Loving Whom They Love and Hating Whom They Hate

We’ll be waiting forever for the Ferguson grand jury to render their verdict.  They’ve already delayed it at least twice- - and the current bizarre time of nine PM will probably pass without incident.  I wanted to talk about for this opening paragraph of my greatest failing as a practicing Born Again Christian.   Is it for instance that I don’t read my Bible enough, or don’t attend Church regularly, or that my theology is incorrect, or that I balk at prayer sessions that always seemed to get longer and longer?  Perhaps it’s my social interaction with them.  No.  My biggest failing as a card carrying Evangelical Christian is that “I don’t love the people they love and hate the people whom they hate”.  In other words, in repuliation of the Sermon on the Mount, my “love” is not selective enough.  I’m too inclusive.  I’m too willing to give the other person the benefit of the doubt.  We speak of bombing ISIS and yet as Hartman points out- - if you see your country as fighting for independence, bombing will only HARDEN your resolve against them, and not weaken it.  When the Revolution in America first started- - one third of the people were for independence - - one third were royalists-  and one third didn’t care.  But the second or so year into the American Revolution - - ninety percent of people living in America favored the revolution.  Republicans themselves point out that “Obama’s pin prick bombing raids have had NO EFFECT on ISIS recruitment, but have only encouraged it.  Norman Goldman would suggest that conservatives would like to go back to some fabled point in the Past.  This is not true.  The only political organization that resembles the tea party today is NOT the Islamists or the Communists either Russian or Chinese.  No - - the NAZI party of Germany is the only political organization that resembles the tea party.  Both appeal to a “past” that Never Was, and you should remember this.  Some would say they’d take us back to the 1920’s.  There are certain points in common.  There we had a lot of Xenophobia and fear of immigrants and “the other” and racial bigotry was in its hay day.  There were few of the modern stock market safeguards.  And need I remind you when the economy crashed that time- - tax rates and the national debt were falling- - just as they are now.  (Selah)  However there are marked differences between now and the 1920’s.   First of all industrial terrifs were high then, and people were of a largely isolationist mentality and shunned foreign wars.  There was a lot of competition in business, notably the automobile manufacturers and also in radio station ownership.  Back then you didn’t have one propaganda apperatus that could reach the entire country to indoctrinate it.  Back then people welcomed your quoting of the Bible.  But the tea party is so bereft of similarities to scripture- - they will most likely cringe when you quote from the Bible.  And I mean anywhere in the Bible- - any book, old or new testament.  Because there are admonitions against greed from Genesis to Revelation.  There are scriptures about welcoming of strangers and ministering to the poor and the afflicted.  Lot’s greed in wanting all the best land is condemned.  Nabal had his downfall when metaphorically “he refused to pay his taxes”.  There are prophet’s assistance who lied to obtain personal riches- and were punished.  Solomon was admonished not to multiply either wives or houses or horses, because these were a sign of oppulant wealth.  And the lord told the people in Ezra’s day not to belittle the work they were doing even though their temple was in no way as grand as Solomon’s.  Jesus’ parables are replete with the poor being blessed and the rich being condemned.  We then come to Revelation where a poor church is counted as rich by the Lord, and a wealthy church is counted as being spiritually impoverished.  We are told from cover to cover not to trust in riches.  This is almost “the first and greatest commandment” among the tea party set.  “Thow shalt trust above all in greed and riches”.  What if God decides to punish these plutocrats with their oppulant life styles by bringing about an economic crash- - and one which all the machinations of the government can’t prevent?

When it comes to Bill Cosby there are still people in the media who applaud him and dismiss all sexual misconduct charges.  It just dawned on me that there is a cigar, phallic symbol thing with a lot of male shovenist pigs.  Rush Limbaugh hates women and disparages children, and Gene Scott hates women and disparages children.  President Clinton is famous for his cigars in inappropriate places - - and has a disrespectful attitude tword women.  Gene Scott defended Bill Clinton, and now we hear that Rush Limbaugh has ardently defended Bill Cosby on his show.  For me is an issue of “Bill Cosby disparages children and disrespects them – using them as the butt of his humor, even his own TV sitcom children.  For the longest time Bill Cosby’s humor is very un-funny.  So it seems as if Bill Cosby fits into the same general personality profile category.  Of course it’s worse because Cosby hires people to “guard the door” while he’s doing the dirty deeds there on the NBC studios.  Also Cosby’s character was “an open secret” with all who worked with Cosby but they all circled the wagons to protect him.  Now Bill Cosby refuses to respond to any of the many and growing alligations against him, in the spirit of Clarence Thomas - - a guy whom Rush admit “has stacks of pornography lying around”.  It’s all part of a personality profile.  So it only pleases me that venue after venue has turned its back on Bill Cosby.  The whole man’s “mystique” has all come crashing down around him.  And it couldn’t happen to a more deserving jerk.

The Art of War is the lead topic on “For the Record” right now, and we will be getting into war again.  They have been saying in the liberal media that President Obama’s getting rid of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagal is because Hagal was too dovish and his stance on “the winding down of our nation’s wars” is incompatable with the Adminestration’s current stand on wars abroad in general.  They said “There has been a marked change in the Administration’s position on Mideast war in general in the past three days” but I’m not sure how.  This build up to three thousand troops in Iraq was announced a week or two ago.  It isn’t new.  Watching the Presidential announcement of Hagal’s departure from the Cabinet - - - contained no real confirmation of this thesis.  There appeared to be no ill will between Hagal and the President but only high praises were heaped upon Hagal by the President.  Right now I have the sound of some global warming conference for 2015.  (?)  That’s on C-Span.

The final (to date) results of the latest Bengazi investigation were released Friday night and they state there is no evidence of any conspiracy.  There was no order to “stand down” or in any other way to cause delay in action rescuing people.  There was no compromise or “insufficiency” of the Security of the Embassy.  There was no intent to deceive - - and Susan Rice was just going with the CIA intelligence of the time.  But Lindsey Graham is having the vapors over the latest report.  Stephanie Miller persists on likening Lindsey Graham to some delicate Southern Belle.  There is supposed to be some sexual attraction between Lindsey and John Mc Cain.  Lindsey Graham says that this latest report ‘Is a bunch of crap” and he doesn’t believe a word of it.  And Graham made his feelings plainly known to a CNN reporter.  Lindsey Graham was asked “Does this report exonerate the Administration”.  And Graham said “No”.  What do you do with a guy like this?  All their plans are up in smoke.  There can be no conspiracy trial because there IS no evidence; there is no “There” there!

Another issue for Republicans to get the vapors over is Iran.  Iran is a continuing threat whether we try and lull ourselves to think otherwise or not.  Because the administration just agreed to continue these Nuclear Negotiations for another seven months.  I’m not saying I agree with this one.  I would put back economic sanctions and say to Iran “This is just to keep you honest.  Now you will have every incentive not to putz around with us or stall – and buy time to get your centrafuges going and enrich Uranium for Nukes we still suspect you of desiring to construct.  Iran’s behavior is so suspicious I wouldn’t trust them, and from where I sit we have nothing to gain from trusting Iran.  And besides we can always sick Israel on them!