So is this the logic for our time? Or has it always been this way?

[NRaleighLiberal]

"We" are America, land of the free, home of the brave (thoughout this I use "We", but it is a broad generality and in no way inclusive of the many here that also see through the bullshit)

But we are not so brave because many are ruled by fear, which means that are are OK with being less free. We are not so brave that we want to arm ourselves to the teeth - after all, its "us or them".

We are a "Christian nation", meaning we are dead sure that we will be saved.

but we are not so dead sure because the pulpit can be used to scare the shit out of us and we allow ourselves to be less free.

Our leaders love to bring out the fact that they are guided by God because are are a "Christian nation" yet by their lies and acts there is no way in hell that their tickets to the promised land could ever get punched....so do they really, really believe that with they profess?

It is nothing new, but the bullshit and hypocrisy runs so, so deep. Logically, it is impossible to make sense out of any of this. for one thing, what actually is the "this" we are trying to make sense of? What, and where, is "truth" these days?

Which of course, all leads to one thing - $$$. Think of how big a business all of this is, whether spying, lying, fear, those that make our food - on and on. We turn on the internet and we get ads thrown at us - and on TV - and at movies. It all comes down to money. And big money leads to big greed and big callousness.

When it gets like this, I just fail to be able to process it all. I lose trust in pretty much everything except my self, my wife, my children. Everything else just becomes noise.....

[niyad]

1. I trust my cats and my friends. as you said, the rest is noise.

by the way, you post those tomato pics just to make us jealous, yes? I saw a couple of very interesting new varieties at the nursery the other day. may have to get them. one called "indigo rose", a blue/black red, and another called "anaris something-or-other", which the nursery person described as looking like a hippie exploded inside it.

[Laelth]

2. It's good to remember the Treaty of Tripoli.

As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,—as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen [Muslims],—and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan [Mohammedan] nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_tripoli

I immediately reject arguments that proceed from the assumption that the U.S. is a Christian nation, despite the fact that a lot of people believe it. That's not a personal attack, just a way to look at our nation in a different light. It helps.

What I can say in response to your paralysis and hopelessness (which I sometimes share) is that every Republic in the history of the planet has been an oligarchy. As a liberal, I am a supporter of both oligarchy and capitalism, but what I want is a sane, well-regulated capitalism that shares its benefits broadly across all segments of our society. Oligarchy is not necessarily evil. We have to convince our oligarchs to share the wealth (because, as we know, it's in their own best interests to do so).

Just in case you wanted to do some light reading:

The Roman Republic
The Republic of Venice (the longest-lasting republic in the planet's history)
The Republic of Ragusa (a very cool little republic that lasted for over 500 years and an early ally of the fledgling United States)

These are all oligarchies. Take a look at this picture and tell me we're not looking at a good number of our nation's early oligarchs:



We may not like oligarchy, in principle, but we may be fooling ourselves if we believe that the U.S. hasn't always been one.



-Laelth


Edit:Laelth--sloppy proofreading.

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. I appreciate this - thanks....and probably should have used

the notation for my "Christian nation" line...because that was my intent (snarky, I know).

Thanks for the links....some reading ahead for me!

[Laelth]

6. You are quite welcome. n/t

-Laelth

[ucrdem]

3. Yes and no.

Yes - The crude term for what's going on is ratfucking. It's a RW technique to confuse and demoralize Dems. Clearly it's working.

No - The Obama admin has done nothing wrong and you can safely ignore this latest ratfuck. But ignore politics at your peril.


p.s. more on ratfucking here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2988589

[HereSince1628]

4. Believe me, cats are the most 'me....ow' oriented critters on the planet.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. They know they are doing God's will because they've been reading his emails.

[burnodo]

8. +1

Very well stated.