Today is Christmas. Few of you will have time to read a preachy post, but in case you do, I’ve reached back to a prior holiday message (from 2013) which is still mostly accurate….although there’s been slippage.
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A jaundiced look at the world we live in.
Well, the stores are closed today. Lights in windows and on homes are blinking. Home lighting contests abound to see who was most artistic (and wasteful) with electricity. What does it all mean? Oh. Right.
I can hardly wait to see what the next holiday season looks like when “Feliz navitad” will be banned.
MaLes and I lived and worked at ‘home base’ in Jerusalem, a world class city that harbors hospitality for all three Abrahamic faiths. This holiday season witnessed to stark contrast which side of The Separation Wall observed and/or celebrates with lights or darkness. A constitution without a country in conflict with a country without a constitution. It is an enduring violent conflict among Semite Peoples, all of whom can be accused of anti-Semite behavior in equal measure. Lights are on in West Jerusalem while lights have been intentionally turned off in Bethlehem and East Jerusalem. Separation of church and state? You be the judge while the Gods of Abraham weep. I feel blessed to observe the holidays here in America reasonably free from sudden shattered silence over differences that make our nation stronger. I pray for the sovereignty of all people who call The Holy Land their homeland.
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
John Sorg, please tell Marv I said hello and hope he feels better soon!
Those who still believe God created man, and not the other way around, have chosen their rulers for the next four years. I hope everyone got to read the background on Gaetz and Hegseth. We all know about Trump’s moral compass. He’s a con man, just like all the televangelists. MAGA cult members are in a self-imposed prison, which is what the rulers intended for model citizens.
This forum should be bustling for the next four years…
Todd,
I hope so. Or we could all be in jail. It’s going to be difficult to keep our chins above the sewage that our nation is becoming. What I don’t understand is how the 25% can’t be stuffed into their closets – or dungeons – by the 75% who are actually trying to be quality citizens. Elections don’t seem to be adequate to do the job right now. Worse, much of the 75% don’t seem to care.
So, maybe this forum should be about organizing ways to educate/motivate/activate the slothful portion of the 75%. Any ideas?
Vern, if one believes that a progressive populist vision is the answer to Trump’s fascism, which I am, the first “flash event” is who gets chosen to run the DNC. Jaime Harrison was worthless and is out the door. If the DNC wants to run after the Cheney’s, then I wouldn’t do anything within the DP. In fact, I would steer clear entirely. Based on their actions so far, the DP will probably be kissing the rings of the billionaires.
There will be lots of “flash events” that spark movements across the country. Pick one that appeals to you. Once again, be extremely leery of anything arising out of the DP because their role, as well as the FBI’s, is to quash any meaningful movements. Look closely at who killed the campus protests last Spring – it was the donor class to both parties and universities and then the respective state police. That will be the model from now on. The young people have the most to lose under Trump, so I suspect they will be the most vocal and take on the most risks.
There will be so many “flash events” under Trump/Musk/Thiel that it will be hard to predict. My support will go to the economic movements that arise because I believe that is where all the oppression is coming from. Unless we address the gross income inequality, nothing else will matter. The billionaires love us bickering about abortion, gay rights, etc. 😉
Todd, your scenario sounds an awful lot like the run-up to the French Revolution. I wish I was 50 years younger.