As I recall, when democratic politicians were caught cheating on their wives, the then republican representatives screamed and hollered bloody murder claiming that this showed a character weakness which precluded a politician from governing. Can we ever forget what the right wing did to President Clinton over oral sex? No, because millions of tax payer dollars were spent and an American president was internationally humiliated.
But now, how the tables have turned! One after another, republican politicians are getting caught with their hands in the cookie jar. The most egregious part of this whole situation being the fact that these same republican representatives voted time and time again to ban sex education, disallow family planning and for all intents and purposes, relegating women back to the role of being barefoot and pregnant. Any laws presented to ease restrictions on homosexual marriages, benefits and their right to serve in the military has been consistently shot down by what has turned out to be the biggest block of unsavory, hypocritical and down right sleazy group of men in our government in recent memory.
Take the case of Larry Craig who vocally challenged any laws giving homosexuals rights by decrying that this would result in the end of decency in a democracy. So, when he was caught soliciting an undercover agent in an airport bathroom, what was his justification for such behavior? Why, he was a victim of entrapment and took no responsibility for his hypocrisy and pathetic behavior.
Now, normally I'm not one to promote the type of ideological witch hunting that has so obviously taken over a good part of the republican party. However, I do have a serious problem with the fact that every single republican caught cheating to date has refused to acknowledge their mistakes by resigning on the spot. If democrat John Edward's career came to a screeching halt because he had an affair, what consequences are John Enson, Ron Livingston, Eliot Spitzer, Rudy Guliani and Newt Gringich suffering?
Almost every single one of these republican politicians has claimed they have every right to keep their jobs despite demanding the resignations of all democratic perpetrators of similar misjudgements. Despite my distaste for the notion of investigating people's private lives, I say it's time to fight fire with fire. It's time the democrats got their hands dirty and retaliated with the same vengeance that the opposing party senators and congressmen have imposed upon our political landscape since the rise of Ronald Reagan.
Personally, I believe people's private affairs should stay private until it either affects job performance or leads to potential blackmail which, of course, would be detrimental to the business of running this nation. However, if some republican party representatives (including Rush Limbaugh) can sutlely endorse the murder of abortion doctors, the gutting of our children's educational materials, the destruction of military careers and the overall promotion of prejudices, why can't the democrats call a spade a spade and bring to an end the careers of all of these so called "righteous folks"?
I am truly sickened by what I am seeing on television daily. One of the biggest affronts being that the "moral minority" claim to have God on their side. If anyone bothered to read the New Testament and closely studied Jesus's teachings they would undoubtedly be better versed in the meaning of compassion and forgiveness.
This decade of sexual escapades has gone on far too long. As voters, we are entitled to our representatives doing the job that we pay them for on the hill rather than run around digging up dirt on each other. We should stand up and demand that the very serious problems this country faces be dealt with right away. It seems to me, our politicians have been busier thinking about their own campaigns and endorsements rather than actually governing.
For all the big deal that has been made about family values being crucial to running this country, how come no one talks about the obviously wonderful relationship Barak and Michelle Obama enjoy?
I have had enough of Sexcapades 2009! How about you?
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Are You Kidding Me? - The CIA
This is a quick blog to seemingly enlighten everyone on a topic that is so obvious, I shouldn't even have to address this issue.
The CIA runs on lies. Their covert activity is one of the things that keeps America informed and, at most times, safe. But, as with any organization, there are lines drawn in the sand that should not be crossed. Ex-Vice President Cheney violated those lines from the start of his rule by his blatant abuse of power. It quickly became incredibly clear that Cheney was not only gutting the constitution's protection of individual rights but apparently, he also treated the CIA to be his own personal gestapo.
President Obama is right. Not all information is for the CIA to divulge to the public. However, it should be blatant tip-off when the current Director of the CIA is willing to face the likes of Nancy Pelosi, (who, in this case, is ill guided), by telling the secret committees investigating "torture" that, indeed, legal transgressions were committed under the leadership of this past administration's vice-president when it came to the business of intelligence gathering.
So, the question is, "Are they ever going to hold certain parties responsible for their crimes?". In my opinion, the incarceration of Dick Cheney is long overdue. What's more, it has become more and more evident that while the U.S. was spending huge resources torturing hundreds of people in order to elicit information regarding Iraq, everyone took their eyes off the real danger of Islamist extremism from terrorist cells for nearly a decade. This had dire consequences regarding the balance of power and the dissemination of weapons to anti-American political organizations. So now we are almost back to square one as President Obama and Secretary Hillary Clinton are attempting to escalate our ability to infiltrate the spread of Muslim extremists by sending troops into Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Thus, the real crime that took place is that while military resources were being squandered in Iraq, the Taliban was largely ignored under the Bush administration which afforded them the time and latitude to cement themselves in war torn areas such as Yemen, Sudan and other such corrupt countries. In other words, we exchanged torturing hundreds of people and setting up Guantanamo for allowing the relentless integration of thousands of religious and political zealots into the world's hot spots!
Can these mistakes be rectified under the current administration? I don't know. Militant religious dissemination of people and extremist ideals is an exceedingly serious case that needs to be addressed on a global scale. So right now, the last thing America needs is for our country's defense and security agencies, like the CIA, to be scrutinized by congress members. And why now, may you ask? The answer is simple. Nowadays, the solutions being bandied about on capitol hill regarding America's serious state of economic affairs are, for the most part, some of the most frightening examples of incompetence I've ever had the privilege of hearing. Any attempts by the White House to try and bring the opposing GOP party members to agree on reasonable solutions, like health care, in order to start solving the myriad of financial problems our country now faces have been rebuked in favor of some of the most idiotic arguments I've ever heard including debates over "death panels" and why the richest 2% of Americans should continue to enjoy tax breaks when the rest of us regular folks are losing our life savings.
If the congress and senate cannot make heads of tails of our domestic policy, I think it's safe to assume that to hold hearings to ostensibly force our state agencies, such as the CIA, to be more transparent would most definitely grievously harm America's defence and security. The ability to gather intelligence and work hand in hand with our allies is even more crucial now that it has ever been. After all, Black Ops is called that for a reason and sharing with all of our congress and senate members the most classified of U.S. secrets would be a colossal mistake!
Good luck America! You are going to need it.
The CIA runs on lies. Their covert activity is one of the things that keeps America informed and, at most times, safe. But, as with any organization, there are lines drawn in the sand that should not be crossed. Ex-Vice President Cheney violated those lines from the start of his rule by his blatant abuse of power. It quickly became incredibly clear that Cheney was not only gutting the constitution's protection of individual rights but apparently, he also treated the CIA to be his own personal gestapo.
President Obama is right. Not all information is for the CIA to divulge to the public. However, it should be blatant tip-off when the current Director of the CIA is willing to face the likes of Nancy Pelosi, (who, in this case, is ill guided), by telling the secret committees investigating "torture" that, indeed, legal transgressions were committed under the leadership of this past administration's vice-president when it came to the business of intelligence gathering.
So, the question is, "Are they ever going to hold certain parties responsible for their crimes?". In my opinion, the incarceration of Dick Cheney is long overdue. What's more, it has become more and more evident that while the U.S. was spending huge resources torturing hundreds of people in order to elicit information regarding Iraq, everyone took their eyes off the real danger of Islamist extremism from terrorist cells for nearly a decade. This had dire consequences regarding the balance of power and the dissemination of weapons to anti-American political organizations. So now we are almost back to square one as President Obama and Secretary Hillary Clinton are attempting to escalate our ability to infiltrate the spread of Muslim extremists by sending troops into Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Thus, the real crime that took place is that while military resources were being squandered in Iraq, the Taliban was largely ignored under the Bush administration which afforded them the time and latitude to cement themselves in war torn areas such as Yemen, Sudan and other such corrupt countries. In other words, we exchanged torturing hundreds of people and setting up Guantanamo for allowing the relentless integration of thousands of religious and political zealots into the world's hot spots!
Can these mistakes be rectified under the current administration? I don't know. Militant religious dissemination of people and extremist ideals is an exceedingly serious case that needs to be addressed on a global scale. So right now, the last thing America needs is for our country's defense and security agencies, like the CIA, to be scrutinized by congress members. And why now, may you ask? The answer is simple. Nowadays, the solutions being bandied about on capitol hill regarding America's serious state of economic affairs are, for the most part, some of the most frightening examples of incompetence I've ever had the privilege of hearing. Any attempts by the White House to try and bring the opposing GOP party members to agree on reasonable solutions, like health care, in order to start solving the myriad of financial problems our country now faces have been rebuked in favor of some of the most idiotic arguments I've ever heard including debates over "death panels" and why the richest 2% of Americans should continue to enjoy tax breaks when the rest of us regular folks are losing our life savings.
If the congress and senate cannot make heads of tails of our domestic policy, I think it's safe to assume that to hold hearings to ostensibly force our state agencies, such as the CIA, to be more transparent would most definitely grievously harm America's defence and security. The ability to gather intelligence and work hand in hand with our allies is even more crucial now that it has ever been. After all, Black Ops is called that for a reason and sharing with all of our congress and senate members the most classified of U.S. secrets would be a colossal mistake!
Good luck America! You are going to need it.
Friday, July 10, 2009
The Political Moral Compass
Once again, we have been assailed over the past few weeks with tales of extramarital affairs featuring, this time around, Republican Mark Sanford as the latest politician to be embroiled in a sex scandal!
Much to my complete confusion over this matter, it seems that politician's personal affairs are judged to somehow to have a bearing on their job performance and the office that they hold. As I see it, this topic must be an exclusively American cultural phenomenon because I can't think of any other country in the world where a politician's sexual activities are somehow deemed everybody's business!
For example, following the death of their twice elected ex-President, Francois Mitterand, the French came up with an ingeneously diplomatic solution when presented with the thorny issue of differing funeral agendas to honor their well respected President. The first funeral was a huge event featured on national television which was attended by prominent international figures and important heads of state, along with his wife and children. The second funeral however, was a more private affair and included his close confidants, as well as his beloved, long time mistress and was just as well attended! At the time, no one batted an eye in France and the whole event was actually a matter of national pride for the French because of the events fabulous fanfare and grand send-offs befitting a popular president!
In contrast, the overblown sex scandal leading to the prosecution of President Clinton during the mid-90s over his brief daliance with the frankly, witless Monica Lewinsky was a national embarresment that left international politicians scratching their heads. The thing that most incensed me during this witchunt against the then President Clinton was the complete waste of time, resources and money that was spent to humiliate a man that was our leader of the free world. I was so appalled by the colossel waste of resources for what seemed to me a matter between a man and his wife, I once again questioned this American sport of destroying political futures in the name of morality.
So, what is the saying? Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones?
Much to my complete confusion over this matter, it seems that politician's personal affairs are judged to somehow to have a bearing on their job performance and the office that they hold. As I see it, this topic must be an exclusively American cultural phenomenon because I can't think of any other country in the world where a politician's sexual activities are somehow deemed everybody's business!
For example, following the death of their twice elected ex-President, Francois Mitterand, the French came up with an ingeneously diplomatic solution when presented with the thorny issue of differing funeral agendas to honor their well respected President. The first funeral was a huge event featured on national television which was attended by prominent international figures and important heads of state, along with his wife and children. The second funeral however, was a more private affair and included his close confidants, as well as his beloved, long time mistress and was just as well attended! At the time, no one batted an eye in France and the whole event was actually a matter of national pride for the French because of the events fabulous fanfare and grand send-offs befitting a popular president!
In contrast, the overblown sex scandal leading to the prosecution of President Clinton during the mid-90s over his brief daliance with the frankly, witless Monica Lewinsky was a national embarresment that left international politicians scratching their heads. The thing that most incensed me during this witchunt against the then President Clinton was the complete waste of time, resources and money that was spent to humiliate a man that was our leader of the free world. I was so appalled by the colossel waste of resources for what seemed to me a matter between a man and his wife, I once again questioned this American sport of destroying political futures in the name of morality.
So, what is the saying? Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones?
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Corporate Jungle
Corporate Jungle
Reflecting off shining silver security cameras
Sanguine hunters silently stalk their prey
Drenched in an overpowering bureaucratic stench
As they carry out perversely amusing scenarios
Designed to ruthlessly exterminate day by day
The cluster of creative souls haunting corporate halls
Terrified, the last victims quietly bleed muted emotions
As they toil within the sterile semblance of a profession
Fantasizing for a flash of brilliant recognition, yet trapped
Scared to creatively soar knowing that the smell of blood
Dripping from their newly formed wounds of depression
Will only attract the most vicious of corporate predators
Sometimes their silent screams of anguish cease
There is no more fear to feel, or tears to shed
So much of their blood has already been drained
That only carcasses remain, propped up in cubicles
Strewn about, lit by the florescent tubes overhead
Illuminating the corridors of this faceless corporate jungle
Epilogue
As the hunters keep on stifling imaginative talent
They do not quite fully realize that one fateful day
They too will grow weak, and they too will be torn
Limb from limb, left to bleed to death
Like the countless faceless victims before them...
Reflecting off shining silver security cameras
Sanguine hunters silently stalk their prey
Drenched in an overpowering bureaucratic stench
As they carry out perversely amusing scenarios
Designed to ruthlessly exterminate day by day
The cluster of creative souls haunting corporate halls
Terrified, the last victims quietly bleed muted emotions
As they toil within the sterile semblance of a profession
Fantasizing for a flash of brilliant recognition, yet trapped
Scared to creatively soar knowing that the smell of blood
Dripping from their newly formed wounds of depression
Will only attract the most vicious of corporate predators
Sometimes their silent screams of anguish cease
There is no more fear to feel, or tears to shed
So much of their blood has already been drained
That only carcasses remain, propped up in cubicles
Strewn about, lit by the florescent tubes overhead
Illuminating the corridors of this faceless corporate jungle
Epilogue
As the hunters keep on stifling imaginative talent
They do not quite fully realize that one fateful day
They too will grow weak, and they too will be torn
Limb from limb, left to bleed to death
Like the countless faceless victims before them...
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Hypocritical Republicans
I just found my first blog called "Musings" which I reread and published. I was rather amused at how prescient it was regarding the hypocrisy of religion and politics.
The latest in a long and frankly, annoying string of moral "oops's" by the Republican Governor of South Carolina, Mark Sanford, eloquently illustrates the point I made in my last blog.
I moved to the U.S. in 1980 from Europe and was immediately dismayed at the electoral choice. From the start, it was obvious Ronald Reagan was a mouth piece for special corporate interests set on breaking labor unions, a friend to the very wealthy and most disturbingly, a champion of the "Grand Hypocrisy" known as the Moral Majority. (By the way, we truly owed the end of the cold war to Gorbachevs' courage, not Reagans'). For the past thirty years, it has been proven time and time again ad nauseam how this vocal political faction has been neither moral, nor a majority. And what is today's political product of this moral majority? How about Sarah Palin! Ignorant to a fault on international relations, clueless about the economy and worse, defender of religious zealots everywhere! Somehow, America has been duped into believing that adultery, homosexuality, abortion, stem cell research, etc. has any place at all in the American political arena.
I used to cringe every time I heard Jerry Falwell speak because to me, he sounded like a self righteous, hypocritical, cruel and judgemental man. Pretty much everything Jesus Christ told us not to be! Like so many after him, what goes around comes around and he was caught with his pants down. Rush Limbaugh's day is coming...
So, this brings us back to Mark Sanford and all those other Republican hypocrites. But, you say, the Democratic representatives have been guilty of these sins. Yes, but they (for the most part) don't run around telling everyone they are going to hell for being who they are. And. by the way, adultery is mentioned in the Ten Commandments whereas I see no reference to homosexuality. The few lines here and there in the bible are within the historical context of an era which was strongly condeming slavery and the selling of young children, boys and girls, to serve as sexual toys. In my opinion, that is the true point of the few references in Deuteronomy, etc.
When is America going to wake up and leave the medical issues to doctors, the sex issues to individuals and families, the scientific experiments to specialists and most of all, the judging of people to God. Can I get an Amen? Cm'on people rise up...do not let these hypocrites run our lives!!!!!
The latest in a long and frankly, annoying string of moral "oops's" by the Republican Governor of South Carolina, Mark Sanford, eloquently illustrates the point I made in my last blog.
I moved to the U.S. in 1980 from Europe and was immediately dismayed at the electoral choice. From the start, it was obvious Ronald Reagan was a mouth piece for special corporate interests set on breaking labor unions, a friend to the very wealthy and most disturbingly, a champion of the "Grand Hypocrisy" known as the Moral Majority. (By the way, we truly owed the end of the cold war to Gorbachevs' courage, not Reagans'). For the past thirty years, it has been proven time and time again ad nauseam how this vocal political faction has been neither moral, nor a majority. And what is today's political product of this moral majority? How about Sarah Palin! Ignorant to a fault on international relations, clueless about the economy and worse, defender of religious zealots everywhere! Somehow, America has been duped into believing that adultery, homosexuality, abortion, stem cell research, etc. has any place at all in the American political arena.
I used to cringe every time I heard Jerry Falwell speak because to me, he sounded like a self righteous, hypocritical, cruel and judgemental man. Pretty much everything Jesus Christ told us not to be! Like so many after him, what goes around comes around and he was caught with his pants down. Rush Limbaugh's day is coming...
So, this brings us back to Mark Sanford and all those other Republican hypocrites. But, you say, the Democratic representatives have been guilty of these sins. Yes, but they (for the most part) don't run around telling everyone they are going to hell for being who they are. And. by the way, adultery is mentioned in the Ten Commandments whereas I see no reference to homosexuality. The few lines here and there in the bible are within the historical context of an era which was strongly condeming slavery and the selling of young children, boys and girls, to serve as sexual toys. In my opinion, that is the true point of the few references in Deuteronomy, etc.
When is America going to wake up and leave the medical issues to doctors, the sex issues to individuals and families, the scientific experiments to specialists and most of all, the judging of people to God. Can I get an Amen? Cm'on people rise up...do not let these hypocrites run our lives!!!!!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Introductory Musings
I wanted my first blog entry to be something deep and meaningful, or some mind blowing political commentary that would send the world a twitter. After musing about this for a few days though, I've decided to just jot down some of my beliefs.
I believe God exists. I also know Atlantis existed, as well as dragons and, if any of their ancestors were ever to be uncovered, this would be in Asia and not the West. I believe the oppression of woman and thus, their children, has put a sour taste in the mouth of our global village and has additionally thrown off the balance almost every spiritual teaching worth it's salt.
Actually, I was watching an interesting show produced by James Cameron (I think) on the history channel about the Exodus the other night. He did a well researched expose on the "scientific" basis for the Exodus of the Israelites described in the Bible. I found it fascinating and generally agreed with the show's premise that history could be tweeked to match the scientific evidence left from that time. That is that most of the plagues could be linked to a nearby volcano explosion. All the information seemed to flow pretty well except for the deaths of the first born sons of Egypt. I couldn't help but see God's hand in that punishment of the Egyptian slave owners.
The information that really fascinated me however, was the fact that Moses and his followers had gold with them. This indeed was a new historical tidbit for me and while the show's m.c. went on to describe the fact that the Pharoeh let Moses go and then changed his mind, something really obvious struck me. If the Pharoeh had finally been strong armed by God to let Moses go, why on earth would he change his mind and send his army after him? It seemed simple. Soon after the slaves departure, he realized that Moses and his followers had helped themselves to quite a bit of gold out of the royal treasury! That could have been one pretty obvious reason why the Pharoeh would have been angry enough to risk God's wrath again. And, as we know, things didn't go so well for the Pharoeh and his army since they all drowned. No one mentioned my theory in this biblical documentary because, I'm guessing, it could not be proved scientifically or just maybe, no one thought of it! This random thought does however, illustrate my point of how easy it is for people to come up with their own interpretations of events. This is also why man should be extremely careful interpreting spiritual messages. I fear the world has always been too cavalier in their understanding of God's word. The catholic church of the 21st century being a prime example but that's for another time!!!
Why, you ask, do I bring this up? For one, because I believe it beautifully illustrates a point that often seems to be passed over in man's social, politcal and judicial interpretation of "Holy" sources (i.e. Bible, Khoran, etc.). The fact that all these books were written by, if not multiple sources, certainly by multiple points of view. For some strange reason this simple fact alone seems to escape a large majority of those who would quote these works as infallible sources that have justified all kinds of godless behavior for centuries. And this....really, really pisses me off!!
The bible, for example, is so full of contradictions that the only passages I would personally ever dare quote are Jesus's own words heard and experienced by multiple sources whom, at that time, could corroberate what Jesus said and did! What's even more unfortunate is how this mixing of religion and politics has ended up causing seriously catastrophic results illustrated by all the destruction caused in God's name over thousands of years.
Though some examples may be obvious today like what is happening in Iran (where there has been a serious perversion of Mohammed's message), people don't acknowledge how twisted some political factions in America have also become. Jesus's implicit teaching of love, understanding and tolerance has been confused and the bible's messages have become a bizarre mixture of justification for hate, denial, prejudism, hypocrisy, greed, etc. Now this is a topic that is of extreme anxiety for me since I live in America and thus, feel the immediate repercussions of this seriously confused understanding of religion. More to come....
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