The Sunday Washington Post's lead editorial laments President Obama's relationship with Netanyahu and believes the President undercut his own diplomatic efforts by formulating his position on negotiations between Israel and Palestine the way he did. The Post claims that Netanyahu only found out about the precise wording of the section on Israel only a few hours before the President delivered it.
The Post's editorial in my opinion is woefully wrong in its conclusions, blaming Palestinian President Abbas for not wanting a negotiated peace. They never raised the issue of Netanyahu's sincerity on the subject. And also questioned whether President Obama's initiatives on the Arab Spring are now in doubt.
Since we're supposed to think there is only the United States and the country upon which we act out our policy,it might be interesting to consider that there is something called the Quartet chosen by the international community to foster a peaceful solution between Israel and Palestine. The Quartet consists of the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia. The rest of the Quartet is on the record as agreeing with President Obama's parameters for a peace settlement and saying that they especially stress the urgent need for negotiations.
Angela Merkel of Germany and Prime Minister Cameron of the United Kingdom were quick off the block openly agreeing with President Obama, especially on the 1967 borders as being the starting point for negotiations, something Prime Minister Netanyahu has so far denied.
Tzipi Livni, the leader of the Kadima coalition in Israel, went on record backing Obama's plan and his tone. But she let loose on Netanyahu, saying: "The Prime Minister has violated relations between israel and the United States. He has endangered the security of Israel and its power of deterrence."
The sight of Netanyahu lecturing the President of the United States at their joint press conference has been the cause celebre in the Middle East and has drawn criticism here in the States. Pat Buchanan, not your most philo-semitic person, donned his commentator hat to say that he was bewildered by Republican criticism of Obama's position since it was the exact same as that of George W. Bush. But he also said that he personally resented having Netanyahu, who is totally dependent on America, to be publically lecturing President Obama like a schoolkid at the press conference.
Defense Minister Ehud Barack tried to downplay the PR fiasco for Israel, saying that the meeting didn't go all that badly and people were over-reacting.
In Ramallah on the West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas instructed all his advisers to avoid any comment so as to keep the attention on Netanyahu's behavior and his collision course with Obama. Palestinian authorities privately said that the chance of renewing the talks seem rather remote after the Israeli Prime Minister's visit to the United States.
Unless Obama can change Netanyahu's mind before he leaves the United States, the odds are great that the Palestinians will again look to renew the United Nations Resolution. President Obama has openly warned the Palestinians that they would not achieve their goal of a state through this method.
Palestinians well aware that the United States has vowed to veto such a measure are now looking either to have a United Nations trusteeship declared for Palestine or to acquire observer status at the United Nations.
During this time, President Abbas has been consulting Arab foreign ministers by phone and is heading to Jordan for consultations with the King. He has requested a meeting with the Arab league next month.
We look forward to both President Obama's and Netanyahu's speeches to AIPAC this coming week. President Obama's words that the "Dream of a Jewish democratic state can not be built on permanent occupation" resonates with the better angels in Israel but the ruling coalition knows it's doomed if it openly talks about a two-state solution.
Everyone's ambulance chaser, Glenn Beck has used the occasion to announce his wonderous "Restore Courage" tour of Israel. For just a few thousand dollars, you can travel to the Holy Land and walk in the footsteps of the Savior. And get to hear Glenn Beck defend Israel. He has said he will be willing to die there if God wants it. Beck says that all of Western civilization will end if Israel is destroyed. He badgered Bill O'Reilly the other night about his attitudes toward Jews. And like many evangelicals, he invokes the name of Dietrich Bonhoffer, who died in prison after trying to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
What Beck doesn't confess to is how Hitler allowed Mormons to proselytize in Nazi Germany and how the American evangelicals, who love to talk about Bonhoffer, in fact shamefully supported Hitler's programs for Germany. Accompanied on his trip to Israel by the religious Right's favorite fake historian David Barton, Beck might have inquired about American fundamentalists strange history in their relationship with Hitler's Germany. But irony isn't allowed here.
Glenn Beck said that he hoped his trip would ruin American foreign policy toward the region. Any bets on whether he is greeted by Netanyahu. After all the Prime Minister stiffed one of America's strongest allies of Israel, Vice President Biden, for an event hosted by Pastor Hagee, who was extolling the Jewish settlements.
There is real bad juju going on here and anyone really concerned about the security of Israel has to be tremendously bothered.
As with the Republicans, I remember meeting Bibi Netanyahu with Bayard Rustin when Bibi was relatively sane and intelligent. What bothers me know about him is his fixation on Masada.
Showing posts with label David Barton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Barton. Show all posts
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Strange Easter Messages from the Religious Right
Easter is the most joyous holiday of the Christian faith. Usually, Easter sermons are about the story of resurrection, redemption and hope. Christmas had a rockier start because the Jerusalem Church never taught that Jesus was born of a virgin. That church was led by Jesus brother James, who said that someone misinterpreted Isaiah. And maybe he would know. But Easter is the first holiday of Christianity celebrated very shortly after the crufixtion and resurrection story.
But if you want to know why young people are running away from Christianity, you don't have to look farther than the Religious Right in this country, perhaps the most harmful factor to any religious faith in our society. Far outstripping any secular temptations.
It amazes me that none of these people ever consider biblical injunctions against "bearing false witness."
Here's Franklin Graham, son of Billy, who appears on television to say he was unsure whether President Obama is an American. No wonder his father kept him out of the meeting with the President.
Then we have Mike Huckabee . a former Baptist minister, attacked Planned Parenthood, calling it Planned Barrenhood and coming out against contraception. Forget abortion, let's do away with contraception now. For investigative reporters, it is curious that all of Huckabee's sermons vanished in a church fire as well as thousands of files on hard drives when he was governor.
Pat Robertson said that progressives want straight women to "abortion their babies" to "put lesbians on a level playing field."
Rod Parsley simply came out to say that Planned Parenthood is leading an "onslaught of evil". It is the "carefully calculated conspiracy of fallen angels called demon spirits."
When the Alan Grumacher Institute found that 98% of Catholic women use contraception, the Catholic Church attacked Alan Grumacher, someone who has been dead for 75 years.
Then we have Newt Gingrich speaking at John Hagee's Cornerstone Chuch. First, Newt is a newly minted Catholic and here he is talking to a violently anti-Catholic preacher, so anti-Catholic that John McCain had to denounce the man's endorsement of his candidacy. Newt repeated his famous claim..." by the time my grandchildren are my age they will be in a secular atheist country, politically dominated by radical Islamists." You have to catch how authoritatively he says this on www.rightwatch.com
Newt should be aware that thousands of years of analysis of Jesus' sayings have come down to the conclusion he was absolutely against divorce and he really meant it when he said a rich person couldn't get into heaven.
Pseudo-Christian, pseudo-historian David Barton said on Easter week that Obama--not President Obama--has " a worldview that is devoid of God". I guess when he reads Reinhold Neihbur he omits all references to God. Obama is a secularist, according to Barton, who wants to get rid of "In God We Trust" as the national slogan. Since Eisenhower bowed to fundamentalist pressure in the first place in 1952, maybe it is time to get rid of it. Ungrateful bums.
James Dobson says that God prevailed "over the "forces of hell" to save the National Day of Prayer. He is referring to the unanimous Seventh Circuit Court having upheld its constitutionality. He then went on to bemoan Franklin Graham not being allowed to preside over the Pentagon's Day of Prayer. It was because Franklin Graham rather gratuitously attacked Islam, while our armed forces are fighting in these countries.
Boy, what a joyful faith! Where do I sign up? Oh, the Easter Bunny came to the United States from the German immigrants in Pennsylvania. A Bunny laying eggs was a throwback to a German fertility cult. Yes, it has a pagan origin.
But if you want to know why young people are running away from Christianity, you don't have to look farther than the Religious Right in this country, perhaps the most harmful factor to any religious faith in our society. Far outstripping any secular temptations.
It amazes me that none of these people ever consider biblical injunctions against "bearing false witness."
Here's Franklin Graham, son of Billy, who appears on television to say he was unsure whether President Obama is an American. No wonder his father kept him out of the meeting with the President.
Then we have Mike Huckabee . a former Baptist minister, attacked Planned Parenthood, calling it Planned Barrenhood and coming out against contraception. Forget abortion, let's do away with contraception now. For investigative reporters, it is curious that all of Huckabee's sermons vanished in a church fire as well as thousands of files on hard drives when he was governor.
Pat Robertson said that progressives want straight women to "abortion their babies" to "put lesbians on a level playing field."
Rod Parsley simply came out to say that Planned Parenthood is leading an "onslaught of evil". It is the "carefully calculated conspiracy of fallen angels called demon spirits."
When the Alan Grumacher Institute found that 98% of Catholic women use contraception, the Catholic Church attacked Alan Grumacher, someone who has been dead for 75 years.
Then we have Newt Gingrich speaking at John Hagee's Cornerstone Chuch. First, Newt is a newly minted Catholic and here he is talking to a violently anti-Catholic preacher, so anti-Catholic that John McCain had to denounce the man's endorsement of his candidacy. Newt repeated his famous claim..." by the time my grandchildren are my age they will be in a secular atheist country, politically dominated by radical Islamists." You have to catch how authoritatively he says this on www.rightwatch.com
Newt should be aware that thousands of years of analysis of Jesus' sayings have come down to the conclusion he was absolutely against divorce and he really meant it when he said a rich person couldn't get into heaven.
Pseudo-Christian, pseudo-historian David Barton said on Easter week that Obama--not President Obama--has " a worldview that is devoid of God". I guess when he reads Reinhold Neihbur he omits all references to God. Obama is a secularist, according to Barton, who wants to get rid of "In God We Trust" as the national slogan. Since Eisenhower bowed to fundamentalist pressure in the first place in 1952, maybe it is time to get rid of it. Ungrateful bums.
James Dobson says that God prevailed "over the "forces of hell" to save the National Day of Prayer. He is referring to the unanimous Seventh Circuit Court having upheld its constitutionality. He then went on to bemoan Franklin Graham not being allowed to preside over the Pentagon's Day of Prayer. It was because Franklin Graham rather gratuitously attacked Islam, while our armed forces are fighting in these countries.
Boy, what a joyful faith! Where do I sign up? Oh, the Easter Bunny came to the United States from the German immigrants in Pennsylvania. A Bunny laying eggs was a throwback to a German fertility cult. Yes, it has a pagan origin.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Claps and Boos
Back from a jaunt to upstate New York,I missed a raft of weirdness on the internet in my days away. Some stories deserve calps and other boos.
Claps
Frank Schaeffer's post at his website "Obama is now and will be a great President." Just when you think the left and the right are going to eviscerate President Obama, Frank, recovering from his days as founder of the Christian Right, reminds us all what is at stake with this presidency and ably defends President Obama's record of achievements so far. He manages to punch out the Right for their ravings and slap down the Left for their whining.
Thom Hartmann. Thom Hartmann is growing on me. First, he explained how the original tea party was against huge corporate tax cuts--that time for the East India Company. Now, he runs a montage assembled by Think Progress on how the Ryan Plan is inspired by Ayn Rand. The kicker was his detail that Ayn Rand's libertarianism started with her admiration for a serial killer and a brutal child molester named William Hickman. Hartmann read from Rand's diary, which saw this monster as a type of Superman, who did not care about society. He went on to say that Rand actually started a novel with an Hickman character as the hero. Nice job.
TPM uncovered the nice little historical note that Ayn Rand applied for Medicare when her husband came down with Alzheimer's. The centerpiece of Paul Ryan's Ayn Rand-inspired budget is the elimination of Medicare.
Think Progress for its wonderful montage of House Republicans espousing their belief in Ay Rand interspersed with footage of Mike Wallace interviewing Ayn Rand, where she advocates the destruction of everything about America and Christianity. Her supreme virtue is selfishness and in the tape argues that self-love is superior and that the weak don't deserve love.
Paul Krugman for explaining in his New York Times post that the S&P's warning on the national debt is a big nothingburger. TPM reminds us that the last time the S&P commented on our creditworthiness was in 1995 when Newt and company threatened not to vote for the debt ceiling. Ed Klein reminds us that the S&P gave three stars to the subprime mortgages.
Rachel Maddow for solving the mystery of why Michigan appointed an emergency manager for Benton Harbor, a small lakeside town. The reason is that the town is almost 90% black and has a per capita income of $10,000. But they do have a wonderful lakeside park, which was given to the town by their mayor in the early 20th century. Well, it seems the author of the Financial Emergency Bill has an interest in developing Lakeshore Estates, which would be a high end residential community with golf courses bordering the park. The plan has been rejected by the Benton Harbor Planning Commission. But, never fear, the Emergency Manager has fired all the planning board and installed members who favor the development. A very nice job of reporting.
Wisconsin Recall Drive. The Recall drive has now hit four Republican Senators, enough to turn that body Democratic. Our favorite Senator, Randy Hopper, the one with a mistress hired by Scott Walker, sent out a mailing to his constituents and listed a phone number if they had questions. The problem is that the number is a sex talk line. Tends to reinforce attitudes about Randy Randy.
CNN's latest poll shows that 51% of Americans back same-sex marriage.
A Marist poll shows that 70% of teabaggers are opposed to Medicare cuts.
Mariano Rivero,who saved my short trip, by saving two straight games for the Yankees against the Texas Rangers.
BOOs
David Barton,phony historian and Christian. David Barton has been hitting them out of the ballpark. Barton's latest big boner was saying that the bible was against "net neutrality". He said that the idea was "evil". Last week, Barton said that Jesus was against the minimum wage and the estate tax. But he hit two today. The second is his claim that Thomas Jefferson allowed the use of Government funds to evangelize American Indians, thereby showing that he did not believe in the separation of church and state. His evidence was the treaty with the Kaskaskia tribe which allowed for funds to pay for the building of a church and the payment of a priest. What Barton never tells his audience was that Jefferson was mortified by this treaty and tried to hide its contents from Congress, precisely because he knew this provision would spark an uproar. The Indians had converted to Catholicism in the 1600s and they had requested these two items as part of the deal. Jefferson OK'd it because of realpolitik but in his writings disavowed any attempt to evangelize the Indians.
John Boehner for hiring Paul Clement , the former Solicitor-General under George W, for $500,000 to argue the case of the Defense of Marriage Act, which has been ruled unconstitutional---and trying to stick the DOJ with the bill for the defense because the Obama Administration decided not to defend the case.
John Boehner again for turning down the opportunity to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that has-- until this year-- been celebrated on a bipartisan basis. I guess if you have access to enough money, you don't need the Hispanic vote.
Claps
Frank Schaeffer's post at his website "Obama is now and will be a great President." Just when you think the left and the right are going to eviscerate President Obama, Frank, recovering from his days as founder of the Christian Right, reminds us all what is at stake with this presidency and ably defends President Obama's record of achievements so far. He manages to punch out the Right for their ravings and slap down the Left for their whining.
Thom Hartmann. Thom Hartmann is growing on me. First, he explained how the original tea party was against huge corporate tax cuts--that time for the East India Company. Now, he runs a montage assembled by Think Progress on how the Ryan Plan is inspired by Ayn Rand. The kicker was his detail that Ayn Rand's libertarianism started with her admiration for a serial killer and a brutal child molester named William Hickman. Hartmann read from Rand's diary, which saw this monster as a type of Superman, who did not care about society. He went on to say that Rand actually started a novel with an Hickman character as the hero. Nice job.
TPM uncovered the nice little historical note that Ayn Rand applied for Medicare when her husband came down with Alzheimer's. The centerpiece of Paul Ryan's Ayn Rand-inspired budget is the elimination of Medicare.
Think Progress for its wonderful montage of House Republicans espousing their belief in Ay Rand interspersed with footage of Mike Wallace interviewing Ayn Rand, where she advocates the destruction of everything about America and Christianity. Her supreme virtue is selfishness and in the tape argues that self-love is superior and that the weak don't deserve love.
Paul Krugman for explaining in his New York Times post that the S&P's warning on the national debt is a big nothingburger. TPM reminds us that the last time the S&P commented on our creditworthiness was in 1995 when Newt and company threatened not to vote for the debt ceiling. Ed Klein reminds us that the S&P gave three stars to the subprime mortgages.
Rachel Maddow for solving the mystery of why Michigan appointed an emergency manager for Benton Harbor, a small lakeside town. The reason is that the town is almost 90% black and has a per capita income of $10,000. But they do have a wonderful lakeside park, which was given to the town by their mayor in the early 20th century. Well, it seems the author of the Financial Emergency Bill has an interest in developing Lakeshore Estates, which would be a high end residential community with golf courses bordering the park. The plan has been rejected by the Benton Harbor Planning Commission. But, never fear, the Emergency Manager has fired all the planning board and installed members who favor the development. A very nice job of reporting.
Wisconsin Recall Drive. The Recall drive has now hit four Republican Senators, enough to turn that body Democratic. Our favorite Senator, Randy Hopper, the one with a mistress hired by Scott Walker, sent out a mailing to his constituents and listed a phone number if they had questions. The problem is that the number is a sex talk line. Tends to reinforce attitudes about Randy Randy.
CNN's latest poll shows that 51% of Americans back same-sex marriage.
A Marist poll shows that 70% of teabaggers are opposed to Medicare cuts.
Mariano Rivero,who saved my short trip, by saving two straight games for the Yankees against the Texas Rangers.
BOOs
David Barton,phony historian and Christian. David Barton has been hitting them out of the ballpark. Barton's latest big boner was saying that the bible was against "net neutrality". He said that the idea was "evil". Last week, Barton said that Jesus was against the minimum wage and the estate tax. But he hit two today. The second is his claim that Thomas Jefferson allowed the use of Government funds to evangelize American Indians, thereby showing that he did not believe in the separation of church and state. His evidence was the treaty with the Kaskaskia tribe which allowed for funds to pay for the building of a church and the payment of a priest. What Barton never tells his audience was that Jefferson was mortified by this treaty and tried to hide its contents from Congress, precisely because he knew this provision would spark an uproar. The Indians had converted to Catholicism in the 1600s and they had requested these two items as part of the deal. Jefferson OK'd it because of realpolitik but in his writings disavowed any attempt to evangelize the Indians.
John Boehner for hiring Paul Clement , the former Solicitor-General under George W, for $500,000 to argue the case of the Defense of Marriage Act, which has been ruled unconstitutional---and trying to stick the DOJ with the bill for the defense because the Obama Administration decided not to defend the case.
John Boehner again for turning down the opportunity to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that has-- until this year-- been celebrated on a bipartisan basis. I guess if you have access to enough money, you don't need the Hispanic vote.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The American Dream Is A Restless Night
Tip to anonymous blogger for the quote.
News from the alternative universe:
Newt Gingrich tells Politico Barack Obama only has a 20% chance of being re-elected. The House Republicans will pick up 40 seats and perhaps between 65 to 70, enough to take the House and make John Boehner Speaker. If the Republicans beat Barbara Boxer in California they will take the Senate. The former Speaker said that Obama does not understand change and argues that he--the Newt--will run for President if he can present a vision of complete change. He argues that the United States needs a complete wave of change from the school boards, city councils, county government and state legislatures. America needs to elect people who can get things done.
Dr. Glenn Beck will start exposing how Barack Obama is trying to take over "your church" through his faith-based initiatives. Beck will argue that the White House is compelling churches to embrace climate change and to make their physical churches energy efficient in line with progressive socialism.
Charlie Cook is wrong. Cao is not the only vulnerable Republican. Today, Indiana's Mark Souder announced he was resigning because of an affair with his female staffer.
Rolling Stone has an excellent article on Karl Rove's latest scheme of creating a parallel Republican Party of Fatcats because the wealthy donors don't trust Michael Steele but love Karl.
Steve Poizner, the right-winger challenging Meg Whitman, has another great ad attacking Meg. The ad titled "Adults Only" highlights Meg's creation of a separate Ebay for porn, which did become the internet's biggest porn site. Linking it to his previous Goldman Sachs ad, he concludes "Meg Whitman; Bad Judgment. Wrong Values." Dick Cheney came out of his crypt to endorse Meg.
Tom Campbell is cutting back his ad buys in his race against Carly Fiorina, while she's increasing her television spots. Observers can't figure out whether Campbell is overconfident or simply broke or both.
Rick "Secessionist" Perry in Texas is mired in a scandal of his own. Apparently, with his state budget with a huge whole in it, he's renting out a temporary governor mansion at over $300K a year and hosting political parties for his re-election using campiagn donations. With the Texas economic mess--remember he doesn't accept stimulus funds--this is getting traction.
The Arizona Governor continues her quest for excellence, firing teachers with pronounced accents. A little background, Arizona recruited teachers from South America for bilingual education in public schools. Now that the governor banned bilingual education, these teachers became vulnerable and now are expendable.
The Texas textbook scandal continues. The Guardian (U.K.) interviewed schoolboard member Cynthia Dunbar, an evangelical Christian lawyer, who is a major force behind the push to re-write history. Dunbar is a proponent of home and Christian private schooling and likens sending children to public schools like "throwing them in to the enemy's flames". Because of the sheer numbers of Texas textbook purchases, the changes will eventually reach most of the states in the union.
In her interview, she said, " In Texas we have certain statutory obligations to promote partiotism and to promote the free enterprise system. There seems to have been a move away from a patriotic ideology. There seems to be a denial that this was a nation founded under God. We had to go back and make some corrections."
On "In God We Trust", Lincoln's Secretary of Treasury inserted it as a sop to clergymen during the Civil War. "One Nation Under God" was inserted in the Pledge of Allegiance in the 1950s to show we were different from godless Communism. The Pledge of Allegiance came about originally as an instrument to assimilate immigrants and lack any reference to God. The National Prayer day was begrudgingly accepted by Eisenhower as a way to buy off the evangelicals in the 1950s.
So what are some of the changes Ms. Dunbar suggests:
The slave trade wasn't " some evil buying and selling of human beings, it was simply Atlantic triangular trade".
The Civil Rights Movement created "unrealistic expectations of equal outcomes" for minorities in America. And Martin Luther King, Jr. Pretty much a Black Panther.
Thomas Jefferson? Who has been eliminated from the American history book. "He was an insignificant ,God-hating heathen who made sure that the church and state remained separate."
The right to bear arms is essential to democracy and kids really need to learn this in school.
Joe McCarthy was right to go after Godless commies in Hollywood and Washington. He will be vindicated.
We have military technology to thank for America's successes in science.
Moses was a greater influence on the US Constitution than Thomas Jefferson.
America can only flourish economically through 'minimal government intrusion and taxation."
Advising Dunbar is Glenn Beck's and Newt Gingrich's friend David Barton, the founder of the revisionist group WallBuilders, whose stated goal is "to exert a direct and positive influence in government, education, and the family by (1) educating the nation concerning the Godly foundation of our country; (2) providing information to federal, state, and local officials as they develop public policies which reflect Biblical values; and (3) encouraging Christians to be involved in the civic arena."
Paul Krugman in a May 16 op-ed in the New York Times commented on how the defeat of Bob Bennett in Utah and the news of the Maine Republican Party underscored the extremism in the Republican party and that the media is finally paying attention. Krugman cited a paper by economists Markus Bruckner and Hans Peter Gruner on how economic crisis brings out right-wing extremism and nationalist political parties in both Europe and America. Krugman warns that we should not expect the Republican Party to escape the clutches of extremism anytime soon.
I have neglected returning to Mark Lilla's excellent piece in the New York Review of Books on the tea party phenomenon. Michael Kinsley has another one in this week's Atlantic. Just like Al Pacino in Godfather III, he just keeps getting pulled back--Bob Altemeyer has returned to his favorite subject,The Authoritarians, with very detailed analysis of both the history and psychology of the Tea Party Movement. Google it. It is well-worth reading.
I was wrong. I wanted to refrain talking about the Baked Alaskan because she is basically harmful to my mental health. When I saw she was negotiating a deal for a Reality show of her family, I thought this was a sign she was not going to run in 2012. Many moons ago I posted why I believe she is the incarnation of where the Republican Party is now. I also have written how while theocratic politics is in direct intellectual contradiction to libertarianism, it is being fused today in the tea party movement. Just look at James Dobson's embrace of Rand Paul in Kentucky. And then I have taken note of Sister Sarah's nomadic moves across our national landscape. Her recent appearance in Illinois, invoking Ronald Reagan,her fervent embrace of Jan Brewer in Arizona and her ditzy presentation to the NRA tell me she really is running in 2012.
The website Mudflats, my favorite Alaska news site, has been paying microscopic attention to the half-governor's every move. Yesterday they interviewed the author of the upcoming book The Lies of Sarah Palin, who reports that the internal memos he has shows she is preparing a race against Mitt Romney and is totally obsessed with Barack Obama and the loss of the 2008 election. And, of course, she feels that if she were allowed to continue to attack Obama as a terrorist-loving socialist McCain would have won. Her incessant twittering comments on everything the Obama Administration does or does not do (more often the case) indicates a compulsive nature, which will inform us that God told her to run.
The announcement of her second book is simply to say she like Obama has written two books. I thought it was the conservative syndrome of churning out books so that one can boost of the title "New York Times Best Seller"--a weird validation for people who hate liberals. But it's simply to show President Smarty-Pants that 'real Americans" can write books too.
To take a reasoned approach to this does not capture the fundamentally non-rational worldview of Sister Palin and her fundamentalist followers. All the usual political mechanics of campaign organization, staff, polling and fund-raising are tertiary to people who are divinely inspired. Right now she is the leader of the Tea Party Movement and she has the support of the Washington neocons, who advise her. Having a chief aide who is a scientologist and a minister who calls her Queen Esther are not encouragements to retire to a life making money. By the time she announces, she will have earned at least $25 million.
As I wrote before, the Republican primary schedule favors her over any other candidate. She would begin in evangelical country in Iowa and follow with a triumph in neo-confederate South Carolina. Romney might hold on to New Hampshire, but he will be behind until the middle of the race. I believe she really can win the nomination.
And I also believe she would choose a vice-president who would share her obsession with Barack Obama and restoring America's place as God's chosen country. Here Mike Huckabee is too weak because he likes Michelle Obama. Others are lackluster like Pawlenty, who has embraced creationism and just submitted a budget that would destroy Minnesota's rather progressive policies. She needs a Southerner since this is the regional heart of the Republican Party.
Enter the man whose next book is how to stop Obama's "secular-socialist machine"--Newt Gingrich. Newt can not raise the money to be a plausible presidential candidate and he is deeply disliked by older conservatives for everything from his treatment of women to his chaotic leadership style in the House. But he shares Palin's ambition, her cunning and her capacity of deceipt. Gingrich is presently touring the country with our Christian revisionist Dave Barton so he and Sister Sarah are perfect together. Newt would privately think he could be Palin's ideological svengali and his ambitions have never ebbed. I also believe that the choice of vice-presidential nominee would have nothing to do with reality-based politics, but totally on theological and ideological values.
I agree with Paul Krugman, there is no reason to believe that the Republican Party can escape the clutches of extremism-- certainly not by 2011 when people have to declare this candidacies for the presidential nomination.
Be forewarned, I predicted on radio the Palin choice by John McCain before little Billy Kristol or anyone in D.C. knew about her. So, defying all rational calculation, real-world politics and sense of commonsense, I predict it will be a Sarah Palin-Newt Gingrich ticket in 2012.
I am also absolutely certain that if, God forbid, she won that America would instantly cease to be a major power or force in the world. It would simply be folly for any other country to relate their policies to ours, especially in economic affairs.
And if I'm wrong, do I get to be an op-ed columnist at the Washington Post like torture man Marc Thiessen?
News from the alternative universe:
Newt Gingrich tells Politico Barack Obama only has a 20% chance of being re-elected. The House Republicans will pick up 40 seats and perhaps between 65 to 70, enough to take the House and make John Boehner Speaker. If the Republicans beat Barbara Boxer in California they will take the Senate. The former Speaker said that Obama does not understand change and argues that he--the Newt--will run for President if he can present a vision of complete change. He argues that the United States needs a complete wave of change from the school boards, city councils, county government and state legislatures. America needs to elect people who can get things done.
Dr. Glenn Beck will start exposing how Barack Obama is trying to take over "your church" through his faith-based initiatives. Beck will argue that the White House is compelling churches to embrace climate change and to make their physical churches energy efficient in line with progressive socialism.
Charlie Cook is wrong. Cao is not the only vulnerable Republican. Today, Indiana's Mark Souder announced he was resigning because of an affair with his female staffer.
Rolling Stone has an excellent article on Karl Rove's latest scheme of creating a parallel Republican Party of Fatcats because the wealthy donors don't trust Michael Steele but love Karl.
Steve Poizner, the right-winger challenging Meg Whitman, has another great ad attacking Meg. The ad titled "Adults Only" highlights Meg's creation of a separate Ebay for porn, which did become the internet's biggest porn site. Linking it to his previous Goldman Sachs ad, he concludes "Meg Whitman; Bad Judgment. Wrong Values." Dick Cheney came out of his crypt to endorse Meg.
Tom Campbell is cutting back his ad buys in his race against Carly Fiorina, while she's increasing her television spots. Observers can't figure out whether Campbell is overconfident or simply broke or both.
Rick "Secessionist" Perry in Texas is mired in a scandal of his own. Apparently, with his state budget with a huge whole in it, he's renting out a temporary governor mansion at over $300K a year and hosting political parties for his re-election using campiagn donations. With the Texas economic mess--remember he doesn't accept stimulus funds--this is getting traction.
The Arizona Governor continues her quest for excellence, firing teachers with pronounced accents. A little background, Arizona recruited teachers from South America for bilingual education in public schools. Now that the governor banned bilingual education, these teachers became vulnerable and now are expendable.
The Texas textbook scandal continues. The Guardian (U.K.) interviewed schoolboard member Cynthia Dunbar, an evangelical Christian lawyer, who is a major force behind the push to re-write history. Dunbar is a proponent of home and Christian private schooling and likens sending children to public schools like "throwing them in to the enemy's flames". Because of the sheer numbers of Texas textbook purchases, the changes will eventually reach most of the states in the union.
In her interview, she said, " In Texas we have certain statutory obligations to promote partiotism and to promote the free enterprise system. There seems to have been a move away from a patriotic ideology. There seems to be a denial that this was a nation founded under God. We had to go back and make some corrections."
On "In God We Trust", Lincoln's Secretary of Treasury inserted it as a sop to clergymen during the Civil War. "One Nation Under God" was inserted in the Pledge of Allegiance in the 1950s to show we were different from godless Communism. The Pledge of Allegiance came about originally as an instrument to assimilate immigrants and lack any reference to God. The National Prayer day was begrudgingly accepted by Eisenhower as a way to buy off the evangelicals in the 1950s.
So what are some of the changes Ms. Dunbar suggests:
The slave trade wasn't " some evil buying and selling of human beings, it was simply Atlantic triangular trade".
The Civil Rights Movement created "unrealistic expectations of equal outcomes" for minorities in America. And Martin Luther King, Jr. Pretty much a Black Panther.
Thomas Jefferson? Who has been eliminated from the American history book. "He was an insignificant ,God-hating heathen who made sure that the church and state remained separate."
The right to bear arms is essential to democracy and kids really need to learn this in school.
Joe McCarthy was right to go after Godless commies in Hollywood and Washington. He will be vindicated.
We have military technology to thank for America's successes in science.
Moses was a greater influence on the US Constitution than Thomas Jefferson.
America can only flourish economically through 'minimal government intrusion and taxation."
Advising Dunbar is Glenn Beck's and Newt Gingrich's friend David Barton, the founder of the revisionist group WallBuilders, whose stated goal is "to exert a direct and positive influence in government, education, and the family by (1) educating the nation concerning the Godly foundation of our country; (2) providing information to federal, state, and local officials as they develop public policies which reflect Biblical values; and (3) encouraging Christians to be involved in the civic arena."
Paul Krugman in a May 16 op-ed in the New York Times commented on how the defeat of Bob Bennett in Utah and the news of the Maine Republican Party underscored the extremism in the Republican party and that the media is finally paying attention. Krugman cited a paper by economists Markus Bruckner and Hans Peter Gruner on how economic crisis brings out right-wing extremism and nationalist political parties in both Europe and America. Krugman warns that we should not expect the Republican Party to escape the clutches of extremism anytime soon.
I have neglected returning to Mark Lilla's excellent piece in the New York Review of Books on the tea party phenomenon. Michael Kinsley has another one in this week's Atlantic. Just like Al Pacino in Godfather III, he just keeps getting pulled back--Bob Altemeyer has returned to his favorite subject,The Authoritarians, with very detailed analysis of both the history and psychology of the Tea Party Movement. Google it. It is well-worth reading.
I was wrong. I wanted to refrain talking about the Baked Alaskan because she is basically harmful to my mental health. When I saw she was negotiating a deal for a Reality show of her family, I thought this was a sign she was not going to run in 2012. Many moons ago I posted why I believe she is the incarnation of where the Republican Party is now. I also have written how while theocratic politics is in direct intellectual contradiction to libertarianism, it is being fused today in the tea party movement. Just look at James Dobson's embrace of Rand Paul in Kentucky. And then I have taken note of Sister Sarah's nomadic moves across our national landscape. Her recent appearance in Illinois, invoking Ronald Reagan,her fervent embrace of Jan Brewer in Arizona and her ditzy presentation to the NRA tell me she really is running in 2012.
The website Mudflats, my favorite Alaska news site, has been paying microscopic attention to the half-governor's every move. Yesterday they interviewed the author of the upcoming book The Lies of Sarah Palin, who reports that the internal memos he has shows she is preparing a race against Mitt Romney and is totally obsessed with Barack Obama and the loss of the 2008 election. And, of course, she feels that if she were allowed to continue to attack Obama as a terrorist-loving socialist McCain would have won. Her incessant twittering comments on everything the Obama Administration does or does not do (more often the case) indicates a compulsive nature, which will inform us that God told her to run.
The announcement of her second book is simply to say she like Obama has written two books. I thought it was the conservative syndrome of churning out books so that one can boost of the title "New York Times Best Seller"--a weird validation for people who hate liberals. But it's simply to show President Smarty-Pants that 'real Americans" can write books too.
To take a reasoned approach to this does not capture the fundamentally non-rational worldview of Sister Palin and her fundamentalist followers. All the usual political mechanics of campaign organization, staff, polling and fund-raising are tertiary to people who are divinely inspired. Right now she is the leader of the Tea Party Movement and she has the support of the Washington neocons, who advise her. Having a chief aide who is a scientologist and a minister who calls her Queen Esther are not encouragements to retire to a life making money. By the time she announces, she will have earned at least $25 million.
As I wrote before, the Republican primary schedule favors her over any other candidate. She would begin in evangelical country in Iowa and follow with a triumph in neo-confederate South Carolina. Romney might hold on to New Hampshire, but he will be behind until the middle of the race. I believe she really can win the nomination.
And I also believe she would choose a vice-president who would share her obsession with Barack Obama and restoring America's place as God's chosen country. Here Mike Huckabee is too weak because he likes Michelle Obama. Others are lackluster like Pawlenty, who has embraced creationism and just submitted a budget that would destroy Minnesota's rather progressive policies. She needs a Southerner since this is the regional heart of the Republican Party.
Enter the man whose next book is how to stop Obama's "secular-socialist machine"--Newt Gingrich. Newt can not raise the money to be a plausible presidential candidate and he is deeply disliked by older conservatives for everything from his treatment of women to his chaotic leadership style in the House. But he shares Palin's ambition, her cunning and her capacity of deceipt. Gingrich is presently touring the country with our Christian revisionist Dave Barton so he and Sister Sarah are perfect together. Newt would privately think he could be Palin's ideological svengali and his ambitions have never ebbed. I also believe that the choice of vice-presidential nominee would have nothing to do with reality-based politics, but totally on theological and ideological values.
I agree with Paul Krugman, there is no reason to believe that the Republican Party can escape the clutches of extremism-- certainly not by 2011 when people have to declare this candidacies for the presidential nomination.
Be forewarned, I predicted on radio the Palin choice by John McCain before little Billy Kristol or anyone in D.C. knew about her. So, defying all rational calculation, real-world politics and sense of commonsense, I predict it will be a Sarah Palin-Newt Gingrich ticket in 2012.
I am also absolutely certain that if, God forbid, she won that America would instantly cease to be a major power or force in the world. It would simply be folly for any other country to relate their policies to ours, especially in economic affairs.
And if I'm wrong, do I get to be an op-ed columnist at the Washington Post like torture man Marc Thiessen?
Saturday, April 3, 2010
The Authoritarians
Bob Altemeyer is one academic I would love to meet. An American teaching at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. He has a casual style in his book and a great sense of humor for a grim subject. He was brought to the attention of the reading public because of John Dean,the former White House counsel to Richard Nixon, who wrote Conservatives without a Conscience to try and explain what happened to the Republican Party he used to know. For insight, Dean consulted the psychological studies of authoritarianism by Bob Altemeyer. Unfortunately, Altemeyer has been dragged into the political debate in this country over the last few years and feels he has to explain himself to the lay crowd. Working on authoritarianism since 1966, Altemeyer pledges he had no problems with his draft board before applying for his university position in Canada. He is not a liberal or leftist and he cites his wife who is a liberal as witness. He also claims not to have received any grant money from liberal or leftwing foundations for his research work. In fact, he claims he is so bad at writing proposals he's never received grants for his work. Academics would know his work in psychology from The Authoritarian Specter (Harvard University Press, 1996).
At that time, Altemeyer vowed that he had completed his last study of Right-Wing Authoritarianism and saw no reason to pursue it further. He notes that he considers Communist apparatchiks psychologically right-wing authoritarians so that the readers don't get confused and try and pigeon-hole his research.
If you're like me, you're curious what went wrong in the United States and why are these people emerging that seem so menacing. For me the moment when things crystallized was when I woke up and realized the Fourth Amendment was gone--and it was gone because of a secret bipartisan agreement on the Hill. Not that I have been obsessed by the Fourth Amendment, but I was fond of having it around and I woke up missing it. Another moment was reading the Patriot Act, which I did in its almost 1,000-page splendor, and found that any citizen could be stripped of their citizenship without due process. And that included me whose family has been sneaking around America since 1670. It's not simply because I am a beacon of civil libertarianism but rather I am motivated for self interest.
Bob Altemeyer got pulls back into his field because of events in the United States. "But mainly I am doing this because the six years have provided so many examples of authoritarian behavior in American government. There has never been a more obvious, appropriate and pressing time for this discussion. The threat that authoritarians poses to American democracy has probably never been clearer. It is just a coincidence, but human affairs have provided the foremost example of how badly authoritarianism can damage the United States at the same time as my work has come to an end and I am telling everyone what I've found. George W. Bush has been the most authoritarian president in my lifetime, as well as the worst. And that's not a coincidence. Assuming democracy prevails, future Americans should know how close we came to losing it in our day. "Those who do not learn from the past..."
It should be noted that Altemeyer does not contribute to political parties and is not a member of one. He even jokes he has never been a member of the Communist Party. Listen to his warnings about today. Remember this was printed in 2006 when the Democrats took back the Congress. He talks about why one should bother reading his book.
" First, if you are concerned about what has happened in America since a radical right-wing segment of the population began taking control of the government about a dozen years ago,I think you'll find a lot in this book that says your fears are well-founded. As many have pointed out, the Republic is once again passing through perilous times. The concept of constitutional democracy has been under attack--and by the American government no less! The mid-term elections of 2006 give hope that the best values and traditions of the country will ultimately prevail . But it could prove a huge mistake to think the enemies of freedom and equality have lost the war just because they were recently rebuffed in the polls. I'll be very much surprised if their leaders don't frame the setback as a test of the followers' faith, causing them to redouble their efforts. They came so close to getting what they want,they're not likely to pack up and go away without an all-out drive. But even if their leaders cannot find an acceptable presidential candidate for 2008, even if authoritarians play a much diminished role in the next election, even if they temporarily fade from view, they will still be there,aching for a dictatorship that will force their views on everyone. And they will surely be energized again, as they were in 1994, if a new administration infuriates them while carrying out its mandate. The country is not out of danger yet."
Yesterday, Sean Hannity told an adoring audience that "We won the (healthcare) debate, with you Tim McVeigh wannabes". They're BACK!
My quotes of Altemeyer don't do credit to his insightful and probing work on authoritarian followers. He said that an authoritarian leader is comical until he has millions fo followers. The book analyses political authoritarian followers as well as fundamentalist authoritarian religious followers. If you have wondered why tea party people complain about Obama and the constitution but never made a peep about the shredding of the constitution during the Bush-Cheney years, these studies answer that. At the end of the book, he deals with authoritarian leaders which match a different psychology and one that I found helpful in understanding what I perceived as cynical behavior and why and how this occurs. He has a delightful footnote at the end ranking the top Corrupt members in Congress in 2006 and their support from the Focus on the Family, the Christian Right lobbying group. We are now in politics that is beyond reason.
He cites approvingly Kevin Phillips 2006 book American Theology how religious conservatives have taken control of the Republican Party turning it into the first religious party in U.S. History and endangering everyone else's rights, the future of the country and that of the world. Kevin Phillips noted," By the end of the 1990s more than half of the fifty Republican state committees had been taken over by the religious right at least once."
If you recall my postings about Christian revisionist history, the leading Christian revisionist is a man named David Barton, who appeared again with Glenn Beck this week in Florida. Unbeknownst to me David Barton was the vice-chairman of the Texas Republican Party.
Altemeyer in examining both types of authoritarianism also discusses their forms of aggression and how they are most apt to attack "outsiders" (fill in the blank) in the dead of night or alone with a gang of like-minded people. This becomes particularly relevant for his section of how religious authoritarians view minorities and the gay community.
Next week I'll write more on his specific findings, which I found helpful in trying to make sense of the senseless. Next week also brings a motherload of books, which will help probe the whole issue of how did we get enthralled with the free market and let everything melt down. Stay tuned.
At that time, Altemeyer vowed that he had completed his last study of Right-Wing Authoritarianism and saw no reason to pursue it further. He notes that he considers Communist apparatchiks psychologically right-wing authoritarians so that the readers don't get confused and try and pigeon-hole his research.
If you're like me, you're curious what went wrong in the United States and why are these people emerging that seem so menacing. For me the moment when things crystallized was when I woke up and realized the Fourth Amendment was gone--and it was gone because of a secret bipartisan agreement on the Hill. Not that I have been obsessed by the Fourth Amendment, but I was fond of having it around and I woke up missing it. Another moment was reading the Patriot Act, which I did in its almost 1,000-page splendor, and found that any citizen could be stripped of their citizenship without due process. And that included me whose family has been sneaking around America since 1670. It's not simply because I am a beacon of civil libertarianism but rather I am motivated for self interest.
Bob Altemeyer got pulls back into his field because of events in the United States. "But mainly I am doing this because the six years have provided so many examples of authoritarian behavior in American government. There has never been a more obvious, appropriate and pressing time for this discussion. The threat that authoritarians poses to American democracy has probably never been clearer. It is just a coincidence, but human affairs have provided the foremost example of how badly authoritarianism can damage the United States at the same time as my work has come to an end and I am telling everyone what I've found. George W. Bush has been the most authoritarian president in my lifetime, as well as the worst. And that's not a coincidence. Assuming democracy prevails, future Americans should know how close we came to losing it in our day. "Those who do not learn from the past..."
It should be noted that Altemeyer does not contribute to political parties and is not a member of one. He even jokes he has never been a member of the Communist Party. Listen to his warnings about today. Remember this was printed in 2006 when the Democrats took back the Congress. He talks about why one should bother reading his book.
" First, if you are concerned about what has happened in America since a radical right-wing segment of the population began taking control of the government about a dozen years ago,I think you'll find a lot in this book that says your fears are well-founded. As many have pointed out, the Republic is once again passing through perilous times. The concept of constitutional democracy has been under attack--and by the American government no less! The mid-term elections of 2006 give hope that the best values and traditions of the country will ultimately prevail . But it could prove a huge mistake to think the enemies of freedom and equality have lost the war just because they were recently rebuffed in the polls. I'll be very much surprised if their leaders don't frame the setback as a test of the followers' faith, causing them to redouble their efforts. They came so close to getting what they want,they're not likely to pack up and go away without an all-out drive. But even if their leaders cannot find an acceptable presidential candidate for 2008, even if authoritarians play a much diminished role in the next election, even if they temporarily fade from view, they will still be there,aching for a dictatorship that will force their views on everyone. And they will surely be energized again, as they were in 1994, if a new administration infuriates them while carrying out its mandate. The country is not out of danger yet."
Yesterday, Sean Hannity told an adoring audience that "We won the (healthcare) debate, with you Tim McVeigh wannabes". They're BACK!
My quotes of Altemeyer don't do credit to his insightful and probing work on authoritarian followers. He said that an authoritarian leader is comical until he has millions fo followers. The book analyses political authoritarian followers as well as fundamentalist authoritarian religious followers. If you have wondered why tea party people complain about Obama and the constitution but never made a peep about the shredding of the constitution during the Bush-Cheney years, these studies answer that. At the end of the book, he deals with authoritarian leaders which match a different psychology and one that I found helpful in understanding what I perceived as cynical behavior and why and how this occurs. He has a delightful footnote at the end ranking the top Corrupt members in Congress in 2006 and their support from the Focus on the Family, the Christian Right lobbying group. We are now in politics that is beyond reason.
He cites approvingly Kevin Phillips 2006 book American Theology how religious conservatives have taken control of the Republican Party turning it into the first religious party in U.S. History and endangering everyone else's rights, the future of the country and that of the world. Kevin Phillips noted," By the end of the 1990s more than half of the fifty Republican state committees had been taken over by the religious right at least once."
If you recall my postings about Christian revisionist history, the leading Christian revisionist is a man named David Barton, who appeared again with Glenn Beck this week in Florida. Unbeknownst to me David Barton was the vice-chairman of the Texas Republican Party.
Altemeyer in examining both types of authoritarianism also discusses their forms of aggression and how they are most apt to attack "outsiders" (fill in the blank) in the dead of night or alone with a gang of like-minded people. This becomes particularly relevant for his section of how religious authoritarians view minorities and the gay community.
Next week I'll write more on his specific findings, which I found helpful in trying to make sense of the senseless. Next week also brings a motherload of books, which will help probe the whole issue of how did we get enthralled with the free market and let everything melt down. Stay tuned.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Liars for Jesus
Glenn Beck promises us a new version of the First Amendment brought to you by Christian revisionist David Barton. Mr. Barton spearheaded the RNC's outreach to conservative clergy in 2004 and Newt Gingrich has asked him to gather politically active evangelicals to a meeting for Gingrich to re-launch his old organization. This would not be newsworthy except the same David Barton is heavily involved in the Texas school book debate as discussed in an excellent article in the New York Times yesterday. Normally, I would just shrug such a thing off to the reptile brains in Texas except that because it is such a big market the decisions on the textbooks may affect over 40 states.
Sometimes I think that the internet could save us all. A blogger named Chris Rodda, one of the few people actually monitoring the religious right in the United States, has written a book Liars for Jesus: the Religious Right's Alternative Vision of American History. This book rebuts chapter and verse the arguments by Barton and his cohorts that we are a "Christian" country. I watched about an hour of her Youtube presentations last night and found her arguments convincing but her opposition horrifying. You can find it today on the Dailykos; her Huffington Post blog was taken down this morning.
If you would like to learn something about the real relationship between Church and State during the first generation after the American Revolution, I recommend Forrest Church's So Help Me God: The Founding Fathers and the First Great Battle Over Church and State (Harcourt, 2007, $16.00). For the past twenty years, we have been blessed by the blossoming of great works in American history, which have contributed to the understanding of our unruly nation. To see a full-scale assault on our history by the religious right, I find appalling.
When I was young, we learned all about the different religious sects and how they shaped our colonial history. Despite claims by the right that the 60s and 70s wiped this out of our schoolbooks, I note that my son's history books from middle school through high school covered the same material with even more attention to detail. The basics were the same.
Barton and his cronies have been travelling under the radar but having a large impact on both our school systems and our politics. It really is time that they be challenged directly at every level. Was America filled with Christian sects at the time of independence? Of course. But the Christian nationalist history that has been lying around from the 1930s, just doesn't hold up to scrutiny.
Just from memory I'll deal with a few of the items that they raise and Chris Rodda debunks. First, they claim that half the signers of the Declaration of Independence were seminary graduates. Interesting, except seminary meant in those days a school. It had no religious connotation. Only one minister signed the Declaration--John Witherspoon and two former divinity students who became a trader and lawyer respectfully.
When the Revolution was concluded, the United States and Britain signed a peace treaty with the notation "In the Name of the Holy Trinity." The United States actually signed three such treaties until about 1826. Each of the treaties were drafted by European nations with established state churches and as such routinely used this formulation in their diplomacy. the United States Government never drafted a treaty using such language.
Because of the war against Britain, the United States experienced a shortage of print materials, including bibles. The Christian revisionists claim that the United States Congress authorized the printing of a Bible of the Revolution by a printer in Philadelphia. Not quite-- the first American bible was being printed in Philadelphia and the printer asked for Congress' authorization. Instead, they gave it to the chaplain to approve its accuracy and the quality of the job. Congress sent a letter remarking on both qualities with the intent to give our printers a leg up on the competition. It had nothing to do with approving a a Bible per se. The printer wrote George Washington to have Congress pay for 20,000 of the Bibles to hand out to revolutionary soldiers. Washington had his secretary respond that the printer should ask Congress. They refused to pay for it. It was only in the 1930s that with so few of the Bibles remaining that book dealers called it the Revolution Bible to inflate its sale value.
In the revisionist history, James Madison is downgraded in his role at the Constitutional Congress and Govenor Morris is elevated because he spoke so much. Interestingly, Morris was slated to become the American ambassador to France but was passed over because he was considered too "irreligious" even for the French. But Madison remains a thorn in their side because of his very non-religious attitudes and his role in creating the separation of church and state. Interestingly, Madison has always been one of the favorite Founding Fathers for traditional political conservatives because of his defense of federalism.
The Big Christian hero is ...drumroll... Thomas Jefferson. Christian revisionist claim that the University of Virginia was not the first secular university in the United States but was intended by Jefferson to contain six seminaries. The fact of the matter was that Jefferson was under attack in Virginia for asking so much money for UVa from the religious denominations that he wrote a letter offering any sect to establish a seminary at the University. He knew the Anglicans were trying to re-establish their seminar at William & Mary, which he himself had disbanded when Governor; the Presbyterians were busy somewhere else; and the Congregationalists weren't interested; and the Baptists had yet to create seminaries. In the response of his friend to Thomas Jefferson, the friend complimented Jefferson on his adroit way in defusing the religious opposition to UVa.
The revisionists also claim that Jefferson as President was keen for prosletyzing the Indians. For this they cite a treaty he signed that provided funds for a church and the salary of a preacher (actually a Catholic priest). Of the 200 treaties our founding fathers signed with Indian nations only three contained similar provisions. In the case of the Jefferson treaty, it had to do with an Indian tribe who had converted to Catholicism in the 17th century. They wanted to pay their priest several years of salary and wanted funding for a church and in return the United States would reaps thousands of acres of land. When Jefferson wanted to address Congress on the details of this treaty, James Madison interceded ,telling him Congress might misinterpret the concrete details as sponsoring religion. Jefferson refrained from revealing the details.
Baptists have always loved Jefferson. But the revisionists have gotten it wrong. They claim Baptists in Danbury, Conn. wrote Jefferson about their concerns about the First Amendment and the establishment clause . Not true, they wrote Jefferson about the fact that Connecticut like Rhode Island did not write a new constitution as they were asked and simply re-asserted their original charters which in fact esblished congregationalism as the state church. Jefferson wrote back voicing support for their concerns and denounced any form of a protestant popedom. Baptists at that time had to get written wavers from the state to practice their religion. What Jefferson wrote to the Baptists did not support the revisionist accounts of the First Amendment.
The big whopper of revisionists is the claim that John Adams wrote that the Holy Spirit informed everything and that unless it was present in government men would live in depravity. This is supposed to cinch the case that our Founding Fathers wanted a Christian government. The part of the letter they do not quote is that Adams is discussing the rationale for a monarchy and by the end of his letter he concludes that the whole notion of the Holy Spirit is bunk and that it plays on people's ignorance. But my Presbyterians did in fact support Adams because he did believe religion should play a greater role in our politics. But he didn't believe the nonsense the revisionists attribute to him.
The First Amendment is one of the reasons our country has the greatest expressions and diversity of religious faith in the world. It is our ethic of tolerance and pluralism that fosters this richness. There is no a single Founding Father who ever believed in theocracy. It is simply sick that the religious right actually believe they are being repressed. Only days ago they began their suit to repeal the new Hate Crimes legislation because they argue they can't express their anti-homosexual beliefs. And they have whipped up the news that Judge Wagner, a conservative Republican appointed by George H.W. Bush, is biased in the Prop 8 trial because of "his preferred lifestyle". Only weeks ago, radical right churches and conservative Catholics at the instigation of Watergate figure Chuck Colson boasted 1 million signatures to their Manhattan Manifesto, decrying the state of our culture and the permissiveness shown to gays and the issue of gay marriage. For their information, every Christian always has lived in a secular society whether it was Imperial Rome,even the Holy Roman Empire and the United States.
The reason the Founding Fathers were highly skeptical of establishing a religion in the United States was because they were trying to avoid the bloody inter-Christian wars that had wracked Europe for centuries. If you want some evidence of this, just look what happened when Benjamin Franklin asked the Constitutional Convention to open each session with a prayer to "the Heavens". They unanimously turned him down and did not offer a more Christan prayer.
Sometimes I think that the internet could save us all. A blogger named Chris Rodda, one of the few people actually monitoring the religious right in the United States, has written a book Liars for Jesus: the Religious Right's Alternative Vision of American History. This book rebuts chapter and verse the arguments by Barton and his cohorts that we are a "Christian" country. I watched about an hour of her Youtube presentations last night and found her arguments convincing but her opposition horrifying. You can find it today on the Dailykos; her Huffington Post blog was taken down this morning.
If you would like to learn something about the real relationship between Church and State during the first generation after the American Revolution, I recommend Forrest Church's So Help Me God: The Founding Fathers and the First Great Battle Over Church and State (Harcourt, 2007, $16.00). For the past twenty years, we have been blessed by the blossoming of great works in American history, which have contributed to the understanding of our unruly nation. To see a full-scale assault on our history by the religious right, I find appalling.
When I was young, we learned all about the different religious sects and how they shaped our colonial history. Despite claims by the right that the 60s and 70s wiped this out of our schoolbooks, I note that my son's history books from middle school through high school covered the same material with even more attention to detail. The basics were the same.
Barton and his cronies have been travelling under the radar but having a large impact on both our school systems and our politics. It really is time that they be challenged directly at every level. Was America filled with Christian sects at the time of independence? Of course. But the Christian nationalist history that has been lying around from the 1930s, just doesn't hold up to scrutiny.
Just from memory I'll deal with a few of the items that they raise and Chris Rodda debunks. First, they claim that half the signers of the Declaration of Independence were seminary graduates. Interesting, except seminary meant in those days a school. It had no religious connotation. Only one minister signed the Declaration--John Witherspoon and two former divinity students who became a trader and lawyer respectfully.
When the Revolution was concluded, the United States and Britain signed a peace treaty with the notation "In the Name of the Holy Trinity." The United States actually signed three such treaties until about 1826. Each of the treaties were drafted by European nations with established state churches and as such routinely used this formulation in their diplomacy. the United States Government never drafted a treaty using such language.
Because of the war against Britain, the United States experienced a shortage of print materials, including bibles. The Christian revisionists claim that the United States Congress authorized the printing of a Bible of the Revolution by a printer in Philadelphia. Not quite-- the first American bible was being printed in Philadelphia and the printer asked for Congress' authorization. Instead, they gave it to the chaplain to approve its accuracy and the quality of the job. Congress sent a letter remarking on both qualities with the intent to give our printers a leg up on the competition. It had nothing to do with approving a a Bible per se. The printer wrote George Washington to have Congress pay for 20,000 of the Bibles to hand out to revolutionary soldiers. Washington had his secretary respond that the printer should ask Congress. They refused to pay for it. It was only in the 1930s that with so few of the Bibles remaining that book dealers called it the Revolution Bible to inflate its sale value.
In the revisionist history, James Madison is downgraded in his role at the Constitutional Congress and Govenor Morris is elevated because he spoke so much. Interestingly, Morris was slated to become the American ambassador to France but was passed over because he was considered too "irreligious" even for the French. But Madison remains a thorn in their side because of his very non-religious attitudes and his role in creating the separation of church and state. Interestingly, Madison has always been one of the favorite Founding Fathers for traditional political conservatives because of his defense of federalism.
The Big Christian hero is ...drumroll... Thomas Jefferson. Christian revisionist claim that the University of Virginia was not the first secular university in the United States but was intended by Jefferson to contain six seminaries. The fact of the matter was that Jefferson was under attack in Virginia for asking so much money for UVa from the religious denominations that he wrote a letter offering any sect to establish a seminary at the University. He knew the Anglicans were trying to re-establish their seminar at William & Mary, which he himself had disbanded when Governor; the Presbyterians were busy somewhere else; and the Congregationalists weren't interested; and the Baptists had yet to create seminaries. In the response of his friend to Thomas Jefferson, the friend complimented Jefferson on his adroit way in defusing the religious opposition to UVa.
The revisionists also claim that Jefferson as President was keen for prosletyzing the Indians. For this they cite a treaty he signed that provided funds for a church and the salary of a preacher (actually a Catholic priest). Of the 200 treaties our founding fathers signed with Indian nations only three contained similar provisions. In the case of the Jefferson treaty, it had to do with an Indian tribe who had converted to Catholicism in the 17th century. They wanted to pay their priest several years of salary and wanted funding for a church and in return the United States would reaps thousands of acres of land. When Jefferson wanted to address Congress on the details of this treaty, James Madison interceded ,telling him Congress might misinterpret the concrete details as sponsoring religion. Jefferson refrained from revealing the details.
Baptists have always loved Jefferson. But the revisionists have gotten it wrong. They claim Baptists in Danbury, Conn. wrote Jefferson about their concerns about the First Amendment and the establishment clause . Not true, they wrote Jefferson about the fact that Connecticut like Rhode Island did not write a new constitution as they were asked and simply re-asserted their original charters which in fact esblished congregationalism as the state church. Jefferson wrote back voicing support for their concerns and denounced any form of a protestant popedom. Baptists at that time had to get written wavers from the state to practice their religion. What Jefferson wrote to the Baptists did not support the revisionist accounts of the First Amendment.
The big whopper of revisionists is the claim that John Adams wrote that the Holy Spirit informed everything and that unless it was present in government men would live in depravity. This is supposed to cinch the case that our Founding Fathers wanted a Christian government. The part of the letter they do not quote is that Adams is discussing the rationale for a monarchy and by the end of his letter he concludes that the whole notion of the Holy Spirit is bunk and that it plays on people's ignorance. But my Presbyterians did in fact support Adams because he did believe religion should play a greater role in our politics. But he didn't believe the nonsense the revisionists attribute to him.
The First Amendment is one of the reasons our country has the greatest expressions and diversity of religious faith in the world. It is our ethic of tolerance and pluralism that fosters this richness. There is no a single Founding Father who ever believed in theocracy. It is simply sick that the religious right actually believe they are being repressed. Only days ago they began their suit to repeal the new Hate Crimes legislation because they argue they can't express their anti-homosexual beliefs. And they have whipped up the news that Judge Wagner, a conservative Republican appointed by George H.W. Bush, is biased in the Prop 8 trial because of "his preferred lifestyle". Only weeks ago, radical right churches and conservative Catholics at the instigation of Watergate figure Chuck Colson boasted 1 million signatures to their Manhattan Manifesto, decrying the state of our culture and the permissiveness shown to gays and the issue of gay marriage. For their information, every Christian always has lived in a secular society whether it was Imperial Rome,even the Holy Roman Empire and the United States.
The reason the Founding Fathers were highly skeptical of establishing a religion in the United States was because they were trying to avoid the bloody inter-Christian wars that had wracked Europe for centuries. If you want some evidence of this, just look what happened when Benjamin Franklin asked the Constitutional Convention to open each session with a prayer to "the Heavens". They unanimously turned him down and did not offer a more Christan prayer.
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