Between the story about that polygamist compound in Texas & having to wait the other day at a restaurant behind a reform Amish family (”reform” because apparently someone drove them there; if I’m wrong, feel free to correct, it’s not like I follow that shit) trying to explain to the hostess or whatever they call ‘em how many people were coming in after them, I got to thinking to myself. Here’s the result:
First, the obvious: As I’ve stated before, I don’t follow a religion, because in thinking about the concept of a deity I realized the possible outcomes are infinite, thus the odds of going the “right” path are zilch. To put it another way: Russian Roulette is already stupid, picking a religion is like Russian Roulette with all 6 chambers loaded. On top of this, culturally I’m about as Who Cares as one can possibly get, don’t want power over anybody else, and think a woman’s place is wherever the hell she feels like it. My grave would probably say “Eh, Whatever” on it. So I’m about 110% NOT the type that would ever go for such a philosophy.
In that respect, they didn’t lose me, they never would’ve had me. Now, PRACTICALLY speaking it puzzles me why the fuck any man would want such a life anyway. The man of the group I saw the other day looked like his pants were up to his neck, the wife (at least the one I saw; might’ve been others) had this glazed over look on her face like society itself confused her & was dressed two inches away from wearing a burka, and at least six kids were hanging off both of them. Eh, at least the kids were well-behaved, but regular people can get that without the extra baggage via the Whoopin’ method.
To each his own an’ all that, it just looked like torture to me. If I were the religious extremist/polygamist type, my compound would look…quite different. The family would fund our way of life by selling barbecue, beer & weed to outsiders, my goin’-to-town attire would be akin to “Cuban Linx”-era Ghostface, and all the women would have their own side jobs & tend to look like the girl in this video*:
Kids? What kids? Are you crazy?!?
Lemme know when a “prophet” comes along offering this, an’ I might reconsider…
(* - Edit: I am not liable if you read this site from work & playing that video gets you fired.)
The president of the United States of America initiates a process of coordinated outright lying, in order to get an unprovoked war against a nation that had no capacity to threaten the US whatsoever, leading to thousands of dead, needless chaos, propaganda that can be used by terrorists for years to come, and an ironic influence goose to a regime on the invaded nation’s borders that stated policy suggested was intended to be marginalized. Innocent blood shed, billions of dollars flushed down the toilet, rampant cronyism in the “rebuilding” effort, and the open embrace of a tactic that marks one as barbaric and unsuitable for any power short of meter maid.
All this, and the “official” record proving the initial lie comes out 5 years later. There will be no punishment, or even charges, unless pigs fly. Why? Because to pursue any semblance of justice would be seen as partisan and rude, if not straight-up bonkers.
These people committed what might as well be treason, yet not only are they going to walk, but their apologists actually have the gall to claim others are UnAmerican for the lightest disagreement, or even for not wearing a fucking flag pin.
Perusing articles for a bit, came across a WaPo doozy projecting 70’s style “stagflation” on the horizon — and preemptively blaming expectations of wage increases by organized labor (???) for it, as if people are supposed to happily accept the same money when it gets less of such frivolous items as food, gas, and lighting not made of wax.
As bad as that is, it’s at least understandable: the type of people the mainstream media consider to be Serious hold a worldview that doesn’t match up with reality because reality doesn’t pay their bills. They’re going to portray it that way, they have no choice due to their positions. Us plebes, however…
Sadly, people have the capacity to do really fucking stupid things when they’re justifiably frustrated. And no, I’m not talking about the Superman costume, though that did them no favors. Bitching at gas stations about the price is about as helpful as addressing a gunshot wound by guzzling Robitussin.
More about that speech at Wesleyan. All emphasis mine:
Obama chooses to introduce the notion of public service from an autobiographical point of view. In college, he explains, “I began to notice a world beyond myself.” So while his friends were seeking jobs on Wall Street, he applied for jobs as a grass-roots activist. And one day, a group of churches in Chicago offered him a job as a community organizer for “$12,000 a year plus $2,000 for an old, beat-up car.”
“And I said yes.” […]
Obama’s point is that he went on to do good in Chicago — and that the college graduates to whom he’s speaking should follow in his exemplary footsteps. Of course, most politicians do admire themselves and their excellent careers. So perhaps one shouldn’t make too much of Obama’s sin of self-regard.
More striking is Obama’s sin of omission. In the rest of the speech, he goes on to detail — at some length — the “so many ways to serve” that are available “at this defining moment in our history.” There’s the Peace Corps, there’s renewable energy, there’s education, there’s poverty — there are all kinds of causes you can take up “should you take the path of service.”
But there’s one obvious path of service Obama doesn’t recommend — or even mention: military service. He does mention war twice: “At a time of war, we need you to work for peace.” And, we face “big challenges like war and recession.” But there’s nothing about serving your country in uniform. […]
[A]t an elite Northeastern college campus, Obama obviously felt no need to disturb the placid atmosphere of easy self-congratulation. He felt no need to remind students of a different kind of public service — one that entails more risks than community organizing. He felt no need to tell the graduating seniors in the lovely groves of Middletown that they should be grateful to their peers who were far away facing dangers on behalf of their country.
No, I didn’t requote parts of that Frank Schaeffer column I picked apart already. The above is an NY Times columnist co-signing his view. A relatively new guy, just started w/ the Times this January actually. You might’ve heard of him, he co-founded a think tank back in ‘97, currently edits a political magazine.
Seriously, Bill Kristol is the type of person whose capacity for bad ideas and ridiculous logic is so deep & well-known that if he so much as says “2+2=4″ you’re required to at least ponder the possibility it doesn’t. When he agrees with you, it’s time to rethink your foundations.
