Does anyone understand WTF is going on with this trumped up controversy? I watch the news, and I thought the whole thing died down after the election, when the false indignity of the Republicans was used to hopefully, maybe, possibly push Romney over the edge and into the Oval Office. It didn’t work. So it should have dimmed, even died, because there was no “there, there” as Obama has pointed out.
This recent book by one of my favorite news commentators is subtitled The Unmooring of American Military Power. With the title and subtitle, you can get a good idea of what the thesis of the book is. Think of the Constitution as the dock, with the US Ship of State tied up securely to it. The lines tying the ship to the dock are the laws of the United States, the executive, legislative and judicial branches that create, administer and enforce those laws, and the people that work in those branches of government. Now, consider that two, sometimes all three, branches, or lines, have become frayed and worn, even purposely cut, to the point that they stretch and occasionally snap, leaving the ship to drift away from the dock, completely unmoored to land, subject to the vagaries of currents. And we have forgotten why we tied the ship to the dock in the first place.
You may or may not be aware of the recent clashes the Taliban influenced populace of Afghanistan has had with authorities over the inadvertent and unintentional disposal of a few Qu’rans, resulting in daily protests, suicide bombings and other violence. All over some janitor burning a few books that were probably in the way. I often wonder how this actually can seem to be so horrendous to the protestors that they would resort to such extreme measures to voice their discontent. I can’t imagine getting that upset over the loss of a book.
People think we atheists pick on Christians too much, but tend to shy away from picking on Muslims. Actually, just about everything we object to, while often directed to some inanity of Christianity, could be easily extrapolated to any religion, because it’s theism that atheists don’t buy into. Christianity is just the most pervasive form of theism on the planet, and a known target. In addition most atheists, if they were once part of a theistic community, were probably Christians, or at least live in a predominately Christian area. There are not a lot of formerly Islamic atheists out there. At least there are not many talking about it, even if they exist.
…but does this story remind you of a bad movie plot?
The American authorities have arrested four Georgia men accused of plotting to buy explosives and produce a deadly biological toxin to attack US citizens and government officials.
OK, that sounds pretty serious, but it’s the characters that make this sound like something out of Hollywood.
Not one, but two, front page articles from today’s local paper highlight the personal failings of those ruled by their religion. And those two stories seem to predominate the online discussion on the paper’s website.
When I was younger, and more limber (in my dreams) I’ve been at parties where, after enough alcohol had been imbibed, they bring out the limbo stick and start playing The Limbo song. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, Google it, but I suspect most of you do. In the song the singer at some point sings “How low can you go”, in an effort to get people to contort their bodies in ways the human spine was not meant to be contorted.
Everyone has an opinion about the recent shooting/attempted assassination of Congresswoman Giffords last Saturday, so I guess I’m entitled to voice a few of my own. Take ’em or leave ’em, as you see fit. I wanted to wait a few days for the shock to die down, before I commented.
Click me
First, Does anyone see a resemblance between the shooter (at least in this mug shot with his intentionally smirky expression) and that of Uncle Fester of the Addams Family? Maybe it’s my age, but that was my first thought when I saw this. Of course, Uncle Fester was a little kookie, so maybe the expression was intentional.
I really don’t want to make fun of someone who is possibly mentally ill, but, heh, I just did. Shoot me. (Ooops, sorry. My bad).
By now you’ve read about the latest Islamic Andy Warhol, looking for his 15 minutes and 72 virgins, who tried to set off a car bomb in Portland, Oregon during a public tree lighting ceremony, while shouting “Allahu Akbar!” – Arabic for “God is great!”. What’s with this Allahu Akbar!” shit?
Our Secretary of State, on behalf of her employer, has rejected the notion that religion can be defamed. That’s the official United States position before the world. A resolution condemning religious defamation has been proposed before the United Nations General Assembly. Amazingly, this proposal actually was endorsed by the U.N. Human Rights Council, by a vote of 20-17 (with 8 abstaining and 2 absent). One wonders what kind of minds operate behind that particular council.
SPANISH INQUISITOR 