Wingnut Christmas

Here it is, the holiday season. The time of year when 'Peace on Earth' and Good Will toward men' rule the day. Or so it should.

At least that's what the Men in Robes taught me long ago in Catholic school.

The voices of change and accountability won the day. The long nightmare is coming to an end but not before the Agents of Darkness take a few, desperate long shots our way in fleeting hopes that we will falter before we begin our ethical cleansing. To quote a famous Vice President - they are in their 'death throes'.

Souless pundits on Faux News and hate-talk radio go ballistic on cue; mysterious, double top secret, timely terror alerts spring forth with new abandon; chest-thumping blathering from the village idiot we elected president - yes, it must be a Wingnut Christmas.

"Santa Miller (Claus is too foreign-sounding) comes down the chimney with guns blazing. You never know if the homeowner is armed and lying in wait. He fills his sack full of toys and goodies he finds around the house. After relieving himself in the fishtank, he breaks a great wind that carries him back up the chimney then off to the next house. Good boys and girls are in their rooms dreaming of skeet shooting migrant workers, or watching the last boat leave shore taking the last group of black people back to Africa. Visions of sugar futures and oil company stocks dance in their heads."

Evenings are spent decorating the tree with gilded nooses and white-hooded angels with flashing light crosses. After decking the tree, our wingnut brood sit before the television to watch lively Christmas specials by Dennis Prager, the Promise Twins: James Dobson and Chuck Colson, and of course the Christian Coalition. No liberal voices here, no sir. Only real god-fearing, stuck-in-the-Dark-Ages, fire and brimstone brand of fear and bigotry for these people.

One Wingnut

Two Wingnuts

A Whole Bag of Wingnuts get punk'd on the radio

"But Jesus Christ wasn't a Christian"


It's going to get a lot worse before it gets any better. In the narrow, finite world of the Wingnut there are no rules, no loyalty, no honor

- only the hollow victory of consumption and greed.

take a break this holiday to kiss your dog, pet the cat and tell a good joke to your fish. At least they'll appreciate it.


So Mote it Be...

David A.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more!

Upon reading a piece by Carol Hoenig in the Huffington Report, I found myself considering the task of venturing into the belly of the beast once more.

As the Bard said in Henry V
"Once more unto the Breach, dear friends, once more,
Or close the wall up with our English dead!
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility;
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger:
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood."

I tread lightly into that debate of utter futility, yes, the fight between Atheists and Believers. Might as well argue windmills with Don Quiote. However, today I cast my lot with the religious versus those who choose to not believe in God. Heaven help us all. - well, not all I guess.

The article was quite nice. Not as complete as I would have written but a damn sight better. It was in the comments that I found my voice. Ms. Hoenig's prose was good and it made some valid points, but the non-believers in her audience took her to task for claiming that the Atheists had faith.

Her statement was "Like it or not, fundamentalists must acknowledge the basic truth that we are all walking in faith, even if some do not adhere to any religious doctrine. The atheists' faith is that there is no Supreme Being awaiting them on the other side."

There were sounds of great catterwallering from the non-believers. How dare she say that Atheists had faith? They are of the No Faith. They can see beyond the cloud of mystery and through the haze that is religion to see us all for the fools we are. The comments were indignant that such a statement could be made. Such is the condescension of the Atheist.

I find her premise correct. Atheists do have faith. They do believe in something. They have faith in their precious logic, faith in their friends and family, faith in their convictions, and according to one individual, faith in the scientific method. Which I find interesting considering the scientific method is only as accurate as the science that defines it.

Personally, I sense a bit of overplay here. How better to conceal a secret desire that the Believers maybe correct than to bristle at the very mention of faith or belief?

Being an Atheist is not a bad thing. I cannot find anything wrong with rejecting the current hit parade of religions and beliefs that seem to be tossed about like hand grenades lately. I won't debate the validity of my faith with them, they have as much right to their 'beliefs' as I have. Each of us accept the 'truths' that conform to our standards, our inner ethos. Our history, our education and our considerations build upon these 'truths' until we find ways to cement them to our being. This 'cement' is our proof, our validation. It works whether you are finding God in church or finding a new axiom in logic. It all comes out the same.

The real crime is claiming to have the ultimate 'truth', that your way is the only way and the rest of humanity be damned if they do not follow this path. That isn't religion as I see it, that's politics. Religious faith isn't the great boogieman the Atheists make it out to be. Faith did not start the wars or shed the blood of innocents. It was the politics of religion that drew the sword; fanaticism fed by demogogues more interested in power than salvation.

The man called Jesus Christ didn't start the Inquisition, but the men who came after him did - and in his name. People weren't put to the torch because they were witches, they were burned because they were in the way. The passage of time hasn't dulled or diluted this evil, for it holds true today. The same forces that gave birth to the Inquistion, the Holocaust, and every other great dogmatic cleansing are thriving today in places like Jerusalem, Baghdad, Tehran, and Lynchburg, Va. Atheists see this and pigeon-hole all people of faith because of it.

There are times when I can see their point. But if we are ever going to do something about it we first must face it without fear. Those forces have great numbers behind them; frightened, cowed and easily lead. To counter this we must douse the flames of fear and allow some of these sheep to come around. Throwing rocks at each other while this is being attempted isn't helping the situation much.

Faith is something hard-wired into us. We cannot deny it, only modify it so that no one will know how important it really is. Faith propels us into the unknown, gives us the ability to see outside of our boundaries. We may not find the reality that we thought was there but at least we had the courage to push on the door.


That's all for me tonight. Bright Blessings or Happy Logic or something like that...

So Mote it Be
David A.

Once a upon a temptation

Last Tuesday, I voted to bring some change to this country. Well, I didn't fair as well as some of my collegues 'round the nation. My top two choices lost their bid to join in the Big Blue Wave. Darcy Burner and Peter Goldmark lost their races.

So much for my brand of GOTV. Yet, my bitter taste has been sweetened by the new Democratic majority in both houses. (as long as Jolly Joe doesn't bolt the party and join up with the Kool Aid Kids)

There is a lot to do now. We haven't the luxury of a friendly administration or a firm grip on this new majority. Many plans are in the works. Lots of them are quite profound and realistic. It's like every Democrat is just bursting with new ideas to repair the damage done by Bush and the GOP. I hear words spoken out loud that once were only heard in whispers. We seem tempted to just go for broke and launch the WMD's of liberaldom. To this I say...whoa!

We still have a President who is just itching to use his veto pen again. Nothing we produce will get by his desk unless we have enough votes for an override. The new leadership of the GOP is just as hostile and just as swarmy as the last one but this time, they have vengence on the mind. We made them look like last year's cheese and true to their symbol, they won't soon forget. We can't get any bills passed unless we get a few of the moderates on our side. They may feel more powerful now, but they're just one coward away from being tossed back into the basement at Blair House.

Besides, we have our own 'special kids' to deal with. One of them drips self-righteousness. If Lieberman bails, we'll lose the Senate and have to make do with just the House. Personally, I could care less about Lieberman. The Democrats should operate as if we don't have the Senate (except in hearings) and prepare for the inevitable. Lieberman is a freaking back-stabbing immoral, dishonest soulless beast. But worst of all, he has no honor. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

Honor is the most important and least required quality of our elected leaders. Men with honor don't cheat on their wives. They don't steal nor take money not deserved. Honorable men keep their word, making no promise they can't hold. And in case I am accused of being sexist, I am male and cannot speak to what is considered honorable to women.

Honor needs to make a comeback. If we hope to accomplish any of the lofty goals that have sprung eternal in the last week, we better make this happen soon.

Back in a few...

So mote it be

David A.

A little Foley in your pants

I hesitate to jump into the fray of this scandal. It's been along time since I've posted here and this isn't the way I wanted to bust out of my lethargy. But, it is news and I have something to say about it.

The GOP is a 30 ton anchor tied to a rowboat called America. They have shown themselves to be, not just the worst governing party since - well, never, but they are also the worst human beings to walk upright. (jury's still out on whether they are upright)

Nothing is beyond the pale for them. They can rationalize away some of the most grievous, inhuman, and despicable acts but rally together to try and bring a poor, brain-dead lady back from the Other Side.

Everything is quantifiable to Republicans. Everything is measured in terms of worth and cost. If it doesn't generate profit, it must generate evil. Everything must be taken advantage for the good of the party and the President. Rights are only for the wealthy, others need be satisfied with the stale crumbs left behind. Greed is a sense of pride to them. They don't just want more, they want it all - yours, mine, the old guy down the street. It's no mystery - the GOP is blatantly evil.

Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, Hastert, and Boehner are just the tip of the dung heap. There is a whole network of insidious cretins working in the wings, doing the grunt work and setting the table for the next big play.

Take a chance to view some of the news around the country
Arianna's Huffington Post
Stranger's Blah 3(one of my favorites!)

of course the biggies:
The Daily Kos
Atrios' Eschaton
Firedoglake

I know I keep threatening to maintain this blog. Well, here it is again.
I hope to keep it simple this time and no visions of grandeur. I'll let the other guys do the big stuff, I'll just stay in my little corner and vent.

Until next time - so mote it be.

David A.

History isn't what it used to be

I’ve been cruising the Net looking at lots and lots of blogs, diaries, and news reports. Most of what I see strikes a similar chord. We are living in historic times. Generations from now, our lives will be investigated and scrutinized by those who wish to appreciate what we going through now.

Let’s start out with a bit of a lesson in history.

I remember history being ‘Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492’ or “Custer’s army was cut down to the last man at Little Big Horn’. That’s not history, that’s trivia. Those are answers on a board game or to a pop quiz in Mr. Hawkins class.

History isn’t what it used to be. History doesn’t just arrive in your rearview mirror. It comes at us as we glance backward. Sometimes it knocks us on our ass as we look back. History in the making I heard said once.

It’s more than just the recording of events and endeavors. It is our soul. History is the modeling clay we use to sculpt who we are. It isn’t written, it is performed; it’s not approached, it’s pursued. It’s never allowed to be static; it’s constantly being renewed. Those who participate in history are not the authors; they are merely extras in an epic production. History is not forever, it vanishes as the last cast member turns to dust. Once the players are gone, history ceases to exist. It becomes mythology.

History is the great theatre of life.

We, the bloggers and commenters, lurkers and posters, are the players in this current production. How will we compare to those who last walked this stage?

Imagine being in Birkenau when the first cattle cars started arriving. Imagine waking up in Honolulu on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941. Imagine turning on the television in 1954 and seeing Ed Murrow.

These are times and events where people were changed, not necessarily for the better but changed nonetheless. Each time, we were given an opportunity to give our world a push forward, or sadly, a kick back. Would you have sipped your coffee and merely watched the planes fly overhead on that December morning in 1941? Or looked away as the rail cars full of people pulled into the station? Would you have turned the channel on Murrow and watched ABC or NBC instead?

We can look back at our predecessors’ choices and answer with reasonable certainty what we would have done differently, but we have the luxury of hindsight and the safety of time.

What actually was going through the minds of those people who were there? Despite the volumes of documentation and years of investigation, we won’t ever know the answer to that question. It has, for the most part, ceased to be history and has become mythology. We can assume that some of the people were gratified, that some were indifferent, and others may have been afraid. But in the end, it didn’t matter. Those who lived through those times have too much invested in their experiences to relate them exactly. We can know the facts, the numbers of the dead and affected, and the evidence of the pain suffered or the injustice done. But we can never really comprehend it.

The same is true for every other historical event. Unless we lived it, it’s just a tale to be told.

Which brings us back to the present. Never in my life have I seen so much history coming at us. Events are piling up just waiting to happen.

We are being given a chance to ‘make history’. How will we respond? Will our descendants look back on our choices and answer with reasonable certainty what they would do differently?

The choices we make now will be the stories our descendants tell to their children. Whether they will be tales of heroism or tales of woe depend on the parts we play today.