Michele Bachmann
Well, I said on Friday that someone undoubtedly would blame the recent earthquake and hurricane on God. I predicted that it would be Rick Santorum, but I was wrong—it was Michele Bachmann. Given her track record, I’m not surprised. To be fair, though, she says that she was only joking. I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt and leave it at that.
On the other hand, I also said that if I Googled such a thing, I was sure that I would come up with something. I didn’t bother to on Friday—and I didn’t have to look too hard for the Bachmann story today—but I did end up Googling it.
This is what I found: http://themadjewess.com/2011/08/25/hurricane-irene-gods-wrath/.
Here is a fellow blogger who actually takes these things seriously—and apparently, so do at least some of her readers. (I say “some” because according to the site, she reports any comments that she doesn’t like as SPAM.)
You know, I thought that we’d be further along than this by now. It’s unnerving to think that there are a whole bunch of people still out there who believe in the year 2011 that adverse weather conditions are caused by angry invisible giants in the sky. Oh boy.
Another website poses the question, “Who can know if Irene is a demonstration of God’s judgment?”
That’s an easy one to answer: no one, since God is notoriously vague and difficult to get ahold of; he is a mysterious guy who would rather baffle us poor humans with riddles rather than come right out and say what’s on his mind. These people honestly believe that there is some invisible man in the sky who makes the ground shake and the wind blow when he’s displeased.
But so what? You can’t win arguments when you’re dealing with fanatical crazies like Donna Spellbound, who on the evidence strikes me as a very ignorant, angry dingbat. I didn’t spend much time perusing her site—who has the time when one is faced with headlines such as “Guess What I Found … Being A ‘RACIST’ Is Not Illegal. Whoda Thunk?”?—so maybe I’m being unfair. She and her readers make a point of mentioning that the Bible predicts such natural events as signs that the End Times are near, which is like saying that Jesus will come back when the sun is shining. Natural disasters have been occurring on this planet since it was formed; Hurricane Irene has no more to do with the end of the world than some unnamed storm that occurred five-hundred years ago … or a thousand … or a million.
As it happens, the recent earthquake was described as “unnerving” and “startling” while Hurricane Irene turned out to be far less damaging than originally predicted—which means, I suppose, that God was only annoyed rather than furious.
Whatever. The whole debate makes my head hurt. I should just learn to tune out these ignoramuses and get on with my own life, which I do not allow to be controlled by or mired in superstitious nonsense.
Coming Soon!
Another busy weekend has come and gone, with very little work getting done on the new book, Slaughter at the Seal Rock Inn, which is the third Emmanuel Smith Mystery. That’s okay, though. Saturday was spent celebrating my son’s third birthday and yesterday we trekked around the Minnesota State Fair for about twelve hours. I grew up just a block or two from the main gate—and went almost every day—but in recent years I haven’t attended nearly as frequently due to the usual lack of funds and time. Still, we had a good time and ate plenty of things that came on sticks.
In other news, Michele Bachmann has expressed an interest in drilling for oil in the Everglades—as long as it can be done safely; in fact, she wants to look for energy wherever we can find it, except in such obvious places as solar, wind, wave, and geothermal technologies.
Bachmann wants to do away with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); in reference to the Everglades, she said this: “No one wants to hurt or contaminate the earth…. We don’t want to harm our water, our ecosystems or the air. That is a minimum bar.”
Billy Carter, Brewmaster
Actually, there are plenty of unscrupulous people who would gaily light the oceans on fire if they thought it would make them more money, which is exactly why the EPA was formed to begin with. If you rely solely on people’s consciences to regulate industry—whether it be food, drugs, energy, or whatever—you will find that more people are interested in making a fast buck than they are in the welfare of their fellow man or even in the welfare of the very planet that they themselves inhabit.
Onyango Obama
Meanwhile, President Obama has suffered another embarrassing setback, this time in the form of a drunken uncle who may actually be an illegal alien. Onyango Obama was arrested for operating under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and failure to yield the right of way in Framingham, Massachusetts last week. When asked about his one phone call, Onyango said that he wanted to call the White House. This is not the kind of situation that a president wants to deal with going into an election year … and when it comes to grappling with inebriated relatives who are into name dropping, perhaps Obama should turn to former-President Jimmy Carter for advice.
Finally, yet another lawmaker has been publicly humiliated and forced to resign simply because a few nude photos popped up on the Internet. This time it was Senator Roberto Arango (R-Puerto Rico) who shocked his constituents and the rest of the American people when it became apparent that he does in fact have a penis and occasionally likes to use it. Jesus God.
Here’s your wisdom:
Guess What I Found … Being A ‘RACIST’ Is Not Illegal. Whoda Thunk?”?—
Thanks for linking us.
you didnt READ the post, though, sad
Perhaps I will, but the title is a bit of a turnoff–unless I’m taking it the wrong way. I’ll read it and get back to you. Cheers.
Well, I read the article, and it’s about what I expected. You’re correct in that it is not illegal to hold racist opinions; you’re also correct that racism can originate with any group of people and be directed toward anyone–it’s not just a white on black thing. Racism and bigotry are ugly things; unfortunately, as a race, human beings have not outgrown them. You admit to being bigoted; you admit that your husband is both bigoted and racist. Well … okay. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I think that you’d be better off directing your animosity toward individuals rather than entire groups of people. If someone you know was raped by a black man, that is the misdeed of a single person, not a race of people.
And so much for that. Religion and racism are not my things–you, on the other hand, are apparently very into them. You strike me as an angry nutcase … but then again, the same charge has been leveled at me, so I guess we’re even. Best of luck with your website and all of its ranting.
For those who are interested, here is the link: The Mad Jewess
You strike me as an angry nutcase
Wrong, lets get this straight… I am right wing, dictator, fascist, racist, bigot, Nazi, xeno-phobe, homophobe and every other name they come up with about me.
I am all these things…just not a redneck. Rednecks are now known as country folk.. I am more of a city-type, TURNED country.
Sure, I am glad ya linked me. A little publicity is always a good thing.
I see you like A. Jones. I never thought he made much sense until recently. Now I read his site a couple times a week.
I dont like either side; Dem Or Repub, A Jones is right about all of this.
I like Bachmann, but I dont care for Palin AT ALL.
Anyway, cheerio
Love,
The dictatoress
Well, it’s nice to know that we can disagree on certain issues and still exchange pleasant words. You don’t come across as a redneck, so don’t worry about that. As for Alex Jones, yes, he is a “little out there” but I still think that he has some interesting points. Have you looked into the Zeitgeist Movement or the Venus Project? A lot of people think that I’m a conspiracy theorist and a dangerous nut, but I’m mainly into politics the way some people are into sports. My passion is literature–perhaps you’d like to sample one of my books?
Cheers.
I see all of these books, are they yours???
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I am the same way you are with politics.
I generally find men more agreeable than women with politics.
I cant help the way I am. I am a Daughter of the American Revolution on my dads side of my family. He is a patriot, also was a life-long democrat.
I am indep now. Dont want to be afiliated with ANY of these party’s!
Yes, I am the author of four books–my fifth should be released soon. You might like Roomies or maybe the Emmanuel Smith Mystery series. Free samples are available of each title, so you can take them for a test drive.
As for politics, I consider myself a Libertarian or a Democratic Socialist. The DFL/GOP battle is about on par with Monday Night Football; I am more concerned with the coming changes that will result from peak oil, our flawed monetary system, the population bubble, etc. Brent Kyle turned me onto a great site–if you’re interested in what I’m talking about, invest a few minutes and go to chrismartenson.com
Anyway, at least we agree on A Jones. If you like him, you care about what is happening, even though he is a little out there.
Oh, Donna Spellbound? She just reports news, she does not go in depth about herself, she is a kind individual.
Cant say the same thing about me. (Online) of course.
In life, I sing all over the place and am an agreeable individual, BTW.
Godspeed, even though you are not a believer too much.
As for politics, I consider myself a Libertarian or a Democratic Socialist.
—–How did you become a socialist?
My parents taught me from so high that America is NOT a Socialist or Communist nation. They would sit me down from AM to the PM advising me that I must always fight against any Socialist take-over, because they did not fight national *socialists* for nothing.
My grandmother would tell me over and over that ‘if you want something, go out and WORK FOR IT’.
It is one thing to be of a socialist mindset, and another to be a Socialist in a free country.
Google the term and see what it actually means–it is not what most people think. Democracy and Socialism go hand in hand by their very definitions; fascist countries, on the other hand, can never be Socialist, as it is a contradiction in terms. For my money, Capitalism has been a failure. For more information, go here
Democracy and Socialism go hand in hand by their very definitions
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Russia rebuked America about 3 weeks ago. Putin told America;
“Stop lecturing us on being a democracy, YOU are a republic, WE are a democracy.”
America is a republic.
When did you go to school, what years? I graduated in 1983. The books we had in Elem & High School were over 75 years old. I was never told that America is/or was a democracy.
“Capitalism” is not the problem.
GREED is.
I have owned 2 successful business’s myself and did well just being a little ‘mom n pop.’
You cant be ‘that’ much against free enterprise, if you were, you would not be selling books.
“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.”
— Thomas Jefferson
John Adams advised his fellow countrymen: “There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.”
James Madison gave us sage advice when he warned that, “democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security and the rights of property; and have been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.”
Thomas Jefferson, writing in relation to the Virginia legislature, stated, “One hundred and seventy-three despots” are “as oppressive as one,” and that “an elective despotism was not the government we fought for.”
Even the intellectuals of Rome recognized that their empire’s greatness and freedom were directly related to their republican form of government. In the words of historian, Will Durant, Cicero believed, that “without checks and balances…democracy becomes mob rule, chaos and dictatorship.” Cicero went on to say that the man usually chosen as leader in a democracy is “someone bold and unscrupulous…who curries favor with the people by giving them other men’s property.”
Here then is the evil of a democracy with the “majority will” ruling absolutely. It allows dictatorial control and confiscation to be utilized against the individual simply because the masses desire such control and confiscation to be utilized. The concept of individual sovereignty is thus destroyed, a dangerous cloud of confusion develops in the area of social ethics, and the might of numbers becomes our only guide as to what is right and wrong.
ETC, ETC, ETC.
This is why we have Americans fighting Americans. One side is OFF and one side is desperately wanting to return to how we started.
Well … you’re right. Technically speaking, the United States is a republic; moreover, greed really is the problem.
On the other hand, what the U.S. has turned into is a plutocracy.
I’m not vehemently opposed to capitalism, nor am I a staunch, card-carrying socialist. I agree with some of the tenets of the Libertarian Party, Democratic Socialist Party, and the DFL–but that last one … well … they’re just not very good at what they do. But what the hell, right? Neither are the other two. I’m not a radical and I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with wanting to be successful; the trouble is that those opportunities are just not available to most Americans for a variety of reasons. It takes money to make money, and 80% of our population holds only 15% of the wealth. I also have a problem with greedy shysters who hoard money that they don’t need at the expense of others. Why does a CEO need an $18 million salary when the people who work for him make $7.25 an hour–and the only reason that they make that much is because it’s the law.
The painful truth is that we’re all in trouble if we don’t wrap our heads around what’s coming–namely that our monetary system depends on exponential growth, and that is based on a declining energy supply and diminishing resources. Politics is a fun game, but in the end, I believe that we have more serious issues to consider.
Well, the opportunity is available, to use creative skills and make a little money.
You are opposed to greed, I am as well.
When I used to go to chat-rooms, the serial capitalists would say that ‘greed is good.’
I am more Christian. Greed is a terrible thing. It prompts the lowest of people to the highest (poor to rich) to steal.
I used to know this family in Monterey, CA.. They all lived on the SAME wage, and then they paid the main piper a great deal (which is always the case with a tyrant), in the end, they ended up suing this tyrant.
That really is what socialism boils down to.
Now, because each of these brothers in this family have a massive amt of experience, they are all millionaires, or ‘hundred-thousandaires’.
We live in a world where things are just not fair. Thats the way it is in life, even when the USSR was hard core Soviet, they always put out the best Olympians. Was it ‘fair’ to those just trying?
Facts are; Some people are more talented, possess more creativity, others are good workers, and make the machine run.
Thats all. I agree that greed is EVIL.
Yes, some people are more talented and creative–and in some cases, those people do very well for themselves in the arts; on the other hand, there are a lot of people with good ideas–people who would undoubtedly run successful businesses–but they have no capital to invest and no way to save. Of course, loans are available, but that isn’t always an option; it certainly isn’t the best option. The fact is, there are a very few extremely rich individuals in this country who control almost all of the wealth–these folks contribute nothing, instead letting their money make money for them. In the case of wealthy individuals who own businesses, they at least provide goods and services and jobs; unfortunately, many of those jobs pay minimum wage.
For me, democratic socialism is a nifty idea that may or may not work. As for Lenin and Marx and Mao and all the rest … well … we’re talking about a different animal. I would be a fool to argue that those systems worked–they didn’t. Think of a society that is run like a cooperative where everyone has an equal voice and is provided their basic needs and a decent standard of living. No one has a mansion to live in and sixteen cars, yet no one is living under a bridge, either. Take it a step further and envision that same society, which has automated production and all menial labor/chores, leaving its citizens free to pursue the arts, sciences, and philosophy, among other things.
I know that I sound like an idealist–and maybe I am–but I think that human beings are resourceful enough to create a much better society if we could just somehow work around the rampant greed and corruption that is a way of life for so many people.