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| Hyde Park Herald, February 25, 1996 |
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Showing posts with label Liberal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Liberal. Show all posts
Monday, March 26, 2012
Democratic Socialists of America Presents...Barack Obama (1996)
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Report of the event.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
'Liberal In Nature' FREE on Kindle!
For a limited time, my book - Liberal In Nature - will be available for FREE on Kindle. Please check it out and leave a glowing review! :) Below is a synopsis of the story:
Following a crushing political defeat, Andrew, a self-proclaimed liberal, flees society to live in the wilderness. He settles in a beautiful, isolated valley that is rich with mountains, streams, animals and lush vegetation. Andrew feels he has finally found Utopia, even as he struggles to find his purpose there.
After several months of observing the patterns and cycles of the valley, Andrew realizes that nature is not the natural utopia he once believed it to be. He sees squirrels that gather more nuts than others, a bear who dominates and bullies the other animals, a misunderstood wolf who is the victim of prejudice, trees that don’t get as much sunlight as others, salmon who can’t spawn because of oppressive waterfalls, deer who have to work too hard for their food and much more. With each organism seeking only its own self-interest, there is no one to regulate the valley and promote fairness among the plants and animals.
Andrew takes it upon himself to bring hope and change to the valley by encouraging fairness and equality. Applying his liberal ideology, he intercedes on behalf of oppressed and underprivileged organisms as he strives to fundamentally transform the valley. He sees himself as a savior to the valley and he tries to earn the animals’ trust by easing their burdens. His meddling, however, disrupts the balance of nature eventually producing unexpected and undesirable consequences.
Is nature fair? Is there redistribution of wealth in the wilderness? Can you create a welfare state amongst animals? Are there winners and losers in the animal kingdom? Can fairness be achieved? What happens when certain animals become too dominant? Liberal In Nature addresses these questions and more while touching on important social and political issues such as: abortion, affirmative action, the death penalty, the economy, education, energy, global warming, gun control, health care, homeland security, immigration, private property, the relationship between religion and government, social security, taxes, the Tea Party, terrorism, and welfare.
Liberal In Nature is a witty, satirical political novel aimed at anyone who has an interest in politics. It is layered with parables, metaphors, irony and humor, making it an extremely entertaining read for Conservatives, Liberals and everyone in between!
After several months of observing the patterns and cycles of the valley, Andrew realizes that nature is not the natural utopia he once believed it to be. He sees squirrels that gather more nuts than others, a bear who dominates and bullies the other animals, a misunderstood wolf who is the victim of prejudice, trees that don’t get as much sunlight as others, salmon who can’t spawn because of oppressive waterfalls, deer who have to work too hard for their food and much more. With each organism seeking only its own self-interest, there is no one to regulate the valley and promote fairness among the plants and animals.
Andrew takes it upon himself to bring hope and change to the valley by encouraging fairness and equality. Applying his liberal ideology, he intercedes on behalf of oppressed and underprivileged organisms as he strives to fundamentally transform the valley. He sees himself as a savior to the valley and he tries to earn the animals’ trust by easing their burdens. His meddling, however, disrupts the balance of nature eventually producing unexpected and undesirable consequences.
Is nature fair? Is there redistribution of wealth in the wilderness? Can you create a welfare state amongst animals? Are there winners and losers in the animal kingdom? Can fairness be achieved? What happens when certain animals become too dominant? Liberal In Nature addresses these questions and more while touching on important social and political issues such as: abortion, affirmative action, the death penalty, the economy, education, energy, global warming, gun control, health care, homeland security, immigration, private property, the relationship between religion and government, social security, taxes, the Tea Party, terrorism, and welfare.
Liberal In Nature is a witty, satirical political novel aimed at anyone who has an interest in politics. It is layered with parables, metaphors, irony and humor, making it an extremely entertaining read for Conservatives, Liberals and everyone in between!
Learn more at: Liberal In Nature's Website.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Small Business Owner Discusses Taxes, Business, & Freedom With a Liberal
[An excerpt from Liberal In Nature. Andrew, a self-proclaimed liberal, is on a helicopter flight into the wilderness. His pilot, Arlen, is a small bussiness owner and Tea Party member. This is an excerpt of their conversation]
"Did you see the elections the other night?" Arlen asked.
“Nope. I didn’t see it,” he replied to Arlen.
“Bloodbath, man,” said Arlen gleefully. “Dems got creamed. Only a few of them survived. Even our Senator got the boot. ‘Bout time!”
Andrew could hardly stay in his seat. He wanted to jump up and throw Arlen out of the helicopter. How could he sit there and take political jabs from an uneducated pilot?
“’Bout time for what?” Andrew asked. “’Bout time a right-wing nut jumped in and ruined everything? ‘Bout time the country completely went off the deep end? ‘Bout time idiots were in charge of the government? What a crock!”
“Hey, just expressing my opinion. Just wanted to see some new blood.”
“New blood? So you don’t care about good policies; you just want to see some new blood. That new blood is going to take us all down. That new blood is going to ruin everything.”
“Well, old guy almost took me down. Carbon taxes, pollution taxes, business taxes; all these taxes hurt a guy like me. Says my helicopter ruins the environment so he punishes me for flyin’ it. Funny thing is, he’ll take some extra cash to make it all better. If he really cared about the environment and I was hurting it, why not shut me down completely and save the environment? What’s more money gonna do? But, I gotta pay it and not ask questions. Here you are, probably thinking my copter is killing the environment too, but here you’re riding in it. What am I supposed to do? Had to sell my other copter and let go of my people. Gotta pay the bills. Tough times. Now it’s just me runnin’ the show here. Just want some new blood, hopefully some new ideas.”
“There are no new ideas coming. Those political hacks don’t know what they’re doing. They are ignorant zealots who have no idea how to transform this nation.”
“Nation don’t need no transforming. Just need more jobs; need more businesses. I run a business and I don’t know what’s goin’ on. Maybe I’ll hire someone and then I get hit with another tax and then I have to fire that person. That don’t feel good. Everything’s in limbo. Don’t know what next month’ll hold for me.”
“If you understood anything about economics you would know that it’s all starting to trickle up. It’s coming; or it was coming until the conservatives took over. Now I don’t know what will happen except that they will cut all the programs we worked hard to start and they will slash government so it won’t be able to take care of us.”
“Don’t need government to take care of me; just need it to leave me alone. I do fine on my own. I work, pay my taxes, feed my family, go to church, watch a game on Sunday. I’m okay without the government.”
“Going to church has really helped you a lot I see,” Andrew said sarcastically looking around at the beat up helicopter.
“Done me just fine. I’m a pretty happy guy; got no problem with anyone. Don’t have to cut people down to make me feel better ‘bout my life. Just live life and treat others good.”
“Well,” Andrew said.
“Huh?”
“Just live life and treat others well,” Andrew replied. He hated it when people used “good” instead of “well.”
“I don’t know much,” Arlen said. Andrew nodded his head in an exaggerated fashion. “But, I have run this business for thirty years. Been flyin’ in these mountains since I was eighteen. My business has survived a lot but it barely survived this last year. It’s a scary time. Got a pit in my stomach that won’t go away. I worry about my kids and my business all the time. Here I’m flyin’ high over the trees in a beautiful place talkin’ to you but I’m really thinkin’ ‘bout making the payment on my house and you haggled me pretty good so I will hardly make money on this flight. Not complainin’; it’s just how it is. You ever run a business?”
Andrew hesitated. He knew that he had never run a business and he got defensive every time someone asked him that question. He had taken a few business classes in college so he felt like he understood the concepts better than most of the uneducated people who were running businesses. Besides, he had read so many political books on the economy that he thought he was practically an expert on the subject.
“I’ve studied business extensively. I know what is involved,” Andrew replied authoritatively.
“You ever feel that pit in your stomach? You ever feel the weight of everything coming down on you after you’ve taken a gigantic risk? You ever go home and look at three kids who have no idea that food might not be on the table the next day and you feel guilty because you know it, but you can’t tell them? You ever have to write checks to departments of government you’ve never even heard of? Meanwhile, your wife is out at garage sales trying to buy cheap clothes for the kids cause there’s no money left and those cute buggers are growin’ like weeds?”
Arlen paused. He was getting choked up so he looked out his window. He wiped his cheeks with his oily gloves.
“I know there’s people who got it worse than me. We try to give to the church and help those folks. I volunteer my copter when someone goes missin’. We make meals for folks who got nothin’. We try to do our part to help the needy. But, just seems that we can handle that and don’t need the government babysittin’ and takin’ our money to take care of people who aren’t doin’ a lick of work tryin’ to get into a better situation. Those people only see a bit of that money anyway seeing how the government wastes so much of it. I just think things need to change. We’re not going to make it the way we’re going. Got that pit in my stomach all the time. Won’t go away. Wake up in the middle of the night worrying. Can’t eat as much. Can’t relax and take my mind off of it. It’s always there.”
Andrew was fuming. He couldn’t believe what this guy was saying. He clearly had bought into the conservative, tea party crap and didn’t have the education to see through to reality.
“That’s a nice story,” Andrew started sarcastically. “But, I don’t think you really understand what the government does. Those people who benefit from the government would have nothing without us. They have a right to have the things that others have and we have an obligation and duty to give it to them. It’s not fair for some to suffer and experience poverty while a few of us have it all. They deserve some of that. They deserve to live the American dream just like the rest of us. If Tea-partiers got their way, those people would all die of starvation and pneumonia while everyone else – all the good Christians – stand aside and watch. It is such hypocrisy. It is so wacko I can’t even begin to describe it.”
“I think you misunderstood me. I’m not saying I don’t care about those people. In fact, I do care a lot and that is why I think they should have a chance to stand on their own. See if they can make the American dream happen for themselves. American dream don’t guarantee anything except that you have freedom to make something happen. It’s got nothin’ to do with money or status. It’s about freedom and opportunity. Poor man can still live the American dream, while a rich man can miss it. I had nothin’ growing up. Barely finished high school. Had nothin’ lined up; took a job fixin’ engines. That moved into working on helicopters. Did that for years. Saved up some money and bought this helicopter from a fella’ who couldn’t get it to run. I worked on it and fixed it and then got my pilot’s license and became a pilot. Business has been up and down but it’s my business and I can make of it what I want. Maybe not your American dream, but it’s mine and I’m happy with it.”
“That’s great but you got that chance. Some people don’t have that chance. They are stuck and can’t get out of their situation. That is where the government helps them. What would they do without it?”
“Maybe somethin’. Maybe nothin’. Who knows? But what do they do with it? Most them folks don’t go nowhere cause no one gives ‘em a kick in the butt. When I was eighteen my dad told me to get out and find a job so I did. My friend’s dad didn’t tell him nothin’; just let him sleep in the basement, gave him food and stuff. He’s still there. Never forced to go out and get somethin’. Shame too. He was a smart kid; coulda’ been somethin’ great if he’d been pushed out the house. Instead he goes from job to job not caring about anything. Lives off the government. Never been pushed; never felt that pit in his stomach.”
“Again, great story but not really reality. Studies have shown that government programs do help people improve their situations.”
Andrew stopped himself. He was getting into too much detail and he was letting Arlen control the conversation. He had wanted to just finish the conversation and move on to his adventure in the wilderness but he couldn’t let it go. He had to put Arlen in his place. Andrew instinctively resorted to his campaign rhetoric.
“If you think the tea-partiers know what they’re doing, then you’re either ignorant or dishonest. All of those candidates are wackos. They have no experience, they have radical ideas and they are incredibly stupid. Not to mention the fact that they are bigots, homophobes and racists. The fact that they won any election from city council to the Presidency just validates the ignorance of the American public. It just shows the sad state of affairs of those who vote. They are so easily swayed by promises to cut spending, reduce the deficit and shrink government. They don’t understand that, first, it will never happen. Second, if it did happen, the country would fall apart. People need the government. The government creates jobs and opportunities. The government runs important programs, protects citizens, regulates industries, protects the environment, and helps people who cannot help themselves.”
“Your tea party candidates are just ignorant Joes who want to play dress-up politician but they don’t know how things really work. They have no idea how to run a country because they’re idiots and they don’t have the intellectual qualifications to be in politics. And here you are complaining about government when you have probably never even been to Washington D.C. You’re a simple pilot who flies up and down and around the mountains. What kind of experience do you have? Where have you been and what have you done? People like you voted out the only chance we’ve got and you probably couldn’t even name the Vice President. People like you chose for everyone else and you have never even been to a college class. What do you know about the economy? You get your information from Fox News or from your Pastor.”
Having dealt Arlen a heavy blow, Andrew leaned back and stretched his legs.
“I only know what I’ve experienced. I only know the fear of taking a big risk and having to make things happen each day. Those politicians, they get paid regardless of what they do. Most of ‘em never run a business. Most never got those letters in the mail from the Department of Revenue or Labor and Industries or Treasury. I don’t think they get it. Oh well. What can I really do about it? I’m just one person. Cast my vote and then hope someone gets it right.”
“You can get educated and vote for the right person, first of all. Second, you can pay your taxes with pride and patriotism, knowing that you are supporting the country. If you do it grudgingly as you apparently do, it is as if you didn’t do it,” Andrew knew he had heard something like that before, but couldn’t remember where it came from.”
“I don’t give to the church grudgingly. Don’t help people grudgingly. Don’t give meals or service to people grudgingly. I have a choice in doing those things. No one is forcing me so I get to choose and believe, which makes me a better person. It is true charity and love. Got no choice in paying the government. Don’t make me a better person. Don’t help me overcome selfishness. It’s just pay or get in big trouble.”
“You are helping the country. It is a patriotic thing to do. Take pride in it and enjoy that feeling of knowing that you are helping people.”
“Helping or enabling?” Arlen questioned as he banked the helicopter hard to the right.
“Enabling?” Andrew was furious at this point. He couldn’t believe this man was so ignorant and ungrateful for everything Andrew and his colleagues had done to help his state and the country. He was amazed that people like this pilot were allowed to vote. He thought they should come up with a simple test to determine voter eligibility. Prerequisite questions would include: Do you believe the fact that people and corporations are causing climate change? Do you believe that it is the Government’s job to take care of its people? Do you believe that there should be more equality in wages and overall wealth? If anyone answered “no” to any of the questions, they should be prevented from voting.
“Sometimes you have to – “ [End of Excerpt]
To learn more about Liberal In Nature click here.
"Did you see the elections the other night?" Arlen asked.
“Nope. I didn’t see it,” he replied to Arlen.
“Bloodbath, man,” said Arlen gleefully. “Dems got creamed. Only a few of them survived. Even our Senator got the boot. ‘Bout time!”
Andrew could hardly stay in his seat. He wanted to jump up and throw Arlen out of the helicopter. How could he sit there and take political jabs from an uneducated pilot?
“’Bout time for what?” Andrew asked. “’Bout time a right-wing nut jumped in and ruined everything? ‘Bout time the country completely went off the deep end? ‘Bout time idiots were in charge of the government? What a crock!”
“Hey, just expressing my opinion. Just wanted to see some new blood.”
“New blood? So you don’t care about good policies; you just want to see some new blood. That new blood is going to take us all down. That new blood is going to ruin everything.”
“Well, old guy almost took me down. Carbon taxes, pollution taxes, business taxes; all these taxes hurt a guy like me. Says my helicopter ruins the environment so he punishes me for flyin’ it. Funny thing is, he’ll take some extra cash to make it all better. If he really cared about the environment and I was hurting it, why not shut me down completely and save the environment? What’s more money gonna do? But, I gotta pay it and not ask questions. Here you are, probably thinking my copter is killing the environment too, but here you’re riding in it. What am I supposed to do? Had to sell my other copter and let go of my people. Gotta pay the bills. Tough times. Now it’s just me runnin’ the show here. Just want some new blood, hopefully some new ideas.”
“There are no new ideas coming. Those political hacks don’t know what they’re doing. They are ignorant zealots who have no idea how to transform this nation.”
“Nation don’t need no transforming. Just need more jobs; need more businesses. I run a business and I don’t know what’s goin’ on. Maybe I’ll hire someone and then I get hit with another tax and then I have to fire that person. That don’t feel good. Everything’s in limbo. Don’t know what next month’ll hold for me.”
“If you understood anything about economics you would know that it’s all starting to trickle up. It’s coming; or it was coming until the conservatives took over. Now I don’t know what will happen except that they will cut all the programs we worked hard to start and they will slash government so it won’t be able to take care of us.”
“Don’t need government to take care of me; just need it to leave me alone. I do fine on my own. I work, pay my taxes, feed my family, go to church, watch a game on Sunday. I’m okay without the government.”
“Going to church has really helped you a lot I see,” Andrew said sarcastically looking around at the beat up helicopter.
“Done me just fine. I’m a pretty happy guy; got no problem with anyone. Don’t have to cut people down to make me feel better ‘bout my life. Just live life and treat others good.”
“Well,” Andrew said.
“Huh?”
“Just live life and treat others well,” Andrew replied. He hated it when people used “good” instead of “well.”
“I don’t know much,” Arlen said. Andrew nodded his head in an exaggerated fashion. “But, I have run this business for thirty years. Been flyin’ in these mountains since I was eighteen. My business has survived a lot but it barely survived this last year. It’s a scary time. Got a pit in my stomach that won’t go away. I worry about my kids and my business all the time. Here I’m flyin’ high over the trees in a beautiful place talkin’ to you but I’m really thinkin’ ‘bout making the payment on my house and you haggled me pretty good so I will hardly make money on this flight. Not complainin’; it’s just how it is. You ever run a business?”
Andrew hesitated. He knew that he had never run a business and he got defensive every time someone asked him that question. He had taken a few business classes in college so he felt like he understood the concepts better than most of the uneducated people who were running businesses. Besides, he had read so many political books on the economy that he thought he was practically an expert on the subject.
“I’ve studied business extensively. I know what is involved,” Andrew replied authoritatively.
“You ever feel that pit in your stomach? You ever feel the weight of everything coming down on you after you’ve taken a gigantic risk? You ever go home and look at three kids who have no idea that food might not be on the table the next day and you feel guilty because you know it, but you can’t tell them? You ever have to write checks to departments of government you’ve never even heard of? Meanwhile, your wife is out at garage sales trying to buy cheap clothes for the kids cause there’s no money left and those cute buggers are growin’ like weeds?”
Arlen paused. He was getting choked up so he looked out his window. He wiped his cheeks with his oily gloves.
“I know there’s people who got it worse than me. We try to give to the church and help those folks. I volunteer my copter when someone goes missin’. We make meals for folks who got nothin’. We try to do our part to help the needy. But, just seems that we can handle that and don’t need the government babysittin’ and takin’ our money to take care of people who aren’t doin’ a lick of work tryin’ to get into a better situation. Those people only see a bit of that money anyway seeing how the government wastes so much of it. I just think things need to change. We’re not going to make it the way we’re going. Got that pit in my stomach all the time. Won’t go away. Wake up in the middle of the night worrying. Can’t eat as much. Can’t relax and take my mind off of it. It’s always there.”
Andrew was fuming. He couldn’t believe what this guy was saying. He clearly had bought into the conservative, tea party crap and didn’t have the education to see through to reality.
“That’s a nice story,” Andrew started sarcastically. “But, I don’t think you really understand what the government does. Those people who benefit from the government would have nothing without us. They have a right to have the things that others have and we have an obligation and duty to give it to them. It’s not fair for some to suffer and experience poverty while a few of us have it all. They deserve some of that. They deserve to live the American dream just like the rest of us. If Tea-partiers got their way, those people would all die of starvation and pneumonia while everyone else – all the good Christians – stand aside and watch. It is such hypocrisy. It is so wacko I can’t even begin to describe it.”
“I think you misunderstood me. I’m not saying I don’t care about those people. In fact, I do care a lot and that is why I think they should have a chance to stand on their own. See if they can make the American dream happen for themselves. American dream don’t guarantee anything except that you have freedom to make something happen. It’s got nothin’ to do with money or status. It’s about freedom and opportunity. Poor man can still live the American dream, while a rich man can miss it. I had nothin’ growing up. Barely finished high school. Had nothin’ lined up; took a job fixin’ engines. That moved into working on helicopters. Did that for years. Saved up some money and bought this helicopter from a fella’ who couldn’t get it to run. I worked on it and fixed it and then got my pilot’s license and became a pilot. Business has been up and down but it’s my business and I can make of it what I want. Maybe not your American dream, but it’s mine and I’m happy with it.”
“That’s great but you got that chance. Some people don’t have that chance. They are stuck and can’t get out of their situation. That is where the government helps them. What would they do without it?”
“Maybe somethin’. Maybe nothin’. Who knows? But what do they do with it? Most them folks don’t go nowhere cause no one gives ‘em a kick in the butt. When I was eighteen my dad told me to get out and find a job so I did. My friend’s dad didn’t tell him nothin’; just let him sleep in the basement, gave him food and stuff. He’s still there. Never forced to go out and get somethin’. Shame too. He was a smart kid; coulda’ been somethin’ great if he’d been pushed out the house. Instead he goes from job to job not caring about anything. Lives off the government. Never been pushed; never felt that pit in his stomach.”
“Again, great story but not really reality. Studies have shown that government programs do help people improve their situations.”
Andrew stopped himself. He was getting into too much detail and he was letting Arlen control the conversation. He had wanted to just finish the conversation and move on to his adventure in the wilderness but he couldn’t let it go. He had to put Arlen in his place. Andrew instinctively resorted to his campaign rhetoric.
“If you think the tea-partiers know what they’re doing, then you’re either ignorant or dishonest. All of those candidates are wackos. They have no experience, they have radical ideas and they are incredibly stupid. Not to mention the fact that they are bigots, homophobes and racists. The fact that they won any election from city council to the Presidency just validates the ignorance of the American public. It just shows the sad state of affairs of those who vote. They are so easily swayed by promises to cut spending, reduce the deficit and shrink government. They don’t understand that, first, it will never happen. Second, if it did happen, the country would fall apart. People need the government. The government creates jobs and opportunities. The government runs important programs, protects citizens, regulates industries, protects the environment, and helps people who cannot help themselves.”
“Your tea party candidates are just ignorant Joes who want to play dress-up politician but they don’t know how things really work. They have no idea how to run a country because they’re idiots and they don’t have the intellectual qualifications to be in politics. And here you are complaining about government when you have probably never even been to Washington D.C. You’re a simple pilot who flies up and down and around the mountains. What kind of experience do you have? Where have you been and what have you done? People like you voted out the only chance we’ve got and you probably couldn’t even name the Vice President. People like you chose for everyone else and you have never even been to a college class. What do you know about the economy? You get your information from Fox News or from your Pastor.”
Having dealt Arlen a heavy blow, Andrew leaned back and stretched his legs.
“I only know what I’ve experienced. I only know the fear of taking a big risk and having to make things happen each day. Those politicians, they get paid regardless of what they do. Most of ‘em never run a business. Most never got those letters in the mail from the Department of Revenue or Labor and Industries or Treasury. I don’t think they get it. Oh well. What can I really do about it? I’m just one person. Cast my vote and then hope someone gets it right.”
“You can get educated and vote for the right person, first of all. Second, you can pay your taxes with pride and patriotism, knowing that you are supporting the country. If you do it grudgingly as you apparently do, it is as if you didn’t do it,” Andrew knew he had heard something like that before, but couldn’t remember where it came from.”
“I don’t give to the church grudgingly. Don’t help people grudgingly. Don’t give meals or service to people grudgingly. I have a choice in doing those things. No one is forcing me so I get to choose and believe, which makes me a better person. It is true charity and love. Got no choice in paying the government. Don’t make me a better person. Don’t help me overcome selfishness. It’s just pay or get in big trouble.”
“You are helping the country. It is a patriotic thing to do. Take pride in it and enjoy that feeling of knowing that you are helping people.”
“Helping or enabling?” Arlen questioned as he banked the helicopter hard to the right.
“Enabling?” Andrew was furious at this point. He couldn’t believe this man was so ignorant and ungrateful for everything Andrew and his colleagues had done to help his state and the country. He was amazed that people like this pilot were allowed to vote. He thought they should come up with a simple test to determine voter eligibility. Prerequisite questions would include: Do you believe the fact that people and corporations are causing climate change? Do you believe that it is the Government’s job to take care of its people? Do you believe that there should be more equality in wages and overall wealth? If anyone answered “no” to any of the questions, they should be prevented from voting.
“Sometimes you have to – “ [End of Excerpt]
To learn more about Liberal In Nature click here.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
OBAMA INVOKES JESUS FOR POLITICAL GAIN...
This is an excert from my book, Liberal In Nature, in which an elderly man (Michael) discusses religion and Jesus' teachings with a self-proclaimed liberal (Andrew). While this excerpt was not written specifically to address President Obama's recent use of Jesus' teachings to support tax hikes and other Government programs, it does cover the necessary points to illustrate how disengenuous and hypocritical Obama's words were. Enjoy!
"...I hate this talk about God-given rights and the power of the individual as if individuals can just choose their own selfish path and leave everyone else behind. Most people don’t have the first clue what is good for them. That’s where government comes in. People still have their freedom; the government just provides guidelines and safety nets.”
Andrew looked at the old man triumphantly, as if the argument were certainly over. He actually pitied the man for a brief moment. He knew there was no way the man could argue with his facts. Andrew hoped Michael would just concede so he wouldn't have to embarrass himself by trying to answer. But, Michael calmly cleared his throat and countered.
“I agree that not all individuals know what is best for them, but who is anyone else to tell those people what is best for them? People make mistakes and hopefully learn from them. That’s how progress really happens. That is how people learn what is best for them. If they don’t have the freedom to make mistakes, how can they ever achieve their full potential?”
Andrew shifted in his chair. The pain in his back shot through his body as he moved, but he ignored it and continued the argument.
“So are we to just turn everyone loose? Every man for himself? Hooray for the power of the individual? What about the power of society? Wouldn’t Jesus want to help people? How about ‘What would Jesus do’? That’s what I don’t get about Christians; they claim to be so religious and then they turn their backs on the poor and needy. They’re just a bunch of hypocrites.”
The old hermit looked at Andrew inquisitively. “Do you know the Bible?”
“I know enough. I was forced to go to Sunday School when I was a kid.”
“So what do you think Jesus would do?”
“He wouldn’t be a greedy, racist homophobe.”
“What would he be?”
“If He were real, He would help people. He would go out of his way to make sure there was no suffering, no war, and no pain. He would protect those who can’t protect themselves. He would eliminate inequality and unfairness. He would heal everyone and make this world a better place.”
“So, you do believe in Him?”
“I never said that. I’m just speaking from the beliefs of Christians since they are the ones who believe all these things and they are the ones who do the opposite.”
“Isn’t it a bit unfair to use their own God against them when you don’t even believe in Him? That just seems a bit hypocritical as well. It would be one thing if you believed in Him and believed all those things you said about what He would do, but since you don’t believe those things and since you don’t believe in Him, can you really speak to what He would do if He were here?”
“I am just making the point that their “Savior” taught certain things and they don’t even follow them.”
“Perhaps if you look a little deeper, you will understand a bit more. Jesus didn’t heal everyone and in fact instructed His disciples to not teach and heal certain groups of people. Jesus didn’t say there would be no suffering. Jesus didn’t promise people they would not experience pain. He didn’t say life would be fair and equal. How would you even define equality? Jesus certainly didn’t. He tried to make the world a better place but didn’t force anyone.
He taught, exhorted and encouraged, but never forced anyone to be charitable. He gave people choices and explained consequences and let them govern themselves. He did not get involved in the government. He did not pass civil laws or play politics. He rendered unto Caesar what was Caesars. He railed against politicians and those who did good to be seen of their fellowmen. Even when He healed, it wasn’t a free handout. His healings were earned through faith and usually followed with an encouragement to “sin no more” or to follow Him. When various people came to Him he sometimes responded with love and mercy and yet He sometimes responded with sternness and justice.
Why He chose one or the other, none of us knows, but we do know that He knew the hearts and minds of those people and we can assume He did and said what was needed in order to help the individual. Sometimes He presented a test for someone to pass or fail. Sometimes He simply offered an invitation. He knew the difference and He knew when to use one over the other, or something in between. The point is, no one knows what Jesus would do in a given situation because we don’t have His perfect mind and we don’t know the hearts and minds of the people around us. So, we probably shouldn’t invoke Jesus into political discussions to support our point of view - especially if we don’t actually believe in Him.”
Michael finished and looked at Andrew, who was staring at the floor as if he hadn’t heard anything the man said.
“Religion is responsible for so much of the world’s suffering,” Andrew said suddenly. “So many wars have been fought, so many people killed, so much hatred; all in the name of religion.”
“Perhaps. But perhaps those wars were fought and those people killed because of man’s need for power. Political motivations are almost always at the center of wars. Pure religion seeks to help men and women overcome that lust for power. It focuses on selflessness and humility. Men go to war when they ignore pure religion and succumb to their own carnal lusts for power and glory.
While it is true that some use religion as a banner to justify their own selfish desires, you can hardly blame the religion itself. Religion doesn’t take away man’s agency. It doesn’t force people to agree with it. If you want to go, you can go. If you don’t want to go, you don’t go. If you want to donate money to the church, temple or synagogue, you can. If you don’t want to donate money, you don’t have to. Each person has his or her own choice and pure religion strives to influence people to make selfless choices that will lead to long-term happiness, rather than short-term pleasure.” [End of excerpt]
You can learn more about the book, which tackles most of the major political issues of our day at www.liberalinnature.com.
"...I hate this talk about God-given rights and the power of the individual as if individuals can just choose their own selfish path and leave everyone else behind. Most people don’t have the first clue what is good for them. That’s where government comes in. People still have their freedom; the government just provides guidelines and safety nets.”
Andrew looked at the old man triumphantly, as if the argument were certainly over. He actually pitied the man for a brief moment. He knew there was no way the man could argue with his facts. Andrew hoped Michael would just concede so he wouldn't have to embarrass himself by trying to answer. But, Michael calmly cleared his throat and countered.
“I agree that not all individuals know what is best for them, but who is anyone else to tell those people what is best for them? People make mistakes and hopefully learn from them. That’s how progress really happens. That is how people learn what is best for them. If they don’t have the freedom to make mistakes, how can they ever achieve their full potential?”
Andrew shifted in his chair. The pain in his back shot through his body as he moved, but he ignored it and continued the argument.
“So are we to just turn everyone loose? Every man for himself? Hooray for the power of the individual? What about the power of society? Wouldn’t Jesus want to help people? How about ‘What would Jesus do’? That’s what I don’t get about Christians; they claim to be so religious and then they turn their backs on the poor and needy. They’re just a bunch of hypocrites.”
The old hermit looked at Andrew inquisitively. “Do you know the Bible?”
“I know enough. I was forced to go to Sunday School when I was a kid.”
“So what do you think Jesus would do?”
“He wouldn’t be a greedy, racist homophobe.”
“What would he be?”
“If He were real, He would help people. He would go out of his way to make sure there was no suffering, no war, and no pain. He would protect those who can’t protect themselves. He would eliminate inequality and unfairness. He would heal everyone and make this world a better place.”
“So, you do believe in Him?”
“I never said that. I’m just speaking from the beliefs of Christians since they are the ones who believe all these things and they are the ones who do the opposite.”
“Isn’t it a bit unfair to use their own God against them when you don’t even believe in Him? That just seems a bit hypocritical as well. It would be one thing if you believed in Him and believed all those things you said about what He would do, but since you don’t believe those things and since you don’t believe in Him, can you really speak to what He would do if He were here?”
“I am just making the point that their “Savior” taught certain things and they don’t even follow them.”
“Perhaps if you look a little deeper, you will understand a bit more. Jesus didn’t heal everyone and in fact instructed His disciples to not teach and heal certain groups of people. Jesus didn’t say there would be no suffering. Jesus didn’t promise people they would not experience pain. He didn’t say life would be fair and equal. How would you even define equality? Jesus certainly didn’t. He tried to make the world a better place but didn’t force anyone.
He taught, exhorted and encouraged, but never forced anyone to be charitable. He gave people choices and explained consequences and let them govern themselves. He did not get involved in the government. He did not pass civil laws or play politics. He rendered unto Caesar what was Caesars. He railed against politicians and those who did good to be seen of their fellowmen. Even when He healed, it wasn’t a free handout. His healings were earned through faith and usually followed with an encouragement to “sin no more” or to follow Him. When various people came to Him he sometimes responded with love and mercy and yet He sometimes responded with sternness and justice.
Why He chose one or the other, none of us knows, but we do know that He knew the hearts and minds of those people and we can assume He did and said what was needed in order to help the individual. Sometimes He presented a test for someone to pass or fail. Sometimes He simply offered an invitation. He knew the difference and He knew when to use one over the other, or something in between. The point is, no one knows what Jesus would do in a given situation because we don’t have His perfect mind and we don’t know the hearts and minds of the people around us. So, we probably shouldn’t invoke Jesus into political discussions to support our point of view - especially if we don’t actually believe in Him.”
Michael finished and looked at Andrew, who was staring at the floor as if he hadn’t heard anything the man said.
“Religion is responsible for so much of the world’s suffering,” Andrew said suddenly. “So many wars have been fought, so many people killed, so much hatred; all in the name of religion.”
“Perhaps. But perhaps those wars were fought and those people killed because of man’s need for power. Political motivations are almost always at the center of wars. Pure religion seeks to help men and women overcome that lust for power. It focuses on selflessness and humility. Men go to war when they ignore pure religion and succumb to their own carnal lusts for power and glory.
While it is true that some use religion as a banner to justify their own selfish desires, you can hardly blame the religion itself. Religion doesn’t take away man’s agency. It doesn’t force people to agree with it. If you want to go, you can go. If you don’t want to go, you don’t go. If you want to donate money to the church, temple or synagogue, you can. If you don’t want to donate money, you don’t have to. Each person has his or her own choice and pure religion strives to influence people to make selfless choices that will lead to long-term happiness, rather than short-term pleasure.” [End of excerpt]
You can learn more about the book, which tackles most of the major political issues of our day at www.liberalinnature.com.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Jon Stewart Adeptly Compares the "Safety Net" to Morphine...
On the February 1, 2012 episode of the Daily Show, Jon Stewart replayed the clip of Mitt Romney saying, "I'm not concerned about the very poor, we have a safety net there. If it needs repair I'll fix it. I'm not concerned about the very rich; they're doing just fine."
Stewart, in his classic manner stopped the tape, and stuttered like a madman as he teed up his witty homerun response. He said:
"Did you just suggest that you don't have to care about the very rich because they're fine but also, equivalently, the very poor because they're okay too. Because the reason the net is there is they're not okay."
So, it's all teed up; all Stewart has to do is relax, take a nice swing and this one's leaving the park. There are a lot of directions he could take this, but Stewart pulls the classic metaphor out of his toolbox. He proceeds:
"It's like a Doctor saying "you know, I'm not really concerned about the very healthy, because they're doing fine; or the very sick because...you know...morphine."
For those who are unaware, morphine is a drug used to mask severe and/or acute pain by impairing sensory, motor or attentional abilities. It also is known to have a high potential for addition; tolerance and psychological dependence. Morphine also causes constipation and slows recovery.
So, Jon is saying that the safety net (Welfare) for the poor is like morphine for a sick patient. You know, Jon, that actually sounds right. It is very much like that. Let's look at this...
Welfare is touted as a very compassionate and loving system, but it too has a high potential for addiction; tolerance and psychological dependence. Welfare, also, can constipate the soul and relieve pain and discomfort so much that it slows or eliminates recovery. Many welfare recipients become so addicted to government assistance that they develop a tolerance and are never able to break free from it.
Well done, Jon. You have made a very important point, which Conservatives have been making for years. It's good to see that you have realized the potentially destructive consequences of a welfare state. Just as we don't want the patient to "live" his days in a morphine-induced haze, we certainly don't want welfare recipients to go through life propped up by the impairment of perpetual handouts.
Stewart, in his classic manner stopped the tape, and stuttered like a madman as he teed up his witty homerun response. He said:
"Did you just suggest that you don't have to care about the very rich because they're fine but also, equivalently, the very poor because they're okay too. Because the reason the net is there is they're not okay."
So, it's all teed up; all Stewart has to do is relax, take a nice swing and this one's leaving the park. There are a lot of directions he could take this, but Stewart pulls the classic metaphor out of his toolbox. He proceeds:
"It's like a Doctor saying "you know, I'm not really concerned about the very healthy, because they're doing fine; or the very sick because...you know...morphine."
For those who are unaware, morphine is a drug used to mask severe and/or acute pain by impairing sensory, motor or attentional abilities. It also is known to have a high potential for addition; tolerance and psychological dependence. Morphine also causes constipation and slows recovery.
So, Jon is saying that the safety net (Welfare) for the poor is like morphine for a sick patient. You know, Jon, that actually sounds right. It is very much like that. Let's look at this...
Welfare is touted as a very compassionate and loving system, but it too has a high potential for addiction; tolerance and psychological dependence. Welfare, also, can constipate the soul and relieve pain and discomfort so much that it slows or eliminates recovery. Many welfare recipients become so addicted to government assistance that they develop a tolerance and are never able to break free from it.
Well done, Jon. You have made a very important point, which Conservatives have been making for years. It's good to see that you have realized the potentially destructive consequences of a welfare state. Just as we don't want the patient to "live" his days in a morphine-induced haze, we certainly don't want welfare recipients to go through life propped up by the impairment of perpetual handouts.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Liberal In Nature: Book Synopsis
When Democrats suffer a crushing political defeat, Andrew, a self-proclaimed liberal, flees society to live in the wilderness and soon discovers that his liberal ideology is perfectly suited to fixing the inequalities and injustices he perceives in nature. He settles in a beautiful, isolated valley that is rich with mountains, streams, animals and lush vegetation.
After several months of observing the patterns and cycles of the valley, Andrew notices that nature is not as perfect as he originally thought. He sees squirrels that gather more nuts than others, a bear who dominates and bullies the other animals, a misunderstood wolf who is the victim of prejudice, trees that don’t get as much sunlight as others, salmon who can’t spawn because of oppressive waterfalls, deer who have to work too hard for their food and much more.
Andrew takes it upon himself to bring fairness and equality to nature. Applying his liberal ideology, he intercedes on behalf of oppressed and underprivileged organisms as he tries to fundamentally transform the valley. He sees himself as a savior to the valley and he tries to earn the animals’ trust by easing their burdens. His meddling, however, disrupts the balance of nature eventually producing unexpected and undesirable consequences.
Liberal In Nature addresses – directly or indirectly - important social and political issues such as: abortion, affirmative action, the death penalty, the economy, education, energy, global warming, gun control, health care, homeland security, immigration, private property, the relationship between religion and government, social security, taxes, the Tea Party, terrorism, and welfare.
Liberal In Nature is a witty, satirical political novel aimed at anyone who has an interest in politics, but it most often resonates with a more conservative audience. It is layered with parables, metaphors, irony and humor. Some readers enjoy it for its simplicity while others enjoy it for its depth of thought and research. Buy a copy of Liberal In Nature !
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