Brutally Honest

A Vanderleunian History Lesson

Gerard at American Digest is an extraordinary wordsmith.  I've linked to him numerous times in the past.  I know I'll link to him again in the future.

His On the Return of History is something I think we all need to read.  Then we need to get on the phone or e-mail those we know and those we love and ask them to read it as well.  And then we need to ask them to tell their loved ones to do the same.

I know my boys stop by the blog on occasion and that honors me.  I'm hoping they'll especially read Gerard's piece and ponder, seriously ponder, what's being said.

Here's a teaser excerpt:

IN THE DAYS AFTER THE TOWERS FELL, in the ash that covered the Brooklyn street where I lived at that time, in the smoke that rose for months from that spot across the river, when rising up in the skyscraper I worked in, or riding deep beneath the river in the subway, or passing the thousand small shrines of puddled candle wax below the walls with the hundreds of photographs of "The Missing," it was not too much to say that you could feel the doors of history open all about you.

Before those days, history happened elsewhere, elsewhen, to others. History did not happen to you. In your world, until that day, you lived in the time after history. There were no more doors in front of you, all history lay behind you. It was a given.

You would have, of course, your own personal history. You would live your life, no bigger or smaller than most others. You would meet people, have children, go to the job, enjoy what material things came your way, have your celebrations, your vacations, your possessions, and your dinner parties. You would hate and you would love. You would be loved and betrayed. You would have your little soap opera and the snapshots and emails to prove it. At some point or another you would die and be remembered by some for some time. Then it would all fade and the great ocean would just roll on. And that would be fine.

History was behind us. It was something our parents entered for a while during the war but they emerged into what was, essentially, the long peace. They'd had enough history, didn't want any more, and did what they could to keep history from happening. In general, the history of the Cold War is the history of what didn't happen punctuated by a few things every now and then such as Korea and Vietnam. But all in all, for over 50 years, history didn't happen.

With the end of the Soviet Union in a whimper and not a bang brighter than the sun on earth, history was officially over. The moment even got its own book, "The End of History," which stimulated an argument that even more than the book emphasized that history was over.

Most sensible people liked it that way. In fact, a lot of people really liked it that way. Because if history for the world was over, these people could get on making the history that really mattered to them: The History of Me.

More and more throughout the 90s "History" was "out," and "Me" was in. "Me," "Having My Space," "How to Be Your Own Best Friend," "Me, Myself, I," were hallmarks of that self-besotted age. The History of Me was huge in the 90s and rolled right through the millennium. It even had a Customized President to preside over those years; the Most Me President ever. A perfect man for the time and one who, in the end, did not disappoint in choosing "Me" over "Country." How could he do otherwise? It was the option his constituency of Many-Million-Mes elected him to select. I know because I was into Me then and I voted for him because, well, because he seemed to be "just like me." It was a sad day when "Me" couldn't run for a third term, but The Party of Me offered up "Mini-Me" and a lot of Mes turned out for him too.

Many millions of Mini-Mes were very upset when there weren't quite enough Mes in one state to put Mini-Me in office to continue with the wonderful Me-ness of it all. I voted for "Mini-Me" in 2000, but not because he really seemed like Me, but because he was the only thing out there that said he was Me.

Methinks you should read the rest.

Multiple times.

When is satire good?

When it's obviously a joke but it might just not be.

WuzzaDem has some damned good satire up.

Go and see.

How would San Francisco react...

... if a Muslim youth rally were to take place in AT&T Park:

SAN FRANCISCO — A Christian youth rally that drew more than 25,000 people to AT&T Park this weekend met resistance from city leaders and some residents, who questioned the rally's agenda in this largely liberal, gay-friendly metropolis.

The two-day rally, called "Battle Cry for a Generation," was intended to guide young people away from a popular culture that organizers say glamorizes drugs, violence and sex.

Ron Luce, whose Texas-based Teen Mania organization put on the event, said it hopefully would inspire a "reverse rebellion" against corrupting influences such as MTV and the online meeting hub, MySpace.com.

The rally, which also will visit Detroit and Philadelphia, featured religious rockers, speakers and the debut of what Luce called a Christian alternative to MySpace.com — at advance ticket prices of $55 and walk-up prices of $199.

"This is more than a spiritual war," said Luce, 44, a Concord native and a President Bush appointee to a federal anti-drug abuse commission. "It's a culture war."

City leaders prepared for the battle earlier this week, when the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution condemning the "act of provocation" by an "anti-gay," "anti-choice" organization that aimed to "negatively influence the politics of America's most tolerant and progressive city."

Luce said it was the first time one of his events has been officially condemned.

Both sides clashed Friday outside City Hall, where Luce led a pre-Battle Cry gathering of teenagers waving triangular red flags flown from long, medieval-looking poles that went with the event's military metaphors.

"Are you ready to go to battle for your generation?" he asked, to which the crowd roared "yes!"

A Battle Cry invitation had made plain the symbolism of gathering at "the very City Hall steps where several months ago, gay marriages were celebrated for all the world to see."

Barricades separated Luce's crowd with counterprotesters about 6 feet away who said the Friday and Saturday event amounted to a "fascist mega-pep rally."

Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, told counterprotesters that while such fundamentalists may be small in number, "they're loud, they're obnoxious, they're disgusting and they should get out of San Francisco."

Kudos to Ace of Spades HQ, a fellow PajamaHadeen, who summarized this whole thing rather... er... esoterically:

It's become socially unacceptable to say Jesus Christ in public (at least in a non-blasphemous manner), and yet it's intolerant to not want to sit on the stool just vacated by the guy wearing nothing but assless chaps and nipple-clips.

Touche.

Sweet Lou, you sure do look thinner these days

My sister's husband is one tough bird.  He's also a retired Air Force fighter pilot and the kind of guy you'd want to share a fox-hole with.

He, as most fighter pilots are wont to do, likes to stay in shape and so, with discipline birthed in the service, will frequently be found at the gym, even when his Fed-Ex pilot job takes him on the road.

My sister was telling me today about his most recent work-out. 

He had decided to pump a little iron and so he changed into his gym clothes and headed down to the hotel work-out room.  This one was adorned with the typical array of mirrors on the walls and as he worked up a sweat, he couldn't help but notice how much thinner he was looking.

Pleased with himself and the knowledge that all those hours in the gym were paying off, he completed his workout, stealing one last gratifying peek-a-boo at the cut-down dude staring back at him in the mirror.

With an extra pep in his step despite the exercise, he headed back up to his room via the nearby elevator, thinking to himself that he didn't look too bad at all for a guy moving chronologically beyond the dreaded double nickel.

It was in the elevator however that he noticed something askew, something not quite right, something out of kilter, something odd, with his pair of customary black gym shorts, the ones that were comfortable, made of the kind of porous material that allows for air circulation, and usually rather... well... loose fitting. 

He was more than a bit chagrined to find instead that he was wearing his black pair of rather tight fitting Jockey Classic Boxer Briefs.  In his haste to hit the weights and cardio machine, he'd forgotten to slip on his gym shorts.  No word yet as to whether there was any one with him working out.  Or whether any of this might end up on the Internet.

Heh.

Hey Sweet Lou, come clean. 

Do those boxer-briefs have the control top waist-band?

Heh.

(Oh, for those who might be wondering, hold your cursor over the picture momentarily to get your answer)

Public Service Announcement

Something tells me this guy's a scam artist...  I'm just saying.

UPDATE: It occurred to me that this guy looks like someone I know.  An ex-coworker and co-biker (though he likes them eye-talian rides).  Joe, is this you man?

Jim Wallis - Faker Extraordinaire

I knew there was sound reason for Fishkite's presence on the blogroll.  His latest link rich post provides further evidence.  Go and read it all.  And follow his links.

Wallis is nailed.  And this e-mail received today gives us insight into what the man is really about:

Dear Rick,

Yesterday in Ohio, the monologue of the Religious Right gave way to a long overdue dialogue on the role of faith in politics.

At a theater in downtown Columbus, Sojourners' Jim Wallis and conservative Ohio pastor Russell Johnson spoke for 90 minutes on the priorities Christians should bring with them to the polls.

Johnson is one of the leaders of the Ohio Restoration Project, a group of "Patriot Pastors" who are organizing Christians around an extreme, conservative agenda on gay marriage, abortion, homosexuality, and the teaching of evolution in public schools.

Wallis and Johnson agreed that Christians should vote their values, but they disagreed on what those moral priorities should be.

Said Jim Wallis: "I think the Religious Right makes a mistake when it suggests that there are only two religious values issues: abortion and gay marriage. Many care about other things, but when it comes to politics, these are their primary political, public issues ... As an evangelical Christian, when I find 2,000 verses in my Bible about poor people, I insist fighting poverty is a moral values issue, too."

Yesterday's dialogue in politically important Ohio is an example of the kind of work Sojourners can take to the whole country - but only with your help. Click here to make a gift to Sojourners today.

Every day, we're seeing evidence of a growing movement of Christians who don't want to go left or right - but who do want to go deeper to address root issues like poverty that impact all of us. With your support, we can continue to challenge the monologue of the Religious Right.

Please consider a gift of $500, $250, or $100. Click here to give online. You can help Sojourners magnify and expand a broad, progressive voice of faith to the entire nation.

In a few weeks we will be coming to you again with our regular spring fundraising appeal, but we couldn't miss this opportunity to share with you this exciting event in Ohio. If you choose to give now, we're grateful. If you choose to give now and again in a few weeks, we're doubly grateful.

For all your prayers and support, thanks.

Send your money to Wallis... not just once, but more than once.   Send your money to a man who claims that God is neither a Democrat or a Republican in a best selling book but who's been given a free pass by most as to what party he's supporting with all the funds he's raising.

Give your money to a liberal masquerading as a moderate.

Give your money to a snake oil salesman.

Give your money.

Fool.

Clinically dissecting The Christian Peacemaker Teams

Via The Anchoress comes Dr. Sanity and her cutting diagnosis of what it is that ails the CPT:

By now everyone knows the story of how these people were rescued by the US and British Military in Iraq and who--instead of being openly thankful of their rescue gave only grudging thanks, refused to cooperate with their rescuers; and basically insulted the rescuers as being the "root cause" of their being kidnapped in the first place; while praising their captors, who had ruthlessly tortured and murdered one of their fellow activists.

Many people rightly wonder, what kind of bizarre psychopathology could make people behave in this perverted fashion? Well, it ain't "love" and it certainly isn't "peace" that lies behind their actions, much as they would like to believe that is the case.

I submit that it is the same psychopathology of victimhood, with its concomitant psychological projection and denial of personal responsibility...

...

They have been lying to themselves for years; avoiding acknowledging their own feelings or taking responsibility for their own lives or actions; and projecting all their unacceptable feelings onto others. Both Western culture--America in particular; and the "system" are handy dandy repositories for those unacceptable feelings.

Some part of them recognizes that something dreadful is going on in the world, but they cannot face it directly because it is too threatening to their worldview and their holy scripture; and facing the truth might make them have to go into their heart of hearts to examine the origins of that dreadful terror. Hence the need to displace their anxiety to a less threatening authority figure (e.g., Bush or America; or even those that rescue them from death) is easier than facing the dread source of their anxiety.

Three psychological defense mechanisms (projection, denial, and displacement) are the source almost all human suffering--from the individual misery of my patient all the way to the societal miseries that result from racism, anti-semitism, sexism and genocide; as well as the brutal and fanatical terrorism that we now see all over the world.

If the peace activists and others of their ilk want to understand the wellspring of man's inhumanity to man, then they need to take a good, long look in the mirror.

The Religious Left are dangerous.  We now have clinical proof.

Modern liberalism: Origin of a species

Publius over at Gods of the Copybook Headings is rendering his views of the Christian Peacemaker's recent rescue.  I thought it fit neatly with Rick's earlier post on the matter.  Writes Publius:

Since its beginning Christianity has been divided into two broad camps than might be loosely described as "Hippie Christianity" and, to borrow a Victorian phrase with a somewhat different meaning, "Muscular Christianity."  The Hippies take the Sermon on the Mount, and much of the New Testament, rather too literally and then exaggerate.  They take the injunctions that it is noble to sacrifice oneself for others, to turn the other cheek and love thy enemies very seriously. 

Muscular Christianity has always been rather more, shall we say, practical.  Yes, it is good and noble to forgive and sacrifice, but evil is evil and it must be fought otherwise good might be destroyed or weakened.  Mercy is right and proper, but justice must have its say too.  Compassion to the poor and weak is heroic, unless it cripples one's own capacity to live and turns the poor and weak into dependents, doing neither themselves or others any good.  Muscular Christianity takes the New Testament with a grain of salt and much common sense.  The Hippies, whether among the early Christian communes in Rome and Judea, or their heirs in the Woodstock muck, are far more literalist than the much decried fundamentalists.  Modern liberalism isn't a mental disorder, it's Muscular Christianity's half witted bastard nephew.  Modern liberalism is a secular degeneration of Hippie Christianity.   

A rather concise summation.

...Leslie

More shameful lies from the Religious Left

Mike has done once more what Mike does best... champion yet another Bush critic peddling lies while attempting to convince his readers that insights extraordinaire are there for the taking:

What may be the buildup to an attack on Iran, the new breeding ground of terrorists according to the U.S. lexicon of evil nations, appears to be in high gear. It’s a ritual now of recognizable parts:

First we have a nuclear standoff -- which this time may be real for a change -- given the fear generated in the Middle East as well as in the States as a result of our last unsubstantiated “preemptive strike.”

Allow me an interruption to ask if it might be possible for Chittister and her sycophants to take a break from their Bush hatred to read something like this.  But don't count on it... that would suggest that they truly are open to notions of truth that disagrees with their own and we know that not to be the case.

Back to Chittister and the gospel she's proclaiming:

Then, we have the declaration of the new, but now theologized and therefore holy, “doctrine of pre-emptive war.” Meaning that if we decide that another country has something that is dangerous to us, they have it and we will respond accordingly.

Then we have the parade of sabers and spears, of bombs and bombers. This, of course, is designed to intimidate the rest of the world and embolden the United States itself. I mean, if nobody can beat us, what difference does it make whether we’re right or wrong again. We’ll win anyway.

Then we have the swashbuckling speeches of a president already defeated in one war and attempting, perhaps, to distract from that debacle by creating another one.

Please allow yet another interdiction on my part to note that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan can be seen to be defeats only when viewed through lens fogged by Bush Derangement Syndrome.  It must be extremely tough for these holy persons of God to walk around each day so filled with love for the enemy and hatred for those championing freedom for all.  Back to the gospel according to Chittister:

The only question now is whether or not the public, the Congress, the world will risk another frightening U.S. fiasco in the name of freedom. Whose freedom, we’re never told. To what end, no one knows. With what success, given our present record, is anyone’s guess.

The problem is that this time we are being asked not only to be afraid but also to be nonsensical, absurd, fatuous, inane.

We are being asked to forget the blunders in Iraq:

Forget the embarrassment of the “intelligence” that wasn’t.

Forget the old reservists who did double duty for the troops who could never be convinced of the valor of the war and so never enlisted.

Forget the number of U.S. soldiers who fell in the sand and never rose again.

Forget the pictures of Iraqi families streaming out of broken homes and pockmarked cities, saved by us, we say, only to be abandoned by us, they say.

Forget the blood spattered children in whom the seeds of another war have already been planted.

Forget the burst water systems, the streets running with sewage, the downed electric grids, the sabotaged oil fields.

Forget the wounded in body and the shattered of soul.

Forget the fact that we made things worse rather than better for a country that was bad enough off to begin with.

Forget the evolving anti-Americanism that now festers even among our most traditional allies. “Americans are very shocked,” the young Irish woman said to me, “when they come to Europe and find out we don’t like them. Why are they shocked?” she asked. And she meant it.

Ahem.  Forget the Taliban and their oppression of those who think not like they do.  Forget Hussein and his torture and murder of political opponents, the raping of their wives, the gassing of entire villages, the thumbing of their nose at the U.N. and 17 security resolutions, the schools and infrastructure that's being built, the hope being born out of being free, the ability to choose a form of government freely and the notion that where democracy flourishes, freedom reigns.

Back to the deranged:

Somewhere in the gospels the line echoes over and over again ominously and unendingly, “And the last state shall be worse than the first.”

Why have we suddenly abandoned the decades of deterrence and containment that guided U.S. foreign policy and out-waited the cold war for over 50 years? The U.S. prospered under it; the world balanced on an unsteady peace for years because of it; talks went on unceasingly during it until understanding increased and alliances formed and bonds developed and old enemies outgrew their enmity as a result of it.

If there is such a thing as national neurosis, are we in it? Will public paranoia be the disease that defeats us in the end?

What is likely to defeat us are people like Joan Chittister and like-minded idiots spreading bald faced lies and inciting hatred that emboldens the terrorists.  It is one thing to hold an opinion opposed to the particular and specific policies of this administration.  It is quite another to tell one unsubstantiated lie after another and proclaim it to be the gospel truth.  Chittister ought to be ashamed.  Chittister ought to open her eyes and embrace the notion that she might just be full of... crap.  Instead, she'll continue to shovel her own brand of crap to her readers and she'll apparently continue to be embraced by those driven by hatred for all things Bush.  It really is rather sad but more than sad, it's really quite a dangerous mindset.

While we frisked little old ladies in wheelchairs in our airports on the grounds that they might be foreign agents, we would have allowed our commercial seaports to be serviced under the auspices of the very people we said we were trying to keep out of the country.

While we preached the fear of foreigners, we spied on our own.

While we assumed the right to invade the borders of every nation on earth, we tightened ours against the poor whose poverty came as a result of our wealth.

While we preached life, we practiced death in its name.

Has our hysteria reached the point where, like a blind giant, we are raging around the world swatting flies with a pile driver?

Is this the United States that won the respect and admiration of the world as recently as 50 years ago and lost it more recently because of torture chambers and kennels full of uncharged prisoners in leg irons?

Who are we now? Who do we want to be? Who will our leaders insist that we be? Or shall they be the very ones who lead us into more ignorant ignominy?

Have we, in all our power, forgotten all of our ideals? Are ideals only for the poor and the powerless? Is power the only foreign policy the powerful need to apply? And is it really working in Iraq -- a country on the verge of civil war, crippled physically, full of anger, and unsafe -- both for us and for them?

From where I stand, these are the questions real patriots ask. But are we?

According to The Irish Times, (Denis Staunton, March 17, p. 10) a poll by the Pew Research Center asked U.S. respondents to suggest one word that described the president. Up to this time, the word most commonly chosen has been “honest.” In this poll, “the single characteristic most closely associated with Mr. Bush in the current poll is ‘incompetent.’”

But I don’t know. When it takes six years of international bungling to change people’s perceptions of current policies, you have to wonder, don’t you, who’s really been incompetent and who’s really been clever?

Our one best hope may lie in soon being able to answer that question.

That's an interesting conclusion coming from a Benedictine nun sworn to proclaim Christ as the world's one best hope.  But not really. 

Joan Chittister and those who lift her high are in reality proclaiming a new gospel, one centered on hating those who think not like they do, turning blind eyes to the good that side is doing in the world, demonizing their opponents (in the name of Christ no less) and telling out right lies in their quest to spread the truth.

To call this shameful is to understate the shame shamefully.

Brutally Honest break

I'll be away from a viable internet connection for the weekend, so unless my guest bloggers do their thing, it's likely to be quiet here.

Talk amongst yourselves if inclined.  Check out the blogroll.  Or take a break yourselves.

'See' ya soon.