Scotty the Brave: I think Scott McClellan is incredibly brave. Finally, one lonely man in an administration of ethical refuse that is brave enough to want to offer an explanation for the unending lies, utter corruption and gross incompetence which led to the invasion of a country which did not attack us. One man out of so many who cares about the disastrous Bush policies which have murdered so many and cost so much. His book is stunning in its daring veracity. Whatever money he stands to make I say good for him. He deserves it.
The press and people of all political persuasions who possess an ethical compass need to keep this on the media map. It is huge. This is the important smoking gun amid many smoking guns. This administration needs to be held accountable for the egregiously illegal and unscrupulous things they have done. I simply hope somewhere, sometime, somehow they pay the price for their egregious behavior that none of us who does not posses big money and power would ever get away with. They have cost this country thousands of lives and incalculable treasure. They have uprooted and imbalanced the entire Middle East. Moreover, they have given Iran the keys to the kingdom.
Kudos to Scott McClellan who is one near solitary important voice in the wilderness. He occupied a position of gravitas in a corrupt, immoral, and self-serving administration. This is his day of atonement. He restores my faith in the American system. Hang in there, Scott, there are many out there of all political stripes who are with you!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
A Shakesperian Tragedy: I have loved both Hillary and Barak. I do not, however, understand how a candidate could even think her assassination comment would not engender scrutiny. Exhaustion is no excuse. I would say it was a gaffe, bad phraseology or that she COULD CERTAINLY have described it differently BUT she had said it three times previously using the word assassination at least once before. She could have said one can never tell anything can happen during a campaign and left it at that.
She should know there are going to be cameras, microphones and tape recordings EVERYWHERE so she damn well better be careful what she says and to whom she says it. Candidates cannot blame the media, even if the media report to excess. They know the climate before they run for the presidency or they CERTAINLY should.
Because this was said so many times before I think she knew EXACTLY what she was saying and that it was not a gaffe. That is EXTRAORDINARILY disturbing even to one who appreciates Hillary Clinton's phenomenal abilities.
God forbid a trillion times if anything were ever to happen to ANY of the candidates there would be hell to pay; the country so many of us love would, this time, I fear be unrecognizable. To say something repeatedly that would even touch upon this horrific thought is more than absurd it is sick. In Shakespearian fashion this fatal flaw of ambition gone wild should sink her ambition but good!
She should know there are going to be cameras, microphones and tape recordings EVERYWHERE so she damn well better be careful what she says and to whom she says it. Candidates cannot blame the media, even if the media report to excess. They know the climate before they run for the presidency or they CERTAINLY should.
Because this was said so many times before I think she knew EXACTLY what she was saying and that it was not a gaffe. That is EXTRAORDINARILY disturbing even to one who appreciates Hillary Clinton's phenomenal abilities.
God forbid a trillion times if anything were ever to happen to ANY of the candidates there would be hell to pay; the country so many of us love would, this time, I fear be unrecognizable. To say something repeatedly that would even touch upon this horrific thought is more than absurd it is sick. In Shakespearian fashion this fatal flaw of ambition gone wild should sink her ambition but good!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Raging Religion: The latest flap over the gross faux pas of a variety of religious pastors is reflection extraordinaire of the folly of religion. The good religion sometimes reflects is eclipsed over millennia by the discord is has sewn. Our own oft reactionary century does, indeed, seem to be going backwards. Although we deem ourselves technologically advanced and the heirs to the Age of Enlightenment, we are soaked in religiously futile unprovable argument the irrational tenets and truth of which no one can effectively argue. The Bible, a 5000 year old document, loaded with divergence of thought, historical and scientific error, is used by the three major monotheistic faiths as allegedly provable justification for nearly any philosophy one may want to adopt and any behavior, no matter how extreme, one may want to justify.
Pastor Hegee claims to know exactly what God had in mind for the Jews. He uses an ancient Jewish text to make the unmitigatedly insulting postulation that God used Hitler for the purpose of creating the contemporary Jewish state. The utter absurdity of a comment that suggests a God would slaughter 6 million innocents including 1 million children to create a nation state stands on its own.
Pastor Parsley suggests he knows just what our Founding Fathers had in mind and that was to destroy Islam. The absurdity of that, yet again, is not only self evident it is historically ridiculous and blatantly untrue. The pastoral indictments go on and on. Yet there are many in our country who believe preposterous things and question nothing. There are others, still, who care nothing about religion usurping a place in the halls of power. They stand silent. Our candidates for the highest office in the land feel, sadly, they need to court those who hold these inane beliefs and pay homage to those who want to translate those beliefs into public policy. This is chilling. Science in its quest to alleviate human suffering and its bedfellow critical thought are at risk.
To the contrary of what these utterly ridiculous pastors aver, our Founding Fathers knew religion could be dangerous because they witnessed its onslaught. They tried by constitutionally enshrining the wall of church state separation to prevent the barbarity religious argument can impose. Our country depends upon recapturing their sanity. Our very survival hangs in the balance.
Pastor Hegee claims to know exactly what God had in mind for the Jews. He uses an ancient Jewish text to make the unmitigatedly insulting postulation that God used Hitler for the purpose of creating the contemporary Jewish state. The utter absurdity of a comment that suggests a God would slaughter 6 million innocents including 1 million children to create a nation state stands on its own.
Pastor Parsley suggests he knows just what our Founding Fathers had in mind and that was to destroy Islam. The absurdity of that, yet again, is not only self evident it is historically ridiculous and blatantly untrue. The pastoral indictments go on and on. Yet there are many in our country who believe preposterous things and question nothing. There are others, still, who care nothing about religion usurping a place in the halls of power. They stand silent. Our candidates for the highest office in the land feel, sadly, they need to court those who hold these inane beliefs and pay homage to those who want to translate those beliefs into public policy. This is chilling. Science in its quest to alleviate human suffering and its bedfellow critical thought are at risk.
To the contrary of what these utterly ridiculous pastors aver, our Founding Fathers knew religion could be dangerous because they witnessed its onslaught. They tried by constitutionally enshrining the wall of church state separation to prevent the barbarity religious argument can impose. Our country depends upon recapturing their sanity. Our very survival hangs in the balance.
Monday, May 19, 2008
A Man for This Season: I vacillated many times between Barak and Hillary. I think she would have made a great president. Barak Obama, if elected, will be great too. Those of us in the Democratic party can be proud. We have made history times two.
Some may say an African American cannot win. I say it is about time an African American DID win. A people has been much sinned against throughout American history. I think in our country's long contentious soulful debate about race we should not deny an African American what he so rightfully deserves because his message is correct and his message is true. Let us, as Martin Luther King so correctly said, judge a man not by the color of his skin but by the content of his character. I think our country deserves a return to the greatness Barak Obama can provide.
Let us, finally, pull this country together because the time is right and the time is now. Yes we can and yes we will show the world our country's greatness has returned. We will proclaim liberty from that mountaintop Martin Luther King did not get to see. I am praying fervently, through the long and difficult night that Barak Obama and we will reap the benefits of what Martin Luther King and others gave their lives to sew. A return to greatness is within our reach. I implore our nation not let it slip away.
Some may say an African American cannot win. I say it is about time an African American DID win. A people has been much sinned against throughout American history. I think in our country's long contentious soulful debate about race we should not deny an African American what he so rightfully deserves because his message is correct and his message is true. Let us, as Martin Luther King so correctly said, judge a man not by the color of his skin but by the content of his character. I think our country deserves a return to the greatness Barak Obama can provide.
Let us, finally, pull this country together because the time is right and the time is now. Yes we can and yes we will show the world our country's greatness has returned. We will proclaim liberty from that mountaintop Martin Luther King did not get to see. I am praying fervently, through the long and difficult night that Barak Obama and we will reap the benefits of what Martin Luther King and others gave their lives to sew. A return to greatness is within our reach. I implore our nation not let it slip away.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The Wizadry of Oz: Oprah had on a Dr. Weiss who took willing subjects back to a so called previous life. She also had on Dr. Oz who, in my opinion, reduced himself to Oprah's lap dog by allowing himself to be pulled into this junk science by giving it a nod. Naturally, not only am I skeptical I surely don't buy what they had to say. In fact, I believe, although I did not say, that it is really all about the money. People love to hear what makes them feel good. Those like Dr. Oz, of course, make a carload of money IF they verbally pay homage to those whom Oprah gives credence. Willing subjects spend oodles of cash to make other people, who make them feel better about the sadness and difficulty of life, very very rich. It does NOT make what they say true. I wrote the following to her show:
Dr. Oz. I love, listen to and sometimes implement your advice on medical issues. When you, however, leap into things metaphysical, you lose me. The show on past life regression, in my opinion, was snake oil. Keeping an open mind is one thing but science is not metaphysics. You could say you believe and have seen fairies in the clouds but unless and until you show me the proof there are fairies in clouds you jump most likely into the realm of personal desire or dreams which do not make good science and which proves nothing.
The fact that Dr. Weiss brought his subjects to a hypnotic state, perhaps a dream like state, and they had visions of a past life does not prove there is in fact something more to this life and less proof yet that one was indeed another person before taking their present form. I submit, if an ice cube were a sentient being and it melted it would surely still be composed of water but would not be an ice cube in its original form and would not have that sentient quality. I am not disputing that our cells after death morph into another state. That can be proven. What I do take issue with is the belief that the morphing of those cells is into a different being or that we will meet those we loved after our death and theirs. What those people saw probably is explained as the synaptic consequence of their own dream like state and nothing more.
The criticism I have of Oprah when she waxes spiritual is that she never has anyone on to present an adversarial position. I suggest when she does these "spiritual" shows with you she have someone on like a Christopher Hitchens, a scholar or a Richard Dawkins a preeminent scientist from Oxford University who could present cogent scientific arguments questioning things spiritual through arguments based on science and rational thought. Further, when YOU take that so called “leap of faith” you are no longer a scientist. You are simply a speculator like everyone else. People should not be sheep and accept things simply because they want it to be so, miss their loved ones or fear death. They should, after listening to expert alternative thoughts, consider all the options including that after death there is nothing unless and until someone actually proves otherwise.
Dr. Oz. I love, listen to and sometimes implement your advice on medical issues. When you, however, leap into things metaphysical, you lose me. The show on past life regression, in my opinion, was snake oil. Keeping an open mind is one thing but science is not metaphysics. You could say you believe and have seen fairies in the clouds but unless and until you show me the proof there are fairies in clouds you jump most likely into the realm of personal desire or dreams which do not make good science and which proves nothing.
The fact that Dr. Weiss brought his subjects to a hypnotic state, perhaps a dream like state, and they had visions of a past life does not prove there is in fact something more to this life and less proof yet that one was indeed another person before taking their present form. I submit, if an ice cube were a sentient being and it melted it would surely still be composed of water but would not be an ice cube in its original form and would not have that sentient quality. I am not disputing that our cells after death morph into another state. That can be proven. What I do take issue with is the belief that the morphing of those cells is into a different being or that we will meet those we loved after our death and theirs. What those people saw probably is explained as the synaptic consequence of their own dream like state and nothing more.
The criticism I have of Oprah when she waxes spiritual is that she never has anyone on to present an adversarial position. I suggest when she does these "spiritual" shows with you she have someone on like a Christopher Hitchens, a scholar or a Richard Dawkins a preeminent scientist from Oxford University who could present cogent scientific arguments questioning things spiritual through arguments based on science and rational thought. Further, when YOU take that so called “leap of faith” you are no longer a scientist. You are simply a speculator like everyone else. People should not be sheep and accept things simply because they want it to be so, miss their loved ones or fear death. They should, after listening to expert alternative thoughts, consider all the options including that after death there is nothing unless and until someone actually proves otherwise.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
A Triumph of Life: Jeff Jacoby's article "A triumph of life and hope" about the 60th birthday of the State of Israel was so beautifully written. I had tears rolling down my cheeks throughout as he expressively states "The ovens of Treblinka and Auschwitz had barely cooled, and Jews were again being threatened with annihilation." A thriving Jewish homeland born from the ashes of Auschwitz, hewed by muscle and shear will has morphed the desert into life itself. The emergence of Israel as a Jewish state is testament to man's ability for rebirth in the face of overwhelming death. Am Yisrael Chai. The Jewish people live. On that we can agree.
Yet again, Bill Moyers brings excellence in journalism to the airwaves through the revelatory interview of Phillippe Sands whose book "Torture Team" I hope to read. Who would have thought in 2000 the failure-in-life person of George W. Bush would give us reading material about the plethora of illegalities and debacles of his administration which will be enough to take us into the next century to read and internalize?
In view of ALL that has occurred -- including, I submit, the treasonous activity of the outing of a CIA agent, beginning a war based on lies which has taken 4000 lives and counting costing this country soon-to-be trillions with no end in sight -- it will be astounding if this country does not change the tenor and nature of its power by overthrowing Republican politics then I completely throw up my hands. When a populous has an utterly shortsighted unaware understanding of things political which allow it to continue to vote fools into the highest most powerful office in the world, then it gets what it deserves.
Mr. Sands was passionate, verbally eloquent and academically credentialed. He offers up for examination what most of us already suspect. Our country, to its own peril, has been involved in the overthrow of the Geneva Conventions, has illegally employed torture techniques and brazenly flouted the law. Too bad more people like Mr. Sands do not occupy positions of power most especially within this most inept, corrupt, oblivious, cruel and murderous administration in US history.
In view of ALL that has occurred -- including, I submit, the treasonous activity of the outing of a CIA agent, beginning a war based on lies which has taken 4000 lives and counting costing this country soon-to-be trillions with no end in sight -- it will be astounding if this country does not change the tenor and nature of its power by overthrowing Republican politics then I completely throw up my hands. When a populous has an utterly shortsighted unaware understanding of things political which allow it to continue to vote fools into the highest most powerful office in the world, then it gets what it deserves.
Mr. Sands was passionate, verbally eloquent and academically credentialed. He offers up for examination what most of us already suspect. Our country, to its own peril, has been involved in the overthrow of the Geneva Conventions, has illegally employed torture techniques and brazenly flouted the law. Too bad more people like Mr. Sands do not occupy positions of power most especially within this most inept, corrupt, oblivious, cruel and murderous administration in US history.
Friday, May 09, 2008
The New York Times article today (link below) "Hezbollah has taken control of the streets of Beruit" is chilling.
We can lay the horrific expansion of radical Islamic factional insanity gaining strength every day at the feet of George W. Bush's inept Iraq policy. The factional violence between Sunni and Shia is spreading to Lebanon. I fear it will spread to Egypt , to Saudi Arabia and worst of all to nuclear armed Pakistan. It is not only as simple as Shia on Sunni. It is extraordinarily complex with factions within factions within armed thuggish groups fighting against each other. Oil is in the mix. It is mind numbing.
The US can bail out no one. We have no army, money left or will to do anything more. Iraq was supposed to provide real peace and security in that prone-to-violence neck of the woods -- some peace and some security. George W. Bush's failed international policies have provided psychological impetus to Hamas, Hezbollah and many other radical and terrorist groups.
I have never seen this country or the world on the most extreme precipice of disaster in the history I have witnessed or known. The US has no allies of substance to show muscle to these ideological totalitarian movements except Israel which has its own survival at stake. Europe will only sit back this time and watch the movie. The beat goes on. More reasons we need Barak Obama and not more of the same McCain.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/10/world/middleeast/10lebanon.html?hp
We can lay the horrific expansion of radical Islamic factional insanity gaining strength every day at the feet of George W. Bush's inept Iraq policy. The factional violence between Sunni and Shia is spreading to Lebanon. I fear it will spread to Egypt , to Saudi Arabia and worst of all to nuclear armed Pakistan. It is not only as simple as Shia on Sunni. It is extraordinarily complex with factions within factions within armed thuggish groups fighting against each other. Oil is in the mix. It is mind numbing.
The US can bail out no one. We have no army, money left or will to do anything more. Iraq was supposed to provide real peace and security in that prone-to-violence neck of the woods -- some peace and some security. George W. Bush's failed international policies have provided psychological impetus to Hamas, Hezbollah and many other radical and terrorist groups.
I have never seen this country or the world on the most extreme precipice of disaster in the history I have witnessed or known. The US has no allies of substance to show muscle to these ideological totalitarian movements except Israel which has its own survival at stake. Europe will only sit back this time and watch the movie. The beat goes on. More reasons we need Barak Obama and not more of the same McCain.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/10/world/middleeast/10lebanon.html?hp
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