, in a way, like one of those weird carnival mirrors. You look into it, but the image that is reflected back is distorted in a comical, perhaps grotesque way. The proportions are all wrong – the face too fat, the neck to long for a stubby body, or the other way around.
The carnival mirror has been used as a vehicle in movies and television for the dramatic effect that viewing the distorted image has on the character staring at it. The character knows it's distorted, but it reveals something disturbing to them about themselves that ends up being pivotal to the plot.
The comforting thing about a real-life carnival mirror, is that when you walk away from it, you have the assurance that it was indeed a distortion – that it’s not really you. What decent people, who happen to be Republican, have to face with Donald Trump is that as grotesque, distorted, and mean-spirited as is the caricature represented by his views and his behavior, a decisive component of their party's coalition—a coalition they absolutely need to hold together in order to win—looks at this hideous image … and likes what they see.
He is, in a way, like one of those weird carnival mirrors. You look into it, but the image that is reflected back is distorted in a comical, perhaps grotesque way. The proportions are all wrong – the face too fat, the neck to long for a stubby body, or the other way around.
The carnival mirror has been used as a vehicle in movies and television for the dramatic effect that viewing the distorted image has on the character staring at it. The character knows it's distorted, but it reveals something disturbing to them about themselves that ends up being pivotal to the plot.
The comforting thing about a real-life carnival mirror, is that when you walk away from it, you have the assurance that it was indeed a distortion – that it’s not really you. What decent people, who happen to be Republican, have to face with Donald Trump is that as grotesque, distorted, and mean-spirited as is the caricature represented by his views and his behavior, a decisive component of their party's coalition—a coalition they absolutely need to hold together in order to win—looks at this hideous image … and likes what they see.
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