The current election cycle.
Now that we know Donald Trump is okay with quoting the fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, it's probably time to reconsider that old chestnut about those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.
When Trump took Gawker's bait and retweeted a line attributed to Mussolini - that it's better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep - many Americans were stunned that the leading Republican presidential candidate would pass along a quote from a Fascist dictator. Let alone a dictator whose foolish poses on old newsreels make us laugh. Really, we wondered, who could have taken seriously such a ridiculous man?
But frighteningly, a majority of Americans supported Mussolini for most of his dictatorship. Isolated by an ocean, they fell for his rhetoric. We no longer have an ocean between us and such rhetoric and bombast. Il Duce Donald has arrived.
After the "March on Rome" in October of 1922, in which hundreds of Mussolini's followers demanded a Fascist government and the weak King Victor Emmanuel III relented, America was quick to brand Mussolini a winner. Politicians, journalists, and businessmen believed that Mussolini's new political program, with its brutal intolerance of strikes taking place throughout the country, would restore order and stem the tide of the growing Bolshevist threat.
Americans lapped up Mussolini's rhetoric about restoring the greatness of the Roman Empire. Even the name of his party -- the fasces, a bundle of wheat bound to an ax -- symbolized Roman authority. Finally someone would impose structure on an undisciplined nation and make the trains run on time. Or in Trump parlance, he would Make Italy Great Again.
History reminds us that not only the "poorly educated" fall for the inflammatory, belligerent, and contradictory rhetoric of a demagogue whose skill lies in manipulating people's fears. American elites thought Mussolini could stave off the spread of a radicalism that championed immigrants and worker rights. Trump supporters feel economically oppressed and threatened by a disappearing white majority and some Republican leaders are beginning to accept the inevitability of his nomination. Once upon a time, America found itself attracted to the preening strength and false promise of a comic showman. But then again, it can't happen here. Remember both National Socialist German Workers Party and the Fascists were freely elected under democratic regimes.
And if you have not figured it out already, the German party mentioned above is commonly called the Nazi Party. 'Nuff said.
Some thoughts for the new year.
Some random thoughts.
Inconsistency is the key to flexibility.
Talk is cheap. Guns cost money.
If it breaks, it needed replacing.
What good is my life, if I do not use it to defend what I believe in?
Suicide or Death...It's your choice!
Most People live such sad lives, wishing they could do what they want. I don't have that problem: there's nothing I want to do.
Overheard at a Republican strategy meeting.
What do you think this is... a democracy?
Also…
We must not tarnish the good name of this organization by delving into the forbidden technologies, unless is a matter of life or death... or it will give us a small political advantage.
No excuses are acceptable.
Yes, we are taking full advantage of the misfortune of others. What's your point?
Overheard at the Pentagon
No, I won't accept their surrender. There's still money to be made on this war.
Just think about the following….
I'm not worried about artificial intelligence. It's the artificial humanity that bothers me.
The richer you are, the cheaper life becomes.
Wait a minute. This smacks of Morality and Democracy.No one ever won a war by spending his economy into bankruptcy. He won the war by making the other poor dumb guy spend his economy into bankruptcy.
This whole 'fair fight' thing is nice in theory, but if we actually implement it, we could get hurt.
I'm not interested in making new friends. I don't even like the ones I have.
You can stop being useless now. The crisis has passed.
They just had all of their personal possessions and several family members blown up. I don't think we'll have much trouble exiling them.
I'm not anti-social, I just don't like you"
"We are all going to hell, and I am driving the bus"
"You shouldn't compare yourself to others; they are more screwed up than you think."
"Enjoy life. There's plenty of time to be dead."
"I don't want to achieve immortality thru my work. I want to achieve immortality thru not dying"
Ugliness is superior to beauty because it lasts.
Don't give other people a piece of your mind unless you can afford it.
Thou shall not kill. Thou shall not commit adultery. Don't eat pork. I'm sorry, what was that last one?? Don't eat pork. God has spoken. Is that the word of God or is that pigs trying to outsmart everybody?
We're having creative differences. I'm creative, you're different
I'd like to see things your way, but I'm not sure if I can stick my head that far up my ass.
It's a beautiful world but everyone's insane."
Some thoughts at advent of the New Year
Two thousand five hundred years before the carpenter from Nazareth there was Anubis and Sekhmet.
Anubis et'her ka, Se ta'uk'fhet sa te vapu kuraph. Anubis et'her ka. Anubis, Lord of the Dead, Faithful Companion, protect me, for I am your child. Protect me, Anubis, weigh my heart upon the scale; watch over me, Lord, for I am your child. Do not let evil distress me, but turn your fierceness upon my enemies. Cover me with your gaze, let your hand be upon me, now and all the days of my life, until you take me into Your embrace."
The Goddess Sekhmet, whose name means "The Mighty One", is also the one "Great of Magic" whose knowledge of sorcery give her a place in the service of healing.
Her nature being that of a Goddess of War, she accompanied the King to battle and is often described as his mother. But war is only half her truth as she is also regarded as a great mother of compassion, a loving and protective mother Goddess, and also expert in the arts of healing.
A twin of Bast, she is regarded as the dusk compared to her sister the dawn, one melting into another, as in the phases of life.
Her mighty power inspires fear in the henchmen of Seth and even the serpent Apophis succumbs to her. Sekhmet is represented as a lioness or as a woman with lion's head.
Her weapons are arrows "with which she pierces hearts" and a fiery glow emanates from her body. The hot desert winds are the Goddess's hot breath. She is connected with the fire-spitting Uraeus of the King and thereby is the "Eye of Ra".
“O Sekhmet, Source of Strength and Mercy,
I am beset by sorrow and many troubles;
wounded by injustice and the offensive
wrongdoing of others.
Grant me the strength to meet adversity
with quiet courage and unshaken will.
O Sekhmet, Overcomer of All Enemies,
Forgive my weakness and renew my hope.
Place your protective mantle around me,
help me remain steadfast and resolute
in front of my enemies.
Shield and defend me and my loved ones
from the ravages of fear and anxiety.
O Sekhmet, Who rouses the People
Grant me the fortitude to show forbearance
to those who would sin against me.
May I allow no trial, however severe,
to embitter my soul and destroy my trust.
May my heart not despair of human good.
O Sekhmet, I praise and honor Thee with gratitude for your help.
Your Cristin/Prostint/Mussin pantheon and written word does not sound so original now, does it? If I were to believe in gods and such, Anubis and Sekhmet would be my personal choice.
So, there is a set of ideas for the New Year. Let this Turning of the Great Wheel bring you Tolerance, Peace and Good Fortune.
So let it be written, So let it be done!
Thoughts on Anti-theism
Cosmology and evolutionary biology provide enough evidence to convince a rational person that it is highly probable that the universe and life on Earth came about naturally, i.e., without the involvement of any supernatural beings.
Because science can explain just about everything but not quite, it's wrong to say therefore we don't need [gods]. It is also, I suppose, wrong to say we don't need the Flying Spaghetti Monster, unicorns, Thor, Wotan, Jupiter, or fairies at the bottom of the garden. There's an infinite number of things that some people at one time or another have believed in, and an infinite number of things that nobody has believed in. If there's not the slightest reason to believe in any of those things, why bother? The onus is on somebody who says, I want to believe in [Abraham's god], Flying Spaghetti Monster, fairies, or whatever it is, to show proof of said fairies or whatever. It is not up to the non-believer to disprove it."
Anti-theism is active and vocal opposition to belief in gods of any sort and to institutions built around belief in a deity. Anti-theists are not passive atheists; they delight in atheism and delight in exposing the errors, absurdities, and pretensions of theists. Anti-theists consider all gods to be false gods and any benefits from belief in gods to be far outweighed by the harm done by such beliefs to the individual and to society. Anti-theists don't deny that there may be some benefits to some people some of the time due to their delusional belief in a deity or two, but they adamantly deny that faith in religious books or ideas is a good thing.
Anti-theists are usually referred to these days as the new atheists. Anti-theists consider it a moral duty to oppose religion and theism, and to advocate science and reason. Such opposition is for the good of the individual and for the good of society. So, all that being said, Where am I on the scale of Believer/Anti-theist? Oh, probably somewhere around relaxed atheist/anti-theist.
OK I have nothing but respect for your right to believe in magic and fairy tales, I really do.
If you want to live your life believing it is controlled by some magic guy in the sky...awesome!!!
Be religious, have your God...good for you, hunky dory, but please, keep it outta my life, keep it outta my government, my schools, the stuff that affects my life. Enjoy your God in the privacy of your church or your home, please.
Now I know that some are going to choose to be offended and that is your choice but it is not my intention.
I am not trying to offend you. I am merely stating my position. I do not hate you, do not want to stop you or dissuade you from your beliefs. Most will say "OK cool dude, no problem, live your life, I don't agree with you but it is your life to live."
But to those of you that choose to be offended.
What offends you more? Me asking you to keep it to yourself?
Or, that I believe (keyword here is believe) your religion is silly and superstitious?
Some thoughts on belief and the Universe
Santa Claus is kinder, more loving, and all-around morally superior to the Judeo-Christian-Islamic God.
Santa follows and enforces a moral code, but instead of condemning the naughty to suffer he simply withholds reward. And rather than making their punishment eternal, he always offers a chance at redemption the following year.
Whereas God is closely partnered with Satan in all his dealings, Santa Claus eschews evil entirely. God demands obeisance, flattery, and worship, but Santa asks only milk and cookies, and he'll never turn his back on you for not leaving him any. Santa never turned anyone into a pillar of salt. Santa never sent an elf to be nailed to a tree.
Hail Santa!
That tears it. I'm a Santaist.
That being said I really want to thank the Republicans, Rick Santorum. the Westboro Baptist Church, Catholic priests and the percentage of Christians that think they know what is best for all of us, et al. Again, I really do thank you. You have done more to kill religion than anybody else in recent years. Thank you!
It is because of those beliefs that religion is slowly dying. I am not going to hurry that demise along although I do applaud it.
If you want to live your life believing it is controlled by some magic guy in the sky...awesome!!!
Be religious, have your God...good for you, hunky dory, but please, keep it outta my life, keep it outta my government, my schools, the stuff that affects my life. Enjoy your God in the privacy of your church or your home, please.
Now I know that some are going to choose to be offended and that is your choice but it is not my intention.
I am not trying to offend you. I am merely stating my position. I do not hate you, do not want to stop you or dissuade you from your beliefs. Most will say "OK cool dude, no problem, live your life, I don't agree with you but it is your life to live."
But to those of you that choose to be offended.
What offends you more? Me asking you to keep it to yourself?
Or, that I believe (keyword here is believe) your religion is silly and superstitious?
Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence.
The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind pitiless indifference.
Find a large open space and take a soccer ball to represent the sun. Put the ball down and walk ten paces in a straight line. Stick a pin in the ground. The head of the pin stands for the planet Mercury. Take another 9 paces beyond Mercury and put down a peppercorn to represent Venus. Move seven paces on, drop another peppercorn for Earth. One inch away from earth, a pinhead represents the Moon. 14 more paces to Mars, then 95 paces to Jupiter, a ping-pong ball. 112 paces further, Saturn is a marble, one of the furthest places that we've so far reached. No time to deal with the outer planets except to say that the distances are much larger.
But, how far would you have to walk to reach the nearest star, Proxima Centauri? Pick up another soccer ball to represent it, and set off for a walk of 4200 miles. As for the nearest other galaxy, Andromeda, don't even think about it!
Who'd go to mythology and faith, when you've sampled the real thing?