2008

Happy new year!

(I didn't smoke a single cigarette in 2007! Wow!)

Here's to a new president being elected. Here's to getting out of the torture and detention and immigration crackdown business.

More blog postings? Only time will tell!

peace, love, and solidarity to all!

nihilix

Devilstower's Religion Article

I'd bookmarked the religion article, or found it again. The author is devilstower and it's called Incompatible with Democracy

Does this mean that Christianity or Judaism are incompatible with democracy? Yes, to the same extent and for the same reasons that Islam is also incompatible. All three are intrinsically ill-suited to be the source of a democratic government. They're incompatible because theocracy is incompatible with democracy. Every step that any government takes in providing either recognition or authority to any religion, is a step away from democracy. That's unavoidable, no matter the religion involved. The moment you have a government that acknowledges any religion as the true religion, you have a government in which some animals are far more equal than others.

The Little People, Silly People argument would have it that Islam is particularly poorly-shaped for democracy. However, anyone who doubts that the principles of Christianity can drive just as much violence and intolerance as Islam is ignorant of both history and world events. The history of Christianity is replete with holy empires, holy kingdoms, and holy wars of conquest -- and many of them not comfortably ensconced in the distant past. Everyone who moans that the Ten Commandments should be posted in every school and courthouse, could benefit from contemplating the ultimate fruition of that philosophy in the God's Army militia in Burma. Under the banner of bringing a "government based on the Ten Commandments" to their country, God's Army has killed more than a million people -- far more than al-Qaeda.

Very nice.

Merry Xmas.

Fascism and coups and fundamentalists.

I really wasn't gonna blog - got some gaming to do - but here's three great things, in reverse order.

The Right Wing propaganda machine has been demonizing the Islam with 'they want to institute sharia law in the USA' line. I've heard it in three-five places; it's the Word of the Week.

I think it was on DailyKos where someone - their science guy? - says:

"Yeah, Sharia law sucks, because it's a theocracy. We're a democracy. Of course, you and your friends want one too."

So that's the comeback - that's a theocracy. We don't want one from anyone.

Coups - Amanda Marcotte at Pandagon (who had the good Edwards quote - the one of the lot with the greatest chance of showing some backbone against the Right if he gets elected.) and she wrote about the Clinton impeachment and the 2000 election. Good story.

And fascism - some great laffs on Jesus's General.

And besides this, Bush should resign. And impeaching Cheney would be nice.

Youtubes sure are funny.

The election, 2008 President.

I was chatting with someone in my World of Warcraft guild about the election.

She's theoretically Republican - pro-military (or at least more than me) and yet disgusted with the choices offered by party for President.

So I said that in my mind, both parties were controlled by the corporations, who had allied with the militarists, fundamentalist Christians, and 'the kind of spooks you shouldn't let out of the back rooms at Langley.'

She laughed, but I got to thinking about fascism.

Isn't this the basic constellation of power that you get for a fascist state? State military power, corporations, the secret police, and hate-based reactionaries?

Just sayin'.

Republican party, home of wingnuts

The best thing that America could see at the Republican National Convention would be the real face of the party. The evolution-denying, noose carrying kind.

Evil cop tricks foiled in Canada

This is hilarious. Three cops, agents provocateurs, at the SPP protests in Canada. They're there to start an incident, but this union guy gets on to them and tells them to blow it out their patooties.



In case you missed the whole thing, it goes like this - you get cops undercover to start an incident so the rest of their heavily-armed brethren have an excuse to beat the crap out of a bunch of protesters.

And besides this, Bush abdicandum est*.
(*Bush must resign)

No promises

Last updated in June??? WTF?

New job. Crazy life. Shifting patterns of computer use related to smoking cessation (and Warcraft addiction).

I am in Minnesota, and I have a Winona connection, and no-one I know died in either bridge collapse or flooding. But Pawlenty and his "no taxes no way for nothing" and his "veto spending on transport" can go take a hike.

Besides this, George Bush Must Resign.

Teh Booxxor of Joob

Teh Booxxor of Joob

I'll translate this one line alone - the book of Job.

Gh0d: Day-vid! u iz wikedz.

Day-vid: wikedz good?

Gh0d: wikedz bad! im in ur hous, killin ur kid.

Day-vid: oh noes! not mai kid! iz not hiz falt.

Mark Twain's War Prayer

Mr Twain wrote a story about how God is good - for us - and bad for our enemies. At least according to those who want war. Are they godly, those who want war? If they're honest, this is how they would sound...

"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle -- be Thou near them! With them -- in spirit -- we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it -- for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen."

And besides this, Bush abdicandum est*.
(*Bush must resign)