Posted on Huffingtonpost. com today:
Not believing in a religion is not a belief.
Everyone is an atheist, by the definition given. Do you believe in Krishna? No? You're an atheist. Thor? Atheist. Ishtar? Souless you are.
The implication here is that God exists, and to not believe is in itself an act of faith, therefore a religion itself.
This shouldn't even be a debate. Atheism is a term loaded with assumptions. The problem is sematic -- most problems with humans are semantic in origin.
Faith is the belief in something without proof. I'll give you that I have faith in the rights of man as stated by Jefferson. I know there is no rational basis for it. But it is a faith necessitated by a need for humane structure for society, not a need to believe that a superhuman told me to believe so.
Faith is not the same as religion. Religion is a belief in beings that by definition are always outside the sphere of reason and evidence. Being or beings. Agents, projections of the id onto the universe. And it always seems to boil down to holy writ and forced impression on children to carry the line forward.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Two racist black men walk into this night club, see, and scream down the comedian with prejudiced epithets, calling him a cracker and a white boy, interrupting his professional work and infuriating the comic.
The comic cuts loose with a Pryoresque tirade, returning their own racism with matching fire. Apparently he was funny. Took them down.
But his career is in ruins, and the racists who should have been tossed from the club become heroes and victims.
Would a black comedian have been disgraced using the same words? No? Racism, in the raw. Soooo. You are a racist has-been only if you're pale? Where is the condemnation of the racists who spewed forth their hatred in the nightclub? Are they unemployable now? Who exactly are the racists in this situation? Why is making fun of the asshats who were doing their reverse-KKK, using the "nigger" word, such a horror?
Tarantino was right. The word "nigger" needs to lose its voltage. I hear the word dozens of times a day -- if blacks want the word to die, they should start thinking about not using it themselves.
And blacks have their own words for whites with the same voltage as "nigger". It's just not talked about, because that would be racist.
Racist, the term, does not mean "disrepectful to blacks". It means to demean or discriminate against another because of their "race", whatever that means, as the term has no meaning in science. Skin color, then.
Why is this a national story while thousands die in our occupation of Iraq? Too easy and fun to cover, I guess. Cheap advertising dollars for your show, no heavy lifting or thinking involved. Gets you brownie points.
The comic cuts loose with a Pryoresque tirade, returning their own racism with matching fire. Apparently he was funny. Took them down.
But his career is in ruins, and the racists who should have been tossed from the club become heroes and victims.
Would a black comedian have been disgraced using the same words? No? Racism, in the raw. Soooo. You are a racist has-been only if you're pale? Where is the condemnation of the racists who spewed forth their hatred in the nightclub? Are they unemployable now? Who exactly are the racists in this situation? Why is making fun of the asshats who were doing their reverse-KKK, using the "nigger" word, such a horror?
Tarantino was right. The word "nigger" needs to lose its voltage. I hear the word dozens of times a day -- if blacks want the word to die, they should start thinking about not using it themselves.
And blacks have their own words for whites with the same voltage as "nigger". It's just not talked about, because that would be racist.
Racist, the term, does not mean "disrepectful to blacks". It means to demean or discriminate against another because of their "race", whatever that means, as the term has no meaning in science. Skin color, then.
Why is this a national story while thousands die in our occupation of Iraq? Too easy and fun to cover, I guess. Cheap advertising dollars for your show, no heavy lifting or thinking involved. Gets you brownie points.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Ted Rall at the Smirking Chimp is saying in his article today entitled "Our Long National Nightmare Has Just Begun: Like Cornered Rats, GOP Losers More Dangerous Than Ever", what I've been thinking since last January:
Let's say it. The concentration camps are being built, the laws are in place to grab us, and the National Guard has been placed under Bush's control. We've a war coming up, a civil war between the PNACers and the United States of America.
In January 2006 HomeSec awarded a $385 million contract to Kellogg, Brown and Root, the subsidiary of Halliburton Co., to build "temporary detention and processing capabilities"--internment camps--"in the event of an emergency influx of immigrants into the U.S., or to support the rapid development of new programs."Let me add, that quote was from Halliburton's main web page back in January.
Let's say it. The concentration camps are being built, the laws are in place to grab us, and the National Guard has been placed under Bush's control. We've a war coming up, a civil war between the PNACers and the United States of America.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Senate nominally Democratic, but will be a Republican majority in a pinch.
And, the author begins to order his thoughts about "conspiracies" and misunderstood e-voting dangers
Looks like my option (1) from yesterday came true: a Democratic majority Senate only with Lieberman cooperating, or if he turns traitor, Cheney will break the tie votes in Bush's favor. The Democrats really haven't taken control of the Senate: Lieberman has. And he's itching for some payback. Lieberman will decide who sits on any the Supreme Court seat that comes open, for instance.
I'll have some words later on the idea that the voting machine conspiracy theory has been proven wrong. For one, I hate the term "conspiracy theory". The idea that a worldwide communist movement which secretly moved to destroy American freedom existed in the 1900's was the ultimate -- and dead wrong -- conspiracy theory, yet it is accepted as gospel by nearly every person in the U.S. Tweaking a few voter cards or mangling the totals in a Windows server box which counts up voter totals from cards isn't that big a deal. One person could do it, so by definition it wouldn't be a conspiracy.
More later.
And, the author begins to order his thoughts about "conspiracies" and misunderstood e-voting dangers
Looks like my option (1) from yesterday came true: a Democratic majority Senate only with Lieberman cooperating, or if he turns traitor, Cheney will break the tie votes in Bush's favor. The Democrats really haven't taken control of the Senate: Lieberman has. And he's itching for some payback. Lieberman will decide who sits on any the Supreme Court seat that comes open, for instance.
I'll have some words later on the idea that the voting machine conspiracy theory has been proven wrong. For one, I hate the term "conspiracy theory". The idea that a worldwide communist movement which secretly moved to destroy American freedom existed in the 1900's was the ultimate -- and dead wrong -- conspiracy theory, yet it is accepted as gospel by nearly every person in the U.S. Tweaking a few voter cards or mangling the totals in a Windows server box which counts up voter totals from cards isn't that big a deal. One person could do it, so by definition it wouldn't be a conspiracy.
More later.
For the last quarter century since that grinning moron became president in the Eighties, I've felt like a stranger drifting through the fog-covered grounds of a mental institution. Up was down, right was wrong, and nothing was ever anyone's fault, unless a blue dress was involved.
Not so much now. Even Howard the Duck might think twice about cranking today.
Good night and good luck.
Not so much now. Even Howard the Duck might think twice about cranking today.
Good night and good luck.
Or, worse case scenario, Lieberman switches parties and the Republicans win all up-and-down votes by the use of Herr Cheney breaking ties.
Worst case scenario, the Repubs somehow change the votes during the recounts and all the other speculation becomes moot.
But, as I thought, they couldn't affect the House races. Too many moving targets. And, hey, Bush can't install any more Supreme Court justices, unless the Democrats still have too many compromising idiots in their ranks.
Worst case scenario, the Repubs somehow change the votes during the recounts and all the other speculation becomes moot.
But, as I thought, they couldn't affect the House races. Too many moving targets. And, hey, Bush can't install any more Supreme Court justices, unless the Democrats still have too many compromising idiots in their ranks.
Looks like Tester for Montana! Virginia still in play. If Virginia stays blue, then they are 49 Democrats, 49 Republicans, 1 Socialist (figure as Democrat), and 1 Lieberman (treat as Republican) in the Senate.
I think Firedoglake has it right, when they predict Lieberman will position himself for some major worship to tip votes the Democrat's way. Else, deadlock, with ties decided by Cheney.
I think Firedoglake has it right, when they predict Lieberman will position himself for some major worship to tip votes the Democrat's way. Else, deadlock, with ties decided by Cheney.
McCaskill takes the Senate seat for Missouri. She's giving the victory speech. The flying Diebold monkeys have not landed, and I am a very happy man. CNN has not confirmed.
Larry King is predicting the flying lawyer monkeys will land and slow it down for months. So much for the people deciding elections rather than the lawyers, eh?
Larry King is predicting the flying lawyer monkeys will land and slow it down for months. So much for the people deciding elections rather than the lawyers, eh?
Virginia, Missouri, Montana. Margins of victory around one percent in each of these Senate races.
This is when the flying monkeys in Diebold and Sequoia may be called. Just a tiny, tiny tweak in three precincts in those three states can give the Senate to the Republicans. One bag man with a laptop can move the totals in three aggregating PCs. And he doesn't even have to leave home to do it, though I think he'd be smart enough to use an unsecured wireless access point.
I'm betting on the cheat. It's too easy.
This is when the flying monkeys in Diebold and Sequoia may be called. Just a tiny, tiny tweak in three precincts in those three states can give the Senate to the Republicans. One bag man with a laptop can move the totals in three aggregating PCs. And he doesn't even have to leave home to do it, though I think he'd be smart enough to use an unsecured wireless access point.
I'm betting on the cheat. It's too easy.
Paul Begala just said on CNN that his sources are begging for lawyers to run to Virginia immediately to monitor the ballot counting. I feel a chill...
Republican on staff immediately said that lawyers shouldn't decide elections. This from the party that lawyered the 2000 race into a Supreme Court intervention to prevent the completion of the recount in Dade County, Florida.
Something is happening in Virginia? Are we hearing the e-votes disappear tonight?
Republican on staff immediately said that lawyers shouldn't decide elections. This from the party that lawyered the 2000 race into a Supreme Court intervention to prevent the completion of the recount in Dade County, Florida.
Something is happening in Virginia? Are we hearing the e-votes disappear tonight?
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Democrats take the House.
For twenty-four of the last twenty-six years, I have endured the growth of the evangelical, authoritarian right. Only two years of my adult life have not been touched by the madness, and those two years the Democrats opposed their own president.
Now, we have an angry sane majority in the House. May I be wrong about the Senate. Please.
For twenty-four of the last twenty-six years, I have endured the growth of the evangelical, authoritarian right. Only two years of my adult life have not been touched by the madness, and those two years the Democrats opposed their own president.
Now, we have an angry sane majority in the House. May I be wrong about the Senate. Please.
No matter what happens in the Senate races, win or lose, the Democrats will have the House, as I predicted. Too many targets, too many places to intervene for the Republicans to change the totals.
Still hoping my negative prediction about concentrating on stealing the essential Senate elections to avoid investigation and prosecution won't pan out.
Still hoping my negative prediction about concentrating on stealing the essential Senate elections to avoid investigation and prosecution won't pan out.
8:22 PM
CNN's pundrity just giggled about Lieberman getting sweet revenge against the Democratic senators who "threw him out" of the party and campaigned against him!
MY GOD. Lieberman LOST THE PRIMARY. He was not "thrown out" of the party: he LEFT the party and ran as an "independent", received Republican money and support, and apparently has been reelected by Republicans! Who the hell are these mouth breathers on CNN?
CNN's pundrity just giggled about Lieberman getting sweet revenge against the Democratic senators who "threw him out" of the party and campaigned against him!
MY GOD. Lieberman LOST THE PRIMARY. He was not "thrown out" of the party: he LEFT the party and ran as an "independent", received Republican money and support, and apparently has been reelected by Republicans! Who the hell are these mouth breathers on CNN?
Today, November 7, 2006, we Americans will see if we have a democracy or a termite-emptied shell of what used to be a representative system.
My negative prediction: the operative or operatives responsible for manipulating e-voting machines and the tabulation system that forms the more critical part of those e-voting networks will give a pass to trying to manipulate the House races, given the large number of races they would need to undetectably intervene in.
They can, must tip the Senate races, because to lose both House and Senate would lift the rock under which a lot of bugs currently hide in the damp darkness. Too much money stolen, too many people killed, too many laws are being broken to give the Dems total control of the legislative branch -- and the investigative powers they would wield.
So, at 2:25 Central time, I predict either of two events:
1. Lieberman wins. The e-machine totals will be tweaked at the local level in enough places, tightly contested, so that the Senate splits 50-50 at the very most. Lieberman will vote Republican anyway, so no problem for them.
2. Lieberman loses. The cheater(s) will do their damnedest to bring in a 51 member majority no matter what it takes. Kerry's mispoke joke and the values voters meme will be trotted out to explain the disparity by the assembled media millionaires.
My negative prediction: the operative or operatives responsible for manipulating e-voting machines and the tabulation system that forms the more critical part of those e-voting networks will give a pass to trying to manipulate the House races, given the large number of races they would need to undetectably intervene in.
They can, must tip the Senate races, because to lose both House and Senate would lift the rock under which a lot of bugs currently hide in the damp darkness. Too much money stolen, too many people killed, too many laws are being broken to give the Dems total control of the legislative branch -- and the investigative powers they would wield.
So, at 2:25 Central time, I predict either of two events:
1. Lieberman wins. The e-machine totals will be tweaked at the local level in enough places, tightly contested, so that the Senate splits 50-50 at the very most. Lieberman will vote Republican anyway, so no problem for them.
2. Lieberman loses. The cheater(s) will do their damnedest to bring in a 51 member majority no matter what it takes. Kerry's mispoke joke and the values voters meme will be trotted out to explain the disparity by the assembled media millionaires.
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